Fans are curious to know about Alex Randall’s fate
As the Droughtlander rages on, many fans have been rewatching the show with some keen to find out more about the tragic figure of Alex Randall (played by Laurence Dobiesz), the brother of the villainous Captain Jonathan ‘Black Jack’ Randall (Tobias Menzies).
Alex appeared back in season two of the show with Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe) encountering her in Paris.
Unlike his oldwe sibling, Alex had a kind and gentle nature but sadly he had a heartbreaking demise.
Alex suffered from tuberculosis (TB) and congestive heart failure, a diagnosis Claire delivered to him thanks to her 20th century knowledge.
According to the NHS: “Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection that usually affects the lungs. It can be treated with antibiotics but can be serious if not treated. There’s a vaccine that helps protect some people who are at risk from TB.”
However, this wasn’t an option in the 18th century which predated antibiotics and indeed this vaccine.
Alex’s symptoms would have included feeling exhausted, a temperature, a cough which could bring up mucus and blood.
Meanwhile, congestive heart failure means the inability for the heart to pump blood around the body, with symptoms including a shortness of breath, weakness and fatigue, an irregular or rapid heartbeat and a cough which would bring up blood.
Some of the modern-day treatment for heart failure includes medication, medical devices inserted into the chest to control heart rhythm, lifestyle changes and surgery.
Again, these medical advances weren’t an option for Alex who died from his ill health.
In Outlander, Alex was well aware of his ailing and knew death was just around the corner.
Unsurprisingly, he settled his matters by asking his brother Captain Black to marry his love Mary Hawkins (Rosie Day) after she fell pregnant with his son Denys Randall-Isaacs.
Jack agreed to marry Mary as Alex lay dying and in doing so, the ceremony offered the young woman protection.
Moreover, this would ensure the Randall family line and mean Frank Randall (Menzies) would exist in the future and not jeopardise any timelines.
Previously addressing shooting the death scenes with Heughan, Balfe and Menzies, Dobiesz told Express.co.uk: “That was a big one.
“I remember doing that on my birthday. It was my last bit of filming, I think. So it was like, ‘Oh wow, this whole experience is coming to an end.’
“And [the producers] gave us a lot of time because there was a lot going on, it was a significant bit of the show and the way Tobias found the anger after he dies.”
Adding about the three stars: “They were so invested in it and their characters.”
Interestingly, the producers of Outlander previously revealed how the ruled out casting Menzies as Alex and described it as a “bridge too far”.
Menzies already had a dual role in the series as both Black Jack and Frank with a third role proving to be perhaps too much for audiences to believe.
Outlander season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now