Sam Heughan’s Top 10 Best Moments as Jamie Fraser on Outlander

1. Episode 115, “Wentworth Prison”: Jamie is assaulted

This brings us to perhaps the most gut-wrenching performance Sam Heughan has ever given on Outlander. Even writing about it breaks my heart. And it’s the moment I realized I could never hate anyone as much as I hate Blackjack Randall.

Once Jamie is inside the titular prison, Blackjack has the perfect opportunity to prey on him, and to break him down until he felt like he was nothing. This is precisely what happens, and I am in complete awe of how well Sam Heughan pulled off Jamie’s side of the experience. It’s very sensitive subject matter, especially to take on in the context of a serialized television show with a budget and a deadline. There are a lot of subtle nuances to be mindful of, and there needs to be an understanding that viewers may be triggered by what they see.

Heughan pays attention to the details of his performance here. Whether it’s the vacant look in Jamie’s eyes during his assault or his look of defeat afterwards, Heughan nails every single emotion.

It’s an incredibly difficult episode to watch, and while I despise Blackjack Randall as a character, Tobias Menzies deserves a shoutout for making him so truly detestable.

But this is Heughan’s moment to go above and beyond. I felt all the pain, anxiety, loneliness and fear Jamie felt in this moment, and will forever respect Haughan as a performer for conveying it.

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