The conclusion to the second series of His Dark Materials is many things but it is definitely emotional and spectacular. If you have read the book this second series has followed you would have expected the events that occurred but that still doesn’t prepare you for the emotional performances that were given in this finale.
In this final episode, Lyra and Will are still with the witches and they are looking for Will's dad. Jopari and Lee Scoresby are close by but are running from the Magisterium. While Mrs Coulter is on her way to Lyra with the help of the Spectres.
As in any series finale, there were unexpected deaths and these were played out beautifully. Reading the death of Lee Scoresby in the book was heart-breaking and Lin-Manuel Miranda made it a reality. Miranda is the perfect Scoresby, everything just works. This episode highlights what a fantastic actor Miranda is. His performance is faultless, tears were definitely shed when Lee and Hester are trying to hold on because neither of them want to see the other one go first. The Texan aeronaut holds a special place in all our hearts as everything he did was out of love and that love was for Lyra.
Will finally meets his dad but their reunion doesn’t last long. The cause of his death has been changed for the series from the book. Instead, John Parry dies from a Magisterium bullet rather than a vengeful witch. It feels partly a shame for his death to be changed and in the books it is very shocking and this comes from nowhere but it is understandable why the writers wanted it to be a bullet because then his death is to save his son to continue on his journey and fulfil the destiny. It was nice to finally see father and son reunited and they recognise each other immediately. John Parry/Jopari played by Andrew Scott performance has been constant throughout this series but we finally got some more emotion out of this character when he sees his son, something we have been craving for. Scott hasn't fulfilled the excitement we had for this character but he did do a good job. It is still questionable why Phoebe Waller-Bridge was brought onto this project to voice Jopari's daemon yet they had three lines maximum in the whole seven episodes.
Both Lee and John gave up their lives for the children they love, which any parent would do. They would risk their lives to make sure the ones they love are safe or give them more time to escape.
There wasn’t just fighting in this episode, there were some very tender moments. A moment that sticks out is the exchange between Will and Pan at the campfire. We see that these two characters have created a real relationship between each other, just as Will and Lyra have with each other. It is an interesting exchange as we see how much Lyra means to Will and he is telling her soul how much he cares for her.
Now this series is over, we must wait for the next one but what is going to be install for us and our characters. Well, if you waited right to the end, the very very end after all the credits and thank you’s, we got a hint of what is to come next. Lyra has been filled with guilt since the passing of Roger and has wished she had done more to help him; well could she now have the chance to do that in the next series?
Alongside this we also know Lord Asriel has combined forces now with the rebel Angels. That scene, which sadly was the only episode with James McAvoy is powerful. Asriel's speech is strong and we see what a great actor McAvoy is but it is bittersweet we were not given the Asriel led episode this series however it is promising we will see a lot more of him in the next series.
Mrs Coulter played by Ruth Wilson has been on her own journey this series and was discover who her daughter is. Why is she so important? Well, we finally got the answer she has been searching her. Lyra is the new Eve, the mother of us all. Her destiny has been spoken about since we first met Lyra at Jordan College. Her destiny is to be tempted by a serpent and the fate of every universe rests on her decision to be tempted or not. Ruth Wilson has served us some exceptional performances this series and puts so much into her character that she is completely believable hence everyone always enjoys watching the cruel yet motherly Mrs Coulter.
The witches look great and they always have but they feel like a bit of an afterthought throughout this series and in this episode it just doesn’t work. Something isn’t right, they don’t command the power in a scene that they should as they are great characters. It is hoping that in the next series we will see the true nature of these witches and get some fantastic scenes with them. The actors who have played a range of witches are good in a scene but it feels as if they need to up their game a little bit more to really grab our attention. There is always so much happening in an episode and the scene can be really snappy you have to really make your mark with the time you get. For example, Andrew Scott as John Parry has the least screen time but his character always made a real impact when we saw him for thirty seconds. In this episode, the witches who have spent so long looking for Lyra, have her but fail again to watch and look after her. Alongside that Serafina arriving to save Lee, which is so upsetting to see.
Visually this series has been breath-taking and the final montage where Asriel is giving his speech to the rebel Angels is superb. The casting team have done an amazing job. Everything has looked amazing throughout every episode, including the daemons which fit into scenes so well that we sometimes may not even notice them.
What this series has done in particular which will make the next series really exciting to watch, is really build up Lyra played by Dafne Keen and Will's (Amir Wilson) relationship. What these two characters are going through is quite relatable, in the sense of struggling to say what you really want to say. They have been learning to trust each other as they have been through so much betrayal, however in this final episode it felt as if there was a shift in their relationship. Something seems different but this may just be due to the characters are growing up while on this journey hence their outlook and feelings are changing. What we do know is that Lyra is the one who is scared to fully commit to Will as a best friend as she still has so much guilt towards the loss of Roger. Yet it has been nice to watch this relationship begin and grow from the start, it will be interesting how Keen and Wilson build on this in the next series. This series was all about Will and Amir Wilson who played Wilson did everything that was asked of him and more. He has changed and grown so much from when we first met him and in episode 1 of this series. He has gone so much pain and loss yet has found something he never thought he would have. He now has a mission to complete.
This final episode has wrapped up this series quite nicely. It does pull at your heartstrings as there are unexpected moments. With that being said, this series has brought an escape for the world we are living in right now. We are hoping for a next series due to the success for the first and second yet nothing is confirmed just yet. Although we can presume that of course there will be a third as there is still a third book to discover, new worlds and characters and destiny's to be fulfilled. Overall, this episode is visually amazing, the performances are just perfect and we are left on a cliff-hanger. Unless you have read the third book in the series, The Amber Spyglass, we all want to know what will become of Lyra now she is in Coulter’s hands, will Will go to Asriel or will he go after Lyra, what is to become of Mary Malone and who will win the war? Now we must wait for these answers but we know when His Dark Materials does return it won't disappoint!
