“Outlander: Blood of My Blood” is a rare gem, glittering brightly on its own. Perfectly cast and well-acted, while honoring the source material, the show retains all the beautiful components that make “Outlander” so beloved, yet stands singularly on its own.

The result is a lush, addictive tale about the kind of love that conquers all—be it across centuries, countries, and even completely separate television series, reminding us why its predecessor is so beloved, even as it strikes out on its own path.

Even as the preamble to a story on its way out, the series confidently debuts as a moving and frankly hot addition to an already deeply felt universe of storytelling.

There’s a lot of family background and drama to set up, which explains the need for the first episode to clock in at nearly 80 minutes. But the episode never lags, as it creates indelible characters, peppers in a few spicy moments and revels in the period details of the time, all richly brought to life.

Just let the romance flow because true love conquers all, or at least it conquers plot holes, continuity errors, pacing issues and funky time travel stones that buzz like angry bumblebees. That's all part of the charm of "Outlander," and potentially "Blood of My Blood," too.

Whether you'll be left thinking about Blood of my Blood loads after watching remains to be seen, because it's not exactly doing anything we're not already familiar with. But with one story filled with stolen glances and illicit moments, and the other much like a cat-and-mouse game of hide and seek, the series has all the makings of keeping us on our toes.

Whatever the Scottish version of blarney is, Blood of My Blood lays it on with a shinty stick, resulting in a series ripe with blood and thunder (and pasty bums) but which too often plumbs the depths of unintentional hilarity.