His Dark Materials – The Fight to the Death

By starrymag | December 23, 2019

By: Ellie Dolan-Yates

 

 

Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) is staring at what is left of the fritzed separator. She lets out a scream, but what we hear is a roar! She approaches Sister Clara (Morfydd Clark) and asks her why she is still there. Mrs Coulter asks her if she’s seen where the balloon carrying Lyra (Dafne Keen) went. Clara says she doesn’t know of a “Lyra,” so Mrs Coulter begins to strangles her. She appears to realize what she is doing and tells Clara that she didn’t mean it.

 

Lyra and Pan (voiced by Kit Connor) are lying in the snow. Lyra shouts for Iorek (voiced by Joe Tandberg) and Lee (Lin-Manuel Miranda). Lyra hears a growl amongst the fog but soon realizes that it’s not Iorek. Lyra is led to what appears to be a palace carved into the snowy mountains. Her and Pan are thrown into a dungeon. The alethiometer tells Lyra that Iorek is coming to rescue them. Lyra wishes that she was a witch so that she can fly away and see if her father was there. In the corner of her dungeon Jotham (Asheq Akhtar), a Professor of Cosmology, tells her that she’s just a little girl. He laughs when Lyra tells him her name. He tells her that Asriel was sat just where she is now before persuading Iofur (voiced by Joi Johannsson) to let him return to his lab, but he’s still imprisoned and will most likely die there. Jotham tells Lyra that Iorek won’t save her as the bears will kill him before he can get close.

 

Lyra tells Jotham that she once heard Iofur wants to be human and Jotham tells her that’s why he hired him, but when he told him he would only ever be a bear he imprisoned him. “Unless you’re a witch and can magic him a Daemon, you will fail to please him…” It seems as though Lyra has had a sudden realization and she demands to speak to Iofur. Jotham laughs at her for betraying her friend to protect her own skin. Lyra hides Pan as a bear enters their dungeon.

 

Lyra bows before Iofur and tells him that she has something very important and secret to tell him about Iorek. He takes off his crown as he tells her to come closer. Lyra tells him that she’s Iorek’s Daemon! Lyra says that Iorek is the first bear to get a Daemon, but she’d much rather be Iofur’s. He asks her how she can be so far away from Iorek and she explains she’s like a witches Daemon – they can be separated but stay connected. Lyra tells Iofur that Iorek got her at Bolvangar. Iofur growls that Mrs Coulter didn’t give him a Daemon. Lyra says there is a way that she can be his Daemon – if Iofur beats Iorek in single combat. Iorek’s strength will flow into him and Iofur and her would be united. To gain Iofur’s trust, Lyra tells him to ask her something only a Daemon would be able to find out. He threatens that if she’s lying, he will feed her to Iorek. Iofur asks her to tell him the first creature he killed. Lyra says she’ll need to go to a room by herself. She says she’ll only show him how she does it when she’s his Daemon, but before then she’ll die before sharing her secrets.

 

Lyra consults the alethiometer before approaching Iofur. She bows before him again and tells him the first creature he killed was his own father. Lyra tells him only a God would have the power to do such a thing. He’s upset that Mrs Coulter deceived him, but Lyra says Mrs. Coulter deceived all of them. Iofur agrees to make it his idea that whoever wins the battle will be king. Lyra says she needs to leave as she can feel Iorek approaching. He must not know what he’s fighting for.

 

After watching the news clip of John Parry (Andrew Scott) in his car, Boreal (Ariyon Bakare) knocks on the door of Elaine Parry’s (Nina Sosanya) house, but she doesn’t let him in. However, he lets himself into the living room and looks through her letters and photos. Elaine asks who he works for and he tells her he’s “intelligence.” He explains they believe John was involved in something nasty before he disappeared. Boreal tells her that there is a slight possibility that, but with the right information they could find John. Elaine tells him that she can’t help himas John left her with nothing. Boreal tells her that’s not true since he knows about the letters and the bank account. Boreal says he can get a warrant to search the property, so Elaine says she’ll wait for that or she’ll call the police. Boreal threatens her that Will (Amir Wilson) could end up in care and her go to jail if she withholds information from the government. Elaine demands to see I.D. and says she’s frightened of everything and that Boreal is just another one of those things. Even more so when she sees his snake poking out…His snake Daemon up his sleeve! Boreal tries to convince her it was her mind playing tricks. He agrees to leave her alone…for now.

 

Iorek approaches the palace through the blood-soaked snow. Lyra is waiting for him and she tells him that she tricked Iofur into fighting Iorek in battle so he wouldn’t get killed at the gates. Iorek says she did the right thing since he needs to fight him and end his tyranny. Iofur addresses his bears and Iorek says he’s come for a real fight. They’re both without their armor. Iofur looks bigger than Iorek as they slam each other to the ground. Iofur drags Iorek by his bleeding neck and Lyra runs to him to tell him she’s sorry. Ifour notices and bellows that she’s a liar. As he goes to attack Lyra, Iorek goes for him. Lyra holds her hands over her ears as the bears fight once again. She can’t stand to watch. A screech is let out as one of the bears is defeated.

 

Lyra is tending to Iorek’s wounds. She tells him that there’s a man in his dungeons and Iorek agrees to free him. Iorek tells Lyra that she’s one of them now and that from her convincing words she is now known as “Lyra Silvertongue.”

 

Iorek tells his bears that there will be no more killing. They will live by bear ways, not human. Iorek takes Lyra to see Roger (Lewin Lloyd) who says they fell out of the balloon together but he doesn’t know what happened to Lee, except that he’s still airborne. The alethiometer tells them that Lee crashed, but he’s safe. It also tells her that The Magisterium are coming for them. She says that she needs Iorek’s help to get the alethiometer to her father. He and Roger agree to go with her.

 

News of Iofur’s death and Asriel’s consequent liberation has hit the Magisterium. Everyone is to head North. In the North, Father MacPhail (Will Keen) tells Mrs Coulter to travel home as The Cardinal wants to speak to her since she’s failed. He tells her that he’s there for Asriel, but Mrs Coulter states he’s with Iofur. Father MacPhail tells her that Iofur let Asriel continue to experiment and that Iofur is dead. The bears are now protecting Asriel. Mrs Coulter asks Father MacPhail why he’s so terrified of Asriel. She questions if it’s because he knows more about Dust. Mrs Coulter persuades Father MacPhail to let her go with him to Asriel since she knows his next move and all about Dust. He tells her that Lord Asriel needs to die.

 

Will and Elaine approach their home that is being raided by one of Boreal’s men (Jamie Wilkes). Will takes his mom to his teacher’s (Ray Fearon) house. Mr Hanway offers to call the police, but Will says he can’t as they’ll take his mom into care. Will leaves his mom with Mr Hanway as he goes to sort out the house. She tells Will to find the letters.  When he gets home he locates them still in the bottom of the sewing machine.

 

Lee is trying to fix his crashed balloon. Hester (Cristela Alonzo) tells him they need to get out of there so someone can take a look. Lee reminds her that the balloon is their only means of travel, except for Serafina (Ruta Gedmintas) who has just flown in. Lee tells her that he lost Lyra, but Serafina tells him she’s fine and her fate is in another’s hands. Lee is jubilant as Serafina tells him that Iorek, with Lyra’s help, has reclaimed his throne. She hands him his gun and Lee realizes that she needs him to fight again. He says he’s no use to her now, but she says it’s Lyra who’ll need him. She’ll need all of them.

 

Back in Oxford we see Will is sat on his bed reading the letters when Thomas (Robert Emms) and Boreal’s other associate break in. Will tapes his hand up ready to fight. He throws Thomas over the landing onto the floor below. He grabs his bag and makes a run for it before he can be caught. Will thinks about going into Mr Hanway’s house to see his mom, but changes his mind.

 

Iorek drops Lyra and Roger off at Asriel’s lab, high in the mountains. He tells them that he will be close if they need him and he’s standing down the bears who keep Asriel prisoner. He tells them both to be safe. Roger asks Lyra if she’s okay seeing as last time she saw her father that he was her uncle. Lyra says they’re just there to give him the alethiometer. Roger hugs her and tells her he knows she’s brave but he’s there if she needs him. Asriel (James McAvoy) doesn’t seem so happy to see Lyra. He shouts that he didn’t send for her and that she has to leave. Lyra tells him that she came to free him and he notices Roger. He tells Thorold (Gary Lewis) to prepare the children a hot bath and says to Roger that he’s very pleased he came…