5 reasons I want a Frank Randall Outlander spin-off miniseries

Certain characters stand out to some of us more than others. For me, it’s all about Frank Randall. People we say we learn everything we need to know about him in Outlander, but we really don’t.

There is a mystery to Frank. There is a reason why Diana Gabaldon has ideas for a “What Frank Knew” book. Whether she’ll ever write it or not is another thing, but there are reasons those ideas are there. And I know I’m not the only one who wants to figure out more.

There is so much mystery to him. I wouldn’t need a five-season show or anything like that. A limited Outlander spin-off series would be enough to give me the answers I need about this man.

What did he do when Claire “left?”

We know that Claire went through the stones. Frank didn’t know that. So, when Claire suddenly disappeared, what did Frank do exactly? The Outlander series did offer some insight during Episode 8. That was a show invention and I loved it. It told me a lot more about him, and it helped make Frank’s actions when Claire returned make some sense.

But I want to know more. I want to know how his search for Claire started, and I want to know if he kept looking when he went back to London. Is it possible that he wondered if Mrs. Graham was right and he started searching through time?

How did Frank learn he was infertile?

Frank tells Reverend Wakefield that he was the reason he and Claire couldn’t have children. For a long time, Claire thought it was her. It still isn’t something a man likes to look at because of how it can emasculate him, but back in the 1940s, it’s surprising that a man like Frank made the choice to find out if he could or couldn’t have children. That’s especially considering it happened while Claire was “missing.”

What made him look into that? Does it have any connection to Claire coming back through the stones, or was this done during the time that she was gone? Was there some sort of accident? Or was it something to do with researching Black Jack Randall? It’s just one of those niggling things.

Did he really have any affairs?

The TV show sets it up that Frank did have an affair. Diana Gabaldon says that Frank didn’t in the books. Either way, a lot of fans believe that Claire is right and that Frank was having multiple affairs and tried to be discreet. What was really going on?

If Frank wasn’t having affairs, was he using that as a coverup for his research? Would he prefer Claire to believe he was unfaithful rather than that he was researching Jamie? Considering the time period, the idea of a man having an affair was embarrassing but almost expected in some circles.

When it comes to the show, it’s a little trickier. Sandy believed that Frank loved her, but I guess that doesn’t necessarily mean he had an affair. He may have led Sandy on to believe he loved her and Claire was stopping him from leaving rather than the truth.

How much did he know about Claire and Brianna in the past?

It’s clear that Frank knew something about past events. We know that he wrote a book about the Battle of Kings Mountain, which is where Jamie is supposed to die. It’s clear that Frank opted to research Jamie after telling Claire she couldn’t look for him.

But what else did he know? Did he find records of Claire and Bree being in the past? What about Roger, who he would have known as Reverend Wakefield’s son? He seemed to prepare Bree for a life in the past, which suggests he knew something. I just want to know what that “something” was.

How did he actually die (in the show)?

The book tells us a little more about Frank’s car crash the night he died. He had heart problems, and his heart gave out and that led to him crashing the car. From what I remember reading Voyager, he was already dead when the car crashed. Don’t quote me on that.

The TV show doesn’t include the heart issues. Instead, we see Frank with barely a scratch on him after a car accident that kills him. I’m a little suspicious of that. Was there something more to this? Considering Frank had a history of working as a spy, it is possible that someone could have come after him. It just ended up turning into nothing because Claire and co. ended up in the past.

I want to know more about Frank Randall. It could just be a miniseries as an Outlander spin-off, but I’d definitely watch it.