Outlander: Blood Of My Blood's Ellen Suffers Tragedy At Simon's Hand, And A Fraser Foe Makes His Debut — Read Recap

Almost as soon as it began, Ellen and Brian's dream of having a family was snuffed out — at least for now — in this week's "Outlander: Blood of My Blood."

You'll recall that Ellen revealed she was pregnant earlier this season, first to her dying sister, Janet, then to Brian as he prepared for battle. This week, that pregnancy comes to an end. The loss would have been difficult to bear had it happened naturally. But it's all the more tragic when we learn that Brian's own father is the direct cause.

But wait, there's more (heartache)! During Brian and Murtagh's heroic storming of Fort William, they encounter a young British officer whom Dougal wants dead. The man who eventually decides that they shouldn't kill the soldier? Brian. The Redcoat in question? A teenage Jonathan Wolverton "Black Jack" Randall, aka the "Outlander" villain who will go on to play a pivotal, painful role in the life of Brian's future son, Jamie.

At least Henry and Julia have a moment of happy togetherness?

Read on for the highlights of "Small Mercies."

Grace returns to Castle Leoch, where Colum is angry that she can't give any clear detail about the man who kidnapped Ellen, aside from the fact that he wasn't a MacKenzie. After she leaves, Colum spirals, in large part because the estate is still in his missing sister's name. Ned is aghast: After all, Colum's insistence on putting the good of the clan over the good of his sibling is what drove her away in the first place. But Colum is resolute. "There is a price to be paid for the love I bear for my sister," he says gravely, "but I can no longer afford it."

Over at Castle Leathers, Julia and Davina bury Seema. We learn that Mistress Porter had taken little William to the faeries' well to wash the evil off him after she found the ill-wish in his cradle, which is why she'd escaped the unhinged servant's wrath. "This death, I will carry forever," Julia says, crying. And Davina understands, but she matter-of-factly points out that Julia was only acting in self-defense, so say yer sorries to God and keep it moving.

Simon is home when the women return; a surprised Julia quickly lies that Seema ran away, and they were out looking for her. Lovat doesn't really believe them but also doesn't really care, because he's got news: He took Inverness for the Crown, Brian broke ranks with him, and they're about to have a guest (though he doesn't say whom). Oh, and he also instructs them to find another maid who's willing to warm his bed. (Ew.) In the kitchen, Davina and Julia run into Maisri, who's there for a reading and whipping up some spiced wine at Lovat's request.

The guest turns out to be — you guessed it — Ellen, who is salty at being brought to the castle against her will. Simon lies that he was just trying to keep her safe, now that she's family and all. Of course, Ellen doesn't believe him. She calls him a traitor to the Jacobites ("a devil in a red coat") and confronts him about trying to ruin her reputation; he apologizes. Then he cordially invites her to stay for a meal before he brings her home. "Let's make the best of it," he says, smiling, "for Brian's sake."

Everyone sits for the meal. Julia and Ellen make a show of reminding each other they met at Braemar, and not about how their real bond came when Julia conjured a fake hymen for the redhead outta strawberry pulp and sheer will. When Davina enters to serve the food, there's a sweet moment in which Brian's mom and his wife realize they're face-to-face for the first time in this new arrangement; they smile sweetly at each other.

Before long, though, Ellen starts to feel terrible, and Julia isn't doing well, either. Maisri enters and sits at the table, makes an oblique reference to Ellen's having "something of Brian's" and then takes the redhead's hand: "Life's promise holds fast, but death's call must be answered," she intones. But she does reassure everything that Brian is still alive out there.

By the third time Lovat suggests that everyone drink the wine, Julia realizes that the drink has been tampered with. And Ellen, who has turned the color of three-day-old eel, starts to panic: From the puddle of blood amassing under her chair, it seems she's hemorrhaging. In despair, she tells Davina and Julia that she's with child.

Julia confronts Simon about poisoning them, and he freely admits it: To protect little William's supposed path to power, "there can be no more bairns in the Lovat line," he reasons. So he had Maisri bring a poison meant to "ruin a womb" and make both Julia and Ellen barren. When Julia shares that news with Ellen, Mistress MacKenzie starts to weep. "I've bled so much," she says, "I fear I've lost the bairn." With what little strength she has left, she begs them to get her back to Castle Leoch.

So Davina does. Mrs. Fitz cleans Ellen up and gets her into bed, where she cries and sweats and shakes. As Jocasta sits with her suffering sister, but Mrs. Fitz bars Colum from entering the room, saying that Ellen's spirit was broken at Leathers. (Side note: Anyone else worried about how a highly agitated Colum might interpret that admittedly vague statement?)

Near the end of the episode, Julia and Henry have a sweet reunion, courtesy of a mightily softened Arch Bug, who's agreed to act as go-between for them while Henry searches for gemstones that will aid their return to their time. Then they set up a system in which they'll leave each other letters behind a loose stone in the wall at the edge of Lovat's property, and the S.W.A.K. Express is officially underway!

While all of that's going on, Murtagh and Brian storm Fort William and eventually make their way to where Dougal and Angus are being held in a cell that's rapidly filling with sea water from the rising tide. They manage to free Dougal — but not before poor Angus drowns — and are nearly outta there when a teenage Redcoat stops them in their path.

What we know from an earlier scene, in which Lord Gerard Grey had to stop the kid from burning off Dougal's bits with a hot coal: The young man is Jonathan Wolverton "Black Jack" Randall (played by Finley Glasgow, "Andor") who will cause the Frasers — and Jamie, in particular — a world of hurt in the decades to come. Of course, Brian & Co. have no idea what the future holds. And because Brian is such an inherently good and honorable man, he stops Dougal from killing the kid, who pees himself in fear as the mighty Scot holds him by the neck.

Yep, you read that right: Jamie's dad could've ended all of that heartache before it even began, but he didn't. On the other hand, if Randall hadn't been around to chase Claire when she came through the stones, would Himself and Herself ever have met? It's a real plaid-butterfly-flaps-its-wings conundrum, aye?

Anyway, the guys stuff Randall in a trunk and lock it, then they flee.

Now it's your turn. What did you think about the Randall reveal? And did you ever think Lovat would stoop to such depths? Hit the comments, and tell us everything!