Caitriona Balfe & Tobias Menzies on the Aftermath of Randall's Desire to 'Dismantle' Jamie 

‘s Tobias Menzies is sitting in a Manhattan hotel lobby and conversing so casually, a passerby might think he’s discussing the weather or a recent sporting match.

“Sam and I both felt that it couldn’t just be the fact that I f—k him,” Menzies says. “That wasn’t enough.”

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It’s a few months before the Starz’s historical drama’s intense first season finale — which aired Saturday — and the actor is recalling shooting the crowning episode, which includes his character’s graphic rape of Sam Heughan’s Jamie.

In addition to the physical violence depicted during the hour, the mind games Randall plays with a wounded and disoriented Jamie make for “the most complete recitation you’ve seen so far of Jack’s sadism, really,” Menzies says. “It’s the tenderness, the precision, the emotion, the lovingness of it, which makes it more chilling.”

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He adds that the fleeting touches and loving gazes Randall directs at his victim — as well as Jamie’s unwilling response to them — are what will ensure that the incident stays with Fraser into Season 2 and beyond.

Randall “wants to take him apart, find out what makes him tick. He intuits that Jamie’s well-being, his rock, is this woman, Claire. And so he attempts to poison that relationship,” Menzies says.

“There’s a moment when I get him to respond physically and emotionally, and that’s the thing that Jamie could never forgive himself — that he was somehow turned on,” he adds. “And out of that would come a sense that maybe he couldn’t be the man he wants to be to Claire.”

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As viewers saw Sunday, Claire eventually is able to get through to her violated, ashamed husband with a combination of unwavering support, some if-you-die-I-die-too sobbing and a little manhandling — “It’s an interesting way she goes about it,” portrayer Caitriona Balfe tells TVLine with a wry smile when the topic comes up the day after Menzies’ interview.

“Her methodology is quite strange, but it works for them, and that’s what I love about them as characters,” she continues. “It’s not always pretty, it’s not always the easiest way, but they always manage to fight their way through and be there as refugees for each other.”

She adds: “It’s quite beautiful how they manage to limp their way to the finish line.”

This episode, and every player’s performance, was nothing short of incredible. It’s been two full days and I’m still thinking about it.

I thought this Sam Heughan guy was going to be just another flat romantic lead who got pushed around by a strong woman in the name of wish-fulfillment for female viewers, and that this was going to be some silly melodramatic overly contrived romantic drama, but boy was I wrong. Glad I decided to watch a few episodes for the awesome Scottish scenery (wink wink . . . but I do mean the Highlands, too) and got an awesome show with it.

This^. I hope the “hunk” label does not cloud Emmy voters’ eyes. Same for Caitriona Balfe.

I felt that way about Jamie as well since he would react to Claire’s 20th century ways by giving in so quickly and it felt contrived that a Scottish Highlander as masculine as Jaime would just go with the flow so readily. It’s only been this last half of the half of the season (try to follow) where his character started to really flesh out (no pun intended) and become more complex in his reactions and thoughts. Claire was very well written from the beginning. Jamie took longer to cook.

Sorry KIm, I just don’t care, I only feel a giant lump in my stomach when I think of Outlander now. Oh, I’ll prolly be back in a year but I feel no joy in my heart at this point, not even with the 5 minute reveal.

Jamie promised to protect Claire with everything he had including his body. Obviously this what not what he intended when making the promise. Claire then validated what happened to him as part of fulfilling that earlier promise of protection.

Not sure I’ll be back for season two. I am an original reader of the books, so I know the content. However, the show, IMO, spent too much time on the sensationalistic aspects and not enough on the central theme of the books, the development of the central relationship. Not taking away from the performances because each actor was phenomenal in playing their character. For me it was all too graphic, too much and I didnt get the central connection. Not sure where I’ll stand when season two comes around.

Reviewers are used to the “big” shows being on Sunday night.

After watching this episode, I’m done with Outlander. The fact that the majority of the show was devoted to the rapes and only a few minutes were given to the recovery showed me they (producers, etc.) were going after the lowest form of entertainment – if that’s what you want to call that episode. Sad really…there were times throughout this season where I thought they had potential.

Two thirds of the episode dealt with the aftermath and a little bit more with the rescue. That’s hardly a majority of the show.

Zach, I can see that you haven’t read the books. This episode was not the producers “going after the lowest form of entertainment.” It was spot-on with what was in the book and that is the point of the whole show (and those to follow)…to bring Diana Galbadon’s books to life. Everyone, cast and crew, are doing a wonderful job with the whole production.

I think they played it spot on. The books were brutal to get through on this part. And the way it impacted both Jaime and subsequently Claire seems to be holding true to the hurdle it’s going to place on both of them. It wasn’t gotten over quickly or lightly (if ever as I’m not done with the book series).

I wish Ron Moore had shown Claire fighting to kill the wolf outside Wentworth prison after being thrown out the door by Black Jack. It showed just how much she wanted to find the men to save Jamie, not only to save her own life. It’s impossible to use everything from the books. The cast did an amazing job with that material. Special kudos to Mr. Menzies, Mr. Heughan and Ms. Balfe! Well done!

I love Outlander, but I watched the season finale with a sense of dread because of the preview I read – I had to fast forward thru the worst parts of it because it was too brutal. I just don’t see the point of showing so much graphic detail – it could have been done in a more tasteful way.

And how would you depict rape in a “more tasteful way”?

I don’t object to the graphic nature. I object to almost two hours of it. Over and over and then,over again. It’s like a crime movie where someone gets their throat slit and instead of carrying on with the story, they repeat the throat slitting over and over for an hour. Ten minutes could have established Jamie’s fate and they could have moved on with the story….assuming they had a plot. My guess is they ran out of ideas.

It seems to me the producers ran out of plot line and simply filled the last two episodes with sensational sadistic garbage. I’m surprised the author of the books did not veto (assuming she had the power to do so). Bad enough we had to sit (some of us left) through a full hour of repetitious sensationalism in the penultimate episode. Then the final episode resurrects it again through flash backs. The dramatic equivalent of WWE wrestling. Hopefully, with months to go before second season they can now resurrect the plot line as well.

No, John Lindsay, they did not run out of a plot line or make it up. They followed the plot of the books and this is what happened in the book, so Diana Gabaldon, the author of the books, wrote it, so why would she veto it. There is nothing to be resurrected here, because, like I said this was the plot taken straight from the book.

And it was actually less than what was in the book. They left out the whippings, the cut across his chest, licking the blood, and the ‘Alex’ moment. It could have been worse if they’d followed the book exactly.

The whole point of the episode was to make you feel uncomfortable and repulsed by black jack and his mind rape of jamie. Reading the book did the exact same thing to me. But, you have to get thru it. Same as the characters. Excellent acting by all of the people who are representing this amazing story.

I agree. I applaud all involved making this incredible story, especially the actors. I read the books and watched every episode at least twice. I am amazed at the creativity of this show on so many levels. This creative artistry pulled out every emotion I could muster: love, hate, passion, dispair, courage, hope, anger, the list goes on and on. Whether we agree or disagree on how we feel about the season finale, know this: the season made us FEEL. That is the most important part of storytelling. And if we feel the finale was too much to watch, we watched anyway! Past history had some horrific periods, some very dark days. We can’t close our eyes to it. Finally, historical fiction at its best!!

I wish they spent more time on Claire’s efforts to bring Jamie back from the brink and less on the actual rape. It was well portrayed, but at the cost of losing a very significant part of the story. Claire’s strategy to force Jamie to fight back, so he might begin to heal was much more dramatic and realistic than the rapid recovery prompted by her declaration, “You die, I die”. Major fail in my opinion.

It was an amazing episode, with some incredible actors…. Emmy people, please pay attention.

History tends to get cleansed through time, but the times were brutal, there were no therapists, people endured hardships of all manner. As awful as BJR torture of Jamie was, in the context of how hard daily life was, it is yet another hardship that must be endured. I may be wrong, but I think that is part of what DG wanted the readers to understand and feel. Evil has existed since the beginning of time, and as hard as it is to watch it molds the characters and makes them who they are as the struggle to move on in an era when life was not taken for granted.

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