I've read the books but I completely get this take tbh, not sure I'd be enjoying it much if I hadn't read the books. The pacing is a bit weird as it feels like they're throwing a ton at you without proper context of why its happening.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.
Same, I was feeling dread during that scene :(I'm a book reader so my opinion on the show is always gonna have the detail and nuance of those three books to influence it, but I too thought they nailed it.
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.
Not to where "where's his daemon" should be immediately coming out of her mouth when, as you said, its established they hide and stuff on the show.It is established that many daemons like playing with other daemons (so not exactly where their human is), and that some small ones prefer to hide in clothes (snakes for example). I can see why you're sad not to see them all all the time but there are internal explanations and come on, it is more than enough.
Not to where "where's his daemon" should be immediately coming out of her mouth when, as you said, its established they hide and stuff on the show.
If they answered all those questions in three, four or five episodes, what questions remain to be answered?I just wish, they gave the world time to take a breath.They are throwing all these details at me, telling me i should care, but they dont give me enough time to make a connection to these things. It feels more like i'm watching the second season and i still don't get what's the point of deamons. Yes, they are more like pets, but that's it? The bad guy is switching between the worlds, and wants to stop/hunt people who also do it, because?
I don't know, it's just not pulling me in as it could, cause the world is interesting, but just saying "the church is evil" and you need to stop them is just not enough for me.
If they answered all those questions in three, four or five episodes, what questions remain to be answered?
Go along for the ride knowing that answers are coming. If having a talking animal soul isn't enough to fascinate you, this show just might not be for you.
It's not just about answering, but giving them more of a backstory. Just putting someone there doing evil things is a bit too simple. I will watch it till end, and see how i will like it then.
Well yeah, it kinda is not enough, i wish they would connect more with their animals. Show how they share the same feelings, how it affects them, how they synchronise, cause they are part of each other, how they can profit from that connection, for now it just seems like they are some pets walking next to them. The best interaction between daemon and his person was the eagle and the witch, when he said "everything i see, she sees. Everything i feel she feels" etc., it showed that they are really connected.
What about when Benjamin was feeling his daemons pain? When pan was scared walking up the path and it was pulling lycra back where they found billy? How awful it was seeing a person without their daemon? When in almost the opening scene, the master of Jordan colleges daemon was urging him on when he was having a moral dilemma?
And we're about to see how important daemons are seen in their world in 2 episodes most likely.
Whilst I'm loving the show - I do think the above non book readers have a point. It is clearly explained how much humans and daemons are connected in Lyra's world and the horror of meeting the little boy without his daemon IN THE BOOKS. But I don't think it's anywhere nearly as well explained in the show. It's not bothering me as I read the books and can connect the dots and get what's being implied - but I won't harshly judge those who see it differently.
For example whilst I do think the TV Show is doing a much better job than the film - this popped up in my Youtube feed and clearly explains how the finding of the severed child is vastly different between the book and the film. After watching it - realized that the TV Show isn't doing it anywhere as good as the book does either.
I wish they would tell us more about the church other than "they are evil." That is literally all you know if you are just a show watcher. I don't even know what the church believes or is premised upon, and I don't think we met any "normal" church folk who are not mustache twirling villains. They are written like a large corporation, not a church. It could use some world building.
You can assume that any lack of info is because that's how it is in the books. We've gotten a lot more than the book actually with all the "other world" stuff going on that was saved for later books. You're not missing out on anything because the journey is told through Lyra's perspective and she certainly doesn't understand the politics of her world or the Church. It's still a YA fiction book at the end of the day, but I could understand someone wanting a Game of Thrones style omniscient political take on the story and universe rather than sticking to the source material.
It's hard to take "He's without his daemon?!" seriously when half the scenes with the main character don't feature her daemon and most of the other characters usually don't have theirs visible. Have we even seen the King of the Egyptians's daemon? Or the bearded second-in-command guy? What about Billy's mother? I don't remember any of the already-captured kids' daemons being featured either.
Because of all this, a person not having his daemon nearby doesn't actually carry any weight. When the kid died in this episode it was kind of surprising because I expected him to recover.
Heck, even the dialogue in the show said that he died because he'd been wandering for a long time and that the stress of the journey is what got him. They didn't actually say that it was because his daemon was gone.
I actually think this adaptation is doing a better job than the book of setting the stage for the later installments. They're fitting that context in by excising a lot of the expository background stuff (on daemon-human connections, etc.) that can be understood by simply paying attention to how characters act/react.You can assume that any lack of info is because that's how it is in the books. We've gotten a lot more than the book actually with all the "other world" stuff going on that was saved for later books. You're not missing out on anything because the journey is told through Lyra's perspective and she certainly doesn't understand the politics of her world or the Church. It's still a YA fiction book at the end of the day, but I could understand someone wanting a Game of Thrones style omniscient political take on the story and universe rather than sticking to the source material.
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.
Sooo some think the series explains too much and some it explains too little. Any non-book reader thinks it's just enough or are book lovers biased beyond repair ?!
I think it explains some things fine (daemons). I think the lack of explanation of other things (church motives) makes me not care about the story as much.
I like mysteries but the villains shouldn't be one dimensional caricatures like this.
Why would that matter to me if I haven't read the books? And I wouldn't call them ambiguous in the show. They are just one dimensional mustache twirling villains.
The way I understood it, a daemon isn't exactly half of your soul, it's distinct from that, instead, it's your spirit. Not your literal spirit animal (although that kinda fits), but I believe it's based off of yet another christian trinity of the "body, soul, and spirit". Your (mortal) body is what it is, it remains after you die. Your (immortal) soul is you, your memory, mind, personality, ie, your "self". Your spirit is a distinct entity which animates your soul in your body, like your "breath" of life. Because your soul is immortal, presumably it is what goes on to an afterlife, but your spirit is only with you in life, hence, daemons disappearing on death. It's what ties your soul to your body. Usually, the "spirit" is considered to be divine, at least in christian doctrine, ie, the holy spirit, and it is a temporary (and invisible/intangible) gift given from god to let your immortal soul live a mortal life in a physical body.Daemons are more like...half your soul. They're not pets, they're a tangible manifestation of your heart, of your consciousness, and of yourself.
It's a fascinating concept. That's why if your daemon dies, you die.
That was pretty great. Probably the most action packed episode and I rather enjoyed that. I guess we can't talk much about it until the Americans among us see it.
That was pretty great. Probably the most action packed episode and I rather enjoyed that. I guess we can't talk much about it until the Americans among us see it.
I just wish, they gave the world time to take a breath.They are throwing all these details at me, telling me i should care, but they dont give me enough time to make a connection to these things. It feels more like i'm watching the second season and i still don't get what's the point of deamons. Yes, they are more like pets, but that's it? The bad guy is switching between the worlds, and wants to stop/hunt people who also do it, because?
I don't know, it's just not pulling me in as it could, cause the world is interesting, but just saying "the church is evil" and you need to stop them is just not enough for me.
Could not disagree more tbh. All the kids are great.The main problem of the show is that although is very truthful to the book, the emotional performances (Especially Lyra) are dreadful. The scenes are mostly like the books, but almost all of them fall flat when the characters have to act on them.
Series Lyra is mostly Book lyra, but holy fuck Dafne cant emote to save her life.
Unfortunately the show doesn't work well with so many daemons missing in a world full of them. Bolvanger should have had daemons everywhere in the cafeteria scene.Loving it so far.
Am I missing something, or do the dæmons keeps dissappearing. I realize they are probably rather expensive to have in shots, with the whole CGI/puppetry-thing going on, but I really do love having them around.