Outlander has finally reached its explosive finale after eight seasons. Over the years, many characters have died, and some have had a lasting impact.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly to celebrate the Outlander finale, which aired on Starz on Friday, May 15, actors Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe — who portrayed the central couple, Jamie and Claire — along with showrunner Matthew B. Roberts and executive producer Maril Davis, confirmed there was a death they wanted to change: Black Jack Randall.

Black Jack Randall Could’ve Survived Culloden

Actor Tobias Menzies played a dual role on the time-travel historical drama, both as Frank Randall, Claire’s first husband, and Black Jack Randall, Jamie’s sworn enemy and Frank’s ancestor. The character officially died in Season 3 in 2017 after tormenting Jamie and Claire. Menzies just returned with a surprise cameo, as he had a voiceover as Frank, and read from his historical novel, Soul of a Rebel.

However, Menzies could’ve been a bigger part of the show as Black Jack Randall, as the creatives wanted to retcon his death at Culloden. “When we know we’re going to do something big, we call [Outlander author] Diana [Gabaldon] and go, ‘hey, we’re gonna go down this path. How do you feel about it?’” the showrunner explained. “We want to, of course, get her sign off on it. If she hated something so desperately, we wouldn’t go that way.”

Roberts continued, “We really wanted to keep Black Jack alive, the studio and the network really wanted to keep Black Jack alive, so we call her and asked her. She said, ‘I really wish you wouldn’t do that.’ So he died.”

After abusing Jamie, the duo finally faced each other on the battlefield at the infamous Battle of Culloden, where Black Jack met his demise. He died in Jamie’s arms.

Heughan recalled, “You filmed it. I remember, filmed Black Jack’s eyes opening again on the battlefield.”

The character had been resurrected before, as Jamie and Claire were certain Black Jack Randall died in Wentworth Prison after being crushed under a wooden door by a stampede of cattle. However, he eventually died in Season 3, although Menzies returned as Frank in other episodes.

Claire & Jamie’s Fate in Outlander Series Finale

Robert Wilson / ©Starz / Courtesy Everett Collection

The unaired scene with Black Jack Randall opening his eyes on the battlefield is similar to how Outlander ended. After reading about his fate in Frank’s book, Jamie was at peace with the idea of dying at the Battle of Kings Mountain. However, for one brief moment, it felt like they changed the future, until Major Patrick Ferguson shot Jamie.

The series features a montage dating back to the pilot (where the ghost of a de-aged Jamie watches Claire before Frank tries to confront him), and a look at Claire and Jamie’s best moments. As she clings to Jamie, Claire also seems to die of heartbreak before the two open their eyes in the last scene.

Both Heughan and Balfe admitted they don’t “fully understand it,” but that it leaves the ending up for interpretation, and fans can come up with their own theories. It is possible for Jamie and Claire’s love to defy all odds, as well as them dying together, and waking up in a different realm. There is also a theory that Claire has finally come into her powers as the folklore white witch (la dame blanche) and resurrected Jamie, the way she did with the baby earlier in the series.

Outlander is streaming on Starz.