Outlander Season 7 Episode 14 “Ye Dinna Get Used to It” introduces a character that hardcore fans of Diana Gabaldon’s books, novellas, and story stories are sure to immediately recognize: 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 show reveals that the “French” aide is actually a Brit with colonial leanings, secret knowledge, and a colorful history with none other than Lord John Grey (David Berry).
So what pivotal part does Percy Beauchamp play in this week’s all new episode of Outlander? And why is it fitting that he is introduced in an episode written by none other than Diana Gabaldon herself?
**Spoilers for Outlander Season 7 Episode 14 “Ye Dinna Get Used to It,” now streaming on Starz — and some of the Lord John Grey series by Diana Gabaldon**
In Outlander Season 7 Episode 14 “Ye Dinna Get Used to It,” Jamie and Claire are finally reunited with a bruised and battered Lord John Grey. After Claire treats the British lord’s eye injury — which, you’ll recall, is Jamie’s doing — we’re told that Percy Beauchamp has arrived. Instead of paying Mistress Fraser a visit, though, he has a “private message” for Lord John Grey. Even more intriguingly? Lord John knows Percy. He explains to Claire that Percy Beauchamp was his step-brother. Claire, being the 20th century woman of the world we know her to be, picks up on more than brotherly vibes and leaves them to it.
As soon as Claire is gone, it’s revealed that Beauchamp isn’t Percy’s real last name, nor is he even French. He adopted his French wife’s family name, prompting Lord John to congratulate him on his marriage and inquire as to whom Percy prefers to sleep with: his wife or brother-in-law. Percy quips, “Both, on occasion.” We then learn that Percy has been laying low in France ever since getting Lord John’s “help” with something. Now, Percy wants to help Lord John.
As Lafayette’s aide de camp, Percy has learned of a plot to kidnap William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart). British Captain Richardson (Ben Lambert) is secretly a spy for the Americans and has it out for Lord John’s brother and whole family. By sending William into a trap, he hopes to barter for the family’s cooperation in exchange for the kid’s life.
But who exactly is Percy Beauchamp? How did Lord John “help” him? And could we ever learn more about Lord John Grey’s backstory?
Who is Percy Beauchamp? All About the “Lord John Grey” Character Introduced in Outlander Season 7 Episode 14:
Did you get the vibe that you were somehow supposed to know who Percy Beauchamp was even though he’s never popped up in Outlander before? That’s probably because he’s a character with a rich history in Diana Gabaldon’s books, specifically the spin-off series about Lord John Grey.
Percy Beauchamp was born Perseverance Wainwright and grew up in poverty after his father was run over by a mail coach. His beautiful mother eventually married the well-connected General Stanley, who looked after his adoptive son after his mother’s death. General Stanley would then go on to marry Lord John’s mother, Benedicta Grey. (Hence, how the two are “stepbrothers.”)
However, Percy Wainwright and Lord John had an earlier run-in outside of their parents’ marriage. As a teen, Percy worked as a male prostitute and briefly met a young Lord John at a gay gentlemen’s club called the Lavender House. After Benedicta and General Stanley marry, the two closeted young men kicked off 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 seems doomed to die for his homosexuality, but Lord John helps him escape. Percy winds up in France and eventually marries Cecile Beauchamp, renaming himself Percival Beauchamp.
So that explains the “help” Lord John gave his on-and-off lover and one time stepbrother. Percy also pops up in the Outlander novel, An Echo in the Bone, with a subplot that explains Fergus’s (Cesar Domboy) true heritage. Since it’s possible Outlander Season 8 might tackle that, we’ll not spoil the surprise…
Will Starz Make a Lord John Grey Spin-Off After Outlander is Over?
Percy Beauchamp isn’t the first character from Diana Gabaldon’s Lord John Grey series to get a shoutout in Outlander Season 7 Part 2. In Outlander Season 7 Episode 11, we also heard about Lord John’s lover Manoke. All these Lord John Grey Easter eggs might have fans wondering…is Starz ever going to make a spin-off show about Lord John Grey?
“There was a time, I think around Season 4, where a spin-off was more or less down to being greenlit. I’d signed a contract and we thought we were going to go ahead with it,” Outlander star David Berry revealed to Decider. “It wasn’t something that ultimately was decided to move forward with. So that was a huge disappointment.”
So is that it? Are these tiny 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 has been talked about.”
“Yeah, we’ll see. Like I think the character has a lot of legs. Whether or not that’s something that Starz or any other network is going to pick up, I guess it’s up to fan interest,” he said. “But I know that from my side, and certainly [Outlander executive producers] Matt [Roberts] and Maril [Davis], we’d be definitely keen to see if this character had another life in another series.”
As of right now, Starz hasn’t made any announcements regarding a Lord John Grey spin-off, but filming on the first season of an Outlander prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, has already wrapped.
The post ‘Outlander’: Who is Percy Beauchamp? David Berry Teases He’s Still “Definitely Keen” to Do a Lord John Grey Spin-off appeared first on Decider.
