“His Dark Materials”’ Dusty Conclusion
January 20, 2023 | Dara Marie | @thornfield_laneDespite not being a frequent fantasy reader, I became obsessed with Philip Pullman’s coming-of-age His Dark Materials trilogy when a friend introduced me to the HBO show back in the summer of 2021. I diligently caught up by reading the books and binging the first and second seasons (based on the first and second books, respectively) so I could wait with fellow fans for the final installment. It was a long time coming, but December 2022 finally delivered.
Being in the US, two episodes were released for me every Monday night starting December 5th and ending on the 26th. Even in the throes of finals week, I was on HBO the second the clock turned 9.
A lot was riding on this season—from the anticipation after its delayed release, this being the first time The Amber Spyglass was adapted on screen and the previous seasons’ positive receptions. And on all technical sides, it delivered.
To read or watch interviews with the cast and crew is to see a true dedication to the television craft. The writers frequently consulted the books, the author, and the actors to accurately portray the story while diving deeper into the world, characters, and conflicts. The costumes are, as always, intricate and beautiful, perfectly matching the scenes’ color palettes. As the deviously glamorous villain turned anti-hero, Mrs. Coulter’s dresses and blazers have stood out since her dramatic entrance in the show’s pilot. I never realized the extent of her wardrobe until last year, costume designer Caroline McCall and actress Ruth Wilson hosted two separate forums discussing the secret plot they wove into the costumes. Each was purposeful, even down to how they parted her hair. Her outfits’ progressions mirror her character arc. This season was visually taxing, demanding heightened CGI use to bring the fantasy elements to life. The rendering of animals (aka daemons) remained some of the most realistic I have seen (even with them talking!).
Despite several pitfalls in the plot’s execution (which I’ll get into in a minute), the actors shined through and truly made the season.
Mrs. Coulter was my introduction to the show and has remained unchallenged as my favorite character. Ruth Wilson continues her powerhouse performance, solidifying not only her position as a master of emotional portrayal but a worthy opponent of Pullman’s enigmatic writing. The character is almost a complete mystery in the books, with the narrative spending insufficient with and near her to grasp a true understanding of her (adding to her fearsome reputation). Such a character leaves a lot to the imagination and Wilson manages to bring audiences into Coulter’s mind and past while maintaining her elusiveness. Even as a book reader, I still had moments in these final episodes where I questioned the character’s intentions. Can we ever really trust a woman described as “the cesspit of moral filth”? I am consistently impressed by her subtlety and precision. To hear her discuss Mrs. Coulter in interviews shows a level of dedication many actors only hope to achieve. It’s only a matter of time until the trilogy is readapted. And to whoever plays Coulter following Ruth Wilson, I wish you the best of luck.
James McAvoy’s return as Lord Asriel was long-awaited. To say he delivered is a gross understatement. I felt his presence as the egotistical explorer the moment he walked on screen in the pilot episode back in season one’s pilot episode, but with more time and content to sink his teeth into, McCavoy makes this character larger than life. He’s better at being Lord Asriel than the book Lord Asriel is at being Lord Asriel. Abrasive, self-assured, and passionate to the point of madness, he made me despise the character while still rooting for him. The glimmer of sentimentality seen in his final scenes opened up so many layers to the character that endeared me to him despite previous hesitations.
I sincerely hope Ruth Wilson and James McCavoy reunite on screen in the future as their scenes together were full of energy, allusion, and a deep appreciation of the acting craft. They are some of the finest actors working today and it would be a treat to watch them explore more characters together.
My satisfaction as a book reader for the finale episode rests solely on the shoulders of Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson. These two managed to do something Netflix never has: get me emotional over the breakup of two sixteen-year-olds. I swear, I was curled up with my face skewed in heartbreak along with them in those final scenes. They delivered a maturity of feeling beyond their age and showcased the extent of their skills. It’s been a pleasure watching Keen grow as a person and an actor during the three seasons and I look forward to the rest of her career. Fingers crossed, it includes more book adaptations! Amir Wilson has always brought a tenderness to Will that endeared me to him even if his character never stood out to me.
When it came to the season’s story, I found it only sufficient with or without comparing it to the previous seasons or books.
My emotions while watching the show mirrored that of while I read the books. Northern Lights enthralled me, as did the first season. The Subtle Knife started to lose my interest towards the end but I still enjoyed it; season two had my full devotion until the final episode felt a bit shaky. The Amber Spyglass was a fifty-fifty toss-up of intense, high fantasy, and farfetched plot holes that made me cringe. I really enjoyed the first three episodes with little complaint. During the first two seasons, I could have counted the times I said, “The book did that better,” on a single hand. Episodes five and six made me run of fingers, disappointing me more than they entertained me. Many of the scenes fell flat with inadequate tension and energy to keep me engaged. The writers switched plot holes for cheap plot armor.
Beyond those first two episodes, the pace quickened so it became more of a summary of the plot rather than an explanation, let alone a deep dive into it. Several characters’ personalities suffered for time, especially Lyra.
While I liked Dafne Keen as Lyra in season one, I felt something was missing. She stepped into herself (or the character, I should say) in the second season, however. “That’s my Lyra!” I remember saying because season two felt so true to that character’s chaotic energy. Her interactions with Amir Wilson’s Will Parry exhibited the depth of her sarcastic wit. There having been this jump between the first seasons, I was expecting even more from Lyra this season and felt I did not get it. This comes mostly during the Land of the Dead sequencing towards the middle. It was significantly cut down for time, leaving out a few key moments that highlighted Lyra’s personality.
Even more upsetting is the absence of two particular moments from the book involving emotional catharsis between Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel. Through subtle dialogue and telling body language, they admitted that they did wrong by each other and wished things had been different. The regret, resentment, and sexual tension radiated from the pages in such a way that made me ask, “Is this really a kid’s book?” In their one scene together at the end of season one, Ruth Wilson and Jame McCavoy teased the same level of subplot. I took it as a down payment for the affection we would receive later on. I am heartbroken as a reader and for these actors that it wasn’t put on screen. What’s even more heartbreaking is a photo of these characters embracing has been released online, leading me to believe an emotional moment was filmed but cut from the final edit. Hopefully, HBO and BBC will release deleted scenes one day so we can properly mourn what was cut.
As disappointing as it was to see a few of my favorite scenes cut or poorly executed, I was not surprised. The Amber Spyglass was one of the wackiest books I have ever read; there were so many things I had trouble just imagining. I can’t imagine the hours of work the show’s creative team had to put in to turn these things into reality. As well as being the most ambitious book, it’s also the longest. Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife are both in the mid to lower three-hundreds in page length while The Amber Spyglass is over five-hundred, and yet it had the same amount of episodes as the first season and only one more than the second. It suffered the major pitfall of most adaptations: too much story, not enough time.
Perhaps this could have been avoided had it not fallen victim to COVID. An additional episode was planned for the second season which would follow Lord Asriel’s actions since he is absent in the plot during the second book. This was eventually cut due to COVID restrictions at the end of production. That extra episode would have opened up what I think would have been enough time to cut down the first two episode’s exposition, freeing up the rest for the more complex plots.
Season three wasn’t my favorite, but it checked enough of my boxes to name it an accurate adaptation. It was heartwarming to see the return of a few favorite characters, such as the iconic armored polar bear, Iorek Byrninson. I recognized numerous partial if not full direct quotes from the novel.
As a whole, His Dark Materials (2019–2022) remains one of my favorite adaptations let alone tv shows in general. I got into it during a mentally rough time in my life, making it one of the comfort shows I watched when I needed a breath away from life’s difficulties. It is of the highest quality and I continue to be in awe of the ambition, dedication, and talent of everyone involved. I look forward to revisiting both the books and show over the years and introducing them to people.
To all involved, thank you for a faithful adaptation.
Have you seen His Dark Materials season three? What did you think of the series’ conclusion? I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me through thornfield.lane@gmail.com or on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter: @thornfield_lane.
