‘Outlander’ episode 15 reaction: Tobias Menzies on chilling Jack Randall moments

Tonight’s “Outlander” episode is the stuff genuine nightmares are made of, especially if you had no clue what was coming throughout “Wentworth Prison.” This was another very-clear reminder that Black Jack Randall is not exactly a guy to mess around. He is brutal, terrifying, and out for vengeance anytime that he feels that someone has gotten the upper hand on him. During this episode he felt like he had an ax to grind with Jamie, and by the time it was over, he may have felt like he got most of what he wanted … even though there is still at least some hope for Jamie and Claire to make it out of this situation alive.

Just in case you are wondering why Randall is so fixated on tormenting these two characters in particular, we feel like Menzies himself does a great job of explaining it to Zap2It:

“I think he’s intrigued by them because they can match him, in a way. Claire is smart as a whip, and that piques his interest. Jamie is a man of considerable physical and moral rectitude and ability … I think he likes a challenge.”

Menzies also talks about the scene with hammering Jamie’s hand, while also forcing his lips upon him. In other words, one of the most shocking scenes of the whole season. there was a specific purpose behind it, and he describes it as follows:

“Ultimately it’s not about Black Jack just being evil or nasty; it’s about Black Jack wanting to break Jamie and wanting to break this love he has for Claire … The tragedy of this whole story — which I find really exciting — is we’ve got this beautiful relationship, this beautiful romance that ultimately gets completely tainted and destroyed by Black Jack. Maybe it’s irreversible, who knows?”