His Dark Materials.

TheIrishGrover

Well that was quite a departure from the books but one that makes sense. For non-readers the introduction of Will was a lot of the spoiler tagging previously - But not all so still don't look back. Originally Will did not appear until the very start of book two.

It does make sense timeline-wise but I thought they had not cast Will before filming finished. I assumed that the previous shots of him in photos were done in post production.

Thought the casting of Serafina was great too. The witches are written as being beautiful but also quite cold and aloof. I did like her tattoos/scars. These are not just flying women but quite ruthless warriors.

I enjoyed the bit with the Gyptian's funeral. That was a great addition.

I loved the bit with Lyra chatting with Iorek. It was the first time you saw a bit of Lyra's love for storytelling. And the bit with her on Iorek reminded me of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVHhbA0yWNE

Overall I thought that was great. I really like how they have bigged up Boreal's part in the series and I have always liked that actor that played Will's mam. Great actor.

Pretzill

I don't really enjoy them

introducing the other Oxford so much

(as to be confusing to all but those who read the books imo)
I mean the second book is by far my favourite and it was a bit of light in the dark in the beginning (though it's so long since I read it now) so although I do see why they've kind of tried to keep a timeline, it's out a little for me.

Is wasn't Billy Costa who Lyra found in the shed orginally either, was it? I remember him being in it more. But the scenes of the funeral and the boy without his daemon were far more hard hitting.
Iorek is brilliant - I also like John Fa (very well cast) I don't think Sam Elliot would be beaten for Lee Scoresby the guy who plays him is a little young.

Overall I'm still enjoying it, but I began to get a little bored watching the last episode. It dragged a bit more than the others.

pixelburp

mod: when discussing elements of the book, particularly any plot relevant deviations, can you spoiler tag them please?

Folks are going to be coming at this show from various points of view and while I don't think it requires two threads, just be mindful of who might be reading this thread. Just for the sake friendliness.

A Neurotic

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

And the bit with her on Iorek reminded me of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVHhbA0yWNE

Good catch! Similarly iconic scenes.

flazio

<Non book reader>
Well that was a load of fun. I think this is where we left off in the movie isn't it?

Fluorescence

flazio wrote: »

<Non book reader>
Well that was a load of fun. I think this is where we left off in the movie isn't it?

I think the movie turned things around, and did the Bear kingdom first and the Bolvangar rescue last. We're off to meet the King of the Bears

duridian

<haven’t read the books - yet>
I like the way that sometimes Mrs Coulter can slip out of utterly evil mode and seem more ambiguous, like she seemed just after the “experiment” this week.

Makes me wonder if she might eventually do a more permanent “Vader” type of redemption act.

Agent Coulson

Had the last few days off and decided to watch this I had never read the book/s or watched the film/s.

I have to say it really is great I didn't expect to enjoy it at much as I am.

MargeS

I thought the latest episode was weak...Lyra and Roger running around Bolvangar without being seen and she somehow managed to hide the alethiometer.
Aside from that... I am enjoying the series.

deisedude

Is there anywhere you can watch this legally online?

Gbear

I'm really enjoying this. Im mostly a big fan of the books. Read them as a kid. This is one of the better adaptations I've seen of pretty much anything that springs to mind. Expertly cast, except maybe Lee Scoresby, who's a bit of a blert.

I love the voice acting of Iorek. Peter Serafinowicz has done a great job with Iofur Ragnusson as well.

Mrs Coulter, Ruth Wilson, is also a standout. And, of course, we already knew how brilliant Lyra was from her central role in Logan.

TCDStudent1

Gbear wrote: »

I'm really enjoying this. Im mostly a big fan of the books. Read them as a kid. This is one of the better adaptations I've seen of pretty much anything that springs to mind. Expertly cast, except maybe Lee Scoresby, who's a bit of a blert.

I love the voice acting of Iorek. Peter Serafinowicz has done a great job with Iofur Ragnusson as well.

Mrs Coulter, Ruth Wilson, is also a standout. And, of course, we already knew how brilliant Lyra was from her central role in Logan.

Thought it was pretty good this week. I like Lee Scoresby in this too. He probably has the best daemon.

r93kaey5p2izun

Overall I think they have done a really great job with this adaptation. But I found the bear fight a big disappointment last night.

duridian

I’m still really enjoying this, but there is one pretty major point I wish had been fleshed out and explained better in last night’s episode.

How did Lyra and Pan survive the fall from such a height seemingly unscathed? The closing scene last week showed her dangling, then falling from the balloon when it appeared at least 100 feet to the ground beneath.

I know that we may have been meant to assume that the snow broke their fall, but the snow where Lyra lay didn’t look anywhere close to being deep enough to break the fall of a ~11 yo girl from such a height.
Compounding this further is the fact that this shallow layer of snow was on top of pretty jagged rocky terrain.

As we’ve seen baddies like Mrs Coulter or the Bolvangr lab guy hurt Lyra by hurting her daemon Pan, does this also work in reverse? Can Pan’s characteristics help her in such a situation?
What I’m wondering is: since Pan in ferret form also fell nearby and since he being much lighter would need less cushioning to break his impact... was Lyra’s impact thus also lessened by the mystical link to her daemon?
Or alternatively they could have had Pan take on a winged form in mid air, which would obviously be better again for his survivability.

I had been anticipating a rescue by Serafina, but they showed nothing to indicate that either.
The lack of clarity on this matter is a pity.

duridian

I’m also curious as to why Asriel’s attitude changed so dramatically when he discovered that Roger had accompanied Lyra to his (Asriel’s) location.

Fluorescence

duridian wrote: »

I’m also curious as to why Asriel’s attitude changed so dramatically when he discovered that Roger had accompanied Lyra to his (Asriel’s) location.

It's a spoiler for next week, if I remember the books correctly!

IAMAMORON

deisedude wrote: »

Is there anywhere you can watch this legally online?

BBC.com.

You need a VPN if you are in the republic.

Red Silurian

Recording on sky cut the end of it, is it being repeated on bbc1 at any stage this coming week?

TCDStudent1

Fluorescence wrote: »

It's a spoiler for next week, if I remember the books correctly!

Sounds like you remember the book correctly.

TCDStudent1

Kyler Shy Woodchuck wrote: »

Overall I think they have done a really great job with this adaptation. But I found the bear fight a big disappointment last night.

I liked the last part of the bear fight. It portrayed the savagery at the end of the fight very well by not showing it but instead focussing on Lyra.

TheIrishGrover

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

I liked the last part of the bear fight. It portrayed the savagery at the end of the fight very well by not showing it but instead focussing on Lyra.

I thought it was a little underwhelming but understandable as it is a family TV series.

However, I didn't like her cowering during the fight: In the books she very deliberately does NOT look away. There is a whole small paragraph about her NOT looking away:

Lyra was in tears. Her dear, her brave one, her fearless defender, was going to die and she would not do him the treachery of looking away, for if he looked at her he must see her shining eyes and their love and belief, not a face hidden in cowardice or a shoulder fearfully turned away.
So she looked....

TCDStudent1

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

I thought it was a little underwhelming but understandable as it is a family TV series.

However, I didn't like her cowering during the fight: In the books she very deliberately does NOT look away. There is a whole small paragraph about her NOT looking away:

Aah interesting, I did not remember that paragraph.


The scene reminded me a little of a scene from Reservoir Dogs where the camera pans away to the ceiling.

duridian

I don't mean to be argumentative, I haven't yet read the novels, but what happened on the show, for me, doesn't seem to contradict that paragraph, in fact it seems very consistent with it.

The paragraph seems to refer to the moment immediately prior to Iorek's final and determinant surge against Iofur, in defence of Lyra.

On the show, when Iorek seems beaten, she is looking right at him and rushes to his side to help him, dropping her subterfuge and opening herself to immense danger from Iofur. Hardly the actions of a "face hidden in cowardice".

Yes, on the show she looked away as Iorek put the finishing moves on Iofur. But surely - as Iorek has then already been spurred on to victory by her - it's past the moment to which that paragraph refers?

Anyway, that's my take on it. As I said, I haven't read the books yet, so perhaps there is some other nuance of which I am unaware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3eF0tGWzT4

SnazzyPig

duridian wrote: »

I don't mean to be argumentative, I haven't yet read the novels, but what happened on the show, for me, doesn't seem to contradict that paragraph, in fact it seems very consistent with it.

The paragraph seems to refer to the moment immediately prior to Iorek's final and determinant surge against Iofur, in defence of Lyra.

On the show, when Iorek seems beaten, she is looking right at him and rushes to his side to help him, dropping her subterfuge and opening herself to immense danger from Iofur. Hardly the actions of a "face hidden in cowardice".

Yes, on the show she looked away as Iorek put the finishing moves on Iofur. But surely - as Iorek has then already been spurred on to victory by her - it's past the moment to which that paragraph refers?

Anyway, that's my take on it. As I said, I haven't read the books yet, so perhaps there is some other nuance of which I am unaware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3eF0tGWzT4

Lyra bears witness to what she thinks is the death of Iorek. Then as Iorek kills Iofur she looks away and covers her ears. I'm watching it now and agree with you 100%.

pixelburp

Episode 6 and while I'm enjoying the world, the broad mystery and the spectacular FX work, the dialogue and scripting is so lumpy with scene after scene of exposition. Many exchanges feel like they're practically addressing the audience, and while there's a lot to get through, none of it had been gracefully expressed; oddly the one element that should be fully understood - the daemons and their role - is often underwritten. It's a weird adaptation, I dunno if it's deferring too much to its younger audience, making sure they're not too lost.

duridian

Episode 8. No spoilers, just in general terms wanted to say wow, that was excellent, and heartbreaking on so many levels.
Also setting up nicely for what I assume is the beginning of the second book.

duridian

I also discovered something interesting earlier today about what I thought were Serafina's tattoos!

On the right is a real life victim of a lightning strike.
https://i.redd.it/spgtglmffg541.jpg

Apparently it's called the Lichtenberg figure:
https://www.boredpanda.com/scars-after-surviving-lightning-strike-lichtenberg-figures-photos/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Millicently

I watched about 4 episodes but ended up deleting the other ones I'd recorded because I found it so protracted and tedious. Sorry to fans, but the child is annoying and obnoxious and no amount of cuddly daemons could compel me to watch the whole series.

duridian

duridian wrote: »

I also discovered something interesting earlier today about what I thought were Serafina's tattoos!

On the right is a real life victim of a lightning strike.
https://i.redd.it/spgtglmffg541.jpg

Apparently it's called the Lichtenberg figure:
https://www.boredpanda.com/scars-after-surviving-lightning-strike-lichtenberg-figures-photos/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Fascinating. Who would have thought?

alchemist33

Non- book reader here. Tbh I won'y be waiting for season 2 with bated breath. Too many things, big and small, didn't work for me - the bears voices which were too deep they were cartoony, too much dialogue hinting at threats and some deeper meaning without going there, a mythology which never really became real. But the biggest thing was the mother and son subplot, which looks like its important in the grand scheme of things, but was utterly tedious here.