In Starz’s hit drama Outlander, Caitriona Balfe’s Claire Fraser is fearless, quick-thinking and resilient, while Sam Heughan’s Jamie Fraser is known for his protectiveness and empathy. A newly released prequel, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, explores how both characters came to be that way.

The series, which premiered Friday, tells the love stories of Jamie’s parents — Ellen and Brian — and Claire’s parents — Julia and Henry. Although inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander universe, there is no book version for showrunner Matthew B. Roberts to follow, giving him “a lot more room to play.”

In Gabaldon’s novels, Jamie’s parents are only briefly referenced, leaving Roberts and the writers to expand on their story. Set in 18th-century Scotland, Ellen and Brian’s romance is complicated by a deep family feud. “They don’t mix. It’s completely forbidden,” said Harriet Slater, who plays Ellen. Jamie Roy, who portrays Brian, describes him as a “tough, stoic, Highland warrior” but also a “gentle, poetic, romantic” man.

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Claire’s parents, Julia and Henry, are even less developed in the books, having died in a car accident when Claire was a child. In the prequel, their love story begins during World War I, when Henry, a soldier with little will to live, sends a heartfelt letter home. Julia, working in postal censorship, responds, sparking a romance that eventually sends them back in time to the 1700s — where survival requires wit and resourcefulness.

Season two of Blood of My Blood is already in production. Hermione Corfield, who plays Julia, said the cast works in a “secret bubble,” making promotion challenging as they juggle memories from different seasons.

The final season of the original Outlander series is set to premiere early next year.

Source: Agency