Review: His Dark Materials Season 1
His Dark Materials is an HBO and BBC television show that is based on the critically acclaimed British novels of the same name. A combination of science fiction and fantasy, the series is nonetheless a key piece of literature that is rooted in several traditions including Gnosticism. It follows the story of several characters who find themselves thrust in a war for free will itself. At the center of this conflict is Lyra Belacqua, an orphaned girl who lives in a world where every person is accompanied by a dæmon-- a physical manifestation of their conscience-- that takes on the shape of an animal. When her friend goes missing, she goes on a quest that takes her across the world in search for him. It is a journey that she also realizes is involved with her Uncle Asriel's search for a mysterious particle called Dust. Meanwhile Will Parry, a boy from our world, must find his father who went missing years ago after some men target his ailing mother.
Each season is based on a book in the trilogy, this first one adapted from Northern Lights (or The Golden Compass if you are in the United States). The first season however adds and expands on elements from Will Parry's story, who was introduced in the second book of the series. As the story unfolds we are caught up in the wonder of the world that author Philip Pullman created and how it is so similar to ours despite its peculiarities. What I appreciate about this TV show and the books they were adapted from is that the series serves as a critique against unchecked authority and the vilification of free thought. The principle villains of this series are all affiliated with a religious institution referred to as the Magisterium-- who use their understanding of God to justify their control of the lives of people across the globe. While Lyra and Will themselves are young and don't understand the entirety of the sociopolitical context, other characters are well aware of the fraught political situation and how the days to come are pinnacle to the fate of humanity and all the worlds.
Pullman's Magisterium is known not only for its corrupt nature but also how it uses kidnapped children for experiments. Most of them are taken from marginalized communities or from the streets. In many ways, this is a reflection of the atrocities that were committed by the Church to "save" children from sinful influences. What resulted was physical, mental, and spiritual abuse of children who came from various racial/ethnic and religious minorities, as well as those in poverty. In the book and the series, this is emblematic in Lyra's interactions with the Gyptians-- arguably influenced by our conception of the Romani. In Lyra's world, armored polar bears are also a reality. While there is certainly not an equivalent here in our world...the tense political situation between the Bears and the Magisterium can be interpreted as the fraught relationship that the Church has with the environment. Their doctrines-- often citing that nature is corrupt and inherently evil-- often are used to justify the destruction and exploitation of the environment. The Magisterium is also notorious for its horrid treatment of a particular religious community known as the Witches. While many of these do side with the Magisterium, others choose to stand against its practices which tend to malign both nature and humanity.
The series owes its conception to a variety of different sources. A lot of the principles in the series are actually explored in esoteric traditions and gnosticism. Lyra-- in order to find answers she seeks to questions she has no answers for-- uses a divination device similar to a compass known as an alethiometer. As she meditates over the compass...she finds the conclusions she needs to take action. Often in these esoteric approaches, despite the acknowledgment of a transcendent figure, there is argument that people should develop their own conclusions based on their personal experience with the divine and meanwhile encourage respectful conduct over differences. Many of them also abhor the institutional perversion of the sacred...to be used to control people.
As one can guess, His Dark Materials developed quite a vehemently negative report amongst Christians...particularly the Catholic church. The series has been ridiculed by conservative Christians for its exploration on how power corrupts religious institutions and how this in turn impacts ethics, philosophy, and scientific advancement. Philip Pullman has also been called one of the most dangerous authors in recent history.
Personally, I found the first season of His Dark Materials to be done rather well. This adaptation was certainly more faithful than the one that was done by the 2007 film, using the American title for the first book: The Golden Compass. Both Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson performed well in their roles as the main protagonists of the series. While I personally enjoy Nicole Kidman, I found Ruth Wilson's performance as the title villain of Mrs. Coulter to be spot-on and definitely excelled the predecessor's portrayal. Lin-Manuel Miranda's performance as Lee Scoresby is also quite stellar too.
You can watch a trailer for the first season here. The show can be viewed on HBO.
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