What Tobias Menzies's Return to Outlander Reveals About Frank Randall
Frank Randall is perhaps Outlander's most tragic character. Expertly portrayed by actor Tobias Menzies, Frank is flawed and inextricably linked in the mind of the viewer to his sadistic ancestor, Black Jack Randall. But his wife also vanished on their second honeymoon only to return years later, pregnant with another man's baby and claiming to have time-travelled to the 18th century. Even before tonight's reveal, he deserved at least a modicum of sympathy.
While Frank died last season in a tragic car crash, he returns in "Down the Rabbit Hole" in a series of Brianna's memories. She might not have realized it at the time, but one of her recollections of the man who raised her adds another layer to his sad story.
Not only did Frank know that Claire would leave him and go back in time to reunite with Jamie, but he also knows, or at least thinks he knows, that she dies there. There is no chance for a happy ending for Frank and Claire.
As the flashback fades in on Frank's office, it's clear he's been drinking heavily. Brianna storms in asking, "Why aren't you answering your phone?" and "What is going on with you?"
Frank then tells Brianna to look at research on his desk. She only glances at the letter from his colleague in Scotland and the obituary, but if she had looked closer, she would have realized that it's her mother's.
When Brianna asks "who died?" Frank puts it simply as he responds, "it's complicated."
Between the alcohol and the pain and confusion that stems from his realization that Claire will leave him, Frank can't find the words to describe what's happening. Brianna, sensing his difficulty, says "Daddy it's me. You can tell me."
"Bree," he says, glancing at the obituary. "I'm sorry, I can't."
She tries again. "It's obviously important to you," she says.
"It was everything to me, aside from you," he says, revealing his feelings for Claire in a way we hadn't seen from Frank in some time.
Brianna, still blissfully ignorant of what those papers symbolize, responds, "And mama?" Frank pauses for a moment before saying, "You should go home. She'll be worried about you."
As he picks up the papers, and walks away, he says "Someday I promise, you'll understand."
The scene is just one of many flashbacks in this episode, but what's still unclear is if Frank will continue to appear on the show, or if this was a one-time occurrence. Earlier this year, executive producer Maril Davis hinted that Menzies could return to the series, though she didn't say how often.
"You might see Frank come to our shores again," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "In the books, there's often flashbacks of Claire's relationship and there are moments of Frank and Brianna's relationship that we didn't get to see. We love Tobias and I know not everyone is team Frank, but he's so much fun to play with. So yes, we might see him again."
Menzies, while busy with new projects like The Crown, seems open to the idea of returning to the show in some capacity. Last September, when I asked if viewers would see Frank or Black Jack on the show in the future, Menzies told me "There's no plans for it," but then quickly hedged, "I guess in a show that involves time travel, you can never say never."
Outlander airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Starz. If you need to catch up, watch previous episodes at the link below:
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