If you just finished the We Were Liars TV series on Prime Video and found yourself frantically flipping through your dog-eared copy of E. Lockhart's novel to find Blake Beaumont, you can stop. He isn't there. Seriously.
The character of Blake Beaumont in We Were Liars is one of the most significant additions to the 2025 television adaptation. While the original 2014 book is a masterclass in isolated, claustrophobic suspense, the showrunners—led by Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie—needed to expand the world of Beechwood Island. They needed friction. They needed a catalyst outside the Sinclair family bubble. Enter Blake Beaumont, played by Cale Ambrozic.
He isn't just a random guest. He’s a disruption.
Who exactly is Blake Beaumont?
In the show, Blake is introduced as Johnny’s tennis rival. He’s wealthy, he’s athletic, and he carries that specific brand of "new money" or "outsider" energy that makes the old-guard Sinclairs look even more stiff. We first see him during the flashbacks to Tipper’s funeral. While the Sinclair sisters are busy fighting over a black pearl necklace like vultures, the younger generation is dealing with a different kind of mess.
It turns out Mirren has been sexting him.
This isn't just a "teen drama" plot point. It serves a very specific narrative purpose in the show's structure. In the book, Mirren’s lies are mostly about having a boyfriend back home to hide her own insecurities or perhaps to mirror the family's obsession with appearances. In the series, Blake Beaumont makes those lies tangible. He shows up at the funeral, creating a massive amount of tension for Johnny, who already has a notoriously "problematic temper."
The twist you didn't see coming (unless you watched Episode 3)
The drama peaks when Johnny discovers the connection between his rival and his cousin. He accuses Blake of using Mirren just to get under his skin. It leads to a physical altercation—classic Sinclair drama—but the real kicker comes later when Cadence is trying to piece together her fractured memories.
Here's the thing about the "Liars" in the show: they aren't just lying to the adults. They’re often lying to each other.
In a pivotal revelation, we find out that Mirren’s planned hookup with Blake never actually happened. Why? Because Cadence allegedly caught Blake hooking up with Johnny.
"Johnny and Mirren tell Cady that Mirren's hookup with Blake Beaumont didn't happen because Cady caught Blake hooking up with Johnny."
This is a massive departure from the source material. By introducing Blake Beaumont, the show adds layers to Johnny’s character that simply weren't explored in the same way in the book. It highlights the internal conflict Johnny faces—his aggression, his rivalry, and his hidden identity. It makes the "Sinclair way" of keeping secrets feel even more suffocating.
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Why the show added him
Adaptations are tricky. A book like We Were Liars relies heavily on internal monologue. Cadence is an unreliable narrator, and her mind is a messy place. On screen, you can’t just have a girl staring into the ocean for eight episodes. You need externalized conflict.
Blake Beaumont provides that. He represents the world outside Beechwood. He’s the "bagger" who brags about "bagging a Sinclair" to the water taxi driver, Ebon. He exposes the family’s elitism. When Ebon tells Mirren that Blake was bragging about her in the taxi, it shatters the illusion. It forces the Liars to confront how the rest of the world sees them: as trophies or targets, rather than the "perfect" royalty Harris Sinclair wants them to be.
Does he change the ending?
Without giving away the soul-crushing ending for those who haven't finished (though if you're searching for Blake, you probably have), the core tragedy remains. Blake is a "Summer Seventeen" and "Flashback" mystery. He is a tool used to test the Liars' loyalty to one another.
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If you're a purist, you might hate the addition. Honestly, I get it. The book is perfect in its simplicity. But Cale Ambrozic’s performance adds a layer of "swoonworthy" (as fans on social media have called it) but dangerous charm that fits the vibe Julie Plec usually goes for.
Key differences between Blake and the book's "outsiders"
- Visibility: In the book, people like Gat are the only "outsiders" we really focus on. Blake brings a more aggressive, peer-level rivalry.
- The Sexting Subplot: This replaces Mirren’s more vague "Drake" boyfriend mentions from the novel with something more immediate and scandalous.
- Johnny’s Arc: Blake is essential for Johnny’s development in the series, whereas in the book, Johnny is mostly the "funny, bouncy" one until the fire.
What you should do next
If you're still confused about where Blake fits in the timeline, your best bet is to re-watch Episode 3. Pay close attention to the water taxi driver, Ebon. The conversation between Ebon and Mirren at the docks is where the "Blake Beaumont" facade really falls apart.
If you're coming to the show from the book, keep an open mind. The Sinclairs are still "beautiful and privileged," but the show makes them a little more human—and a little more messy—by letting people like Blake Beaumont into their orbit.
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Check out the official We Were Liars Wiki if you need a full breakdown of the Sinclair family tree, because with the additions of characters like Blake and Ebon, it's getting a lot harder to keep track of who is lying to whom.