‘s , played by , has sparked an alternative theory among fans, suggesting a potentially different dynamic between her and the series’ antagonist Jonathan ‘Black Jack’ Randall, as portrayed by Tobias Menzies.
In the original narrative, Claire’s heart remains entwined with her soulmate Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan, who she is set to join once again in the enthralling second part of series 7.
Yet, a fan on , operating under the username @ResponsibilityBig280, has speculated on an alternate storyline that might have unfolded from the very first chapter of Outlander. This twist involves Claire’s hair-raising encounter in 1743 with the odious English soldier Black Jack, moments after she mystically steps back into time from 1945.
That pivotal scene, which sees Claire mistake Black Jack for her present-day spouse Frank Randall – also depicted by Menzies – then takes a dark turn as Black Jack becomes aggressive and attempts to assault her.
But what if Claire had revealed her marital tie to the Randall name at that point?
Jonathan Black Jack Randall is played by Tobias Menzies (Image: STARZ)
This query was proposed by said user, who wrote: “What if Claire told BJR her last name was Randall? I’m on S3 right now, but I keep thinking…”
Thus sparking the what-ifs, they continued: “At that moment soon after Claire goes through the stones and see Jack Randall, and thinks he’s Frank: Randall put her against the wall asking for her name, and she says Claire Beauchamp.
“However, what if she had said Claire Randall? What do you think could have happened with her? Would Randall treat her well and maybe welcome her in his home/family?” (sic)
Caitriona Balfe plays Claire Fraser in Outlander (Image: STARZ)
This sparked a debate in the comments, with one fan arguing: “No. Jack Randall was a sociopath and a monster. He would have just questioned her even more.”
Another chimed in: “I doubt he would buy the story of her being a distant relation, he probably would have just said she was lying and then carried on being Black Jack Randall in his usual sadistic sociopathic manner.”
Echoing the sentiment, another added: “He is a psychopath/sadist. He doesn’t care about anybody. I would not have expected him to treat her any better.”
Outlander will return this Autumn (Image: STARZ)
A different user highlighted Randall’s indifference: “She could have said she was the Queen of England, he doesn’t care. She is an Englishwoman in her shift near the rebellious group of Scottish men.”
The discussion continued with another point: “And again, what if he tried to figure out what branch of his family she belonged to? That would have caused even more problems because Claire would have turned out to be a liar.”
Finally, one admirer of Claire’s character praised her decision: “I think he would have thought she was mocking him and ended up going into an even bigger rage. She was smart not to tell him her married name.”
Following the closure of Lionsgate+ in the UK, new episodes of Outlander will be available on Starz and to stream on Prime Video channel MGM+ from Sunday, November 22. You must be an Amazon Prime member before you can sign up for MGM+.