Outlander’s Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall (Tobias Menzies) was left humiliated in a tense encounter with King Louis XV (Lionel Lingelser) at the French royal court in Versailles
Fans of Outlander may find themselves gobsmacked when they consider why Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall (Tobias Menzies) ended up in such an awkward spot in front of King Louis XV (Lionel Lingelser) at the opulent setting of Versailles.
In a critical moment of the series, the infamous Redcoat finds himself off balance during a high-stakes encounter with the French sovereign, joining characters Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe). After tossing a sarcastic comment Claire’s way about the “coincidence” of encountering the Frasers in Paris post his vile actions against Jamie, Black Jack is met with severe humiliation.
King Louis XV witnesses this charged interaction as Claire insists that Black Jack relinquish his grip on her, prompting the monarch and his entourage to step in. The English captain faces mockery for his mediocre French skills, contrasted with Claire who is commended for her impeccable command of the language.
Furthermore, Black Jack finds himself begging before the king for a favor concerning his brother Alex Randall (Laurence Dobiesz), who is employed by the Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow). As Alex’s health wanes and his time seems limited, Black Jack is determined to secure his sibling’s future.
At the behest of the king, Black Jack bends the knee, only to become the butt of the joke as Louis remarks: “You English are so literal.” Humiliated but trapped by circumstances, Black Jack must suppress his fury and endure the indignity.
Ronald D. Moore, the executive producer behind ‘Outlander,’ delved into a crucial scene that shifted the power dynamics between Black Jack and the Frasers on the show’s official podcast.
Moore broke down the complexities of the scene, sharing: “I came up with this idea of King Louis coming over, and Jack sort of having to talk to Jamie through Louis and Louis sort of forcing Jack to his knees and f—–g with him because he’s a British officer at the French court.”
He elaborated on the intricate historical backdrop, noting: “I like that and essentially France and Britain, yes, they are fighting a war somewhere else in Europe at this time in Austria or something. But it’s not a total war that we think about. There’s still this odd, to our mindsets, odd 18th century idea of warfare where these countries would be at war with each other but they would still sort of be polite to each other in other contexts.”
Linking it to more modern events, Moore drew a comparison between the formal yet antagonistic relationship of the 18th century and the Cold War era interactions between the USA and the USSR, highlighting how, despite conflicts in regions like Vietnam and Korea, diplomatic courtesy was maintained in other spheres.
Moore reflected on the deliberate strife at the French court, saying, “So the idea of a British officer showing up in Versailles was not completely out of the question and I like the idea that when a British officer showed up at Versailles Louis would start to screw with them, to f— with them.”
He highlighted King Louis’ cunning nature, noting how the monarch enjoyed undermining those whom Claire and Jamie Fraser despised. Moore added: “Once he picked up the idea that Claire and Jamie did not like Jack Randall, that he would try to find some way to humiliate him.”