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For 10 years and eight seasons of Outlander we got to see the love of Jamie and Claire Fraser endure, survive, and thrive. In the prequel series, Outlander: Blood of my Blood, we’ll get to see the love story of Jamie’s parents in 18th-century Scotland and how the parents of Claire Beauchamp maintained their passion for each other during World War I. And of course, there will be someone walking through the stones of Craigh na Dun and traveling through time.

Because we’re traveling back to see the clans Fraser and MacKenzie, we’re going to be introduced to younger versions of Dougal MacKenzie (played by Sam Retford) and Murtagh (played by Rory Alexander). 

“With some of the characters, we know where they’ll end up, that’s it,” showrunner Matthew B. Roberts previewed. “We’re not to go that far, because that’s the Outlander story. How did they get there? How did they become those characters?”

“These are the younger versions, yes, but at 20 years old, they certainly are not who they are now. We have so much runway that we can play with. So many things are going to happen. Terrible, horrible things are going to happen to these people.” 

A whimpering plea in the press room cried out, “No…” 

“You know, and you’re going to see the love keep them together and then yank them apart, bring them together and yank them apart. That’s the Outlander universe.”

“That reminds me in the casting process when we were casting Murtagh,” executive producer Maril Davis added. “You automatically go to Duncan Lacroix, a grizzled curmudgeon-y guy. The Murtagh we have is our lovely Rory. He hasn’t lived that life yet. He’s not to that point yet. We’re actually casting a different character, and the fun journey of how it gets to that disillusioned curmudgeon is a fun journey.”

“We want to see what made the characters, the characters, Rory is going to suffer,” Roberts said, smiling.

It’s a tricky thing to navigate when making a prequel series because the writer’s room can write to the versions that audiences know already, or they can introduce a younger version of a character that’s such a far departure that you’re on the hook to find out what events help create the version of the character that is familiar. Graham McTavish was a very distinct old man, Dougal, so there’s a lot of tread on those tires.

It’s great if you’re willing to take that ride; some fans put characters in a box. For example, some (impatient) fans of Breaking Bad couldn’t stand the pace at which Jimmy McGill transforms into Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul. 

It’s essential to recognize that in life, achieving a certain level of success can take many years. Nobody arrives at an angry or disillusioned disposition without reason. Life’s journey and tragedies shape and mold a life. Sometimes it’s worth the wait. We shall see how the younger versions of Murtag and Dougal progress in Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

Season 1 of Outlander: Blood of My Blood premieres August 8 on Starz and is 10 episodes long.

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