Just as Outlander: Blood of My Blood season 1, episode 4 came to an end, a dedication screen popped up. The episode was dedicated to Brian McCardie, who has been involved in both Outlander and the prequel series.
When dedications happen, they are for people usually linked to the cast or crew of the show. It brings up a discussion as to who they were and what happened to them, and this is one of those dedications that we were expecting.
Brian McCardie played Isaac Grant in Outlander: Blood of My Blood
You’ve seen Brian McCardie on your screens. In fact, he was a prominent character when both on the screen and in the background as he was mentioned. Brian McCardie played Isaac Grant in the Outlander prequel.
You will also recognize him from the parent show, Outlander. McCardie took on the role of Marcus MacRannoch in the penultimate episode of season 1. As Claire turned to him for help to get Jamie out of Wentworth Prison, she handed him over some pearls. It turns out that MacRannoch was the one to gift Ellen the pearls for her wedding, and he wouldn’t take them back from Claire, but he would help realizing just who it was trapped in Wentworth.
What happened to Brian McCardie?
Sadly, McCardie passed away suddenly in his home at the age of 59. This happened in April 2024, during the filming of Outlander: Blood of My Blood. Putting the dedication at the end of episode 4 suggests that this will be the last we’ll see of the character Isaac Grant.
After McCardie’s death, Blood of My Blood shared that they wouldn’t recast the character. Instead, they would honor the actor and write in Isaac no longer being around.
There are a couple of ways to do this, as Isaac is one of those characters who doesn’t always need to be in a scene to have his presence felt. He can easily be mentioned, and there have already been plenty of scenes where Malcolm has attending in his father’s place, so this could continue.
Alternatively, Isaac’s death could be written in, allowing Malcolm to become the laird of Clan Grant. This could change the dynamics for the MacKenzie family considerably, especially when Ellen decides to run away to be with Brian.
Either way, the series is doing the right thing in honoring McCardie. A lot more shows are doing this where possible, and I appreciate that as a sign of respect.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood airs on Fridays on STARZ.