Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 introduces a new love interest for Murtagh, and the writers admit they did it because the poor man needed a home. The episode, titled “The Veil of Time,” airs now on Starz, and it brings Murtagh together with Grace Cameron, played by Ruby Fubara.
Castle Leoch Is Not a Reunion
Murtagh and Brian willingly go to Castle Leoch in this week’s episode, but they are not there to see Ellen again. They are there to deliver a message from Lord Lovat, who has rallied his troops to fight for the Jacobite cause. Before they can share that news, they get into a fight with Dougal and his friends.
Mrs. Fitz finds her injured nephew and fusses over him. While she fetches medical supplies, she hands him off to Jocasta Cameron’s new maid, Grace Cameron. Sparks fly between Murtagh and Grace right away, and Jocasta notices.
Why the Writers Wanted a New Romance
Matthew B. Roberts explained the reasoning behind the new character in an interview with DECIDER. “As soon as we broke his heart last year Rory [Alexander] just felt like a puppy that needed a home,” Roberts said. “So we thought about it, and putting [Grace] in Jocasta’s world also felt very organic to creating more and more story.”
Maril Davis added that the writers had discussed casting a younger version of Murtagh last season. “We were keen to see young, hopeful Murtagh, which Rory has portrayed now, but what led to him becoming that way?” Davis said. “And we’re seeing some of that. He was in love and there was a time when he was hopeful.”
Grace Is New to Outlander
Grace is not a character anyone meets or hears about in the main Outlander series. That suggests her romance with Murtagh — which Roberts confirmed they are setting up — will end tragically. The writers are building a love story from scratch for this spinoff.
Grace has an English accent, like Claire and her parents. That raises questions about whether she might be a time traveler or simply an English girl who fell on hard times and traveled far to Scotland. The writers have not said either way.
Ruby Fubara’s First Appearance on Screen
Fubara plays Grace Cameron, and she has appeared on the show before. She starred in Breeders, a show that also featured a character named Grace. She does not appear to have a public social media account.
Roberts praised her performance. “She just embodied exactly what we wanted in Grace, and I think it’s going to be a great addition to the love stories on Outlander,” he said.
What We Know About Grace So Far
Here is what the episode establishes about Grace:
- She is a new maid in the Cameron household
- She has an English accent
- Jocasta sees the sparks between her and Murtagh
- Her relationship with Murtagh will blossom over the season
The Puppy That Needed a Home
The writers’ honesty about Murtagh being a puppy that needed a home is the best part of this whole reveal. They saw the character alone after losing his old love interest and decided to give him companionship. It is a delightfully simple reason for a new romance.
The tragic ending feels inevitable because the writers built Grace as a new character for this spinoff. She does not exist in the original books or shows, so her fate is tied to the story they are telling now.
Fans will likely spend the season watching Murtagh’s hopeful side emerge, only to see it crushed again.
Source material: “Why ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’ Gave Murtagh a New Season 2 Love Interest: “Rory Alexander Just Felt Like a Puppy That Needed a Home”,” Decider.
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