A tragic death is on the way in Outlander season 8, but this could also hint at the return of Claire’s previous husband, Frank Randall. Author Diana Gabaldon has revealed that the upcoming final season of Outlander will end differently from her books. However, key moments from her novel Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone and the currently unpublished tenth installment will also be brought to the screen. This means that, while anything is possible in Outlander season 8, we can likely expect at least one climactic book moment that would open the door for Frank’s return.
Frank, played by Tobias Menzies, was Claire’s husband at the start of Outlander, but his character passed away back in season 3. Menzies made a brief flashback appearance in Outlander season 4, but he hasn’t been a member of the cast since. This means it has been seven years since we last saw Menzies as either Frank or Black Jack Randall. As such a prominent character(s), Frank’s absence from the final season of Outlander would be a shame. However, if season 8 includes Jamie Fraser’s death, the door would be wide open for Frank’s return.
Jamie Is Likely To Die In Outlander Season 8 (Just Like In The Books)
Jamie’s Death Has An Interesting Connection To Frank Randall
Outlander season 7 ended with the Battle of Monmouth, Claire’s injury, and Jamie’s decision to resign from the Continental Army. This all happened in the eighth Outlander book, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, which also included the Frasers’ decision to return to Fraser’s Ridge. However, in the ninth Outlander book, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, Jamie and Claire find that they are unable to escape the Revolutionary War. The fighting finds its way to North Carolina, and Jamie has no choice but to head into battle once again. This time, however, he is far less lucky.
Jamie falls in battle in Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, and when Claire finds his body, he appears to all to be dead. Claire ultimately senses the slightest spark of life within him, and, using her magical healing powers, she heals Jamie and brings him back to life. This is a high point of this Outlander book and is, therefore, sure to happen in season 8. Jamie’s dramatic resignation from the Continental Army, the Frasers’ return to Fraser’s Ridge, and even the reveal that Faith might have been resurrected (thus inspiring Claire to explore her healing powers) suggest this twist is on the way.
Interestingly, Jamie knows he will die before setting out for battle in the Outlander books. When Brianna returned from the future, she brought a history book detailing the Revolutionary War battles in North Carolina, and Jamie’s death on the field was recorded in it. This textbook was written by Frank Randall—a detail that could give Menzies a chance to return to Outlander in season 8.
Jamie’s Death Is The Perfect Chance To Bring Frank Randall Back
A Flashback Sequence Could Reveal Frank’s Extensive Research
Frank Randall may be long dead by the events of Outlander season 8, but Jamie’s death could be the perfect opportunity to bring this character back through flashbacks. The fact that Frank recorded Jamie Fraser’s death in his book—or that he wrote about North Carolina battles to begin with—implies that he had done extensive research into Brianna’s father. Frank knew far more about Jamie than he ever let on during his lifetime, but these secrets can come spilling out in Outlander’s upcoming episodes. For all of this to make sense, a flashback episode would be the perfect way to go.
Outlander season 7 already got the ball rolling in this regard. While Brianna was at Lallybroch in the 20th century waiting for Roger to return for his search for Jemmy, she was seen looking at one of Frank Randall’s books. The title was The Soul of a Rebel: The Scottish Roots of the American Revolution—the same title of the book Brianna brings back to the 18th century in Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. Outlander season 7 may have just been tipping its hat to Frank, but Brianna finding this book may be the start of a larger story exploring everything Frank knew about Jamie before his season 3 death.
What All Frank Knew About Jamie & Claire’s “Future” Explained
Frank Knew More About Claire’s Story Than She Did
Previous episodes of Outlander saw Brianna discover that Frank had known about the house fire at Fraser’s Ridge and that Jamie and Claire were presumed to have died. This was a significant twist since it meant that Frank knew all along that Jamie hadn’t died at the Battle of Culloden and that Claire would one day return to the 18th century to be with him. Frank had likely deduced that he himself would live a short life because Claire wouldn’t have broken her promise while he lived. What’s interesting to consider is why Frank would go as far as to write and publish a book detailing Jamie’s fate.
What’s interesting to consider is why Frank would go as far as to write and publish a book detailing Jamie’s fate.
The only answer is that Frank wanted to leave something for Claire or, perhaps, Brianna, to find and learn more about Jamie Fraser. This would have been purely a kindness since the man easily could have gone to his grave without ever telling a soul what had become of his wife’s second husband. With Outlander coming to a close in season 8, it would be impactful for a flashback scene that sees Menzies’ Frank uncover all these mysteries and put them in a book for his family to find. It would be the perfect way to bring this character and the series full circle.
It’s Important That Outlander Season 8 Bring Claire’s Marriages Full Circle
Outlander Season 8’s Ending Needs To Bring Things Back To The Beginning
Claire has come a long way since Outlander season 1. For this precise reason, it’s important that the show’s final season remind audiences where the protagonist started. The entire point of Claire’s story was initially that her life would be pulled in two different directions. She would love two men and be married to each of them at a different point in time. Of course, Frank wasn’t Claire’s soul mate. She was meant to end up with Jamie, but, oddly, this never would have happened if Claire hadn’t first married Frank. He was a key part of her story, but Outlander has left his character behind.
Brianna would never have gone back in time if it hadn’t been for the obituary Frank saved, and Claire would never have found Jamie’s body and brought him back from the dead if not for Frank’s book.
Frank’s memory has been a far more prominent feature of the Outlander books, but this hasn’t quite been the case in the TV show. Season 8 is the final chance to bring Frank back to the screen to bring closure to his character arc. Outlander’s final episodes must highlight that Claire would never have met Jamie without Frank. Brianna would never have gone back in time if it hadn’t been for the obituary Frank saved, and Claire would never have found Jamie’s body and brought him back from the dead if not for Frank’s book. Between a flashback and a final moment of gratitude from Claire, Frank’s story can come to a poetic close.