His Dark Materials.

Fluorescence

Finally got around to watching this, absolutely fab. Loving the atmosphere, they've the tone spot on! James McAvoy isn't an obvious choice for lord asriel but you know what? He nails it. Exactly how I always pictured him carrying himself and getting on with Lyra. Very excited for this show! Finally HDM getting the justice it deserves on the small screen

TheIrishGrover

With season 2 already in production and season 3 hopefully on the way and, given the fact that there are readers and non-readers, would it be better to do a "Game of Thrones" type thread (Reader & non-reader episode opinions)

RobbingBandit

Now that is Mrs Coulter absolutely evil incarnate

alchemist33

I hadn't seen or read any version before; it didn't quite do the business for me. Some of the cgi seemed off, as did some of the acting and dialogue which seemed very stilted. I also forced my 15yo and 13yo to watch it and they found it too young for them. The 11yo liked it. But I know the source material is good and I'll stick with it.

Thoie

alchemist33 wrote: »

I hadn't seen or read any version before; it didn't quite do the business for me. Some of the cgi seemed off, as did some of the acting and dialogue which seemed very stilted. I also forced my 15yo and 13yo to watch it and they found it too young for them. The 11yo liked it. But I know the source material is good and I'll stick with it.

I've read the books, but I'm glad someone else found the acting a bit stilted. I thought it was just me, as no-one else mentioned it.

TheIrishGrover

Well, whatever about stilted, I would say it is more of the fact that the first episode has to dump a LOT of information and characters. In 50 mins or so you had to introduce Lyra, Azriel, Mrs Coulter, Roger, John Faa and the Gyptians, Lord Boreal, the very concept of Daemons, introduce the mention of Dust (With a capital "D"), get Lyra to leave Oxford with Mrs Coulter, introduce The Gobblers. And there are still three very important characters to introduce this season and another huge character next season/end of this.

So, I'd say it's not so much stilted delivery as there was a lot of people standing/sitting and doling out reams of exposition.

RobbingBandit

I pictured Lord Boreal in the books as Borris with a hint at f Churchill.

Man Vs ManUre

It’s crap.

S.M.B.

Thought that episode was a massive step up in quality, mainly due to the lack of exposition I guess. Thought the Lyra / Ms Coulter stuff worked really well and I'm quite excited to see the whole thing play out on screen now.

TCDStudent1

Ireally enjoyed this week's episode. Read the books ages ago and loved them. If I remember correctly,

the whole window into another world doesnt come into the story until the 2nd book so the story is not following the exact sequence of the books?

Not convinced on the girl who plays Lyra.

Pretzill

Yep TCD It's been years since I read them and I thought I'd misremembered that bit? But if it helps the exposition I don't mind them crossing books - I think the actor who plays Lyra is excellent and just how I imagined her (possibly a little older) she's smart and wise - I thought the scenes with Mrs Coulter were really good. Though I felt sorry for the monkey daemon.

TheIrishGrover

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Ireally enjoyed this week's episode. Read the books ages ago and loved them. If I remember correctly,

the whole window into another world doesnt come into the story until the 2nd book so the story is not following the exact sequence of the books?

Not convinced on the girl who plays Lyra.

Non-readers do NOT read spoilers as these are REAL spoilers below for season 2.

Well, I think that was understandable from a show POV.

I think I mentioned previously that I believed that they would do something like this. That you would see the men looking for John Parry/Grumann's notes on another gateway. You may even have someone saying "Why?" "Because it leads to a weapon. A weapon for the coming war" Or something. I believe the last scene of this series will be a young boy turning up at a woman's house with his mother and the lady saying something like "Will? Will Parry?".

As someone else said before: Book 1 is Lyra's story. Book 2 is Will's and book 3 is everyone's.

So I don't think they could have 2 episodes or so solely concentrating on Will. I think most of that will be the last episodes of this season (But without Will as he had not been cast at the time). But they would have time for that one shot. Then first episode will be on Will and Will discovering the gate and then the last scene will be him meeting Lyra.

I really love the interpretation of Boreal in this. Much more intimidating from the start.

I do remember thinking something before about Mrs. Coulter's ability to be far from her daemon when reading the books (There are a couple of times it seemed strange). But then I forgot about it again.

For non-readers, normal people can only really be about 20-30 feet from their daemon I believe. Otherwise it causes extreme pain.

Was interested to see what non-readers thought of that episode because episode 2 and 3 are probably going to be the toughest as there is a bit of a lull before it kicks off again. So hang in there non-readers

alchemist33

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

Non-readers do NOT read spoilers as these are REAL spoilers below for season 2.

Well, I think that was understandable from a show POV.

I think I mentioned previously that I believed that they would do something like this. That you would see the men looking for John Parry/Grumann's notes on another gateway. You may even have someone saying "Why?" "Because it leads to a weapon. A weapon for the coming war" Or something. I believe the last scene of this series will be a young boy turning up at a woman's house with his mother and the lady saying something like "Will? Will Parry?".

As someone else said before: Book 1 is Lyra's story. Book 2 is Will's and book 3 is everyone's.

So I don't think they could have 2 episodes or so solely concentrating on Will. I think most of that will be the last episodes of this season (But without Will as he had not been cast at the time). But they would have time for that one shot. Then first episode will be on Will and Will discovering the gate and then the last scene will be him meeting Lyra.

I really love the interpretation of Boreal in this. Much more intimidating from the start.

I do remember thinking something before about Mrs. Coulter's ability to be far from her daemon when reading the books (There are a couple of times it seemed strange). But then I forgot about it again.

For non-readers, normal people can only really be about 20-30 feet from their daemon I believe. Otherwise it causes extreme pain.

Was interested to see what non-readers thought of that episode because episode 2 and 3 are probably going to be the toughest as there is a bit of a lull before it kicks off again. So hang in there non-readers

Thought it a bit dull tbh, but willing to stick with it as I know the source material is good.

ednwireland

never read the books !
a lot of scene setting in the first two episodes getting the characters and timelines up to speed - i think

but they have really thrown everything at the production values on it just wish it was in 4k and i had a 4k tv and receiver . it just looks amazing.

Totally missed this. And the trailer?? Gonna catch up asap. Looks great

pixelburp

Caught the first episode and it wasn't bad, speaking as someone relatively ignorant of the source material (only ever saw that leaden film version). Did stray a touch too far into Infodump territory at times, while in other scenes the world-building was deftly handled; hard to find a balance it seems as it couldn't even resist some text at the start. Especially tricky in a story without a convenient audience surrogate to accompany through the world.

For the non book reader: apart from the daemons & institutions, how alike our world is this meant to be? I saw the map and it looked quite different apart from Europe, so am curious (but without going into spoiler territory) how far the deviation this world is meant to stretch?

Brief_Lives

This is a decent map..

https://hdm.fandom.com/wiki/Lyra%27s_world?file=Modern_World_Golden_Compass.jpg

RobbingBandit

Episode 2 on track for storyline for me wish all the daemons spoke, the magisterium are evil fcukers very sinister looking forward to some of the characters we haven't seen yet.

The fact that it's set in a modern type world is different seeing characters using top of the range mobiles and black taxis in London with buses I suppose it made making and filming things easier rather than setting it in a 19th or early 20th century setting.

TheIrishGrover

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Episode 2 on track for storyline for me wish all the daemons spoke, the magisterium are evil fcukers very sinister looking forward to some of the characters we haven't seen yet.

The fact that it's set in a modern type world is different seeing characters using top of the range mobiles and black taxis in London with buses I suppose it made making and filming things easier rather than setting it in a 19th or early 20th century setting.

Yeah, that is a bit jarring but in the later, related books, they mention road traffic being heavy at one stage and I read it as maybe a dated version of our traffic. Also in related books I believe they mention that Lyra's world is sometime in the mate 1970s. (I always read Our world as being in the late 90s simply because it was modern but a character uses a payphone at one stage)

Also, helicopters are mentioned in Lyra's world (Certainly people from her world knew what they were). They are called Gyropters but they are helicopters. Also there is passing mention of them using nuclear power (atomcraft)

Ornithopters are also mentioned but these would be machines that fly in similar fashion to birds. Lyra seems to have issues with traffic in the books of course. You know when. But she mentions that she didn't expect them to be going so fast as opposed to not recognising what they were.

TCDStudent1

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

Yeah, that is a bit jarring but in the later, related books, they mention road traffic being heavy at one stage and I read it as maybe a dated version of our traffic. Also in related books I believe they mention that Lyra's world is sometime in the mate 1970s. (I always read Our world as being in the late 90s simply because it was modern but a character uses a payphone at one stage)

Also, helicopters are mentioned in Lyra's world (Certainly people from her world knew what they were). They are called Gyropters but they are helicopters. Also there is passing mention of them using nuclear power (atomcraft)

Ornithopters are also mentioned but these would be machines that fly in similar fashion to birds. Lyra seems to have issues with traffic in the books of course. You know when. But she mentions that she didn't expect them to be going so fast as opposed to not recognising what they were.

My memory of Lyra's

experience in our world is very hazy at this stage. But I believe I remember her going to the cinema with Will and saying they had nothing like that in her world and it was the best thing she ever experienced! Will slept through the film (s)

TheIrishGrover

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

My memory of Lyra's

experience in our world is very hazy at this stage. But I believe I remember her going to the cinema with Will and saying they had nothing like that in her world and it was the best thing she ever experienced! Will slept through the film (s)

Yep.

Man Vs ManUre

I’m giving up on this now, 2 and half episodes in.
These great fantasy books just don’t translate well to the screen, think it’s the posh England aspect of the story.

Man Vs ManUre

Hopefully war of the worlds at 9pm will be better.

TCDStudent1

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

I’m giving up on this now, 2 and half episodes in.
These great fantasy books just don’t translate well to the screen, think it’s the posh England aspect of the story.

If I hadn't read the books, I probably would do the same. However, the story only really properly gets going from next week.

AlmightyCushion

Never read the books or seen the movies but I'm enjoying this so far.

TheIrishGrover

Well, those last two episodes were always going to be the toughest because a lot of setup had to happen but not a lot of movement. You needed Lyra to join Mrs Coulter, find out about her, leave and discover their relationship. She needed to begin to discover how to read the Alethiometer, join the Gyptians and head North.

It starts moving a lot faster from now on.

irishguitarlad

Don't know if I should stick with this, found myself checking my phone throughout this episode, watchmen however has me hooked.

pixelburp

Episode 2, and I wasn't expecting

a visit to our world, or at least some version of UK modernity anyway

. That was a surprise, and has me curious. Still think this show has a problem with telling rather than showing: info about the physical closeness needed between daemons & people was explained, instead of shown through action (but then we DID see this connection later, after the exposition, which was weird).

I know it's a technical complaint, but it's not like the guidelines for good scriptwriting aren't well understood and publicised; especially with these kind of shows with so much world-building needed, lazily doing it through exposition always breaks the magic a little.

Dafne Keen is fantastic in this though, as is Ruth Wilson; both sparring brilliantly in that episode.

TheIrishGrover

So that was pretty good. Good introduction to Lee. Still think he should have been older. Still think Sam Elliot was great as the part but I can see they wanted more of a swashbuckling Han solo-type figure and he did it well. I liked the dry humour of Hestor (His Daemon). In the books she barely speaks but I also like this version.

Iorek was brilliantly done. Showed his size and power brilliantly. Especially as he had the town Sysseman (Or however you spelled hit title) under his paw - Interesting fact: that was Dudley from Harry Potter, folks.

For those non-readers who thought the other bear (Iofer Rankinson) armour looked a bit silly and over-done: that's actually the point.

I do find their take on Mrs Coulter's relationship with her Daemon interesting. She seems at ease with him, thus reflecting her own fragile mental state. This is not in the books (But is actually taken from an idea in the "Book of Dust" books).

I never found her to be unhinged in the books. Merely extremely focused on her goals: She will do anything and everything to accomplish them. Sometimes she was cornered and had to improvise but she was always 100% ruthless and methodical and never losing control of herself.

And for the first time there was a character who's name I pronounced differently: Serafina Pekkala: I pronounced it Peck-KAH-la and they seem to pronounce it PECK-ah-la.

Fluorescence

Really enjoying this adaptation so far! I loved that we got more of Lyra with the alethiometer in the last 2 episodes, and a reminder about Dust... Everyone is perfectly cast IMO, the pale faced man is so slimey it's perfection Really hoping this gets its full 3 seasons because so far it's brilliant. It's making me want to read the books again for the first time in 10+ years