Outlander: 10 Ways Frank Got Worse & Worse

When fans first started watching Outlander, they faced their first dilemma: where they “Team Jamie” or “Team Frank?” While the majority would often align themselves with Jamie, a few would declare themselves “Team Claire.” However, not a lot would say they were Team Frank. But why is that?

While some people would argue it’s because Frank and Claire’s relationship wasn’t as passionate as what she had with Jamie, many fans blame Frank himself. He may come off as the good guy but if one takes a closer look, he clearly isn’t. In fact, his character began to regress as time went on.

10 His Relationship With Claire

Although Claire and Frank were seen to make each other happy in the early stages of their marriage, this all changed once she returned from the eighteenth-century. Their once loving relationship turned sour, which caused his behavior to change.

Where he was once attentive, he was now cold. Where he and Claire were seen to be on friendly terms, Frank started treating her like an acquaintance. It even looked as if he had begun to resent her near the end.

9 Kindness Turned Manipulative

In the beginning, it was easy to sympathize with the historian as he appeared to be a kind and respectable gentleman. He even garnered a lot of support for the way he continued searching for Claire — despite the nurse moving on and the police giving up. However, there was a difference of opinion once Claire returned from the past.

When they first reunited, Frank treated Claire with compassion. He listened to her story, agreed to stay married, and help raise Brianna. However, the viewers saw a manipulative side emerge. He told her to never mention Jamie again or continue looking for him. During their time in Boston, it also emerged that Frank was planning to take Bree from her. He could be very manipulative when need be.

8 Less Than Honorable

Since Frank spent nearly 15 years of his life dedicated to Claire, even agreeing to help raise Bree with her, a lot of people saw him as an honorable guy. However, this belief soon dissipated as the viewers saw what went on before he died. After Claire and Frank agreed to lead separate lives, he began dating his colleague, Sandy Travers.

While he kept his discretions a secret, he did try and cause a scandal when he invited Sandy to Claire’s graduation party. He also appeared not to care that he humiliated the two women because of his jealousy. It made the viewers see him as a bit conniving and sly.

7 A Terrible Boyfriend?

Remember when Sandy blamed Claire for not letting Frank go? Had she ever considered that Frank wasn’t ready to let Claire go? On first impression, viewers believed Frank would make a good partner. He was attentive, dutiful, and respectful. Even Brianna said she could see that he loved Sandy when she met her as a little girl.

But enough to divorce Claire? Apparently not. It turns out that Frank knew about Jamie’s survival but did not tell Claire. Instead, he decided to cover it up by ordering a gravestone because he didn’t want to risk losing their family. Before he died, Frank was also seen to ask Claire if he would have stood a chance if Jamie wasn’t in the picture. It proves he wasn’t exactly a doting boyfriend to Sandy.

6 His Passion For His Family’s Ancestry

One thing that got worse over time was Frank’s enthusiasm for his research. In the first season, it was revealed that he had begun exploring his lineage and had gone to Scotland to get more information One could tell that he was proud of his family history from the way he talked to Claire and knew all facts about them.

However, he lost interest once he discovered the truth about Captain Randall and what he got up to. In a letter to Reverend Wakefield, Frank asked that he stop looking into his ancestor as he was “not the person he thought.” After moving to America, he never spoke of it again. It seems like he may have discovered the truth earlier than expected.

5 His Temper

While it wasn’t seen much in the first season, Frank’s temper was seen to get worse as the show went on. Despite him appearing to be an attentive and compassionate husband, the viewers got a glimpse of his violent temper. The first signs were in season 1 when he took on a gang of thieves. The next was in season 2 when he restrained himself from hitting Claire and smashed a lot of Reverend Wakefield’s china.

Later on in their marriage, Frank was seen to argue a lot more with Claire as he started drinking heavily. Tensions between the two reached a boiling point on the night Frank died, where viewers watched as he unleashed all his frustration on her. He couldn’t just couldn’t control his temper.

4 His Relationship With Brianna

Although Brianna has managed to find peace with her relationship with Frank, the same can’t be said for Frank. When Bree was growing up, she and Frank were pretty close, to the extent that she followed in his footsteps and studied history at college. However, their relationship became a little tense when Frank began researching her heritage and refused to tell her.

Their bond between them became further strained when Frank announced he was divorcing Claire, moving to England, and wanted her to come with him. Brianna ended up storming out of the car before they could properly make up. Who knows what was running through his mind before he died.

3 Jealousy Over Claire’s Independence

It becomes quite noticeable that Frank likes having Claire rely on him, and this desire makes him controlling and overbearing. When Frank invited Claire to come with him to America and offered to help raise Brianna, fans believed it was a noble and honorable gesture.

However, it turns out he may have had other intentions in mind as the viewers see him become jealous of Claire’s career. When she suggested going to medical school, he protested, insisting she didn’t need to because he provided enough for them. Viewers saw his behavior become even more toxic when he intentionally brought Sandy to Claire’s party to humiliate her. Frank didn’t like that she and Bree didn’t need him and he acted out as a result.

2 His Character Arc

Fans should credit Tobias Menzies a lot more for playing the iconic role, especially as he took everyone on an emotional roller coaster. It’s just a shame that the viewers never got to learn more about him, particularly since most people were far more interested in Jamie and Claire’s romance.

In season 1, viewers got a glimpse of the emotional turmoil Frank was put through in the wake of Claire’s disappearance. Since the episodes focused on Claire’s journey, fans were intrigued to see Frank’s reaction. However, after this episode, he appeared less. He also seemed to become unbearable in his last moments, too. It’s a shame his character didn’t get more screentime.

1 Jealousy Of Jamie

One of the main reasons why Claire and Frank’s marriage failed in the first place was because of the historian’s excessive jealousy. Once Frank discovered his wife had fallen in love with another man, he did his best to remove any signs of him. He asked Claire to never mention Jamie to Bree and to stop looking for him.

Despite seeing Claire suffering in silence, he made her suppress her pain and didn’t talk to her about Jamie. Frank’s jealousy increased even further when he realized Claire was picturing Jamie when they were having sex. It appeared this was the final nail in the coffin as Frank was often snippy with Claire after this. It’s a shame that he fell into this dark abyss.

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