His Dark Materials – The Daemon Cages

By: Ellie Dolan-Yates

Lyra (Dafne Keen) is being led through the snow to a glum looking dining hall full of children. Her and Roger (Lewin Lloyd) see each other. Pan (voiced by Kit Connor) goes to tell Salcillia (voiced by Eloise Little) that they need to pretend that they don’t know each other. Poor Bridget (Eva Jazani) hasn’t even finished her dinner before her name is screamed out. She’s escorted down the steel corridors and the next thing we hear is screeching and grinding.

Lyra is being measured through the use of pictures and she questions whether she’s being measured for Dust. Doctor Rendal (Amit Shah) asks Lyra where she is from as he’s suspicious of her knowledge of Dust, but she plays dumb. Lyra asks Dr Rendal if they cut childrens’ Daemons away but he says it’s a “philosophical establishment, not a child-chop house.” He tells Lyra, who they still think is called Lizzie, to stay perfectly still, but an alarm begins to sound. The children put on their jumpsuits and a register is conducted. Lyra stands next to Roger and tells him that the Gyptians are coming for them and they need to find a way out. Lyra makes a snowball and throws it at another child and Roger does the same. As a snowball fight ensues, Lyra and Roger make a run for it.

Lyra and Roger find themselves in what appears to be a morgue. There are cages of Daemons without their humans. Roger realizes Billy’s Daemon is gone and Lyra admits that she found him before he died. Roger asks her if the Daemons are alive then where are the children? They find them in a room crammed with beds, counting as if they are in a trance. They join the children heading back inside and Lyra tells Roger to share with the others what is happening. The alarm sounds, they need to get everyone ready to leave.

Dr Cooper (Lia Williams) and Dr Rendal cheers to “freedom and the conclusion of [their] work here.” There’s rumor Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) is on her way. Dr Rendal is concerned about how many more children have to die before they get it right. Dr Cooper tells him that they will get it right and The Magisterium will recognize and celebrate them. They can and must succeed. Lyra lies awake as the children around her cry themselves to sleep.

Will (Amir Wilson) is in his bedroom watching videos of his father John (Andrew Scott) on his laptop. He goes to check on his mum who is sleeping. The house is still being watched. Back at Bolvangar, Mrs Coulter is approaching in her airship. The doctors tell her that they’ve been making advances since she was last there. Five children have survived, mainly due to the new separator. The “patient” can be conscious both during and after treatment. The children are getting more responsive after treatment, too. Mrs Coulter asks to see it in action. Lyra tells Annie (Raffiella Chapman) that she can’t be found by Mrs Coulter. She reveals that Mrs Coulter is her mother and that she is severing children from their Daemons. Annie tells Lyra to get under the bed and, on her say so, pull herself up. Mrs Coulter enters the girls’ dorm and notices an empty bed. Annie tells her that Bridget and Lizzie were sent for testing, but haven’t come back yet. Mrs Coulter’s golden monkey approaches Lyra’s bed, but appears not to notice her.

Lyra tells everyone that she is going to sound the alarm so they need to be ready to fight. Lizzie, well Lyra, is called for testing. She tries to make a run for it, but Dr Rendal grabs Pan, who whimpers, and Lyra falls to the floor. Pan is placed in a cage and Lyra runs screaming. Dr Rendal says it doesn’t hurt as it just feels like a loss. They place her in a separate cage and she screams to be let out and that Mrs Coulter won’t want this! Pan shouts to her to do something. She screams that she is Mrs Coulter’s daughter. Dr Rendal asks Dr Cooper how Lyra knows Mrs Coulter’s name. Lyra screams for Mrs Coulter and when she sees her approaching screams “mother!” Mrs Coulter stops the reactor process and screams for Lyra who is quickly released, along with Pan.

Mrs Coulter is looking after Lyra. Mrs Coulter tells Lyra that she didn’t not care about her, but she wasn’t equipped to take care of her. She never wants to harm Lyra, which prompts Lyra to ask her about what she’s doing to the other children. Mrs Coulter says no one will ever hurt Lyra. Mrs Coulter tells Lyra that Dust isn’t a good thing. Grownups are affected by it so deeply that it’s too late for them. She’s doing what she is to give the children a better life. Mrs Coulter tells her that Daemons are wonderful to have as companions when you’re little, but as you get older they bring troublesome thoughts and feelings and that’s what lets Dust in. Lyra says if what is happening to the children is so good Mrs Coulter would have let it happen to her. Mrs Coulter explains that she couldn’t guarantee Lyra would live. Lyra asks about Billy and Roger, but Mrs Coulter says if they are friends of Lyra’s that they won’t get hurt. Lyra tells her that Billy is dead and Mrs Coulter says that it is unfortunate. She tearfully tells Lyra that she meant her no harm and that Lyra can stay with her. Mrs Coulter asks about the alethiometer- she wants to get it before it gets to Lord Asriel. She tells Lyra now is the time to choose who she belongs to. Lyra hands Mrs Coulter a soldered tin. As Mrs Coulter tries to open it, she is attacked by the imprisoned spy-fly that is actually in there and Lyra escapes. They both scream as she locks Mrs Coulter in by smashing in the electronic lock.

Lyra kicks the fire alarm as she runs to meet the others. She finds Roger and tells him to persuade the other kids to escape whilst she does what she’s best at- causing chaos. She dresses in her own clothes, but before she can go any further Sister Clara (Morfydd Clark) tries to stop her. Lyra asks her what the Daemon she had cut from her was called. As Dr Clara remembers Nicholas, Lyra escapes. Roger approaches the children who have had their Daemons cut and says they need to go with him. If they do nothing, all their Daemons will know is the hurt of that final moment. Pan says to Lyra if they leave the doors of the separation machine open it will get fritzed. Lyra opens the doors and presses anything and everything, blowing up the separator. Meanwhile, Mrs Coulter escapes through the vents.

Dr Rendal and his guards come under attack from the Gyptians. Ma Costa (Anne-Marie Duff) holds him against the wall asks him if he remembers Billy. He whimpers that it wasn’t his fault and she knocks him out. Go Ma Costa! Lee (Lin Mauel-Miranda) shoots an approaching guard and Ma Costa tells the girls they are there to rescue them. Outside, Iorek (voiced by  Joe Tandberg) comes to Lyra’s rescue. As Lyra weaves through the fighting, Dr Cooper tells a guard to get her as she’s the one with value. As the guard approaches Lyra, Serafina (Ruta Gedmintas) kills him and then flies through every other baddie, killing them, including Dr Cooper. The Daemon-less children, led by Roger, brave the snow in their red blankets and shaved heads. The Gyptians approach them tenderly and hug each one of them. Mrs Coulter watches on tearfully, before slipping away.

Lyra tells Ma Costa that it was Billy who showed them that they could get out of Bolvangar. She wants to stay and help, but Ma Costa reminds her that she came to The North for more than the children. She hugs Lyra and tells her to go well. Lee takes Lyra, Roger and Iorek in his balloon as Ma Costa watches on with pride.

Serafina boards the balloon telling Lee she thought he might need a tow. She says it’s good to see him in the skies. Lee asks what they can expect going forward. Serafina tells him that Lyra is destined to resolve conflict and their world depends on her. Lee says he needs a new contract and payment then! Serafina replies that he and Lyra need each other. The world is in Lee’s hands.

The Gyptians move out of Bolvangar with the children. John Faa (Lucian Msamati) says he’s worried about returning the now mute children to their parents. Ma Costa says those who don’t get taken back can join them as Gyptians. Ma Costa thinks that Billy would be so proud of them. John Faa hints that Lyra reminds him of Ma Costa.

There appears to be a problem with Lee’s balloon. He pulls out his gun and motions to Lyra to keep quiet. He points his gun out into the air and a creepy hand tries to grab him, but he doesn’t see it. Iorek shouts that there’s cliff-ghasts. They’re surrounded and Lee shoots at them. As he does so, the balloon hatch opens and Lyra is left hanging on as Lee’s gun flies past her into the clouds. Lee tells Lyra to take his hand, but before she can she loses her grip. She falls away from the balloon screaming.