Outlander fans were stunned ‘Black Jack’ Randall had survived
With Outlander currently off-air, many fans are revisiting earlier seasons for solace.
There’s been a lot of curiosity about what happened to Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall (portrayed by Tobias Menzies) and how he managed to survive the conclusion of season one.
Viewers were under the impression that the wicked Redcoat had met his end in Wentworth prison after Claire Fraser (played by Caitríona Balfe) succeeded in rescuing her husband Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) from his torturous predicament.
Black Jack was trampled by a stampede of cattle, leading many to believe he’d met his demise as the Frasers made their escape from the captain’s torture chamber.
However, in a surprising twist during season two, Black Jack reappeared in Paris, very much alive, reports the Scottish Daily Express.
The scene where Claire and Black Jack reunite shows him in noticeable discomfort as he bows to her, indicating he’s still recuperating from his injuries.
Many Outlander enthusiasts previously speculated on Reddit about Black Jack’s supposed death in season one. One user posted: “In the book, they’d been told a bloody, broken, but unidentified body was found in the aftermath of the escape. They assumed it was Randall, but it later turned out to be Marley (the aide Randall threatened to turn Claire over to, killed by Jaime in the show) [sic].”
Another added: “I actually didn’t realize Randall was supposed to be dead until I read the books after watching the first season.”
They added: “After the bulls are set loose in the prison, Jamie is rescued and taken there as well. It’s there that they are told Randall was trampled by the bulls and is dead [sic].”
A third commented: “In the books, a trampled body was found at Wentworth Prison. It was unidentifiable, like a “rag doll soaked in blood”. It was assumed to be Black Jack Randall.”
This plot twist was skillfully handled in the show, with only book readers aware that Black Jack had actually survived a stampede of bulls.
In season two, Black Jack’s brother Alex Randall also appeared in Paris, causing Claire to faint in the book when she mistakenly believed it was the notorious soldier.
Alex later revealed to Claire that Black Jack was indeed still alive, leaving her deeply disturbed by the news of his survival.
Claire was also tasked with breaking the news to Jamie that his rapist and abuser had survived.
Interestingly, this plot point was a subject of debate among the show’s writers as they tried to figure out when to include it in the show.
Speaking previously on the Outlander podcast, executive producer Ronald D. Moore and writer Toni Graphia discussed the scene.
Moore said: “I remember as we structured this, there was a lot of, ‘When does she tell Jamie that Jack is alive and how and under what circumstances?'”
“And it took a while. This was a late development that became this scene in the show.”
He elaborated: “I remember us playing around with, ‘Well, what was his reaction going to be?’ I remember at some point in the structuring process we thought it would be fun if he was overjoyed at the news, which was in contradiction to where we left last week with, ‘Oh my god, if Jamie finds out he’s going to lose his mind’.”
Graphia went on: “He’s going to run out and kill him. We wanted to play that as a surprise.”
The revelation of Jamie’s elation over Black Jack’s miraculous survival is steeped in his desire to deliver the coup de grâce to his nemesis himself. However, destiny had other ideas, with their final face-off unfolding amidst the carnage of the Battle of Culloden.
Outlander season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now