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His Dark Materials TV Series |OT| UK - BBC One, Sundays; RoW - HBO, Mondays [See spoiler guide in OP]

TDLink

TDLink

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,411
milamber182 said:
Coram/Serafina and Lyra/Iorik were some of my favorite scenes so far. The tragedy with Billy really drove home the importance of the connection between humans and daemons.

I like the new characters in the other world but it feels too early to be fleshing it out so much. Without having read the books it feels like something that should be setup next season so Will and Lyra can team up in Season 3. I hope the writers have planned ahead for 4-6 seasons and aren't just trying to cram as much plot in as they can to make it more exciting or from fear of cancellation.
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Their goal is to do 1 season per book (at least for the original trilogy). If it's successful I think we assume they will continue on with the newer books. In the books the other world stuff simply isn't really part of the story until Book 2, so the show is introducing these elements earlier.
 
Geoff

Geoff

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,115
hydruxo said:
Man, Lin-Manuel as Scoresby feels like a huuuuge miscast. Really taking me out of it. Iorek was excellent though.
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It's been many years since I read the books but I vaguely remember Scoresby as a Harrison Ford Indiana Jones/Han Solo type. Charming and unscrupulous yes but also a man of means. This guy just comes across as a lazy clown who's only there for his airship and his bear pal.
 
Razmos

Razmos

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Oct 28, 2017
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Cant wait to see my boyfriends reaction to episode 5, hes been really enjoying the show so far but has only the slightest idea what hes in for (he did watch episode 2 twice and paused the screen on Mrs Coulters plans, so he has seen the blueprint for the guillotine)
 
Dmax3901

Dmax3901

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Oct 25, 2017
7,862
Geoff said:
It's been many years since I read the books but I vaguely remember Scoresby as a Harrison Ford Indiana Jones/Han Solo type. Charming and unscrupulous yes but also a man of means. This guy just comes across as a lazy clown who's only there for his airship and his bear pal.
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Troy Baker would've been a fantastic Lee Scoresby.
 
DangerMouse

DangerMouse

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Oct 25, 2017
22,402
Ithil said:
Some spectacular scenery in this episode.
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Yeah, watching now and seeing all these outdoor shots.

And it's already been a consistently great looking show.

ErichWK said:
3 episodes in and my girlfriend and i are having a really hard time enjoying this. Lyra is kind of insufferable and whiny and we feel dealing with the multiverses now is too early. Will still keep watching it all the way through , though!
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I'd be surprised if you have much trouble with this once you get into these most recent couple of eps, thought ep 4 was her best yet getting to work with Coram and also have some very fun interactions with Iorek and Lee. I already liked her but she gets to be a lot more in the zone now following what happened at the end of ep 3 as she's now directly contributing more. Haven't read the books though.
 
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J-Wood

J-Wood

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Oct 25, 2017
5,747
So I really know nothing about this series, but started watching the show with my fiancé. I had to come here to say this bear is fucking awesome
 
Frankish

Frankish

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Oct 25, 2017
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Are we supposed to know who Will's father is? I feel like I missed something. Have we met him before?
 
Wamb0wneD

Wamb0wneD

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
18,735
Wait how many episodes are out there? And Will is already introduced? Sorry for asking questions like that, but I can't watch it yet.
 
DangerMouse

DangerMouse

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Oct 25, 2017
22,402
J-Wood said:
So I really know nothing about this series, but started watching the show with my fiancé. I had to come here to say this bear is fucking awesome
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Yeah.
More great CG for him too.


Damn that escalated quickly.

"You only call me Lord when you want something." LOL

Watching Lyra ride Iorek in the snow there totally made me think back to the gorgeous shot of watching Korra do that with Naga in the first season of Korra.
Didn't really want to bring it up since the show gets so much hate, even though I mostly enjoyed it aside from the terrible first half of S2, but the cool visual really reminded me of those scenes from the series premiere too much not to mention it. :)
Seeing this badass bear, Naga should have gotten more chances to kick more ass lol.
 
Leeness

Leeness

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Oct 27, 2017
7,805
Lee <3

Will is great, yaaaas. I'm happy we get to see him already. Straight black brows and crackling ferocity in his eyes.

He and Lyra are going to be electric together. I can't wait for them to meet.

Serafina! (Though I can't help but compare her to Eva Green, who I think is perfection incarnate)

Lyra riding Iorek :)))))

I love this whole thing. Please get all three seasons, thanks.

Billy :(
 
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Mortemis

Mortemis

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
7,410
Well that took a dark turn. That poor kid. Makes me terrified about what happened to Roger, he was such a sweet kid. :(

I'm not really feeling this other world plot line just yet. The stakes and narrative direction is fully in Lyra's world, and it just seems like an uninteresting distraction to me. I'm intrigued, but those scenes move slow and don't tell or show much at all.

Other than that, I enjoyed the episode. This show continues to look great, and the north really shines here.
 
TheNatureBoy

TheNatureBoy

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Nov 4, 2017
10,767
Frankish said:
Are we supposed to know who Will's father is? I feel like I missed something. Have we met him before?
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No, he's only been alluded to so far by snake guy in his search for him. That part has been confusing for me, but apparently he found a way to cross between worlds like the snake guy has been doing and I guess his son Will is special like Lyra somehow.

His mom, was played by the pregnant lady on Killing Eve Season 2.

I'm guessing the books the series is based on are for young kids, considering the themes that pop up.

2nd time Lyra has been kidnapped, lol. Gyptians might want to tighten up their security.

James McAvoy treating this show like he treats Lyra. Popped up for a few scenes, went out for a pack of smokes and never came back.

My questions coming out of this episode

So the Magisterium has a soul snatching machine, but for what purpose? They seem to be in control of this world

If the people learn about the existence of other worlds, is that a bad thing somehow?
 
Tunichtgut

Tunichtgut

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Oct 27, 2017
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Germany
I'm still very confused by this Series. As a non-book-reader the whole world doesn't make any sense to me. I suppose, the world in the books is a lot better, so i would kinda like to see an animated series, where they can really go all out. Make those deamons a bit useful, and not just be a hindrance as they are in the series.
 
Javier23

Javier23

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Oct 28, 2017
2,904
Tunichtgut said:
I'm still very confused by this Series. As a non-book-reader the whole world doesn't make any sense to me. I suppose, the world in the books is a lot better, so i would kinda like to see an animated series, where they can really go all out. Make those deamons a bit useful, and not just be a hindrance as they are in the series.
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Daemons are not meant to be of much use. They act as inseparable companions, not tamed beasts. As for the world itself, it's a fantasy series meant for children and young adults. It's not meant to make sense in any rational way.
 
Tunichtgut

Tunichtgut

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Oct 27, 2017
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Javier23 said:
Daemons are not meant to be of much use. They act as inseparable companions, not tamed beasts. As for the world itself, it's a fantasy series meant for children and young adults. It's not meant to make sense in any rational way.
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I know it's fantasy, but it doesn't make sense in it's own world. You have so many plot-points which just happen, and people should care about it for unknown reasons. Narnia is also for children, but it still has a believable world, or rather world-building.
 
shotopunx

shotopunx

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Nov 21, 2017
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Tunichtgut said:
I know it's fantasy, but it doesn't make sense in it's own world. You have so many plot-points which just happen, and people should care about it for unknown reasons. Narnia is also for children, but it still has a believable world, or rather world-building.
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It's pretty ironic that you referenced Narnia, as these books were pretty much written as anti CS Lewis/Narnia pieces.
 
milamber182

milamber182

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Dec 15, 2017
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TheNatureBoy said:
So the Magisterium has a soul snatching machine, but for what purpose? They seem to be in control of this world

If the people learn about the existence of other worlds, is that a bad thing somehow?
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Non-book reader, FYI. I assume they are trying to perfect separating people from their daemons so they can train operatives to place in the other world to influence it, steal resources etc.
 
FaceHugger

FaceHugger

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Oct 27, 2017
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Can a book reader please spoiler for me why McAvoy's character is such a careless dick to Lyra? I just don't get it, she's a sweet kid and he's a total bunghole to her.
 
Triggerhappytel

Triggerhappytel

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Oct 27, 2017
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TheNatureBoy said:
2nd time Lyra has been kidnapped, lol. Gyptians might want to tighten up their security.
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Lotus said:
Good episode, RIP Billy. Though damn, how many times is Lyra gonna get kidnapped lol
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Seriously. I know the first time she was alone when she was kidnapped, but this time she was travelling with a party of like 50 travellers and fighters. "I'm as safe here as I am anywhere!" Oops. Shame Iorek wasn't there as he would have torn through those Gobblers.
 
Cubo

Cubo

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May 14, 2018
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I'm catching up with the series. I was pretty disappointed by the premiere, but I liked episodes 2 and 3 much much more. Things are gearing up, characters are coming into their own, and the world building is getting better. I'm even not mad at them revealing things from book 2 this soon. Excited to see what's coming next!
 
AndyB1974

AndyB1974

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Oct 25, 2017
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TheNatureBoy said:
If the people learn about the existence of other worlds, is that a bad thing somehow?
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As the Master of Jordan college said in the first episode during Asriel's presentation, the existence of other worlds is heretical in the eyes of the church. They'll want to keep that covered up, and anything else that may make people question their beliefs.
 
GS_Dan

GS_Dan

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Oct 30, 2017
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Not sure how I feel about them integrating Will's story so soon. I feel like the beginning of the second book really benefited from separating us from Lyra and her world (makes me think of the second season of The Wire, and how jarring that was on first watch).
Will's stuff has been great so far though, so can't complain really.
 

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Triggerhappytel said:
Seriously. I know the first time she was alone when she was kidnapped, but this time she was travelling with a party of like 50 travellers and fighters. "I'm as safe here as I am anywhere!" Oops. Shame Iorek wasn't there as he would have torn through those Gobblers.
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Book comparison change spoiler
In the books there's a snowstorm and the group is attacked with low visibility. Lyra actually yells for Iorek and he kills some enemies, but the visibility is so bad they can't find her and she is captured.
 
Triggerhappytel

Triggerhappytel

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Oct 27, 2017
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Octodad said:
Book comparison change spoiler
In the books there's a snowstorm and the group is attacked with low visibility. Lyra actually yells for Iorek and he kills some enemies, but the visibility is so bad they can't find her and she is captured.
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Ah, fair enough. I have read the books but it was a long time ago and generally my recollection of them is pretty poor.
 
Kirblar

Kirblar

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Oct 25, 2017
30,744
Dmax3901 said:
Explain?
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I feel like I'm on fast-forward as a non-book reader in a bad way. The world's not immersive- the lack of budget for the daemons is a big issue.

The direction in this latest episode plays into that- instead of having an escalation from "There he is! Go help him!" to "wait wheres the daemon" they go from 0->100 almost immediately in a really weird way, because the world hasn't established the omnipresence of the Daemons visually due to the budget.
 
Dmax3901

Dmax3901

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Oct 25, 2017
7,862
Kirblar said:
I feel like I'm on fast-forward as a non-book reader in a bad way. The world's not immersive- the lack of budget for the daemons is a big issue.

The direction in this latest episode plays into that- instead of having an escalation from "There he is! Go help him!" to "wait wheres the daemon" they go from 0->100 almost immediately in a really weird way, because the world hasn't established the omnipresence of the Daemons visually due to the budget.
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That's fair I guess. I think they've done a fantastic job of capturing the dread of losing a daemon.
 
litebrite

litebrite

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Oct 27, 2017
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I've finally caught up on all the episdoes and enjoy it so far. I remember watching the movie once and don't really remember it now.
 
Lotus

Lotus

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Dmax3901 said:
That's fair I guess. I think they've done a fantastic job of capturing the dread of losing a daemon.
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Honestly, I gotta disagree. I felt bad for Billy because a dying/dead child is inherently super sad, not because I care about whether or not his daemon is there.
 
Dmax3901

Dmax3901

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Oct 25, 2017
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Lotus said:
Honestly, I gotta disagree. I felt bad for Billy because a dying/dead child is inherently super sad, not because I care about whether or not his daemon is there.
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I mean, both of those things are sad. But we learn that in this world living without your daemon is a fate worse than death/a death sentence.
 
Lotus

Lotus

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Dmax3901 said:
I mean, both of those things are sad. But we learn that in this world living without your daemon is a fate worse than death/a death sentence.
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Yes, and I agree with those saying that them selling us on that knowledge has largely fell flat, including this episode.
 

Deleted member 8741

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Yah. I agree. I thought they rushed it a bit and compared to the books they lost some of gravitas that came with losing the daemon. Really wish they'd kept the dried fish meat in.
 
Complicated

Complicated

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Oct 29, 2017
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I thought they nailed it. I always saw the human without a daemon as similar to body horror but more unknowable. It's shocking and disgusting but the sheer terror of it engenders sympathy as well. The build up and response to the reveal was pretty much perfect.
 
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