Warning: SPOILERS ahead for His Dark Materials season 2, episode 3, "Theft"
His Dark Materials season 2's latest episode marks the official introduction to the mysterious John Parry — here's everything you need to know about Andrew Scott's new character. Adapted for television by Jack Thorne, His Dark Materials is based on the same-titled series of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman. Rather than one season tackling one book, the BBC/HBO collaboration draws simultaneously from various points of the books' overall narrative (including prequel elements of the later trilogy, The Book of Dust) to offer a more coalesced timeline. As such, the journey of Will Parry (Amir Wilson) was moved up so that it could run parallel to that of Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen).
Will makes his first on-screen appearance in His Dark Materials season 1, episode 5, "The Lost Boy". As Will walks home from school, a voiceover recounts that he and Lyra are bound together by destiny and would change worlds. A prominent element of their combined fates, however, is that they will fail if they are told what they need to do. Fortunately, Will becomes embroiled in events purely through the separate, sinister agenda of the prophecy-unaware Lord Boreal (Ariyon Bakare). Already able to travel between his world and Will's, Boreal originally seeks Will's father, John Parry, and the information he may have regarding other portals, other worlds, and, later on, The Subtle Knife. As such, John is frequently mentioned throughout the first season and even glimpsed in photographs or news footage in Will's world.
Coming into possession of his father's letters, Will eventually kills one of their pursuers in self-defense and goes on the run. Will's escape eventually takes him through a portal to the city of Cittàgaze, where he ultimately meets Lyra. Though John is not similarly brought forward to make an official physical appearance by the end of His Dark Materials season 1, the trailers revealed that would change in His Dark Materials season 2. The news left fans eagerly awaiting the new episodes and for the moment to come to fruition on-screen. Fortunately, His Dark Materials season 2, episode 3, "Theft" gives fans their wish and brings the wait to an end, as the mysterious character finally appeared directly within the main narrative. Here's all you need to know about the long-lost and multihyphenate figure.
John Parry In The His Dark Materials Books Explained
Little is known about John Parry's early life, except he was a member of the Scouts as a child. Upon coming into adulthood, he joined the Royal Marines and served as part of the 49th Commando. His military career was a successful one, spanning 14 years and ultimately allowed him to earn the rank of Colonel. Leaving the armed forces, he made a living as an explorer and an expedition leader. At some point, he would meet and marry Elaine, with whom he would conceive Will. Despite that, he continued his career around the globe. In 1985, he took part in a fateful expedition to Alaska.
Referred to as the Nuniatak dig, the purpose of the endeavor was to find signs of early human settlements. In truth, however, Parry had a separate, Ministry of Defence-funded mission. Alongside a physicist named Nelson, he was tasked with finding an anomaly reported to exist in the area. They were soon joined in that quest by a Native Alaskan named Matt Kigalik, who more specifically knew the location of the anomaly. Two months after arriving at the North American Arctic Survey Station in Noatak, some of their party went missing during a blizzard. While searching for them, the trio of John, Matt, and Nelson accidentally stumbled directly through the anomaly.
The anomaly was revealed to be a window into Cittàgaze, the same city that Lyra and Will would one day end up and meet each other. Nelson and Matt were almost immediately killed by Spectres — the ghostly, soul-stealing creatures that Lyra and Will learned of in His Dark Materials season 2, episode 1, "The City of Magpies". John Parry, however, survived long enough to make it down to Prudhoe Bay. It was there that he found a second window. This time, Parry voluntarily chose to step through. This window would lead directly into what the locals referred to simply as The North in Lyra's homeworld.
Given that the show takes place in the modern-day, however, the timeline was changed so that John went missing in 2006 rather than in the 1980s. Apart from that, John Parry's backstory has already been faithfully adapted on-screen. Everything from the length and nature of his military career has remained intact. The same went for the circumstances behind and surrounding the culmination of his Alaska trip — right down to John's seeming foreknowledge of the window. Boreal learned as much from his hacker associate, Thomas (Robert Emms), in His Dark Materials season 1, episode 3, "The Spies" and posited the rest in subsequent episodes.
Stanislaus Grumman & Jopari: John Parry's Aliases Explained
Settling in Lyra's world, John Parry explored singular landmarks like Bear Rock and immersed himself in the alternative culture of witches and shaman. It was from the latter, a man named Ivan Kasymovich Tyltshin to be specific, that John was able to acquire a daemon of his own from the spirit world. Now more easily able to pass as a native occupant of the world, John made his way to Europe. Emerging first in Warsaw, he adopted the name Stanislaus Grumman so as to blend in with scientists and scholars. Around 1988, he wrote a paper regarding the magnetic poles and debated the subject at an academy in Germany. The move afforded him some infamy and, taking on the title of Doctor, he moved and continued his scholarly endeavors at Jordan College in Oxford.
Living in a city that simultaneously reminded him of his home and was drastically different proved too much for John. As a result, he returned to The North and underwent studies of a different variety. Joining the Yenisei Pakhtars (colloquially known as Tartars), he ultimately became a shaman in his own right. A part of the process included willingly having a hole drilled in his head (known as trepanning) — which is why the Jordan scholars were quick to believe it was his frozen head in Lord Asriel's possession. In the time that followed, John made several important discoveries, including how to make a special healing ointment. It would be these skills that would bring him into contact with Giacomo Paradisi (from whom he would learn about The Subtle Knife). As he amassed yet more renown in his new areas of expertise, he came to be known as Jopari with his real, full name getting compressed to form his shamanistic title.
In the books, each of John's aliases was frequently mentioned, often exclusively and as though separate entities. His father's name was just as often offered by Will. The fact all three were one and the same was actually one of the trilogy's biggest twists. However, as proven by His Dark Materials season 1, the show eschewed that fact — likely due to fan's familiarity with the books. It was similarly laid out on a plate from the outset that he wasn't as dead as he appeared. Boreal suspected as much and the witches confirmed multiple times as Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manuel Miranda) sought to find him. Lyra also directly informed Will of that fact via The Alethiometer in His Dark Materials season 2, episode 2, "The Cave". As such, the bulk of the anticipation has been waiting to see whether the faithfulness of John's story will continue or if future twists will come in the form of future deviations. That and the chance to see the popular actor cast in the role finally get to interact with the story in a more direct capacity.
Andrew Scott Plays John Parry in His Dark Materials TV Show
Scott, an Irish-born actor, has been acting since he was 17 years old. After some starring roles in some lesser-known projects and gaining extensive experience on the stage, he landed a small role in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. He would work with Spielberg again in 2001, playing Private John "Cowboy" Hall in an episode of Band of Brothers. Despite this and several more credits to his name over the years, Scott didn't come to widespread prominence until he played James "Jim" Moriarty, the nemesis of Benedict Cumberbatch's titular detective on Sherlock.
The actor has since only gone from strength-to-strength, even delivering an Emmy-recognized performance in the Black Mirror installment, "Smithereens". in 2019, Scott also dramatically increased his popularity and sex appeal with his turn in Fleabag season 2. Starring opposite Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Scott played a character known simply as The Priest. However, from the moment the episodes began airing, he was rapidly renamed Hot Priest by fans around the world. His turn in His Dark Materials will no doubt bring the actor even more acclaim and popularity. It will also mark a reunion, of sorts, with Scott's friend and Fleabag co-star — since Waller-Bridge lent her voice to Parry's daemon, Sayan Kötör.
John Parry's Future In His Dark Materials Season 2 (& Beyond)
After over a season of build-up, Scott made his first full appearance in His Dark Materials season 2, episode 3, "Theft". Though he was kept firmly shrouded in a cloak, there was no doubt that it was John Parry in the flesh, from a brief glimpse of his face and the sound of his voice. Equally, the mysterious figure sported the signature tattoos seen in promotional materials for John Parry. In possession of a ring, Parry seemed to be consciously summoning Lee Scoresby to his location. His actions seemed to directly influence the wind and thus propel Lee and Hester's balloon in the right direction. A former associate of John's was later seen stating that controlling the weather was impossible. Given that John has moved on to accomplish such miracles, it's made all the clearer why that scientist ultimately branded John a heretic.
Such abilities that John displayed in the episode will no doubt be of as great significance on the show as they were in the books. With a great war repeatedly foreshadowed and steadily brewing, such a mystically-imbued individual would make for a powerful ally. Furthermore, however, John Perry comes armed with knowledge from his time as the explorer Stanislaus Grumman as he does with actual powers as Jopari. Having traveled through multiple worlds and met a great many people, John has a knowledge rivaled only by the witches. He knows of Asriel's quest, the prophecy surrounding Lyra, and The Subtle Knife that Boreal has now tasked Lyra and Will to acquire. As such, similar to how John Parry illuminated people to the existence of multiple worlds in the past, it will be he who will pull the show's various threads together. He will actively fill in the blanks for several characters and, by extension, much of the audience.
Next week's episode will mark the first full meeting between Lee and John, after weeks of anticipation. While Lee is looking for a defensive object with which to protect Lyra, John will reveal that to be The Subtle Knife, the bearer of which he is eager to meet. However, John's goal is to unite that bearer with Asriel ahead of the aforementioned war. Given that Will has now been tasked with gaining possession of the knife, and Lyra has ill-will towards Asriel, that potentially sets up some dramatic conflict going forward. After all, given Lyra's experience, she'd be understandably against any more of her friends bring brought to and potentially used by her Father. As such, the long-overdue and oft-teased reunion between John and Will could be a fraught one. Either way, barring any major changes from the books, John Parry's arrival will be one of the many pieces that officially sets the stage for His Dark Materials season 3.