The previous episode was the turning point in this series, with lots of actions and this episode doesn’t let up the tension built up in the last episode. A highlight in this episode in particular is the faultless performance from Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter. We get to understand this character in another way and it gives us more reasons why she has turned out the way she has.
Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) steals this episode away this week. Mrs Coulter has entered our world and is trying to understand how it works. We understand her regrets and frustrations she has had to deal with in her own world. We may look at this character and believe she is the villain but we are made to understand that she is a result of her upbringing, with that being said we still can't forgive for the wrong doings she has done but it means we can have some understanding why she behaves the ways she does. Mrs Coulter and Mary Malone (Simone Kirby) meet and it is an interesting scene to watch as Coulter appears to be jealous of the amount of freedom Mary has and could also be jealous of what she has which is she is a doctor and runs a department. This is the life Mrs Coulter could have lived.
This is quite an emotional episode but there is little moments of humour to help soften this episode. Watching Mrs Coulter look at a pair of jeans and not look remotely impressed that she may have to wear this strange looking clothing. Seeing the golden monkey wearing a seatbelt and then Will and Lyra whispering when they have opened their first window. Finally, Carlo who has searched our world all over, decided to show off the great culture we have to Mrs Coulter by playing the 90s song Lifted by The Lighthouse Family. All these moments do make you chuckle, as they are unexpected as we are quite far into this second series so we high expectations of action but these moments of humour make this episode just as enjoyable. Alongside this, the humour in this episode are moments you will remember as they work so well.
Will and Lyra's relationship is still growing and we see in this episode they have become a real team. There is a form of intensity that is growing between these characters which is a joy to see, especially after the dark moments of this episode. They plan to steal the alethiometer back from Boreal, yet they also have trouble in Cittagazze. Bella Ramsey plays Angelica and she discovers her brother's soulless body which happened in the previous episode. Ramsey puts on a strong performance of anger and grief and pledges revenge against Lyra and Will.
Lyra played by Dafne Keen has come a long way since we first met her. The fight between Pan and the golden monkey is very similar to the attack the monkey did to Pan in series 1. The fight is very unpleasant to watch yet you can't stop watching. The emotion in this scene is extremely powerful accompanied by two very powerful performances. Keen is just perfect in this moment; no words are spoken it is all facial expressions and the power she carries in this scene is so strong and shows how strong a physical actor Keen can be.
There is a huge cast in this show as a result we don't get to see the witches this episode or Lee Scoresby and Jopari after they enter the window created by Asriel. However, this means we can presume that we will see them in the next episode as they are vital to the main storyline. Although, in this episode we can appreciate how good the CGI is, not just the daemons which are animated so well but also now they have to animate Will opening and closing the windows which is extremely precise and delicate. The production team should be given much more praise for their casting of such brilliant actors but also their animations are perfect. The animations work so well you believe they are real and don't even think twice about them.
We end this episode with Mary entering the widow and walking into a new world starting her journey and destiny of finding and protecting Lyra and Will. This was a very strong episode with powerful and striking performances. What this episode does is so how far Lyra has come since we first met her. However, all our focus is one Mrs Coulter this week, Wilson is a strong actor and is a force when in any scene, she commands the room and all your attention is on her. Overall, this episode is good but you can feel the tension is increasing as we only have a few episodes left, we are now counting down until Will finds his dad and the witches find Lyra.
