Another episode, another time. The second episode of Blood of My Blood, “S.W.A.K. (Sealed with A Kiss),” begins in the past once again… but not as far back as 1714. Rather, it starts with Lieutenant Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) battling in the trenches of WWI. And from there, the Outlander prequel embarks on its second main love story — that of Claire’s parents, Julia and Henry.

Viewers already got a glimpse of Julia and Henry in the 18th century when they were serving the Fraser and Grants clans, respectively, in the first episode (“Providence”). But “S.W.A.K.” shows how these two first fell in love in the 20th century, and how they landed back in time.

Julia and Henry’s love story begins in 1917 with them as pen pals. The incredibly savvy Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) is drawn to reply to a letter she reads while working at the London War Office of Postal and Telegraph Censorship Department. She’s simply supposed to censor it, but the valiant Henry’s bleak and eloquent words demand a reply from her.

The two begin a correspondence with one another, and Julia provides Henry with hope (he calls her “my hope”). As Henry experiences horrors on the Western Front, including gas warfare, they bond over their shared love of poets and the Scottish Highlands. (Julia even references Scottish folklorist J.F. Campbell, who wrote about a magical faerie ring… sound familiar?) Until one day when his leave request is approved, and he finds Julia on the London streets.

Good thing these two are physically attractive (and physically attracted to one another), or else their initial meeting could have been real awkward. But after only knowing one another through the written word and in person for a few moments, they take to Julia’s flat to make love. Perhaps unconventional for that time period, but they know they’re soulmates and get hitched soon thereafter.

There’s only a glimpse of their married life before their fateful trip to the Highlands, with Julia working on a pocketwatch (her handiness with clocks feels like something that could come up again) and comforting Henry by quoting their letters to one another as he experiences post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, Blood of My Blood skips to where “Providence” left off — with Julia waking up in the stone circle in the Highlands with the gemstone from her wedding ring missing (the price to pay for time travel according to Outlander lore) in 1714. 

Not knowing she’s in a different time, Julia decides to head to Inverness and points Henry in the direction she’s going by labeling a rock with an arrow and “S.W.A.K.” (like Henry used to seal his letters with a kiss). And though Blood of My Blood doesn’t show his jump, Henry time travels through the stones as well and into the same time period as his wife.

Julia’s trip to the past is immediately rough. She’s called a Sassenach and attacked (like mother, like daughter) by a couple who deliver her to Simon Fraser as payment for their debts. At Castle Leathers, she’s greeted by Mistress Davina Porter, who some Outlander fans may recognize as Jamie’s grandmother — she’s the housekeeper who Simon raped, which led to the birth of Brian Fraser. (Davina Porter just so happens to be the original narrator of the Outlander audio books by Diana Gabaldon.) She sadly knows of Simon’s advances, which is why she makes sure to warn Julia to never be alone with him. Like in the Blood of My Blood premiere, Brian tries to protect Julia by convincing his father to take the debtors’ money instead of forcing Julia to be a maidservant. But to no avail. 

Meanwhile, Henry ends up at a tavern where he, too, gets called Sassenach, and encounters Malcolm Grant, who pays for his drink. Henry returns the favor by revealing the treachery of his current clan advisor. Not only is he quick-witted, but Henry takes in stride the fact that the tavern has papers dated 1714. Julia, too, was just a little taken aback to hear that it’s King George I (not King George V) who currently sits on the British throne. But otherwise, Blood of My Blood wastes absolutely no time with Henry and Julia adjusting to the fact that they have time traveled more than 200 years in the past. (And none of the 18th-century characters seem that suspicious of these two, who speak differently and are wearing 1920s clothes.)

Julia and Henry land in two very different circumstances. Julia is a servant to the fallen house of Lord Lovat where she’s his prey. While Henry is put up in fancy digs after being made the Grant family bladier. However, though it seems cushy, Henry knows if he’s not loyal to the Grants, he’ll end up like the last bladier — who got beaten by Mr. Bug (yes, the very same Mr. Bug who caused much drama for Ian in Season 7 of Outlander) and his head on a spike. But he agrees since it’ll give him access to travel the countryside in search of Julia.

Julia also has plans to search for her husband. She finds a map and tries to escape Castle Leathers. Though Brian finds her and warns her of a storm, she flees anyway, but is stopped by Simon’s manservant Balloch. The pregnant Julia gets punched in the belly and is about to get 20 lashings before Brian steps up and takes them for her. Those poor, heroic Fraser men and their whipped backs.

A month later, and the Beauchamps are no closer to finding one another. But at the MacKenzie gathering after the events of the Blood of My Blood premiere, Ned Gowan proposes to Henry the idea of Ellen marrying Malcolm to make amends for Dougal’s attack. Henry is not interested until Ned says that if he brings the offer to the Grants, he will help Henry find the woman he’s seeking. So just like in the original series, Ned Gowan might play a significant role in helping the Beauchamp women when they land in the past.

Caitlin Gallagher is a New Jersey-raised, NYC-based entertainment writer. When not writing about or watching TV, she can be found planning her next Halloween costume, crying over rescue animals, or praising Season 2 of The Leftovers.