His Dark Materials: The City of Magpies (2x01)

And we're back! I had to wait a full week after it aired to watch this episode, because I don't have HBOMax and I'm a dumb American. :)

Cons:

I will say that the stuff with the witches and Mrs. Coulter ended up being my least favorite part of this episode. I think Mrs. Coulter was the stand-out hit in season one, but I can already see how the expanding world is doing a big favor to the way this story is going to be told, and I'm thinking her strangely vulnerable cruelty isn't going to be enough to carry the whole show anymore. The thing is, the acting is great, but if you were a person who hadn't read the books, you might be a little lost in the weeds with the Church politics, and who's lying, and about what.

Similarly, the witch's council scene dragged a bit, and didn't give much of a sense of the witches and their personalities. It felt like an exposition dump scene, albeit with some amazing costume design!

Pros:

The main thing this episode had to accomplish was establishing the dynamic between Lyra and Will, and let me tell you, that was the highlight this week. It made me really excited to move forward with the season. They managed to keep so many fun moments from the book, iconic things like Lyra making the terrible omelet, and the "he's a murderer" moment with the alethiometer, while also setting up the dynamic and giving it time to breathe.

One way in which they accomplished this, which I thought was incredibly successful, was in making the first positive connection be between Pan and Will, instead of Lyra and Will. It's all one and the same, but I love that Pan, a manifestation of Lyra's soul, is a bit quicker to understand Will's kindness and trustworthiness. Lyra's recent experiences have shaped her and made her a bit prickly, understandably, but inside of her, in the deepest part of who she is, she recognizes a kindred spirit in Will and responds to that. Pan is the representation, and I felt his presence in a huge way.

Even just in this introductory episode, the two kids had so many cute, soft, and silly moments together, like Will grumbling about Lyra moving in and stealing his bed, and dropping hints about the terrible cooking and Lyra's need for a shower. Both of the actors are straddling that line between being too childlike in their trust for one another, but also still letting a bit of that simplicity from when you're young and you make friends easily, slip in and create the beginnings of that bond for them. Will rescuing the cat, and Lyra coming close to pet the cat in Will's arms was a particular moment where I could just sense the deepness of that connection start to plant itself.

I thought Cittàgazze had such a cool design to it, and I loved the eeriness of the empty houses, the roving pack of dirty children, and the one man we saw who had been attacked by the Spectres. Lyra, in seeing that man, recognized something in him, I think. She's seen children without their daemons, and her compassion in seeing such a horrible, unnatural sight again just highlights what a kind and truly special person she is.

We also got some time with Lee Scorseby and Hester, mostly just setting up that they're looking for this Grumman fellow, to track down a weapon to help protect Lyra. Lee is one of my favorite parts of the book The Subtle Knife so I'm excited to see how it works in the show version. His journey is a really special one, embodying so much of hope and tragedy and love and devotion.

Visually, while I wasn't super interested in the scene on the boat with Mrs. Coulter and the poor witch, I did think it was super cool how they did Ruta Skadi's moment of rescue as she granted the gift of death to her sister witch. Just such a cool image of her flying down the hall, then that moment of tenderness between them. I almost thought they were going to share a kiss, which I think might have been a cool visual, but it was still quite lovely as it was.

I don't remember if this is in the book or not, but I liked Lyra doubting the alethiometer a bit. After the trauma she's been through, even her trusted guide has become suspect. Once again, it's Pan that encourages her to use it, showing that he represents not only her soul, but in some way her instincts. I felt like this whole episode did a good job of showcasing that. We also got to see Lyra's grief for Roger get its due. There is so much going on, so much to set up for what this season will bring, but it's important to remember that for Lyra, it's only been a couple of days since her newly discovered father killed her best friend.

In all, this was a really strong opening, and I'm excited to get into Will's Oxford next week, and get this show on the road!

8/10