His Dark Materials Season 2

[SimonJT]

(I didn’t see another thread)

Is anyone else watching?

Ruth Wilson I love, such a good actress.
Im thinking of reading the books, never to old hey?

Yes agree with being in our world and the effect on daemons, although I do still dislike how they aren't very vocal. Hester is a bit more vocal than the others we see but I assume this is more because Lee is alone most of the time.

Maybe characters don't talk to their daemons much in front of other people because they would be airing their inner most thoughts and literally baring their souls if they did. Conversations between people and their daemons are private because others hearing what you say could make you very vulnerable and exposed emotionally and psychologically.

In this season many of the people with daemons are underlings in oppressive / militaristic societies - their souls are shrivelled, so it would be no surprise if their daemons are somewhat repressed!

Here we go

Terence Stamp ❤️

Terence Stamp was fab. We didn't see Mrs C and Lord Beautiful enter Citagazze in the book did we? Now is probably a good time to recommend 'The Collectors', a short story about Mrs Coulter in her youth.

No, I don't remember that from the book either. I might have to reread the last few chapters.
Lord Beautiful He is called Stephen in our house, because he played lovely Stephen Black in Jonathan Strange.
Loved this episode.

Really enjoyed this episode, the casting has been so good. Lord beautiful 😊 he has so much screen presence

Terence Stamp, perfection.

The acting/casting has been superb.

Loved every second of tonights episode. I’m glad they didn’t shy away from chopping Will’s fingers off in the fight for the knife. Looking forward to next weeks!

Never heard of the Collectors.

Such a great episode tonight. Terence Stamp really is so good, a short appearance but very important, and so convincing!
In fact very impressed with all the actors in this.

He is called Stephen in our house, because he played lovely Stephen Black in Jonathan Strange.

I had not realised it was the same actor, I loved that as well.

It was an absolutely brilliant episode. I'm so pleased they finally have the knife, and look forward to seeing how they progress with the series.

Yeah, the only problem is that in the book Lyra is blonde and in the TV series her hair's black.

I loved this. It makes me settle down and concentrate

2020 has ruined me for weekly instalments - I'm finding these tiny bits very frustrating. They're not even long enough episodes. I've been watching Life on Mars (for the first time) recently and each episode of that seems to last hours. And I was able to watch both seasons in their entirety over a few days.

Having said that, HDM remains very beautiful and absorbing. I remember the fight for the knife differently, and I'm sure it was all more sinister in the book, but I'm glad we've finally reached this point. Interesting choice to have the other two enter Cittagazze - now we don't know what happens next. Though I imagine things will eventually play out as in the original story.

Wonderful, but I need the rest now.

As someone who hasn't read the books have to say I was just a teeny bit let down with the explanation of Dust / Dark Matter - Angels? Wanting vengence?

Also, think Ruth Wilson in this is, like a lot of the adult characters, too mannered. But for once Terence Stamp wasn't.

Still loving the sets, and machinery, and ...

Also big thanks to those of you who know the stories and have been so considerate about not putting in spoilers -

The Dust explanation annoyed me too. It’s a lot more complex in the books.

I'm finding these tiny bits very frustrating. They're not even long enough episodes.

Agreed. They're 50 minutes long and by the time the recap and title sequence is over it's more like 40. I'd much prefer a full 60 minute epidodes, but perhaps i'm being greedy.

She doesn’t look any different in her casual clothes!

How is she able to be separate from her daemon? I don’t remember

There was a suggestion in the book about separation, I don't know if she can separate like witches or if she controls the pain. It was a bit strange. I suppose like many things it needs to be simplified and obvious for TV.

I did love the conversation between Marisa and Carlos about how her life would have been in this world and how damaged she was by the way she was treated, a bit of a flashback to the conversation where Ma Costa told Lyra who her Mum was. And how Carlos, despite liking many things about our world, still did not understand why women need equality.

Mrs Coulter's ability to separate from her dæmon is never fully explained in the book.