What makes this
series work so well- and this is true to the source novels too- is that the
fantastical element is woven into a narrative that has enough familiarity to
drawn the viewer in. A lot of fantasy show go the other way trying to dazzle
with visuals depicting things that don’t seem relevant to right now. This
measured third episode combines the tension running through the second with the
movement of the first yet at its heart is a very human drama. A mother missing
her stolen child, a community debating how to fight back against an oppressive
regime, family secrets brought into the open. These could feature in a more
conventional drama so we understand them. What the series also does well is
share the perspective of a number of key players. The 8 episode format allows
space for character beats and conversations that head off in interesting
directions. Quite how one tv critic can call it “an uneventful hour” surprises
me.
The big shock
for Lyra this week is discovering that Mrs Coulter is her mother, which paints
a different sort of picture and makes you want to revisit last week’s scenes
between them. It explains Mrs C’s strange attitude and unwillingness to reveal
too much yet also her fierce determination to leave no stone (or indeed Oxford
college) unturned in order to find Lyra. Again there is a brilliant authenticity
in the fiercely committed performances of both Ruth Wilson and Dafne Keen. Also Anne Marie Duff’s
Ma Costa comes into her own with some scenes that show both her strained side
but also her boldness. Somewhere you feel there’s another story about the life
of Ma Costa!When she tells Lyra the truth it is quote a moving scence even though they're outside on a windy hill.
The Gyptian
plot is building well and there’s a whiff of Game of Thrones about the way they are coaxed into fighting back
and heading North. It has been a good move for us to get to know them more than
you do in the books at this stage and Lucian Msamati’s nuanced performance has
been a highlight of the series so far. As a leader he has a difficult time this
week and we see why he is in this position.
What happens to
Benjamin in the botched raid on Mrs Coulter’s apartment is an example of how
this story as a whole is much grittier than Harry Potter with which is often
used to be compared. The sudden death is a jolt to the viewers and a reminder
of the high stakes. Mrs Coulter’s drunken walk along the balcony edge is
another example- recalling what she said last week about heights and what
happens in her lift later. And isn’t her demon monkey just the scariest thing
on tv all year?When its mistress mimics the sort of frantic attack it also unleashes on Benjamin's demon you can see the deranged yet powerful figure she is.
I’m less
gripped though by the altheometer if I’m honest and it which irritated me in
the novels too as however its pitched it is really a handy device to move the
narrative on as it does here. No complaints though about the tension built up
in the sequence where the guards search the Gyptian boats.
Meanwhile Boreal’s
forays into the our world turf up another development that doesn’t show in the
books till later, namely that Grumman, whose apparently severed head was seen
in episode 1 is actually still alive on contemporary Earth. They even confirm the casting news of who is
playing him in season 2 by showing us a photo of the very well -known Andrew
Scott. At the speed they’re unveiling things he might even turn up this season.
Its good too that amidst the grimness and danger the production still has space
for a few lighter moments; this week Boreal discovers his car has been clamped
and no amount of Magisterium power can do anything about that!
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