Outlander fans hotly debate Claire's treatment of Frank as some 'can't stand it'

Claire Fraser, portrayed by Caitriona Balfe, has sparked a debate among Outlander fans for her cold treatment of first husband Frank Randall, played by Tobias Menzies, in the earlier seasons of the Starz series. While many viewers acknowledge that Frank's behaviour could be "toxic" at times, there is a sense of sympathy for him as he becomes "disregarded" after Claire's passionate affair with Jamie Fraser, brought to life by Sam Heughan.

The historical fantasy drama Outlander, adapted from Diana Gabaldon's acclaimed book series, has its audience eagerly anticipating the second half of season 7, which is fast approaching. A Reddit user recently reignited the conversation, questioning if others shared their sentiment regarding Claire's attitude towards Frank.

In their post, @Marigoldnettt expressed upon rewatching season 3: "I can't help but feel bad for Frank. Don't get me wrong, I love Claire and Jamie's relationship! I just cannot stand how she disregards Frank tbh. I can see both sides."

They elaborated: "After she comes back, she wants Brianna (Sophie Skelton) to have a father figure in place of Jamie. She wants her life to kinda be normal because after all, she thought he died in Culloden. However, her life will never be the same after all the years she spent with Jamie in Scotland. Frank is happy his wife is back but is hurt by the fact she doesn't really love him as much anymore. She is still 100% in love with Jamie."

They continued with their analysis: "He loves Brianna like his own but he wants to be happy with someone who will devote her love and energy into him. Not someone who half loves him. I just wish she would've let him go like he wanted at some point before his death so he could be free to love someone who loves him."

The viewer then added: "Not saying Frank was 100% right all of the time. There were some times he was toxic imo. I just wish he got the fairytale ending he wanted in return." (sic)

In response, fans flocked to the comments to weigh in on whether sympathy should be extended to Frank throughout his journey on the show.

One particularly vocal fan under the handle @emmagrace2000 reflected on the complexity of the character, stating: "Claire did let Frank go and told him repeatedly he could divorce her. But the one thing he was not allowed to do was take Brianna with him. Women could not initiate divorce prior to the 1970s so she was literally stuck in the marriage by Frank's desire to raise Brianna."

Additionally, they pointed out: "Frank wasn't all that innocent in the marriage falling apart either. She told him the truth when she returned. She asked him to leave her. He said no and he wanted to raise Brianna because he already knew he wasn't going to have any children of his own at that point. But he also asked her to move on from Jamie and never mention him again. He asked her to cut out a piece of herself while he shackled her to him by refusing to divorce her."

They went on to state: "I don't have much sympathy for Frank in the show because he is blatantly shown to be having an affair as early as when Claire graduated from medical school despite her asking him to be discrete. In the books, it's less about the affairs and more about his inability to adapt to modern thinking (he was racist, to be blunt). Ultimately, neither of them should have remained in the marriage but they did it for Brianna's sake alone."

Echoing similar sentiments, a fellow enthusiast concurred, saying: "Thank you! I agree with ALL of this. I have no sympathy for Frank at all. He didn't give Claire a choice among other things. Jamie always did." (sic)

Contrastingly, viewer @Bitter-Hour1757 presented a different perspective, commenting: "Claire's return turned out to make Frank's secret nightmare true: she left him for another man. And his decision to care for mother and child as a husband/father was quite honorable: Claire had no living relatives and raising a child as a single mother (a divorced one, not the widow of a WW2 hero), would have been bitter for both mother and child, especially in the 1950s."

The narrative surrounding Frank and Claire's complex relationship is intensively scrutinised, with the viewer continuing: "But when he asked Claire to forget about Jamie he underestimated Claire's feelings for that man. It didn't help them to get a clean new start of their family life, as Frank hoped, but poisoned their marriage for the rest of his life. Perhaps it would have been easier for Claire if she had been able to share her memories with Frank. But it is a lot to ask from a husband to listen to the fond memories of his wife's love of her life, especially if he was left for that man and his wife only returned bcs she had no other choice. Frank is a good and honorable man, but he is not a saint, after all.

"A divorce, on the other hand, was not as usual as it is today. And they are both catholics. It is against their belief to get a divorce, even if they both suggested it at some point. We don't know anything about Frank's devotion to his faith. But they sent Brianna to a catholic school in Boston, so religion seems to have mattered to him. Claire's catholicism is getting more important to her over the years. And she wears both rings with the same love and devotion even when Frank is dead."

The analysis is rounded off by expressing sympathy for both characters, highlighting their shared endeavour as parents, as the viewer added: "They are both unable to heal their marriage. They both suffer and they both do their best to be good parents to Brianna, even if they can't make their marriage work. They are both to pity IMO." (sic)

Fans of the series have been fervently discussing key characters' tumultuous relationships online. A fan with the handle @Advanced-Sherbert-29 shared: "You're obviously not alone. The only thing he dreamed of for two straight years was getting Claire, the love of his life, back. Then she comes back like magic (literally) and he at first thinks it's a miracle. But then he learns her story, that she fell in love with another man and is carrying that man's child. AND he learns that he himself is incapable of having a child of his own."

They continue to dissect the dilemma faced by Frank, as advised by the Reverend, saying: "The Reverend gives him some (at the time) wise counsel. He tells Frank to consider what he has, his beloved wife returned and a child that needs a father, and try to salvage some happiness from that."

The fan narrative highlights Frank's struggle, as the user added: "So Frank does, and he hopes Claire will fall back in love with him and things will be like they used to. But even though he believes her story about falling back in time, he doesn't really understand how it affected her. She can keep silent about Jamie but she can't forget him, and try as she might she can't rekindle the love she used to feel for Frank." (sic)

They also delved into Frank's entrapment within his marriage, writing: "By that time, when divorce was probably warranted, Frank was stuck. Even if he filed for divorce he knew Claire could take half of everything, plus get full custody of his daughter. In a way he was just as trapped in their increasingly loveless marriage as Claire was."

Meanwhile, another ardently observing viewer remarked: "I felt awful for show Frank and actually disliked Claire the first time I watched the show. Every rewatch I still feel bad for Frank but I like Claire more and more."

Both fans' comments point to the depth of complexity and emotional turmoil the show presents.

Following the closure of Lionsgate+ in the UK, new episodes of Outlander will be available on Starz and to stream on Prime Video channel MGM+ from Sunday, November 22. You must be an Amazon Prime member before you can sign up for MGM+.