Outlander fans might have missed a telling line
Dedicated Outlander enthusiasts might have swept past a moment foreshadowing the demise of the notorious Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall, portrayed by Tobias Menzies, within the narrative, reports the Scottish Daily Express.
During the second season, the malevolent Redcoat found himself in quite the pinch with King Louis XV (Lionel Lingelser) at Versailles’s gardens, left to face humiliation at the ruler’s hands.
His Majesty made Black Jack plead on his knees, requesting his brother Alex Randall (Laurence Dobiesz), who was plagued by sickness, to abandon his duties to the Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow).
Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe) were on hand to witness Black Jack finally bested, forced into submission without a chance for reprisal, to their amusement.
King Louis XV observed: “The king admires your uniform, Captain. So seldom seen at this court. Such bold clouds as befit the brave soldiers of your sovereign.”
He added, rather biting: “A pity that your countrymen are usually too busy slaughtering each other to exchange such pleasantries.”
To which Black Jack replied: “Speaking as a soldier, of many years, Your Majesty, I must say that I find war preferable to politics. At least in war, you know your enemies.”
Then came the prophetic words from the monarch hinting at Black Jack’s end: “The king finds some truth in what you say.
“However we hope your affection for carnage does not ultimately prove fatal for you.”
As ardent fans will recall, Black Jack’s fate was sealed on the Culloden moor when Jamie, in a final, fatal encounter, ended his life.
The demise of Black Jack was a fitting conclusion to a life marked by violence and a penchant for sadism.
Despite being unaware of Black Jack’s brutal nature, it seems the Royal accurately assessed him, with King Louis’ words eerily predicting the wicked Captain’s downfall.
The scene in question also depicted a significant shift in power dynamics between Black Jack and the Frasers, who were present at the French court as representatives of Scotland.
Conversely, Black Jack was an English officer and faced subtle hostility from the locals due to the ongoing war between Britain and France elsewhere in Europe.
Black Jack was very much a stranger in France, which meant he had to significantly moderate his behaviour compared to his previous actions in Scotland where he held the reins of power.