by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
I swear, writing for this site is going to make people believe I have never picked up a book in my life.
Though my reading habits have become a little streakier over the years, I assure you I do still open books, but here I am once again reviewing a popular series without having any previous experience with the source material. Despite the largely panned first attempt of a film adaptation, His Dark Materials has been a hit for HBO on television, and it returns for its third and final season at the network — all eight episodes dropped in pairs on Monday over the course of December.
When the show first debuted in 2019, the big draw for me was the cast. After Logan, I, like most people, was curious to see what Dafne Keen did next in the role of Lyra. Adding James McAvoy in the role of her father, Lord Asriel, was just a bonus. As the first two seasons progressed, I found myself drawn into the world, and ready for the climatic finale.
So how does it fare?
We find Will (Amir Wilson) on the search to rescue Lyra from Mrs. Coulter’s (Ruth Wilson) clutches, while Lord Asriel is ready to wage war against the Authority and the Magisterium amass to stop him.
As a season of television overall, there was still enough here for me to enjoy it as a whole. For me personally, the show works best when it focuses on Lyra and her journey with Will. The duo’s storyline (once reunited) had far and away the best moments of the season. The conclusion, too, had me really feeling for the characters. There’s also an exploration of death and mortality that takes place over the course of a couple of episodes in a type of purgatory that I think was the highlight for me of the entire season.
Where I was disappointed was the “climactic” elements of the final season.
More than I would’ve liked, Lyra seems almost secondary for large stretches of the season, with more of the focus being placed on Asriel and Mrs. Coulter. The issue with this is that the show has made me hate them over the course of the previous two seasons. Admittedly, that’s a little strong, but at the very least they’ve been made unlikable. Therefore, when the show wants me to get invested in their attempts to be redeemed, I’m not particularly interested in it. The other major problem in the show’s conclusion is that I never felt like I had a great sense of what was happening in the battle, so all the visuals didn’t quite hold the weight they’re meant to.
The writing, at times, throughout the show’s run has been a weak point for me. In this season, particularly with Asriel, he’s so full of himself that when he’s bloviating, I’m likely to roll my eyes. It’s not McAvoy’s fault; it’s the character that does it to me. That’s also not a flaw solely attributable to him. At times, lines fall flat, and characters in this world have always made some frustrating decisions. Where the latter part shows itself the most is with a lingering tiff between Lyra and her daemon based on one of the decisions she makes. Speaking of Lyra, once she and Will are reunited, her story picks up, but for the start of the final season, she’s either drugged or screaming for Roger at the top of her lungs. Not exactly the best utilization of Keen’s talents.
Lest you think I didn’t enjoy my time, I assure you I did on balance; the show is helped majorly in the technical department. It has always been, and remains, gorgeous to look at. The fantastical elements have to be pulled off for the show to work, and with the exception of one of Asriel’s lieutenants, it’s nearly flawless in that regard. Though we’re not quite world-hopping as much as in the previous season, the show still knows how to bring its diverse collection of worlds to life and instill a sense of wonder.
In addition, despite some of my quibbles with the messengers, the themes about religion and being mistrustful of institutions remained interesting to explore at the heart of the story, despite a release strategy that made me wonder if the new overlords just wanted to get things done and over with by the end of the year, and trying to make my watch as difficult as possible.
Despite the fact that I think the show ends on its weakest season, as the story concluded, it was a ride I was happy I finished with the characters. The end title cards hint at a possible future story down the road, and it’s a story I’d be willing to follow once again if it comes to fruition.
Score: 6/10
His Dark Materials is currently streaming on HBO Max
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