His Dark Materials – Tower of Angels

By: Ellie Yates

Will (Amir Wilson), Lyra (Dafne Keen) and Pan (voiced by Kit Connor) are trying to find a way in to the tower at Citagazze. Pan finds a door with an angel on it, just like the ones outside the tower. Will and Lyra kick the door in and enter, spectres lurking ominously behind them. When Lyra and Will get to the top of the tower they find an old man tied up in the corner of the room. They untie him and he introduces himself as Giacomo Paradisi (Terence Stamp), the bearer of the knife. He explains that there is a boy, Tullio (Lewis MacDougall), who has stolen the knife and is hiding. Seconds later Tullio comes out of hiding, brandishing the knife. As he lashes out with it we see its power as it cuts clean through a golden statue. Will wrestles with Tullio for the knife. When he finally frees it from Tullio’s grasp, Tullio pushes him through the window. Luckily, Will lands straight on the ledge and, with help from Giacomo, Lyra manages to pull him to safety. Pan grabs the knife in his mouth, but Tullio kicks him – also hurting Lyra. Will tries to grab the knife again, but Tullio slashes his hand with it, taking off two of his fingers! Giacomo tells Will to fight and, after throwing a few punches, Will wins the knife…before passing out.

Will comes around in Giacomo’s quarters and Giacomo gives him some plum brandy to help with the shock. Giacomo tells Will and Lyra that he knows they’re not from his world. He removes his glove to reveal that he had once lost the same two fingers as Will when he became the bearer of the knife. This means that Will is now The Bearer.

Meanwhile, Lee (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and Hester (Cristela Alonzo) are continuing their search for Grumman – a/k/a John Parry (Andrew Scott). Whilst struggling through a swamp, they are stopped by a deamon in the form of an osprey (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and she tells them to follow her. The osprey leads Lee to John Parry, who now goes by the name Jopari. Jopari tells Lee that he summoned him there and shows him his mother’s ring to prove it. He tells Lee about the Subtle Knife and that they need to find the current bearer- totally oblivious that this is now his son. He tells Lee that even though they don’t like Asriel they need to get the knife to him so he can do what’s right for everyone. Lee explains that he is there for Lyra and he doesn’t like Asriel for leaving her behind.

Jopari explains that he left his son behind and he tried to get back to his family, but he couldn’t return the way he came. He says that he has made new discoveries though, including his female daemon. Lee asks him if he’s given up, but he says to be a good father he needs to leave a world behind where his son is able to think and be free, which is why he needs to find Asriel. Lee says that if Jopari promises to keep Lyra under the protection of the knife that he will help him find Asriel. Jopari promises, but he also tells Lee that The Bearer will have their own task and this may well involve endangering Lyra. Lee takes Jopari to his balloon and decides that now would be a good time to tell him that the Magesterium are after him and know he’s an aeronaut.

Eventually, Will manages to use the knife to find the fabric between worlds. Giacomo tells him that each “string” is an opening to a new world. Will cuts a window to another world and Giacomo teaches him how to close it. He sits Will down and tells him there are four things he needs to know: 1. Never open a window without closing it; 2. Never let anyone else use the knife; 3. Don’t use the knife for base purposes, show it off or let it affect his ego and 4. Keep the knife a secret, it can’t fall into the wrong hands. Giacomo tells Will that the knife will protect him and Lyra and he goes to leave. Will asks him to go with him and Lyra so the spectres don’t get him, but Giacomo says he’s fulfilled his duty and would like to meet his destiny privately. He heads to another room where he poisons himself so he can die peacefully before the spectres can get to him. Later, Lyra apologizes to Will and tells him that the alethiometer told her that Will was important and linked to Citagazze. Will says they need to get the alethiometer back and plans for them to steal it together.

Meanwhile, Boreal (Ariyon Bakare) is treating Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) to an uncomfortable romantic dinner. He tells her that he has found Lyra in a different Oxford and that he already knew how to get there, without being as dramatic as Asriel. He tells Mrs Coulter that he has Lyra trapped as he’s got something very important of hers and tells her about the bargain they made in order for her to get it back. Boreal tells Mrs Coulter that when Lyra returns the knife she will be all hers. He shows Mrs Coulter the window he found and they step through it. Mrs Coulter notices the spectre that has followed them through.

Earlier in the episode Boreal had visited Mary (Simone Kirby) to offer to fund her project, but she luckily sensed he was dodgy and asked him to leave. Later, she tries her luck again with The Cave with remarkable results. It speaks to her, literally! Responding (in the voice of Sophie Okonedo) the Dark Matter tells Mary that it is the same thing as Dust and has a conscience that isn’t human. It explains that Dust and Dark Matter are angels that have always been there, guiding humans. However, they are intervening in human existence looking for vengeance.

Meanwhile, in Lyra’s world, Serefina (Ruta Gedmintas) visits Ruta (Jade Anouka) to offer her condolences for the death and destruction of her clan of witches. She tells Ruta that she needs her to accompany her through Asriel’s window to find Lyra. Ruta says that she will go with her, but the window is being heavily guarded by the Magesterium. Serefina says they can take on the Magesterium and Ruta vows to make Asriel pay for what he started when she finds him. When the witches reach the window, they show no mercy to the Magesterium and tear through their airships killing their soldiers. The witches leave the airships burning as they head through Asriel’s window to find Lyra.