Is Tobias Menzies’ Frank Randall In Outlander Season 8?

Warning! Spoilers for Outlander season 8, episode 1 ahead!Outlander has officially begun its final season, which means one final chance for past actors like Tobias Menzies to return. The last time Menzies was seen in the romantasy series was season 4, when he returned for a flashback scene after both his characters, Frank and Black Jack Randall, were killed off in season 3. Since Outlander season 8 will be the show’s last, and Menzies was a primary character for so long, there was hope that we would see this actor on screen again. Menzies wasn’t very encouraging, however.

Menzies quieted speculation about his return ahead of Outlander season 8. When asked, the actor said, “No, you will not see me,” and that seemed to be that. This was a disappointing confirmation, especially since promotions for the show’s final season suggested that Frank’s character would be a prominent topic of discussion.

Just as Menzies promised, Outlander season 8‘s first episode, “Soul of a Rebel,” came and went without an appearance from either Frank or Black Jack. However, it’s now clear that the actor was a bit misleading in his statement. Menzies was, in fact, involved with Outlander season 8, once again portraying Claire’s first husband—and even his dark ancestor. The actor’s participation just wasn’t wholly traditional.

Tobias Menzies Makes A Surprise Return In Outlander Season 8

Near the end of Outlander season 8, episode 1, “Soul of a Rebel,” we hear Menzie’s voice as Jamie looks over Frank Randall’s book. Upon seeing Frank’s picture in the sleeve, Jamie realizes that Claire’s husband is the spitting image of Black Jack Randall. This shock is accompanied by Menzies’ voice asking, “Is it my face you see looming in the darkness?”

This was a line spoken by Jonathan Randall in Outlander season 1, but if it could be claimed that Menzies’ voice was clipped from the old recording, the Outlander season 8, episode 1 credits prove otherwise. Among the first slides is the text, “special guest performance by Tobias Menzies.”

This suddenly makes it clear that Menzies was being a bit cheeky with his answer about his involvement in season 8. He said we would not “see” him, leaving out the fact that we would hear him instead. What’s especially interesting about this is that Menzies wouldn’t have been brought back only to record a line he already delivered previously in Outlander. We will most certainly hear more from Menzies, as either Frank or Black Jack, as season 8 continues.

Following Outlander season 8’s premiere, showrunner Matthew B. Roberts and executive producer Maril Davis confirmed that Menzies’ voiceover will continue throughout the final season (via TVLine).

Why Jamie Hears Frank’s Or Black Jack’s Voices In Outlander Explained

A voiceover role for Menzies rather than a traditional appearance is actually quite perfect for Outlander season 8. Both Frank and Black Jack Randall are long dead in the series, yet they continue to impact the story. It’s Frank’s book that claims Jamie will die in the Battle of King’s Mountain, a fact that will be central to the show’s final arc. Jamie isn’t quite sure what to think of this information, since Frank can’t necessarily be considered a friend. Add in the resemblance between Claire’s first husband and Black Jack, and it’s as if Jamie is being haunted by both men.

This is a delicious parallel with Outlander season 1, when Frank Randall was haunted by the appearance of Jamie’s ghost. He had seen the spectre outside Claire’s window in 20th-century Scotland, and became desperate to find the man after his wife’s disappearance. Now, all those years later (or rather, all those years before, depending on how you look at it), Jamie feels the Randall men hovering over his shoulder, unseen, in quite the same way.

This sort of poetic balance is exactly why we hoped Menzies would return for Outlander season 8. It’s all made even better by the fact that Menzies so cleverly tricked us into believing our wishes would go unanswered. Things didn’t work out quite as we expected, but Outlander has always had a talent for turning such expectations upside down.