His Dark Materials: Season 2 - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Jamie Childs, Leanne Welham
Written by: Jack Thorne, Francesca Gardiner, Sarah Quintrell, Namsi Khan, Lydia Adetunji
Starring: Dafne Keen, Amir Wilson, Ruth Wilson, Ariyon Bakare, Ruta Gedmintas, Jade Anouka, Will Keen, Sean Gilder, Simone Kirby, Andrew Scott, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Season two of His Dark Materials begins after Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) has opened a bridge to a new world, and, distraught over the death of her best friend, Lyra (Dafne Keen) follows Asriel into the unknown. In a strange and mysterious abandoned city, she meets Will (Amir Wilson), a boy from our world who is also running from a troubled past.
Lyra and Will learn their destinies are tied to reuniting Will with his father but find their path is constantly thwarted as a war begins to brew around them. Meanwhile, Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson) searches for Lyra, determined to bring her home by any means necessary.
Original Review
(based on the season’s first five episodes handed to press)
HBO is back with the show that was supposed to take over Game of Thrones' massive success. His Dark Materials' debut season was a good start (review here), but its complex, layered storylines didn't all mix up together that well. It's an extremely dense narrative, one that Jack Thorne (the sole writer of season one) had some trouble nailing it. Now, not only does he bring Francesca Gardiner, Sarah Quintrell, Namsi Khan, and Lydia Adetunji to help him co-write the episodes, but Francesca even wrote the entire fifth chapter. Last season also had five different directors, while this one has Jamie Childs and Leanne Welham in control of the whole season.
So, before I jump to the review itself, just a little clarification: this is indeed a *** spoiler-free review for season two, but it might address spoilers of the first season ***. I'm also trusting the official trailer for this season as a guideline to what is part of the viewers' general knowledge of the narrative that's going to be developed across the next seven episodes, including which actors/characters show up as well as the basic premise of each story. That said, my expectations were moderately high for the continuation of Lyra's adventure and her connection to the famous prophecy. I binged the first five episodes in one afternoon… what does this mean?
It means His Dark Materials' second season is incredibly captivating. Usually, I try to watch press releases in the same manner as the audience will once the show starts getting broadcasted, but time wasn't kind to me, so I found myself with the necessity of binging the episodes instead of watching one or two per day. This method didn't feel forced at all, much on the contrary. Every episode is either packed with action or impactful narrative decisions that keep moving the plot forward. With the exception of one seemingly irrelevant subplot (I'll get there), every character has an exciting storyline that affects the main narrative.
Contrary to the last season, where Lyra was pretty much the only character who controlled the show's pacing, this season gives other characters important things to do, especially Will Parry and a new character from the latter's world, Dr. Mary Malone (Simone Kirby). Will and Lyra inevitably cross paths and work together to find out what mysteries lie in the new world they travel to at the last season's finale. Their relationship goes through the necessary build-up and development, being the key ingredient of the season's success. As the protagonists, Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson share great chemistry, which is vital if the show wants the audience to feel their powerful bond.
Will's role is much more impactful this season, maybe even more than Lyra's. If the first season was a nice, slow introduction to what Philip Pullman created in his novel series, the second one is a beacon of new, relevant data not only about the characters but about the rules of the "multiverse". From traveling between worlds to a shocking mission involving an object as important as the Alethiometer, passing through the first appearance of John Parry (Andrew Scott) and Mrs. Coulter's relentless search for her daughter, I still found Dr. Mary Malone's arc to be the most significant subplot of the whole show.
As an engineer myself, science was and will always be an area of great interest. Simone Kirby is excellent in portraying the physicist. Her current academic research and her past connection to religion end up delivering a game-changing discovery. Despite the season's overall writing still being focused on unnecessary exposition and basic dialogues, the big moments are all nailed perfectly. Every episode is remarkably engaging, and all end in a way that leaves the viewer craving immediately for the next chapter. Action is always present, so expect a couple of nail-biting situations and surprising outcomes.
Regarding the cast, Dafne Keen clearly shows signs of improvement, even if she started filming the second season right after the first one ended. Just like Amir Wilson, both carry much more expressiveness and emotion now, but Amir still needs to up his game. Their interactions are entertaining, to say the least. Ruth Wilson was the standout performance of last season, and she continues to prove her undeniable talent as the menacing, scary Mrs. Coulter (who keeps me questioning her true intentions). Ariyon Bakare has more screentime as Lord Carlo Boreal, who brings a lot of trouble to our protagonists, contrary to Dr. Mary Malone, who helps Lyra (and the viewers) to understand why the show is called His Dark Materials, and much more.
These four characters are the wheels of this season, and most of each episode's runtime is spent with them. Their own storylines form the main narrative. However, I believe two other subplots can hurt the season if the last two episodes don't use them properly. One features Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manuel Miranda), who ends up joining with John Parry. Having hugely acclaimed actors in a television show is great to grab viewers, but it might be a misleading marketing scheme.
For example, James McAvoy only shows up in two episodes during the first season, and he's nowhere to be seen in this one (even though I do acknowledge that COVID-19 supposedly impacted a standalone episode featuring Lord Asriel that couldn't be filmed). A similar circumstance occurs with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who still has a relevant side story, but his screentime is lamentably short. The other subplot involves the witches and the Magisterium. Ruta Gedmintas is amazing as Serafina Pekkala, but this whole war drama with the Magisterium only serves as a filler story, at least for now. I didn't find this story enthralling compared to everything else going on, even though some of the best visuals and cinematography of the entire show are demonstrated here.
Technically, HBO rarely disappoints, and the production crew is packed with immensely skilled people. Joel Devlin and David Higgs are responsible for the gorgeous cinematography, offering a sort of cinematic atmosphere distinct from other TV shows. Lorne Balfe's score remains remarkably addictive, not due to overwhelming music but due to its subtlety throughout the entire series. It's also seamlessly edited by everyone involved in this task. Jamie Childs and Leanne Welham clearly worked together to make this season look consistent throughout every episode, but I still believe the pacing needs better control (if last season was a tad slow, the second one might be a bit rushed).
All in all, His Dark Materials returns with a much more captivating and entertaining second season. Boasting impressive visuals, wonderful cinematography, and an exceptional score, Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson carry the main narrative through non-stop, surprisingly vicious action and shocking story developments as the charming protagonists, Lyra and Will, respectively. Their relationship is steadily and cleverly developed, also working as a STOP sign to the occasionally rushed pacing. Ruth Wilson continues to deliver the most outstanding performance of all, but Dr. Mary Malone steals the spotlight, becoming one of the most interesting characters in the show due to her crucial storyline, which delivers some jaw-dropping revelations. Except for a subplot involving the witches and the Magisterium, every episode moves surprisingly well through impactful narrative decisions and eventful sequences. Hugely acclaimed actors like James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Andrew Scott rarely show up during these first five episodes (or don't show up at all), but the last two still share an exciting story that could have a major impact on the season's final two chapters. A final praise to the production’s (brilliant) decisions of adding four more writers besides Jack Thorne, and choosing only two directors to command the entire season. If season one didn't fully convince you, season two will most definitely do the job.
Final Thoughts
(based on the remaining episodes and the entire season)
The remaining two episodes are nothing short of shocking. His Dark Materials ends its second season with narrative and character decisions that will definitely generate divisive opinions. No one knew about the series ending on its third season at the time of viewing, so I reacted to certain choices heavily questioning the real reasons behind them since most felt extremely rushed, out of nowhere, and surprisingly underwhelming. Now, knowing that there’s only one more season, I’m struggling between considering the season finale disappointing or reasonably decent, having in mind the series status.
It’s a shame that such compelling world-building has to end so soon. This series could easily create new stories to last years. Possessing a talented cast and gorgeous visuals, it could really become one of HBO’s biggest shows. However, looking at it now, casting James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and even Andrew Scott was nothing more than a marketing scheme to get more viewers. Entering a third and final season, barely being able to see these actors, mainly McAvoy, is a profound letdown, and the latest episodes don’t solve the issue.
It’s still a step-up from the debut season, and the standalone episode starring Lord Asriel that the global pandemic “stole” would surely improve the missing pieces of storytelling. So, taking everything into account, I still feel quite satisfied with how Jack Thorne and his fellow co-writers connected the several storylines. Let us all hope for an outstanding ending!
