Outlander season 3 news roundup: More from Tobias Menzies, Matthew B. Roberts
Let’s begin today by speaking about Tobias Menzies, if for no other reason than that he is someone we haven’t heard enough from as of late. While Frank Randall or Black Jack may not be the easiest characters to get behind, Menzies is probably one of our favorite actors. How he hasn’t won all of the awards for transforming himself into these two different characters is beyond us, especially for the second half of the first season.
We also really love what Menzies had to say about playing the part of Frank through the opening of season 3 in a new interview with Collider — his relationship with Claire will be explored, and you will see the trials and tribulations that come with that as it’s clear that her heart lies with someone else:
“I think the whole story between the two of them in these first three episodes is really kind of a study of the tragedy of two very well-meaning people just failing to reach each other. Obviously, you have the physical reality of this child that comes into the middle of it and that offers some hope, briefly, and maybe rekindles some of the optimism that maybe we had when we choose to start again. But essentially, the arc of it is a sort of dying fall, it’s them not managing to, I suppose, fill in what’s missing, which is … Claire is not in love with him.”
This relation is (in some ways) a tragedy. Frank’s arc overall is so interesting in that he spent much of the story searching for someone who wasn’t even there anymore. He was looking for what was basically a memory, and it’s something that he can never have back. We love the way that this character is presented and the complications that come with his plight. Alas, we already know how his journey ends and the sadness associated with that. No matter when Tobias Menzies’ role on the show dissipates, we’ll miss him.
Meanwhile, more from Caitriona & Sam
Caitriona is featured alongside Tobias in the aforementioned Collider interview, but we want to turn to a new piece over at Parade for her explanation on how Claire feels about her present situation at the start of the season living with Frank and her daughter Brianna in Boston:
“There’s a lot of anger, a lot of regret … If it hadn’t been for Brianna, Claire would have stayed with Jamie, would have gone to Culloden and would have gladly died on that battlefield next to him.”
Basically, both Claire and Frank are entering their relationship with a sense of uncertainty and, in her case, anger. They want to find a way to coexist, but Claire has one foot out the door — and she certainly would’ve had more before “Dragonfly in Amber” had she known that Jamie was still alive.
Finally, a look at the latest from Roberts
In the latest video from Entertainment Tonight and Starz, the entertainment talk show’s own Leanne Aguilera speaks with the EP about the story ahead and the struggles for Jamie and Claire. It’s a pretty insightful chat. (Also, may we note that we’re a fan of Roberts’ mustache/goatee combo that he’s got going on?)
Of course, we’ve got more Outlander news!
The feature that we shared on Thursday was all about the season 3 schedule, including the tentative finale date. We definitely like to think of that as some worthwhile reading before you dive into this long Labor Day Weekend. (Photo: Starz.)