'Outlander' Season 2: Was The Opening Claire & Frank Flash Forward For The Best? Cast Explains Shake Up [VIDEO]
Frank Randall is back in the picture, much to the shock of many Outlander fans.
Instead of opening in the 1960s or 18th century France like Diana Gabaldon's Dragonfly in Amber, the Starz series kicked of season 2 with a return to the 1940s. Two years after she was transported through the standing stones, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) was treated to a rocky reunion with her first husband.
While the switch up left some fans upset, the cast believes it was for the best. Instead of attempting to explain Frank's (Tobias Menzies) demise, Claire's move to Boston, Jamie's (Sam Heughan) fate, and the status a the Fraser baby all at once, Outlander dipped their toe into the complicated storyline while fleshing out Frank in a way that the books never did.
"It moves the Frank character forward," Heughan explained, according to Yahoo! TV. "He's charming in a slightly cold, English way in Season 1. In Season 2, you see what he's been through. He's aged. He's really struggled [with Claire disappearing] and is now quite emotionally raw."
For fans that know what the future holds for Claire and Frank, the 1940s scenes help to inform some of Mr. Randall's coming decisions.
"Readers of the books forever have been really down on Frank. They're like, 'He's a cheater' and 'He's this and that.' Now, you understand how he became that way," Balfe said. "He put everything on the line and she shot him down. They then forged ahead with this unhappy marriage, [but there] was always someone else, a ghost, in their marriage. Can you blame the man for trying to find some happiness or solace elsewhere?"
We're you happy with the change or are you a die-hard fan of the novels? Sound off in the poll below!
Find out more when Outlander airs Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET on Starz.
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