Outlander fans baffled by major character's survival after gruesome 'death' scene

With currently off-air, many devotees are revisiting earlier seasons for solace.

There's curiosity surrounding the fate of Captain 'Black Jack' Randall (portrayed by Tobias Menzies) and how he survived the conclusion of season one.

Viewers believed the wicked Redcoat had perished in Wentworth prison after Claire Fraser (played by Caitriona Balfe) succeeded in rescuing her husband Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) from his torturous ordeal.

Black Jack was trampled by a stampede of cattle, seemingly meeting his end as the Frasers escaped from the captain's torture chamber.

However, in season two, Black Jack made a surprising return in Paris, reports the .

The scene where Claire encounters Black Jack again shows him in evident discomfort as he bows to her, indicating he is still recuperating from his injuries.

Outlander enthusiasts previously speculated on Reddit about Black Jack's alleged 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]."

A second wrote: "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 fan 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 moment was skillfully handled in the show, with only book readers aware that Black Jack had survived the stampede of bulls.

Season two also featured Black Jack's brother Alex Randall (Laurence Dobiesz) in Paris, where Claire fainted in the book after believing it was the devious soldier.

Alex revealed to Claire that Black Jack was still alive, leaving her shaken by his survival.

She also had to break the news to Jamie that his rapist and abuser had survived.

Interestingly, this plot point was a topic of debate among the show's writers, who struggled to decide when to include it in the show.

In a previous episode of the Outlander podcast, executive producer Ronald D. Moore and writer Toni Graphia discussed the scene.

Moore recalled: "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 remarked: "He's going to run out and kill him. We wanted to play that as a surprise."

Jamie's unexpected delight at learning of Black Jack's survival stemmed from his desire to be the one to end his adversary's life. However, destiny had a different ending in store, culminating in their final clash at the Battle of Culloden.

Outlander season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now