Stranger Season 7 Episode 14 “Ye Dinna Get Used to It” introduces a character that die-hard fans of Diana Gabaldon’s books, short stories, and stories will surely recognize immediately: Percy Beauchamp (Michael Lindall). We first meet the dashing spy when he joins General George Washington (Gary Fannin) and the Marquis de Lafayette (Charles Crehange) for dinner with Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan). Later, the Starz The show reveals that the “French” assistant is actually a Brit with colonial leanings, secret knowledge and a colorful history with none other than Lord John Gray (David Berry).
So what central role does Percy Beauchamp play in this week’s all-new episode? Stranger? And why is it fitting that it’s featured in an episode written by none other than Diana Gabaldon herself?
**Spoilers for Stranger Season 7, Episode 14 “Ye Dinna Get Used to It,” now streaming on Starz – and some of Diana Gabaldon’s Lord John Gray series**
In Stranger Season 7, Episode 14 “You Won’t Get Used to It,” Jamie and Claire finally find a bruised and beaten Lord John Grey. After Claire treats the British lord’s eye wound – which, you’ll recall, is Jamie’s doing – we’re told that Percy Beauchamp has arrived. Instead of visiting Mistress Fraser, he has a “private message” for Lord John Grey. Even more intriguing? Lord John knows Percy. He explains to Claire that Percy Beauchamp was his half-brother. Claire, being the 20th century society woman we know, picks up on more than sisterly vibes and lets them happen.
As soon as Claire leaves, it is revealed that Beauchamp is not Percy’s real last name, and that he is not even French. He adopted his French wife’s surname, prompting Lord John to congratulate him on his marriage and ask who Percy would rather sleep with: his wife or his brother-in-law. Percy jokes, “Both, on occasion.” » We then learn that Percy has been keeping a low profile in France since he got Lord John’s “help” for something. Now Percy wants to help Lord John.
As Lafayette’s aide-de-camp, Percy learned of a plot to kidnap William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart). British Captain Richardson (Ben Lambert) is secretly a spy for the Americans and targets Lord John’s brother and his entire family. By sending William into a trap, he hopes to barter the family’s cooperation in exchange for the child’s life.
But who exactly is Percy Beauchamp? How did Lord John “help” him? And might we ever learn more about the story of Lord John Grey?
Who is Percy Beauchamp? Everything about the character of “Lord John Grey” introduced in Stranger Season 7 Episode 14:
Did you feel like you were supposed to know who Percy Beauchamp was even though he never appeared in Stranger Before? This is probably because he is a character with a rich history in Diana Gabaldon’s books, particularly in the spinoff series about Lord John Grey.
Percy Beauchamp was born Perseverance Wainwright and grew up in poverty after his father was run over by a courier. His mother-in-law eventually married the well-connected General Stanley, who cared for her adopted son after his mother’s death. General Stanley would go on to marry Lord John’s mother, Benedicta Grey. (Hence how the two are “step-brothers.”)
However, Percy Wainwright and Lord John had a previous altercation outside of their parents’ marriage. As a teenager, Percy worked as a prostitute and briefly met a young Lord John at a gay men’s club called Lavender House. After Benedicta and General Stanley married, the two closeted young men launched their own romance, culminating in Percy following Lord John into the British army.
While serving in Germany, Percy is caught having sex with another young German officer, who is promptly killed by his commanding officer. Percy is arrested and appears doomed to die for his homosexuality, but Lord John helps him escape. Percy ends up in France and eventually marries Cécile Beauchamp, renaming himself Percival Beauchamp.
So this explains the “help” Lord John gave to his occasional lover and half-brother. Percy also appears in the Stranger novel, An echo in the boneswith a subplot that explains Fergus’ (Cesar Domboy) true heritage. Since it is possible Stranger Season 8 could tackle this, we won’t spoil the surprise…
Will Starz make a Lord John Gray Spin-off after Stranger is it over?
Percy Beauchamp is not Diana Gabaldon’s first character Lord John Gray series to get a scream Stranger Season 7, part 2. In Stranger Season 7, Episode 11, we also heard about Manoke, Lord John’s lover. All these Lord John Gray Easter eggs might have fans wondering… will Starz ever make a Lord John Gray spinoff show?
“There was a time, I think around season 4, where a spin-off was more or less going to be given the green light. I had signed a contract and we thought we were going to pursue it,” Stranger Star David Berry revealed to Decider. “It’s not something that was ultimately decided to move forward with. So it was a huge disappointment.
So is that it? Are these little glimpses of Lord John’s adventures all we’re going to get? Well, David Berry also revealed that a spin-off is still “something that’s been talked about.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.” I think the character has a lot of legs. Whether it’s something Starz or any other network is going to pick up or not, I guess it depends on fan interest,” he said. “But I know it for my part, and certainly (Stranger executive producers) Matt (Roberts) and Maril (Davis), we would really be excited to see if this character had another life in another series.
For the moment, Starz has not made any announcement regarding a spin-off of Lord John Gray, but the filming of the first season of a Stranger prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Bloodis already finished.
