His Dark Materials - Season 2 |OT| BBC - 8th Nov, HBO - 16th Nov [TAG BOOK SPOILERS]
- Thread starter WadiumArcadium
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So glad we're getting a third series, would have been a crime to leave it incomplete!
It's all been very enjoyable so far, can't wait to see the final book adaptation!
It's all been very enjoyable so far, can't wait to see the final book adaptation!
Hopefully it doesn't feel rushed.
I prefer series 2 a bit more, series 1 had so many characters and concepts at first, I got bored early on. I haven't read the books so just judging how much I was engaged.
Hopefully they get the budget they need for what's coming.Season 3 confirmed!
Good, I'm happy to see the final book get the live-action treatment. Dafne Keen and Ruth Wilson are the highlights. Dafne keen has a great future when it comes to acting.
I wasn't getting my hopes up, given the high budget and (seemingly) muted reception to the second series - not to mention the whole pandemic thing, and the need to film asap before the leads get too old - so I'm glad they've confirmed it will actually happen already.
I wouldn't expect it to really hold a young child's attention, but I know 8-12 year old Viriditas would have been pretty obsessed, lol.
I avoided this thread since the US was behind by a week, looks like discussion tanked this season. That's unfortunate, but at least we get a third season.
This season was great. Mrs Coulter stole the show once again, Mary was a nice addition, and Will came into his own this season. I see people mention that Miranda was off as Scorsby. I found Jopari/Will's dad a little flat, especially in the season finale.
I didn't read the books so I don't know what's coming next, but that final scene with Asriel and the angels was hype. I'm excited to see how this finishes up next season.
This season was great. Mrs Coulter stole the show once again, Mary was a nice addition, and Will came into his own this season. I see people mention that Miranda was off as Scorsby. I found Jopari/Will's dad a little flat, especially in the season finale.
I didn't read the books so I don't know what's coming next, but that final scene with Asriel and the angels was hype. I'm excited to see how this finishes up next season.
wtf there's an after credits scene?
argh i'm spoiled now
gonna check it out later
Re Mrs. Coulter and the spectres, book readers correct me if I'm misremembering:
It's literally just sheer force of will and the wickedness of her soul. She also makes a bit of a pact with them—if they help her, she will provide them with more food and she'll teach them how to fly.
Decent finale, albeit somewhat muted. Asriel meeting actual angels was pretty cool, but at the same time damn, it really makes one bummed out that we weren't able to get his standalone episode.
Jopari and Lee coming all that way just to die was kind of lame tbh, though I'm shocked it happened
Mrs. Coulter continues to be the best part of the show, and I hope we continue to see a lot more of her for the final season.
Overall the season is probably about equal to the first. They have their strengths and weaknesses. While the first season was a lot more fantastical, it felt quite rushed in spots, and stuff like the children subplot and Will weren't really doing it for me. S2 felt more tighter with less bloat, and improved Will's character tremendously, but it wasn't as flashy and the increased focus on the witches didn't do them any favors.
Jopari and Lee coming all that way just to die was kind of lame tbh, though I'm shocked it happened
Mrs. Coulter continues to be the best part of the show, and I hope we continue to see a lot more of her for the final season.
Overall the season is probably about equal to the first. They have their strengths and weaknesses. While the first season was a lot more fantastical, it felt quite rushed in spots, and stuff like the children subplot and Will weren't really doing it for me. S2 felt more tighter with less bloat, and improved Will's character tremendously, but it wasn't as flashy and the increased focus on the witches didn't do them any favors.
I think the biggest weaknesses have been the departures from the books but I understand why some of them were needed - they need shorthand to get people to places much more quickly.
So far the witches is the thing that I dislike the most and I knew that the emotional part of the final episode would be good, but it still lacked 90% of the emotion from the book.
So far the witches is the thing that I dislike the most and I knew that the emotional part of the final episode would be good, but it still lacked 90% of the emotion from the book.
Yes, give or take. It also ate less into book three than series one ate into series 2.
They are going to quadruple the budget for series 3 at least. Dear lord.
got my blu ray box set yesterday. S2 was alright but I think i need rewatch S1 + 2 and give myself time to warm up to it. I think it's just that for the last 23-25 years I've imagined the world + characters differently so it's really hard to get used to. I've grown to really enjoy Dafne's performance as Lyra. I remember thinking nobody would top Dakota Blue Richards. Same goes for Mrs Coulter. Enjoyed Nicole Kidman in the movie as her but Ruth Wilson has absolute owned the role. Mary Malone was pretty much how I imagined her when reading the books!
Two casting choices I hated were
I liked them in the books but the actors were so annoying.
I can't wait for S3. i think either they are gonna have to go all out/significantly increase budget or cut a lot of stuff out. Subtle Knife is such a short book and I felt like 7 episodes weren't enough as it felt rushed at times and left stuff out. Amber Spyglass ideally would probably need about 12 episodes. They can cut out the Gallivespian's for all I care but keep Mulefa + Harpies. They are actually important to the story so yeah.
also i'm kinda sad that this is the final season. i was hoping they would extend it to cover The Book Of Dust. If they ever do them then we'll probably be getting a new Lyra :( Dafne would be the perfect age for the books. She could've skipped S4 then came back for S5 + S6 to portray a 20 year old Lyra. By that time Dafne would've been 18/19. Oh well.
Two casting choices I hated were
Boreal + Lee but at least are dead now and we never have to see them on screen again.
I can't wait for S3. i think either they are gonna have to go all out/significantly increase budget or cut a lot of stuff out. Subtle Knife is such a short book and I felt like 7 episodes weren't enough as it felt rushed at times and left stuff out. Amber Spyglass ideally would probably need about 12 episodes. They can cut out the Gallivespian's for all I care but keep Mulefa + Harpies. They are actually important to the story so yeah.
also i'm kinda sad that this is the final season. i was hoping they would extend it to cover The Book Of Dust. If they ever do them then we'll probably be getting a new Lyra :( Dafne would be the perfect age for the books. She could've skipped S4 then came back for S5 + S6 to portray a 20 year old Lyra. By that time Dafne would've been 18/19. Oh well.
Yeah, Boreal and Scoresby were portrayed very differently to the books. Boreal in particular was much older and 'house of lords' than in the TV series. His relationship with Marissa is also understated on TV.
Was it confirmed that series 3 would be the final season? The tweet doesn't mention it as final. I thought the blue rose petals (not in the book to my recollection) Mary kept seeing in the last episode were alluding to things in TSC. It could be the creators laying down hints in case they were lucky/successful enough to get funded that far, but does show a firm direction to me. Here's hoping!
Watching this final episode I'm struck by two things:
1. About half of the new stuff they add (even just small scenes and incidental dialogue) works really well and feels like it both fits naturally in and helps the material work better on screen, and about half of the new stuff...super doesn't, and feels very stilted and awkward. I would love to know more about the writing process for this show and what different constraints they were operating under
2. These books might also just be almost impossible to adapt. I've been thinking that for a while now, and this episode helped me put my finger on one major reason why: the books can get away with actually sketching some stuff more thinly or vaguely, whereas in a filmed medium everything is sort of flattened to the same level of importance. Lee's relationship with Lyra in the book is, if anything, even less fleshed out than in the show and yet I'm still left going "He cares about her a whole lot more than anything that's happened between them would suggest" when its put on screen
1. About half of the new stuff they add (even just small scenes and incidental dialogue) works really well and feels like it both fits naturally in and helps the material work better on screen, and about half of the new stuff...super doesn't, and feels very stilted and awkward. I would love to know more about the writing process for this show and what different constraints they were operating under
2. These books might also just be almost impossible to adapt. I've been thinking that for a while now, and this episode helped me put my finger on one major reason why: the books can get away with actually sketching some stuff more thinly or vaguely, whereas in a filmed medium everything is sort of flattened to the same level of importance. Lee's relationship with Lyra in the book is, if anything, even less fleshed out than in the show and yet I'm still left going "He cares about her a whole lot more than anything that's happened between them would suggest" when its put on screen
Spent the week binging S1 and S2. Overall felt S1 was the stronger season.
I got some of the books as a gift a long while ago but haven't gotten around to reading them. This adaptation isn't really pushing me to open them up unfortunately, it's easy to spot a lot of trappings typical of large scale fantasy. e.g all the 'downtime' used for build up towards the war.
The show itself is really enjoyable though, Lyra's actor nails it, seeing as much of the bears and the witches as we did tickles me the right way. It's a visual delight too.
I also need more visuals of Coulter commanding her spectre army.
I got some of the books as a gift a long while ago but haven't gotten around to reading them. This adaptation isn't really pushing me to open them up unfortunately, it's easy to spot a lot of trappings typical of large scale fantasy. e.g all the 'downtime' used for build up towards the war.
The show itself is really enjoyable though, Lyra's actor nails it, seeing as much of the bears and the witches as we did tickles me the right way. It's a visual delight too.
I also need more visuals of Coulter commanding her spectre army.
I'd read the books honestly, this adaptation is okay but the books are excellent. They ride the line between "epic fantasy" and "YA fiction" back when the latter wasn't such a cleanly defined and commodified genre
This show made me want to re-read the books, but I've re-read Northern Lights so many times that its basically burned into my brain so I let myself start with Subtle Knife, and its interesting how I do and don't now imagine some characters the way they're depicted in the show:
-Amir Wilson is absolutely Will in my head now. He's just so good in the role, I don't think I'll ever see anyone else's face on that character
-I do associate Lyra and Mrs. Coulter with Dafne Keen and Ruth Wilson now, but with the same sort of dark blonde hair I always pictured as a kid
-Kit Connor's voice is now definitely the voice of Pan in my head
-Sorry Lin, but Lin Manuel Miranda does not make any appearances. Lee is still a big blonde dude with a mustache
-Mary is, likewise, still a woman with black hair in a bob (who looks remarkably like Hope van Dyne from the Ant-Man movies somehow)
-And Boreal is still a stuffy, pumped up older white guy
-Amir Wilson is absolutely Will in my head now. He's just so good in the role, I don't think I'll ever see anyone else's face on that character
-I do associate Lyra and Mrs. Coulter with Dafne Keen and Ruth Wilson now, but with the same sort of dark blonde hair I always pictured as a kid
-Kit Connor's voice is now definitely the voice of Pan in my head
-Sorry Lin, but Lin Manuel Miranda does not make any appearances. Lee is still a big blonde dude with a mustache
-Mary is, likewise, still a woman with black hair in a bob (who looks remarkably like Hope van Dyne from the Ant-Man movies somehow)
-And Boreal is still a stuffy, pumped up older white guy
S1 was good for character and world building but I wasn't keen on the narrative structure, especially when they cut away to our world with Will and Boreal. However, it paid off this season because I was more heavily invested in the characters.
The episode 3 scene with Scoresby & Coulter was a highlight of the series so far. Both actors knocked it out of the park. Mary was a good character addition. Cittàgazze looked awesome. Hard to believe it was a CGI-enhanced Cardiff set. The deaths actually surprised me... let's see if they stick.
The episode 3 scene with Scoresby & Coulter was a highlight of the series so far. Both actors knocked it out of the park. Mary was a good character addition. Cittàgazze looked awesome. Hard to believe it was a CGI-enhanced Cardiff set. The deaths actually surprised me... let's see if they stick.
