Outlander fans might have missed a telling line foreshadowing Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall’s (played by Tobias Menzies) death in the show.
In season two, the evil redcoat encountered King Louis XV (Lionel Lingelser) in the gardens of Versailles, where he was humiliated by the monarch.
The king forced Black Jack to kneel and beg for his brother Alex Randall (Laurence Dobiesz) to end his work for the Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow) due to illness.
The moment was witnessed by Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe), who were amused to see Black Jack finally put in his place and unable to retaliate.
King Louis XV said: “The king admires your uniform, Captain. So seldom seen at this court. Such bold clouds as befit the brave soldiers of your sovereign.
“A pity that your countrymen are usually too busy slaughtering each other to exchange such pleasantries.”
Black Jack responded: “Speaking as a soldier, of many years, Your Majesty, I must say that I find war preferable to politics. At least in war, you know your enemies.”
The monarch went on to deliver the line predicting Black Jack’s fate: “The king finds some truth in what you say.
“However we hope your affection for carnage does not ultimately prove fatal for you.”
As fans know, Black Jack died on the field of Culloden after he was killed by Jamie when the two finally battled for the last time.
The death was a fitting end for Black Jack, whose life was underscored by violence and a predelection for sadism.
Despite having no knowledge of Black Jack’s brutality, it appears the royal read him correctly and King Louis’ line very much foreshadowed the evil Captain’s demise.
The scene in question also showed a huge power shift between Black Jack and the Frasers, who were attending the French court and representing Scotland.
Meanwhile, Black Jack was an English officer and faced a quiet animosity from the locals given the British were at war with France at this time at another location in Europe.
Black Jack was very much an outsider in France, meaning he had to temper his behaviour considerably compared to his previous actions in Scotland where he was the one wielding power.