Flavorwire names Outlander’s Tobias Menzies as best performer of the year

Normally in the background as stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe attract the limelight, it’s now Tobias Menzies time to shine.

Flavorwire, a popular publication that covers news about art and culture, has released their list of best performances of the year.

Of the fifteen performances listed, just one from Outlander made the cut, and it’s probably not the one most people would think of.

While stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe tend to frequently be the Outlander names in the limelight, this time, Tobias Menzies is the actor who made the list.

For his performance in Season two of Outlander, wherein fans get a grim peek into the mindset of a man who knows he is broken and is unable to fix himself, Flavorwire has named Tobias Menzies on their “The Year in TV: The 15 Best Performances of 2016” list.

Black Jack Randall recognizes the pain he causes to others, and is aware he can’t change the way he is. And yet, when his brother Alex asks his dying wish – that Black Jack marry Alex’s pregnant fiancé – we see the turmoil this causes Jack.

He knows in his heart that if he weds the girl, he will harm her, and he doesn’t want to do it.

This character has many layers, and while he undoubtedly remains the villain, Menzies’ portrayal of Black Jack inspires a bizarre sense of almost-empathy for the man who has caused so much agony for others.

Other performances that made Flavorwire’s list include Billy Bob Thornton for his role in Goliath, Jodie Comer in Thirteen, Laurie Metcalf in Horace and Pete, and Evan Rachel Wood in Westworld.