His Dark Materials – The Spies

By: Ellie Dolan-Yates

Lyra (Dafne Keen) is trapped in a mesh bag in the back of a van begging to be let go. The van is intercepted by the Gyptians who, after a brief scuffle with the Gobblers, find Lyra.

Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) is ordering soldiers to ransack Jordan College in order to find anything heretical or illegal. The Master (Clarke Peters) tells her that Lyra should have been safe with her. Mrs Coulter rips some pages out of a journal and throws them onto the fire. The Master tries to argue his rights under Scholastic Sanctuary, but Mrs Coulter has found his books on how to read alethiometers and tells him that there shouldn’t be any at Jordan College as the only ones in use are sanctioned by the Magisterium. She tells the Master to hand over Lyra or she’ll find the alethiometer. Mrs. Coulter finds out that Lyra is in possession of one. The Master explains that Lyra had it when she arrived, so all he did was give it back to her. Mrs Coulter threatens The Master unless he tells her where Lyra is, but he explains that he kept her safe for twelve years. As soon as Mrs Coulter had her, she lost her! She orders her men to tear the college apart. Upon her exit she tells Boreal (Ariyon Bakare) to widen the search.

Lyra is with the Gyptains after her rescue. Tony (Daniel Frogson) explains that Gyptians from all over the country have come to meet in search for the missing children. Ma Costa (Anne-Marie Duff) tells Tony to explain just exactly how they found Lyra. He lies and says they heard muffled screams coming from a van whilst they were out getting supplies. Ma Costa knows he’s lying and tells Tony that close isn’t good enough when it comes to finding Billy. Lyra tells her it’s a start to beating them. Farder Coram (James Cosmo) takes an apprehensive Lyra to meet John Faa (Lucian Msamati). He asks her if she has any information regarding where the Gobblers were taking her. She doesn’t. Lyra doesn’t want to stay with the Gyptians, but they tell her that they’ve known her since she was a baby and she’s always been important to them. They can’t tell her why though.

At the Magisterium we see Boreal is being given a telling off for the disruption at Jordan College. Boreal is told that the Gyptians have Lyra and officers have been dispatched to find her. Pan (voiced by Kit Connor) tells Lyra that they’ll have more chance of finding Roger if they stay with the Gyptians. Lyra is unsure of their safety though. She changes into Gyptian clothing. Lyra and her Daemon are trying to figure out the alethiometer when Ma Costa asks her to help with the cooking. Lyra says she’s not sure what good it will do her, but Ma Costa wants to teach her some tricks – like how to make an explosion over the cooker. Ma Costa tells Lyra that she can be whatever she wants to be, when she’s older, but she’ll be safe with the Gyptians.

Farder Coram tells Lyra that they’re not like Mrs Coulter as they just want to keep her safe. Lyra tells him that Mrs Coulter said that too, but Farder Coram reminds Lyra that Mrs Coulter isn’t as powerful as she thinks she is, seeing as Lyra managed to escape. Farder Coram takes Lyra to see the man who kidnapped her. He’s being interrogated by Benjamin (Simon Manyonda). Lyra questions why he’d take the other children if it wasn’t to hurt them.

After stepping through a portal and finding his car clamped, Boreal has somehow managed to remove it and has driven to meet Thomas (Robert Emms). It turns out Grumman is someone called Colonel John Parry, who was presumed dead around thirteen years ago after going missing in Alaska. Boreal says it can’t be possible as no-one born in this world can have a Daemon. Thomas has found out that Grumman left a wife and child behind. Boreal leaves with a hard copy of the information Thomas has given him. He sends a text on his phone.

Benjamin has found that the Gobblers are taking the children to the North. Lyra tells Farder Coram and Benjamin that she found plans in Mrs Coulter’s study. As Farder Coram forbids them going to look, the Magisterium approach in their airships to search for Lyra. John Faa tells them that they have no rights to search and he his handed a picture of Lyra. He says they’ve never seen her. As the men search for Lyra, Ma Costa shows them a picture of Billy and tells them that they should be looking for him and the other missing Gyptian children. One of the dogs begins to bark and, as one of the men punch the back of the cupboard under the sink, Pan tells Lyra not to breathe. Luckily, the Magisterium call off the search before Lyra can be found.

After Ma Costa releases Lyra from her hiding place, Lyra runs off saying she’ll never be safe with the Gyptians because Mrs Coulter won’t stop until she finds her. Ma Costa reveals that Mrs Coulter is actually Lyra’s mother! Mrs Coulter was already married when she became pregnant with Lyra and that there was no hiding the fact that she was Lord Asriel’s. Asriel stole the baby and placed Lyra in Ma Costa’s care, but Mrs Coulter’s husband Edward was determined to find Lyra and kill her. Asriel killed him whilst trying to protect Lyra. Ma Costa says all of this is why Mrs Coulter is like she is now and Asriel had everything taken from him. Mrs Coulter asks Lyra to let her keep her safe this time.

After trashing Lyra’s bedroom, Mrs Coulter is on the edge of her terrace drunk. She goes to jump, but then walks as if balancing on a tightrope. Her monkey Daemon is inside watching. She releases a couple of nasty-looking metal spy flies. Meanwhile, Boreal hands over his information on Grumman to a mystery man (Jamie Wilkes). He wants the house watching and for the man to report back to him.

John Faa is addressing the Gyptians over their twenty-seven missing children. Raymond Van Gerritt (Mat Fraser) tells him that they weren’t raided out of scorn, but because they have Lyra who he suggests handing over to the Magisterium. An argument amongst the gathered Gyptians ensues and Lyra tells them to do what they want with her as long as they stop Mrs Coulter. Farder Coram announces that they’re going North to find the children. They’re going to ask the witches for their support. Lyra joins the Gyptians’ chant.

Lyra is once again trying to work out the alethiometer when she notices Tony sneaking out. He’s going with Benjamin to Mrs Coulter’s place! Lyra tells him where the plans are and the alethiometer moves on its own. Lyra lets her mind go blank again so she can see it move. Ma Costa has noticed Tony isn’t there and wakes Lyra. He and Benjamin have broken into Mrs Coulter’s home. They find her plans for the North, but Mrs Coulter’s Daemon is watching from the vents. He screeches and the boys run to escape. Tony makes it out of Lyra’s bedroom window, but Mrs Coulter shoots Benjamin. She asks Benjamin who sent him and his hawk Daemon attacks her. A fight ensues between the two Daemons and Mrs Coulter and Benjamin. Refusing to tell her who sent him, Benjamin jumps to his death down the lift shaft and his Daemon evaporates from the monkey’s grasp. The monkey sadly claws at the particles left behind.

Ma Coulter is fretting over Tony’s whereabouts. Lyra tells her to blame her or her mother. Lyra realizes that the reason Farder Coram wouldn’t let Benjamin go to Mrs Coulter’s was to protect her andshe thanks him. She shows him her alethiometer. He teaches her how to use it and says it takes years of study to read it- without the books, it’s useless. Lyra works the alethiometer out herself and it tells her that Tony is in danger. She runs above deck to tell Farder Coram, but her and Pan are attacked by Mrs Coulter’s fly spies. Farder Coram can only capture one. Tony returns with his findings. Farder Coram reveals to John Faa that Lyra can read the alethiometer without the books and she is going to be extremely valuable to them. They head for Trollesun. Ma Costa finds Lyra about to throw the spy fly overboard. Ma Costa tells her that they’re illegal and is clearly a sign of Lyra’s mother’s desperation for her. Lyra tells Ma Costa that she’s ready to fight. The other spy fly returns to Mrs Coulter. She’s found Lyra.