TheHis Dark Materialsseries avoided becoming one of the many excellentfantasy shows canceled before they could conclude. When the series was adapted for TV after the much-anticipated but disappointing film adaptation,The Golden Compass, it could have made similar mistakes. However, it was more accurate to Philip Pullman’s original novels than the movie, working in its favor.
The series is set in a parallel universe where people’s souls (daemons) take animal form, living outside their bodies. TheHis Dark Materialscharacters are relatively book-accurate, and the series follows the adventures of Lyra Belacqua as she discovers the wider universe with her daemon, Pantalaimon. There are onlythree seasons ofHis Dark Materials, and there is not a single bad episode.
His Dark Materials Got A Satisfying Ending After 3 Perfect Seasons
Each Season Covered One Of The Books In The Original Trilogy
Unlike many fantasy series with surprising cancellations,His Dark Materialswas allowed to tell the entire story laid out in the books. While season 2 struggled a little with so many storylines, each season was still excellent, leading up to an emotional punch of a conclusion.His Dark Materialshad a devastating ending, but it is still worth watching.
The ending ofHis Dark Materialsreflects the tragedy of the original books. Viewers who had not read them might have wondered why the show was not renewed for a fourth season, but fans of the books were largely satisfied with how the series wrapped up.The final season ofHis Dark Materialsis the highest rated on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 91% positive critical rating.
Rotten Tomatoes critics' rating
Rotten Tomatoes audience rating
1
2019
77%
82%
2
2020
85%
3
2022
91%
78%
Philip Pullman’sHis Dark Materialstrilogy is very complex, and could have been extremely difficult to adaptinto a TV series. The stories involve characters traveling between multiple worlds, many of which have their own rules and species. While the first book has a relatively simple mystery plotline, the story opens up at the very end, revealing several new plot threads.
Some of the book’s storylines have been condensed or removed, and some of the minorHis Dark Materialscharactershave been combined for simplicity. Doing this has allowed the series to focus on the worldbuilding, which is one of the greatest strengths of the story.Each of theHis Dark Materialsseasons corresponds to a book in the trilogy, making it easier to understand.
The first season focuses on the missing children in Lyra’s Oxford, which sparks the events of the books. The second introduces Will, the other main character and protagonist, who comes from the Oxford in our universe and is fleeing a threat of his own. The third opens up even more alternate universes, explaining the mystery at the center ofHis Dark Materials.
His Dark Materials Was Faithful To The Source Material From Start To Finish
The HBO Show Was Perfectly Cast
His Dark Materialsis often considered to be one ofthe best fantasy TV shows that are based on books, because it is not only extremely well-written and represented, but also due to its accuracy.The 2007Golden Compassmovie adaptation had the potential to be the next major fantasy movie series, but it took out some of the controversial elements from the books, disappointing fans.
His Dark Materialsmight appear to be aimed at younger viewers due to the fantasy elements and presence of animal characters. However, this is deceptive, asthe books cover serious existential questions around morality and religion. The series includes these elements from the books, while also keeping smaller details that are essential to the characters, like Lyra’s cheekiness.
While one of the redeeming features of theGolden Compassmovie adaptation was the excellent casting, the TV series improved on it.TheHis Dark Materialsseries would almost certainly have been difficult to cast, as it is a coming-of-age storyfor both Lyra and Will. The actors chosen to play these characters would need to convincingly portray this change over time.
Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson play Lyra and Will, respectively. While Keen had already made several screen appearances, includingLogan,His Dark Materialswas Wilson’s first main role. The two were widely praised for their performances, especially considering they were acting opposite experienced TV stars.TheHis Dark Materialscast includes actors from major TV serieslikeSherlockandLuther.
The TV series' standout performances include Ruth Wilson as the deceptive and terrifying Marisa Coulter, and Lin-Manuel Miranda as the aeronaut and adventurer Lee Scoresby. The show also stars Andrew Scott, David Suchet, and James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, whose daemon is voiced by the late Helen McCrory. Many of the main cast are not seen onscreen as they are voicing daemons and animal characters.
Fantasy Book Adaptations Should Learn From HBO’s His Dark Materials
The His Dark Materials TV Series Took Risks (& They Paid Off)
TheHis Dark Materialsseries has some ofthe best fantasy worldbuilding, and while an adaptation could have been more style over substance, the HBO series worked to do more.TheHis Dark MaterialsTV series was successful as it worked to convey the tone of the original book seriesas well as the wonder of the worlds.
It is notoriously difficult to adapt a book to the screen. Many fail because they change the tone of the source material, or reinvent a beloved character to the point that they are unrecognizable.TV shows should learn from the success ofHis Dark Materials, and give equal weight to both the look of the show and the tone of the central story.
TheHis Dark Materialstrilogy warns about the danger of giving total control to organized religion.
TheHis Dark Materialsbook series was extremely controversialamong many religious communities. An article inCatholic Culturereported that “In the world of Pullman, God Himself (the Authority) is a merciless tyrant. His Church is an instrument of oppression, and true heroism consists of overthrowing both.” While other religious figures disagreed, this controversy was well-known and avoided in the movie.
The movie focused more on traveling between worlds and showcasing the magic and wonder of Lyra’s world with its animal daemons, rather than the more serious themes in the novels. This was heavily criticized by fans of the books. However, the TV series took a huge risk with the adaptation, andHis Dark Materialsseason 3 beat this problem.
TheHis Dark Materialstrilogy warns about the danger of giving total control to organized religion, and the TV adaptation confirms this theme. This was a major risk as not all audiences would be comfortable with this message. However, it paid off asthe series was critically acclaimed not only for its storytelling but for its close retelling of the source material.
