Outlander boss shares real reason Black Jack Randall was 'humiliated' in Versailles scene

enthusiasts might be taken aback to discover why Captain 'Black Jack' Randall, portrayed by Tobias Menzies, faced immense embarrassment in the presence of King Louis XV, played by Lionel Lingelser, at Versailles.

The pivotal scene put the notorious Redcoat at a disadvantage during a tense meeting with the French king, alongside Jamie () and Claire Fraser ().

Having made a snide remark to Claire about the 'serendipity' of bumping into the Frasers in Paris after his heinous acts against Jamie, Black Jack found himself significantly chastened.

King Louis XV observed the charged exchange as Claire demanded Black Jack release her arm, leading to an intervention by the monarch and his courtiers.

Black Jack was ridiculed for his subpar French, while Claire received praise for her flawless linguistic abilities.

Subsequently, Black Jack was compelled to kneel and plead for a favour from the king on behalf of his brother Alex Randall (Laurence Dobiesz), who worked for the Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow).

With Alex's health deteriorating and his time running short, Black Jack sought to secure his brother's position.

At the king's command, the captain knelt, only to be met with laughter from Louis who quipped: "You English are so literal."

Seething internally, Black Jack had no choice but to swallow his pride due to his vulnerable situation.

Ronald D. Moore, Outlander's executive producer, dissected a pivotal scene in the series during an episode of the show's official podcast, where the balance of power between Black Jack and the Frasers took a dramatic turn.

Moore discussed the intricacies of the scene, explaining: "I came up with this idea of King Louis coming over, and Jack sort of having to talk to Jamie through Louis and Louis sort of forcing Jack to his knees and f***ing with him because he's a British officer at the French court."

He expanded on the complex historical context, stating: "I like that and essentially France and Britain, yes, they are fighting a war somewhere else in Europe at this time in Austria or something.

"But it's not a total war that we think about. There's still this odd, to our mindsets, odd 18th century idea of warfare where these countries would be at war with each other but they would still sort of be polite to each other in other contexts."

Drawing parallels to more recent history, Moore compared this formal yet hostile relationship to the Cold War dynamics between the USA and the USSR, noting how despite conflicts in places like Vietnam and Korea, civility persisted elsewhere.

Reflecting on the calculated tension within the French court, Moore said: "So the idea of a British officer showing up in Versailles was not completely out of the question and I like the idea that when a British officer showed up at Versailles Louis would start to screw with them, to f*** with them."

He underscored the craftiness of King Louis who, upon sensing Claire and Jamie's disdain for Jack Randall, sought ways to belittle him: "Once he picked up the idea that Claire and Jamie did not like Jack Randall, that he would try to find some way to humiliate him," Moore added.

Outlander season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now