Warning: This article contains spoilers to the ninth novel, Go Tell The Bees I'm Gone
While the actors of Outlander all deserve a lot of praise for the way they have brought their characters to life, one person who has only just begun to get credit is Tobias Menzies. Although it is his portrayal as the villainous Black Jack Randall is one of his most defining roles, not a lot of people pay attention to the emotional and raw performance he gave as Frank Randall.
As a result of this, not many people pay attention to the little details around Frank or the easter eggs the showrunners have hidden to pay homage to the character. It's a shame really since they can help fans get a better insight into Frank's personality or his motives. It'll definitely be worth taking another look if some fans are going to be rewatching some of Outlander's best episodes again.
Updated on February 13th, 2022, by Kayleigh Banks: It may have been four years since Frank died, but the historian still appears to be helping his family from beyond the grave. In Gabaldon's latest book addition, Go Tell The Bees I'm Gone, the readers discovered that Brianna had found one of Frank's old history books and had decided to take it back to the past to help her family avoid a dire situation.
While the show has already diverted away from the original source material, it would be a great easter egg if they incorporate the title of the text into one of the novels on the Fraser-MacKenzie bookshelf or a pamphlet of sorts.
Frank Burned Claire's Clothes When She Returned To 1948
While most fans had been focused on Claire's pain in "Through a Glass, Darkly," they might not have completely noticed what Frank had been burning on the fire pit.
Since the couple agreed to move on and try to repair their marriage, Frank made a bit of an ill judgment call and destroyed all of her eighteenth-century mementos. Whether he thought this would help Claire move on or it was showing him to be in denial about the situation, fans believe Frank shouldn't have done this without Claire's permission.
Frank Wasn't A Direct Descendant Of Jonathan Randall
Frank Randall was never a direct descendant of Jonathan Randall (otherwise known as Black Jack Randall). Although Frank had believed that he had been related directly related to the Scottish Captain after tracing his ancestral line back to him, Claire later discovered that he was actually related to Randall's brother, Alex.
Why he appeared on the ancestry report was because Jonathan had married Alex's lover, Mary Hawkins. After discovering he was dying, Alex had requested that the two wed to ensure that Mary and their unborn child would be protected and financially secure.
Frank Discovered The Truth About Black Jack Randall
Although it didn't unfold on-screen, the showrunners did imply Claire told Frank the truth about Black Jack Randall. This was all revealed in "Dragonfly in Amber" when Roger and Brianna were looking into Reverend Wakefield's journals and discovered Frank had sent him a letter.
This letter enquired that the Reverend stop looking into Black Jack Randall because he "wasn't the man he thought him to be." While Frank had always been a bit skeptical of Claire's story, it did seem, deep down, that he knew there was some truth to her words. Black Jack Randall had committed some of the worst crimes on Outlander, so it's not surprising that Frank wanted nothing to do with him. He was truly a despicable man.
The Weapon Frank Used To Defend Himself In Season 1 Is Called A Blackjack
In the season 1 episode "Both Sides Now," there is an interesting easter egg that can be found in relation to Frank. During the sequence where Frank is defending himself against several attackers in the alleyway, he uses a weapon that he concealed in his coat.
This weapon is called a Blackjack, which is a type of baton that many officers in the army. Given its name and the ruthless beating the attackers receive, it looks like the showrunners were trying to make a connection to Frank's 'ancestor,' Black Jack Randall.
Frank's Clothes In Season 3 Reflect His Declining Mood
In Outlander, the showrunners include a lot of symbolism to either provide an easter egg or to reflect the character's emotions. This was particularly evident in season 3, as there was a lot of symbolism in the color of outfits Frank wore during the 20 year time jump.
For instance, at the beginning of Claire and Frank's 'marriage,' the historian was seen wearing light shades (such as his white polo shirt). This seemed to indicate that he was quite happy and content with their new life as it meant he, Claire, and Brianna got to be a family. However, as the years went on, his clothes got a lot darker (representing his exhaustion with the charade they put on). Since the viewers could gradually see Frank's resolve slipping, they knew it wouldn't be long before he and Claire had a huge fight.
Frank Knew About Claire's Future In The Past
Frank was aware that Claire would make her way back to Jamie at some later date after he found her obituary. This was seen in the season 4 episode, "Down The Rabbit Hole," where Frank realizes that everything Claire had told him was true and that she would ultimately die with Jamie at her side.
For the viewers, this sort of explained why the historian was ready to get a divorce and start a new life in England. His discovery also meant that he had inadvertently saved Claire's life as this was the exact clipping that caused Brianna to undertake the journey into the 18th century.
Frank's Death Was Foreshadowed After He Found The Newspaper Clipping
While Claire's obituary in an archived newspaper confirmed her story to Frank and let him know that she would eventually reunite with Jamie, the scene also foreshadowed Frank's death in a way too.
Claire would have never returned to the past while Brianna didn't know the truth. For one, Brianna would have wanted to know why her mother just disappeared without a trace. It's likely that Frank wouldn't have told Brianna about her whereabouts either since he had asked Claire that she not tell Brianna the truth about her biological father until he was dead (a promise which Claire had kept at this point). The only way Claire would have gone back to the past would have been with Brianna's blessing (and to get that, Frank would have to be dead).
Frank Was A Good Cook
Frank was apparently a good cook. A few years after he and Claire had moved to Boston with Brianna, and the two had already started leading separate lives, there was one scene where Frank appeared to be making delicious English breakfast for the family.
Although Frank wasn't Brianna's biological father, he loved her like his own so it's not surprising that he wanted to introduce her to some important parts of his life and culture too.
Frank Possibly Took To Drinking
It is very possible that Frank found began to drink after his marriage with Claire became a farce. In the first couple of episodes of season 3, Frank was shown to be slightly inebriated.
He got drunk to spite Claire after he ruined her graduation party. Frank also got drunk when he discovered that Claire would reunite with Jamie in the past and when he and Claire had a final showdown. He may have loved Claire, but this relationship was not good for his health.
Frank Had Offers From Some Of The Bastions Of Education
While fans are well aware that Frank is one of the most intelligent characters on Outlander, not everyone is aware of his qualifications or the offers he received.
Frank was coveted by some premier academic institutions (such as Oxford University), which he was supposed to have joined as a professor of history after his vacation in Inverness. He was also offered a post by Harvard University (which is another bastion of higher education) and at a later time, he was yet again offered a position at Cambridge University. To earn all these prestigious offers, Frank had to be extremely intelligent.
Frank Never Knew About Claire Wearing Both Her Rings
In the series, Frank was never shown to have been aware that Claire continued to wear her rings from both her marriages - even when she was with Jamie.
Although Claire never loved Frank as much as she loved Jamie, she did acknowledge her relationship and the fond memories she had of him by wearing his ring. However, Frank wasn't shown to have known this. It might have offered him some semblance of comfort before he died to know that Claire had loved him once.
Frank Could Have Got Brianna On His Side But Didn't
When Brianna had found Frank with the obituary for James and Claire Fraser, Frank was drinking and appeared very upset by the news he had read.
This could have been an opportunity for him to open his heart to his daughter and bring her to his side. After all, Brianna was clearly closer to her father than her mother and would have easily been biased towards him had he told her the truth about Claire's past and his current loveless relationship with her. However, the decent man that he was, and perhaps also to avoid telling Bree that he wasn't her father, he didn't divulge the truth.
Tobias Menzies Feels Frank Wouldn't Have Loved His New Wife As Much As Claire
In an interview with Harpers Bazaar, actor Tobias Menzies feels that Frank wouldn't have loved Sandy as much as he had loved Claire if they had got married.
Menzies says the real reason why Frank and Claire's argument over Sandy was filled with so much "bitterness and disappointment" was because he was mourning the early days of their relationship. "The purity of that feeling they had back then will probably never be recovered," Menzies had said, "and that's the everyday tragedy of people's lives." Although Frank knew that their relationship was over, there is a small part of him that would never stop loving her. That's why that argument scene is so intense and awkward.