Outlander enthusiasts might get a jolt from learning the scoop on Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall’s (portrayed by Tobias Menzies) utter humiliation in the presence of King Louis XV (played by Lionel Lingelser) at Versailles.

In a moment that had fans riveted, the notorious Redcoat found himself at a disadvantage during a run-in with the French sovereign and the Frasers—Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitríona Balfe).

The incident unfolded as Black Jack derisively remarked to Claire on the chance meeting in Paris shortly after his vicious assault and rape of Jamie, only to be promptly put in his place.

King Louis XV caught the charged exchange as Claire cautioned the soldier against holding her arm, leading to the intervention by the king and his amused courtiers.

There, Black Jack was ridiculed for his clumsy French while Claire’s French fluency earned her accolades, reports the Express.

The low point for Black Jack came when he was compelled to grovel before the king to seek a favor for his brother, Alex Randall (played by Laurence Dobiesz), who worked for the Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow), due to Alex’s deteriorating health and bleak future.

At the monarch’s command, Black Jack took a knee, suffering the indignity of King Louis’ laughter and jest: “You English are so literal.”

Seething with rage but trapped by Royal protocol, Black Jack could do nothing but stew in silent fury.

Discussing the pivotal scene on Outlander’s official podcast, executive producer Ronald D. Moore delved into the shifting power dynamics between Black Jack and the Frasers.

Moore explained: “I came up with this idea of King Louis coming over, and Jack sort of having to talk to Jamie through Louis and Louis sort of forcing Jack to his knees and f***ing with him because he’s a British officer at the French court.

“I like that and essentially France and Britain, yes, they are fighting a war somewhere else in Europe at this time in Austria or something.

“But it’s not a total war that we think about. There’s still this odd, to our mindsets, odd 18th century idea of warfare where these countries would be at war with each other but they would still sort of be polite to each other in other contexts.”

Drawing parallels to the Cold War, Moore noted how the USA and USSR engaged in conflicts in places like Vietnam and Korea while maintaining basic diplomatic courtesies elsewhere.

“So the idea of a British officer showing up in Versailles was not completely out of the question and I like the idea that when a British officer showed up at Versailles Louis would start to screw with them, to f*** with them.

“Once he picked up the idea that Claire and Jamie did not like Jack Randall, that he would try to find some way to humiliate him,” Moore elaborated.