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lordbelacqua · 3 years

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Okay I don’t actually know if this is an unpopular opinion or not but although I love the show overall as an adaptation, I think a lot of opportunities were missed with Serafina Pekkala and the rest of the witches. I just don’t think they’re anywhere near as fully-formed in the show as in the books. I also really don’t understand their costume design? They’re described as incredibly in-tune with nature so I would expect that to be reflected in what they wear but instead, particularly in s2, they’re wearing clothing made of unnatural fibers and patterns that don’t make any sense at all in terms of storytelling or revealing character. And while I get that even a miniseries doesn’t have enough time to cover everything in a series of novels, I feel like they really stripped Serafina down to almost nothing; I don’t like that it takes until season 2 for her to officially meet Lyra, and while I get that they were trying to give Ruta Skadi more of an arc, it seems weird that they’ve completely erased Serafina from the whole “Marisa tortures a witch” plot. It’ll be interesting to see if they include Amber Spyglass Serafina’s hatred of Mrs Coulter in season 3; I think it’ll be harder to justify if they do because of how they moved things around. Anyway sorry for rambling lol love your blog, hope you’re staying healthy and safe

Send me your (unpopular) HDM opinions or anything else you’d like.

Well first of all, thank you for this amazing response, I love it so much. And thank you for the kind words, I hope you are staying healthy and safe, as well!

My answer will be under the cut because I talk too much. I’m going to try and number your points so that this doesn’t turn into a mess.

(1) I think a lot of opportunities were missed with Serafina Pekkala and the rest of the witches. I just don’t think they’re anywhere near as fully-formed in the show as in the books. — Even though I never really had a larger issue with this because it’s a book to show adaptation, I kind of agree. I don’t think we saw the witches as much as we should have, especially Serafina and her contribution to the entire story, since my overall impression was that I missed her in both seasons (more s1 than s2). I haven’t rewatched S1 in a long time but aside from her very emotional scene with Farder Coram, I think all her scenes strip down to that one line “She is a special child with the prophecy”. I might need to rewatch S1 to refresh my memory, though. As for other witches, I felt like they were just put in for Marisa and the Magisterium to bully them, to be honest. In their defense, I’m glad they didn’t copy+paste the book!witches to show because in my opinion, Mr Pullman has given them some very unsettling characteristics. A lot of their personality revolves around the “If you don’t love, honor and worship me, you’ll pay (die)”. That’s why it’s mentioned that Ruta Skadi killed the tigers of a Tartar tribe that “failed to do her honor” and wears their fangs in her hair, that’s why Juta Kamainen kills John Parry (something they changed, too) whom she “used to love” but had so much resentment for after she found out he was dedicated to another woman in another world. I believe the writers didn’t want them to ultimately seem like villains to the audience even though it meant taking a lot of what’s to them out.

(2) I feel like they really stripped Serafina down to almost nothing; I don’t like that it takes until season 2 for her to officially meet Lyra, and while I get that they were trying to give Ruta Skadi more of an arc, it seems weird that they’ve completely erased Serafina from the whole “Marisa tortures a witch” plot. — As for your Ruta Skadi point, I don’t really have a problem with her having an arc. Ruta Skadi still plays an important(-ish) role in TSK - she finds out about the Æsahættr and its importance to Lord Asriel in the war, she is the first one (?) to go to Lord Asriel and learn about his plans in the war and eventually, she decides about her own and her clan’s involvement in the war. I felt like, and now you point out, because it took so long (until she meets Lyra, I think) for Serafina’s arc to become more than just one line about the prophecy and stalking Lee Scoresby all the time except when he needed her, Ruta’s arc was only more prominent there. Them erasing Serafina from the tortured witch plot is something that out of everything, truly bothers me (the other things don’t really bother me, they are more of an observation). I think her erasure from that storyline is a crime!!! sad because it would give a lot more context to the “broken arrow” scene from TAS, which I love so much and would be sad to see it cut. So if I had a chance to change something about Serafina’s storyline, it would have been this.

(3) I also really don’t understand their costume design? (...) they’re wearing clothing made of unnatural fibers and patterns that don’t make any sense at all in terms of storytelling or revealing character. — I watched the Behind The Scenes of Season One a while ago where Caroline McCall (the costume designer) addressed the change in the witches’ wardrobe. She said the reason they aren’t wearing black silk like they are supposed to is because it would have been a mess to work with on the set and I understand. I also always imagined the witches in the books to be scantily clad so I think their aim was to appropriate them for younger audiences, too, and not have witch titties popping out on the screen. Even though S2 costumes don’t really fit that aesthetic, they still look so sexy grr.

In (my) conclusion, yes, opportunities were missed but I think in a book to show adaptation it’s not overall a huge issue. At least not to me, maybe I’m biased because show!witches are so sexy and bad and smart, but considering everything I said above, it can all be a result of their effort to adapt it for younger people or non-book readers without having to give too much backstory or explanation.

Thank you, again, for this amazing review!! I would like to hear more opinions on this, so don’t hesitate to share.

#ty for writing in!#ourlady-of-the-underground #asks #hdm #his dark materials #the witches

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the-silvertonguewitch · 3 years

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Musings on Lyra’s journey in TSC

I’ve been thinking a lot about Lyra’s journey in the second and (upcoming) third book of the Book of Dust series. Especially about the hints and clues from TSC pointing to some eventual “sacrifice” (to get Pan back, to enter the red building) in the final book. Beware: spoilers for TSC below.

I don’t think that Will and Lyra reunite, or see each other again. Pullman could’ve made it work at some point, but not after TSC. Lyra’s journey there is too dependent on Will not coming back.

Let me explain. Lyra and Will could’ve chosen to stay together. They could’ve made the choice to live a very shortened life together. We know why they didn’t: as Will puts it, one of them would’ve died young, leaving the other grief stricken, and it would’ve meant two lives wasted. On the flipside, they would’ve loved each other deeply and intensely – probably more deeply and more intensely than most, since they would’ve known from the beginning that their years together were counted – and it would’ve been, all in all, two short lives well spent.

Again, they could’ve chosen that. Instead, at the end of TAS, they decide to give a life without each other a chance.

But what’s been life for Lyra so far, eight years later? She’s a student at St-Sophia, a good one, gets good grades, is probably somewhat interested – but doesn’t sound passionate – about what she’s studying. Friends at school? There’s Miriam – more a casual class buddy than a real intimate BFF. Lovers? There’s Dick Orchard, though from the look of it their relationship erred more on the “friends with benefit” side (and at some point, it’s strongly implied that Lyra never touched Dick’s daemon Bindi, contrasting the deep, soul-like connection she had with Will). She forbids herself from getting too close with boys she might fall in love with (coughMalcoughcom) out of fear of being unfaithful to Will’s memory. All in all, it’s exactly like what she tells Farder Coram: “I thought all the danger was over… Everything, the good as well as the bad, it was all over. There was nothing left but learning and… Well, just that, really.” (TSC, p. 280) She adopts the new trendy way of thinking of Brande and Talbot, one of cold rationality, hard facts, a black and white representation of the world, because Brande and Talbot’s philosophy deny the reality itself of every traumatic experience she had to go through between 11 and 13: the knowledge of who her parents were (as well as the lack of closure in her relationship with both of them), being almost separated from Pan in Bolvangar, Roger’s death, coming across soul-eating specters, having Pan ripped out of her heart, loosing Will. If daemons don’t exist, if there’s no land of the dead and no specters, if love is nothing but a fancy of the mind, then Lyra can’t be hurt by these things, unless by deluding herself into believing that they’re real. Her fascination with Brande and Talbot is a coping mechanism, and it could almost work, except that it’s the perfect recipe for a bleh, bland life.

Fact is, TSC’s Lyra probably, consciously or not (but more consciously than not, I’d wager), regret parting from Will. If she had gone with him into his world, she’d be in pretty bad shape by now but so what? She would’ve been happy. Happier, at least. Fulfilled.

I even wonder if that isn’t one of the reasons behind her estrangement with Pan. Going with Will would’ve meant choosing love over life, and what is a person’s daemon, if not that person’s “life”, in animal form? Why else would daemons disappear when their person dies? Why else would they be forbidden from crossing into the land of the dead?

And so, maybe, her journey in the TSC is about discovering that the choice she made in TAS wasn’t a “wrong” one after all. That she can still live a wholesome, fulfilling life, and that she can still love as deeply as she once did with Will. That she can still hope.

This doesn’t mean that Lyra will love Malcolm “more” than Will, nor the other way around (that Malcolm would merely be the “second choice”, the best she could hope for if she can’t be with Will). Pullman pulls tricks like these all the time. He did it with Jim and Sally, and with Ginny in The Broken Bridge, and now he’s doing it with Lyra too: protagonists falling deeply in love with someone, loosing that love, and unexpectedly finding another love. That “other” love is never presented as “more” or “less” than the first, because that’s not the point. The point is that there’s always hope.

Strangely enough, Lyra and Malcolm’s journeys in TSC have quite a few parallels with Lyra and Will in TSK (and somewhat in TAS too, though I expect the third installment of TBoD to have more parallels with TAS specifically). Only this time, Lyra is Will and Malcolm is Lyra. Lyra is the one without a daemon, the odd one out, the one who makes herself invisible, who’s desperately looking for a lost loved one, who can’t return home, who finds comfort in letters written by someone she cares for, who gets her hand badly wounded in a fight. Malcom is the one searching for Dust rose oil, the straight-face liar, the slightly obnoxious, the one who gets out of sticky situations all the time but still ends up drugged and passed out in a train (but not in a suitcase at least). I’m not sure where the story is going with this or what’s the purpose of these parallels, though I’d guess that they contain some hints and clues of what’s gonna happen in the last BoD. Lyra’s journey doesn’t only boil down to romance either. Romantic love, and all other kinds of love, is just a part of Lyra’s lost “shadow”. Or Lyra’s lost “Dust”, as I believe that that’s what the “shadow” refers to in the poem of Jahan and Rukhsana. Malcolm concludes that Rukhsana’s stolen shadow = Lyra’s daemon Pan, but I’m not sure if Pullman isn’t pulling another trick on us, because –

“Nevertheless, that shadow-colored cat on the moonlit lawn…” (TSC, 143)

“As if Gottfried Brande was some kind of enchanter who made you forget everything you used to love, everything mysterious, all the places where the shadows are.” (TSC, 175)

“You’re expecting the sun to describe shadows. The sun has never seen a shadow.”

“But the world is full of shadows.” […] “I came here”, Pan said, “because reading your novel persuaded my Lyra that the things she believed in were false. It made her bitterly unhappy. It was as if you’d stolen her imagination and taken away her hope with it.” (TSC, 360-361)

I could probably quote more, but you get the picture. It seems like what Lyra hopes to find in the red building is Dust/shadow particles – meaning that she, too, knows that *something* was taken from her – and she hopes to find it there, specifically, probably because she’s already unconsciously linked the red building to the world of the Mulefas, where the flow of Dust was so abundant and where she and Will kissed for the first time.

All that to say, Rukhsana’s stolen shadow = Lyra’s stolen imagination/Dust. Or so I believe for now. We’ll see.

It’s complicated, though, because in the poem, Rukhsana must make a great sacrifice to get her shadow back, and likewise Lyra’s told by that alchemist in Prague that she’ll have to make a great sacrifice to get Pan back – and even then, that she’ll get him back, but “not in the way” she’d expect. We also learn from Dr. Strauss’s journal that entering the red building costs a life. Another sacrifice, another place.

For Pan, I have my own guesses. The “sacrifice” will either be 1) Lyra giving up absolute rationality, which means she’ll also have to face all the traumas she’s been repressing and discounting as “not real” so far, or 2) Pan will return to Lyra, but as an invisible part of her or hidden inside of her, like peoples’ “daemons” from Will’s world. They’ll never part again, but Lyra will lose the companionship that she had with an external part of herself. Hence Pan not returning to her “in the way she thinks”.

Actually, I’d think that we could see 1) and 2) both. In TSC, Lyra questions the realness of daemons and it would be almost too easy to deny their existence altogether if they weren’t visible. Obviously TBoD will not end with Lyra now enlightened with the understanding that Pan never existed and was just a “projection of the mind”, so for Pan to disappear inside of her, and for her to truly believe in his existence regardless, would point to some significant change of faith, which is probably what the books are building up to anyway.

The “sacrifice” needed to enter the red building is even murkier. From Strauss’s journal, it’s sort of implied that Strauss and Cariad were the “payment” for the rose specimens given to Hassall, so I’m not sure if the sacrifice “pays” for an entrance into the building, or if it pays for the knowledge of what’s inside it. Besides, Lyra and Malcolm are probably both going in – or, rather, Malcolm was sent there by Oakley Street with the official purpose of gathering information while Lyra is traveling to Karamakan with the intent of entering the building, so they both seem set up to parallel Dr. Hassall (Malcolm) and Dr. Strauss (Lyra), respectively; however, once they reach the place they’ll obviously both go in, so the “life payment” might not be required.

How they’ll trick their way into leaving the red building is another matter. Again, I’d expect some nods and callbacks to TAS, especially the part where Will and Lyra managed against all odds to escape from the world of the dead. Back then they had the knife and Lyra’s imagination (part of the deal was that they’d tell stories to the harpies in exchange for their help at finding the way out). Might be that Lyra’s newly returned talent at storytelling comes in handy this time again. Or maybe – and this is just a very big MAYBE –

The story she will tell in the red building is the poem of Jahan and Rukhsana. Oh, but what if it must be a true story? Well actually, it is, and Lyra and Malcolm are right there to prove it. How “true” the story is, that’s like asking how true to reality a metaphor is. It’s a matter of perception, or rather, imagination.

#HDM metas #his dark materials #the secret commonwealth #lyra silvertongue #lyra belacqua #malcolm polstead #my metas #hdm spoilers

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cdyssey · 3 years

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“The Idea of North” Reactions:

Episode 1

Omg, they went all out on Mrs. Coulter’s apartment.

Cries at Mrs. Coulter looking at Lyra with such a conflicted expression as she plays on her bed. Wtf, Ruth Wilson. 😭

AUgh, Roger hugging Billy. These are two of the cutest little boys ever, omg.

“I slept out there every other Sunday.” / “No, you didn’t.” / “I did!” And then Mrs. C fondly laughs. 😭😭😭

“I’ve never been sure about them. Heights. I could never get away from the occasional urge to jump.” JESUS CHRIST.

(Because fundamentally, so many of Marisa’s actions are about self-destruction.)

“Lyra, look around this room. How many women do you see? In every room, there are those that would belittle you. With my help, they won’t lay a scratch on you.” || I’m glad that the show is tackling the extreme misogyny in Lyra’s world.

“Lyra, I won’t let you down.” Lmao, sure, Jan.

OH, the LYRA AND MRS. COULTER BATH SCENE. The specific detail of the monkey looking away. The way she strokes Lyra’s face so tenderly. And how Pan, and of course, Lyra by extension, starts to notice some of the danger behind Mrs. C’s words...

“She’s nice. She treats me nice. Don’t we deserve to have nice things? For once?” And we’re shown shots of Mrs. C staring sadly at the empty bathtub. God.

“No one’s ever said I could be extraordinary before.” 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Wow, the glare she gives the monkey when she sees him staring at her.

GSHSJSS, the show does anything it can to make sure it doesn’t have to show minor and extra character’s dæmons.

But man, how I adore how it’s fleshing out unseen moments from the book: a lot of Lyra and Mrs. Coulter’s time together, Farder Coram and John Faa trying to find Billy, Roger and Billy in captivity. A good adaptation of a show doesn’t change big parts of its mythos; it adds to that mythos to expand it in new and exciting ways.

While they’ve been in London, Lyra and Mrs. C have matched in shades of blue. 👀

YO, the monkey growling under the table when Lyra mentions Dust, and Pan noticing. I love seeing the complexities of the dæmons.

Lyra lying so effortlessly to Mrs. Coulter is A+, but the bad part already established is that Mrs. C, liar extraordinaire, can tell when her kid is lying.

God, Ma Costa’s grief.

Oh, fuck off, show, don’t make me cry this early. 😭

John Faa comforting her. Man, the way he grabs her hand. The both of them are so good.

HHHHHHH, THE MONKEY BEING SO FAR AWAY FROM MRS. COULTER. DAMN.

This long, dark hallway shot of Mrs. Coulter slowly approaching in a white dress is exquisitely creepy.

GOD, HER SLAPPING THE MONKEY. JESUS.

“We need to crossss.” Boreal’s actor adding a hissing quality to his words is such a nice touch.

Oooh, we’re already getting Will’s world???

HAHSJS, I love the parking tickets he has.

Marisa’s legit turning on all her charms for Father MacPhail.

Goddamn, that bug dæmon landing on the priest dude’s head is terrifying.

Marisa Coulter is enraged by what the Magisterium is threatening to do to her, and she’s about to take it all out on Lyra.

“I wasn’t angry.” / “And you still are.” Like her mother, Lyra knows a liar when she sees one.

Wow, she was about to walk away and leave it be, but then she stayed. (Because she can never get away from the occasional urge to jump.)

FUCK OFF, MARISAASAA. AUGH. THE MONKEY JUMPING ON PAN.

JESUS, AND SHE JUST STANDS THERE SO CALMLY.

“HE’S A FAILURE OF A MAN AND A FAILURE OF A FATHER.” HOT EFFING DAMN.

“He... he’s my father. Isn’t he?” I’m going to fucking cry.

“My mother... who is she?” / “Could have been anyone.” Oh, my go d. Why are you lik e this

“Couldn’t protect a painting if it was drawn on the walls.” SJSJSJSHS.

“Our origins don’t define us,” Mrs. Coulter says, tears standing in her eyes. “It’s what we do with what we have.” // She says, but fundamentally, she doesn’t apply it to herself.

“Please leave me alone.” / And then nodding, Mrs. Coulter actually does it. Wow.

And they both sink to the floor away from each other. I’m losing my mind. This acting is so good.

AUGH, THE GOLDEN COMPASS MOVING. LET’S GO!!

I love that Boreal and this Thomas dude are just talking about dæmons in the non-magical world in, like, a coffee shop.

Mrs. Coulter is trying to lie about Roger still being in Oxford, and Lyra is not having it. Go, girl.

“You’re lying.” God, I love her.

The parallel shots of Lyra desperately trying to open a grate while Mrs. Coulter angrily slams a sliding door shut. 😭 This show really knows how to put moments side by side.

GOD, that smile Mrs. C gives the stolen children. JESUS.

OH, GOD, BOLVANGAR TIME.

Mrs. Coulter meeting Roger and realizing it.

AUGH, the burning letters. This scene made me gasp aloud in the book.

Ma’am, you suck!

HHHH, THE TENSION OF HER TRYING TO GET BACK TO HER ROOM BEFORE THE LIFT MAKES IT UP.

HHH, she makes it.

Oh, my God. The monkey softly petting Pan.

I hate this show. It’s making me feel things.

Damn, that turquoise suit on Boreal.

Oh, the journalist!!!!!

This poor, traumatized child. Not only has she learned that her parents aren’t really dead and her uncle is actually her father, but now she learns that Mrs. C is not only an asshole, but a child-stealing asshole.

HHHHH, LYRA ON THE BUILDING LEDGE. I KNOW IT’S NOT REAL AND I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, BUT STILL.

Mrs. Coulter’s expression when she realizes that Lyra’s gone. HHH, give Ruth Wilson all the awards.

WAIT, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITH ADELE???

HE JUST EFFING KILLED HER.

Lyra sitting in the dark, terrified. God.

“I liked her, Pan.” 😭😭😭

THE HELL? A GOBBLER?!

Okay, but I low key think it’s John Faa setting a trap bc of the hat the dude’s wearing, haha.

What an amazing episode.

#lyra silvertongue #marisa coulter #roger parslow #lord boreal #his dark materials #f: his dark materials #maggie blogs

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lisbonsteresa · 3 years

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His Dark Materials!!

the first character i ever fell in love with: my feral little daughter Lyra

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: okay...when i was younger, i thought Asriel was really cool. (even after the end of tgc 😓) but luckily, i have grown wiser and i know he’s garbage

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: ah......pass

my ultimate favorite character™: books: Lyra show: Will (but i love both those kids so much; 10/10 would die for them)

prettiest character: very much a tie between Marisa (because evil lady hot) and Ruta (because witch queen hot)

my most hated character: books: Gomez (because like....my guy. the fuck.) show: ....for the moment, MacPhail (who honestly might end up being the show’s version of Gomez; i would not be surprised)

my OTP: i cried over Will and Lyra at 13 and i cry about them now; they deserve all the happiness the worlds can give them

my NOTP: i don’t know if i have one per se.....

favorite episode: oh ok ok i go back and forth so much on this; i have an episode in each season that i think is the objective best, but i also have my favorite episode of each season. I think Armour is the best episode for s1: we got fantastic introductions to Lee, Hester, and Iorek; we got the scene with Serafina and Farder Coram that still breaks my heart every time i watch it; we got the start of the bear battle royale (which was 13-year old me’s favorite plot in tgc); and we got a tiiiiny little Will tease; it’s great. But i also loved The Fight to the Death, for the aforementioned bear battle and Will’s plot really kicking off in the worst way will honey it wasn’t your fault moxie is the true guilty party here And obviously The Scholar is the best episode of s2 (i would argue of the whole show). It’s such an amazing look into Marisa as a character without making her too sympathetic and without detracting from the other - very good! - storylines in play. Also the heist scene was so good...SO good and it has my second favorite will-lyra moment but that’s just me. But i also really really loved The Cave (for almost purely sentimental reasons maybe, but the Will/Lyra storyline in that episode....*chef’s kiss*)

saddest death: i know the one that’s fresh in everyone’s mind now (and it does hurt me, don’t get me wrong) but Billy Costa was a sweet innocent boy who never did anything wrong and deserved NONE of what happened to him and he doesn’t even get a **** ** *** **** cameo!! what’s up with that Phil!!?

favorite season: s2 outsold

least favorite season: s1 (i still love you though)

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: the closest i would say is sometimes i think we take the Marisa appreciation a little too far (yes evil lady hot but she’s fucked up)

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: THAT BEING SAID....do i think Marisa Coulter effectively utilized girl power when she had countless children kidnapped and cut their souls away from them, brutally attacked and traumatized her own daughter, tortured multiple witches and encouraged the bombing of their lands, killed or had who knows how many people killed/tortured/imprisoned, kidnapped her own daughter, and .....other tas-related things? maybe.

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: ROGER PARSLOW AND BILLY COSTA DID NOTHING WRONG AND WHAT DID THEY GET FOR BEING INNOCENT? i hate this story

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: ......Marisa and Asriel are a lot ok?

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Farder Coram and Serafina, but it’s only lowkey because if i think too hard about them i will start to cry

#ask games #longpost #liarbelacqua

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dragonsareawesome123 · 3 years

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for the fandom meme: his dark materials :)

Thanks for asking! I’m going to be only using the original trilogy and the TV show (probably more so the TV show since I haven’t read the books since middle school) since I haven’t read any of the spinoff books.

the first character i ever fell in love with: I don’t really remember much about my initial thoughts reading the books but I think it must’ve been Lyra. She’s so headstrong and stubborn and feral. I love my feral daughter.

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: I don’t think I have a character who i used to like but now don’t.

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: I don’t think I have a ship that I liked before but don’t now.

my ultimate favorite character™: Lyra, Will and Lee. I love them all so much!

prettiest character: Marisa Coulter! She wears such beautiful outfits and she’s played by Ruth Wilson who is GORGEOUS!

my most hated character: I guess Cardinal MacPhail since he’s basically become a dictator at this point.

my OTP: Lyra/Will! I love them so much! I also really love Marisa/Asriel.

my NOTP: Idk, maybe Marisa/MacPhail? Is that even a ship? Either way, I don’t support it.

favorite episode: I think either S01E04 or S02E05. “Armour” was just such a fun episode and a great introduction to Lee, Hester, and Iorek. “The Scholar” was such an interesting deep dive into Marisa’s character, not to mention just a great exploration of being a woman in a male dominated space.

saddest death: Lee and Hester’s deaths FOR SURE. Their death scene was heartbreaking to read and it was heartbreaking to watch. Just seeing Lee and Hester so hurt and upset was just...it broke my heart :(

favorite season: Season 2.

least favorite season: I guess by process of elimination since there’s only been two seasons so far, Season 1? I don’t know, I still really love Season 1.

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: I don’t think I have a character that everyone else loves but I don’t.

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: Marisa Coulter. She’s a terrible human being but she’s also just such an interesting character who I am intrigued with.

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Roger definitely deserved better. He was just a child who wanted to hang out with his best friend! He didn’t deserve to die like that! Billy Costa too! He was just a kid and didn’t deserve to have his soul ripped from him!

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: Boreal/Marisa but only in the TV show. I know, their relationship is incredibly toxic and terrible but they have great chemistry on screen that I can’t help but ship it a little bit.

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: I don’t know, maybe Farder Coram/Serafina? That’s the only ship that comes close to this description since the rest of the ships are ships that I really like and am quite invested in.

Send me a fandom and I’ll answer these questions about it

#moxyphinx #his dark materials #hdm #hdm spoilers

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kirjavas · 7 months

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9, 10, 14, 32? for the ask meme

any scenes/characters/actors you think are underrated the scene where balthamos dies saving lyra, it made me go crazy the first time i saw it. i think farder coram is pretty underrated, he's one of my favourite minor characters. simone kirby deserves more appreciation she literally EMBODIED mary malone

top three episodes betrayal, tower of the angels, the botanic garden

favourite dæmon kirjava (in the books) and probably stelmaria or pantalaimon in the show

alethiometer, knife or spyglass i do love the knife but i'd have to go for the alethiometer

#asks

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hatters-workshop · 4 years

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Chapter 7: John Faa

God I love these two, but it was a struggle to draw them. I'm not the most experienced with drawing men, let alone elderly men. I wish sophonax had turned out how more how I hoped, but as is often the problem, i over thought it to the point where i was never going to be happy with her. Her design is meant to look like a maine coon, as from the description given of her soft looking thick fur that is all the colours of autumn, that seemed the best fit. Farder Coram was always a bit of a favourite of mine, not quite sure why as he's only in the books so briefly. He just seems so kind and caring for Lyra. I really wanted to give him and John a feeling of soft amusement in this, as they both look at this savage child and mentally decide that they'd do anything to keep her safe.

Other illustrations in this series:

Book cover || Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6

#art #artist #his dark materials #hdm #northern lights #philip pullman #lyra belacqua #lyra silvertongue #john faa #farder coram #daemons #illustration #hisdarkmaterials25

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chevalier-tialys · 4 years

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can’t see forward ‘cause it disappears

Rating: Gen

Summary: Lyra returns to the campsite after chasing a ghost. It doesn’t quite go the way Lee expected it to.

His Dark Materials Fan Week | Day four: favourite scene / moment

“It’s about control, isn’t it? ’Cause if you can remove someone’s soul, you can do anything.”

[Read on Ao3]

Lee watched as Lyra rode away on Iorek, feeling slightly apprehensive about this whole situation.

It was probably just a bad feeling, but Lee never ignored those. He’d learned the hard way a few times that it was always better to trust his instincts – and trust them he did. Hester nudged his foot a bit to get his attention, and he looked down.

“You’re thinking really loudly,” she remarked, concerned. “I know you’re worried about the kid, but she’ll be fine with Iorek.”

“I’m not – I’m not just worried about the kid,” he admitted softly. “I’m with Coram on this one, I think there’s something really wrong here.”

He’d spoken with the man about how they could trust Iorek to take Lyra to the village and bring her back safely, and he’d confided in Lee that he didn’t like this at all. Kaisa had spoken up about the importance of looking into it – whatever it was, anyway – and Coram trusted the dæmon, so that had been that. Still, Lee couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… off.

He went to Lord John Faa’s tent to talk to him about it, but the man asked him about the layout of this area and had completely distracted him into mapping out the entirety of the region that Lee had flown over, marking out unique hills and landmarks so that they could narrow down the places where the Station might be located.

A cluster of shouts broke them from their intense discussion, and Lee realised that it was already nightfall by the time they ran out of the tent.

“What’s going on?” he asked one of the gyptians.

“Lyra’s back.”

The two of them sprinted towards the towering form of Iorek, who Lee could now see in the light of the campfires, but the off feeling from before kept him from moving forward. Lyra stumbled off Iorek’s back, pulling a blanket-covered lump behind her, and the clearing went silent. Ma Costa broke away, screaming a name – Billy.

Oh, no.

The child was unresponsive as the distraught mother pulled him into her arms, and –

“Where’s Ratter? Where’s his dæmon?”

Lee swore under his breath, locking eyes with Hester. God, was that what the General Oblation Board had set out to do? John Faa ran to her side, snapping Lee out of his horror, and Lee moved as well, making a beeline for Iorek.

“What happened back there?” he asked lowly, but his friend only growled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lyra trying to join the Costas and hastily reached out to grab her shoulder.

“Best if we leave them to it,” he said, pulling her back by her coat. “Trust me when I tell you that they love you, but this… they won’t want you there for it.” He doesn’t know how else to explain to her that their grief was to be a private moment, but Lyra seemed to understand.

“It was,” she started, and shook her head. “He was without his dæmon. Like – like a ghost.”

He remembered what she’d told him that morning, what the alethiometer had said about ghosts, and shivered. Lee had seen all sorts of creatures in the North – panserbjørne, night-ghasts, cliff-ghasts, foxes and other regular woodland creatures that phased in and out of reality… but this, by far, was the worst thing Lee had seen in his life, worse than when he’d had to listen to Pierre McConville’s awful, sadistic speech about how he tormented people and their dæmons.

“It was like he wasn’t there,” she finished, voice cracking with emotion, and Lee stopped himself from pulling her into a full hug by resting a hand on her shoulder. “Like he couldn’t even hear me.”

“This must be what they do, to the ones they take,” Lee said gravely. Normally he wouldn’t confide in a twelve-year-old, but he suspected that Lyra could handle such a dark revelation. He wasn’t about to lie to her, either.

“It’s horrible,” she gasped. “It’s worse than anything… why would they take someone’s dæmon?”

Hester curled in on herself, and Lee felt like doing the same – like a tortoise retreating into its shell, he didn’t want to even think of something so horrible happening to anyone, let alone someone he knew. He couldn’t imagine being separated from Hester in such a cruel way, but he couldn’t get lost thinking about such a fate now. He swallowed his trepidation and faced Lyra squarely.

“It’s about control, isn’t it,” he said slowly. “’Cause if you can remove someone’s soul, you can do anything.”

Lyra looked up at him, alarmed by the thought. Lee was about to comfort her when Iorek let out a sound that was a mix of a growl and a rumble before moving away from them. Lyra’s expression turned somewhat quizzical, and Lee squeezed her shoulder before explaining.

“Yeah, our furry friend here doesn’t deal too well with emotion,” he said, frowning at Iorek’s retreating form. “Never has. He’ll be back by first light.”

Lyra nodded, still looking somewhat dazed. Lee waited till she faced him fully to continue speaking, making sure she knew how serious he was.

“You did a brave thing, kid, a good thing. I’m proud of you.” She stares up at him, and, dammit, he was going to remove that uncertain look with any amount of assurance it took to do so. “You trusted your instincts, and you found Billy.”

She nodded slowly, accepting his words but not really responding. Lee understood that that was all he’d get from her that evening, and gently led her over to his tent – his belongings still half-unpacked on account of spending most of the day with maps instead.

“Would it bother you to stay at my tent for a while?” he asked her, making sure that she wouldn’t be uncomfortable – he was still basically a stranger to her, with all of a day’s worth of conversation between them.

“I don’t mind,” she responded, and the whisper was laced with enough exhaustion to convince Lee to let her sleep without interruption. He might have been cautious to leave the tent had he been alone in this corner, but thankfully, Iorek was close enough to notice any sign of trouble. He swiftly laid out her bedroll and a few furs so that the cold wouldn’t bother her and stepped out once he was certain she wouldn’t wander off.

If, instead of sleeping, she wanted a private conversation with her dæmon, he wouldn’t begrudge her that either.

“She’s hard to dislike,” Hester murmured, as they make their way to Farder Coram.

“Hmm?” Lee bent down and scooped her up, still rattled from all the talk about severing dæmons.

“You’re thinking about the kid.” It wasn’t a question. “I said, she’s hard to dislike.”

“We already knew that,” Lee responded. “She talked my ear off all day yesterday and I still couldn’t be mad for the distraction because she was so excited.”

“You ain’t ever mad,” Hester countered. “Only when they really deserve it.”

It took a moment, but when Lee got her meaning, he stopped in his tracks. “Hester, being angry at the Oblation Board isn’t going to help any of us right now. The poor kid – Billy – might die before sunrise, and who knows how many others are in line for something so cruel? Our priority should be to stop them from doing it to the rest.”

“Lee, we’re heading to do just that,” she assured him.

“Then why do I get the feeling we’re leading Lyra into a trap?”

“For some reason, I don’t think this is a trap. She’s safe with us, anyway. We’re going to protect her, and we’re going to help her finish what she set out to do. She came up North for a reason, Lee,” Hester reminded him, and a new resolve burned through him.

“Damn right we are.”

#hdmsourcefanweek #lee scoresby #hester #lyra silvertongue #iorek byrnison #*mine: fic #hdmsource #hdm fic #okay so i tried to make an edit of this #but it wasn't working so i just. wrote this instead #hope y'all enjoy it

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terapsina · 4 years

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I really enjoy the tragedy of Marisa’s and Asriel’s relationship with Lyra.

And it all boils down to the fact that Lyra will never love either of them as much as she loved them before she knew that they were her parents. And before she saw them being monstrous.

Because they’re both terrible people. They do love Lyra. And they did love each other. But anyone else? Anyone else is either unimportant, or collateral damage, or in the way. Only their ambitions matter. They are terrible people.

And even Lyra is secondary (right up until the point with.... umm, the thing with the THING. At which point they do right by Lyra for once and Lyra never even knows).

And they are just such fascinating relationships.

Because I am always on Lyra’s side, and I can never justify any of her parents’ decisions. But because we see that they do care about her (and in this both Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy do incredible work) I’m left wishing for a better universe where Marisa and Asriel are better people because they could have been a family.

But they aren’t and so their daughter will never love either of them as much as she comes to love Ma Costa and Lee Scoresby and Iorek and Farder Coram.

And that is tragic. They deserve it. They absolutely deserve to lie in the bed they made but that doesn’t make it any less tragic. And I’ve always loved a good tragedy.

#lyra belacqua #marisa coulter #lord asriel #asriel belacqua #hdm #his dark materials #hdm spoilers #hdm book spoilers #(i mean i keep it vague but i'm toeing the line so to be careful i'm tagging it)#terapsina rambles #terapsina watches hdm #chaos family

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kriffingstars · 4 years

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Spitfire | Lee Scoresby x Reader (1/?)

A/N: Hola my lovelies, this is my first Lee Scoresby x Reader. I know this is all friendship based but I promise I’m going to make the next part more romantic. I just want to get used to writing again, it been a while. When I first came up with this idea I did have an OC of mine that would have worked brilliantly so come the end of S1 I might rework the story on Wattpad possibly. This is also set in the HBO/BBC version of HDM. I’m aiming for the next part to be posted on Wednesday :)

To be added to the taglist either click the link in my blog and add yourself or send me an ask <3

Summary: Reader meets a certain aeronaut cowboy for the first time

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1619

That day had been tiring, to say the least. Spending the whole time following Lyra’s lead wasn’t easy and something you weren’t used to. Normally you'd be marching to the beat of your own drum, so this new lifestyle was rather a shock to the system.

As night fell you found yourself alone and wishing no more than to get off the boat, being so cooped up had begun to drive you mad. It seemed like an ungodly amount of time since you'd been able to go off on your own. Not that minding Lyra was a chore but it was certainly different from your old lifestyle. The pub near the docks seemed like a good place to unwind, over a nice warming glass of whatever half-decent liquor they stocked.

“Are you sure this is a good idea (Y/N)? What will Farder Coram say when he finds out you’ve left?” protested Zachariah as he trotted alongside you, his bushy tail brushing against your dark tan, woollen trousers which left a few strands of bright orange fur behind.

“It’s one drink, and I'm an adult Zach. Not like I'm the only one who can keep an eye on Lyra.”

The walk to the bar took all but five minutes, the chill of the air causing you to shove your hands deep inside the fleece-lined pockets of her coat. The smell of the oil from the port caused your nose to tingle, which on second thought was probably not the best thing for your health, even if you happened to like the smell.

As you reached the building, the roar of the fires could be seen through the cloudy window, and whilst it wasn't busy, many regular customers lounged at their tables. Pipes in their mouths and cards in their hand. Once inside the atmosphere seemed almost comforting, no one seemed out of place, one of the many reasons why the North was always somewhat of a destination when travelling.

"A whiskey please, with a shot of water. No ice thank you," you ordered.

Both glasses were placed wordlessly in front of you as you sat rubbing your temples in frustration and worry; thinking back to how disastrous today could have gone. Lyra was becoming more reckless, especially with the alethiometer. Only just that morning had she thought it was a good idea to take it out whilst at least six Magisterium were patrolling past. If that was anything to go by it wouldn't be long before Lyra had sucked her into trouble which there would be no coming back from.

When Ma had asked you to look out for Lyra it was something you felt you couldn’t say no, not that you would have done. You saw much of yourself in her, but childcare wasn’t really in your nature. Being as wild and unruly as you were most would barely call you an adult, as trouble seemed to just follow you around by the trove. Fortunately, all that good practice of having to get yourself out of said trouble had landed you with a great deal of experience and a way with words that could get you out of nearly anything. Having a small family of your own and the constant travelling meant childcare was something of an alien to you. The only interaction you really had with children was when recounting tales of adventures to them, leaving out all the crimes which had been committed along the way.

Before the Gobblers came anyone who knew you would have described you as a wild spirited, quick-witted spitfire who yearned to travel all over the world, looking for something new to explore and earning money through odd jobs as you went. As far as you went you always did come back to the gyptians, but never for long, until the news of dear Billy Costa had reached you. That naturally lead to a quick return.

“Hot rum, make it a double.”

An American voice broke you from your thoughts as you turned to see the aeronaut who’d taken the seat beside yourself, his dæmon, a rather wonderful hare perched next to him. It was the same man who you'd briefly met that morning, the one looking for the bear, Iorek Byrinson. The bartender silently pouring the drink before moving away again, back to his conversation with one of the regulars.

“I don’t think I introduced myself this morning, Lee Scoresby and this," he gestured to the hare, "is Hester.” Holding his glass forward for you to meet with your own.

“(Y/N) Fletcher, but my friends call me Fletch,” she paused looking to the fox perched at your feet, “and this is my dear friend Zachariah.”

He smiled, "Are we friends?"

"Only if you want to be."

“Now Fletch," he paused, testing out the name on his tongue, "what are you doing in a place like this?” He smirked.

“Having a moment to think,” you smiled back at him. He’d cleaned himself up from that morning, there was no sign of any blood and he looked a lot more relaxed.

The conversation started off as small talk which quickly turned to their favourite destinations when travelling.

"I like the people here, it's like everyone fits in because they don't."

And once again the conversation shifted, you bringing up that morning's shenanigans, and laughing at the reason for the blood.

"If you did that in my bar you'd be swimming with the fishes, and hear the waters quite cold this time of year," laughing as you finished off the rest of the glass, signalling the bartender for another.

“Your daughter seemed like a bit of a spitfire, I can see where she gets it from,” he complimented, after hearing about how you'd managed to land yourself in a cell for the night and talked yourself out of numerous different charges the next morning.

“Hah, he thinks Lyra’s your daughter.” Zach’s head tilted back as he laughed at the thought.

“Oh, you think that’s funny, do you?” A grin made its way onto your face as you laughed at the idea of you being a parent. Sure, Lyra was sweet, but you were there to oversee and attempt to steer Lyra away from trouble, which wasn’t exactly working too well.

“No, I’m just keeping an eye on her for the time being,”

“Good job she wasn’t offended Lee,” muttered Hester, as the cowboy cringed at his error.

Hester rolled her eyes as he began his apologies “I really didn’t mean any offence,”

“Mr Score-,”

“Lee,”

Smiling. “Lee, you really think that's the worse thing I've been called. That's not even an insult.”

Soon enough the conversation flowed again, with Hester jumping down to carry on her conversation with Zach. Time flew by as Lee began to realise that both of them had much in common, and the foundations of a fast friendship were being made. Eventually, the topic of your visit to Trollesund came to light. Arguably the place wasn’t the nicest holiday destination and it wasn’t exactly teeming with adventure and excitement. Maybe a part of you hoped that Lee would accompany you on the journey but the rational side reasoned that as much as you got along with the man you didn’t actually know him too well and more importantly didn’t know whether you could actually trust him.

“So, you’re here on business? I wouldn't bet on you being here for the people,” he asked, bringing up your comment about the people of the North earlier.

“Children are being stolen; the Magisterium won’t do a thing. We’re coming to take them back,” you spoke with a conviction that he hadn't heard you speak with before that.

Clearly, you were determined. He could tell you were fiercely loyal, and that a fight was the last of your worries. As he listened to your answer you could tell his curiosity peaked, as he leant forward, becoming a lot quieter as he spoke to you in a low voice.

“So that’s why you need Iorek. You’re starting a war.” It wasn’t a question, just the realisation of the plan in which you were trying to put in place, the one Lyra had convinced you of doing.

“Which I intend to win, some of those kids don’t have families to miss them. Least I can do is help them.”

After that, you both settled into silence as Lee mulled over what you were saying. By this time the bar had begun to empty, the lights were beginning to dim. The bartender's voice rippled through the room as the bell for the last call was rung, most did not order another, but simply left their empty glasses atop the side. It was late and you knew you should be getting back.

“I should back before I’m missed,” you sighed, scraping the stool as you stood. Your sudden movement alerting Zach that he should finish up his conversation with Hester. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine, see you around.” He replied, gathering his things as well.

The walk back to the boat was relaxing, the cold air bit your cheeks as you meandered through the quiet town, but it was not as bothersome as it once was before. It was quiet, save for the patrolling Magisterium. Before you knew it, you’d carried yourself all the way back her room, pushing open the small door you flopped onto the bed, Zachariah leaping on after and settling in the red quilt.

He sunk his head underneath your hand as you subconsciously reached to scratch behind his ears before he looked back up at to you.

“You should sleep, you know Lyra’s going to be up early,”.

Taglist: @bisexuaivalkyrie @gemellath @urticadioica2 @mistoffeleez

#lee scoresby #lee scoresby x reader #lee scoresby fic #his dark materials #hdm #hdm hbo #hdm bbc #lin manuel miranda #lmm #the northern lights #the amber spyglass #the subtle knife

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kittyprincessofcats · 5 years

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His Dark Materials - Episode 3

Oh my god, that was amazing!! Let’s get right into it! (Spoilers ahead!)

- The more I see it, the more I’m loving the opening. The music is so epic, and all the foreshadowing...

- That scene with Lyra and Ma Costa cooking together was adorable. Same for when she talks to Farder Coram about dæmons.

- Was I the only one who yelled “Do a backflip!” when it looked like Mrs. Coulter was about to jump of the building? No, just me?

- The master of Jordan College was so badass in his exchange with Mrs. Coulter. “I’ve taken care of Lyra for 12 years. I gave her into your care, and you lost her. You’ve already done the worst thing you could do.” HELL YES. This is Lyra’s real dad right there, forget Asriel!

- I can’t believe they not only already showed us a picture of Will Parry, but also dropped the Stanislaus Grumman = John Parry reveal on us this early!! That was the biggest plot twist of book 2 for me! I remember reading it for the first time and completely having my mind blown! And that’s why I’m kind of disappointed they revealed it this early - it doesn’t hold the same weight when you don’t even know who these characters are yet. If you, as a reader/viewer, have spent some time with Will and learned about his search for his father, the reveal of who his father is shocks you. When you don’t even know anything about Will or his dad yet, this reveal feels meaningless. So yeah, that’s pretty much my only criticsm of this episode. I wish they’d have held that reveal back longer.

- I loved the “mother” reaveal and imo it’s really fitting that they gave this to Ma Costa instead of John Faa. That moment when Ma Costa says that Mrs. Coulter will never stop looking for Lyra and you suddenly realize that she knows this because she herself will never stop looking for Billy... poetic cinema. I also loved seeing the bond between her and Lyra - that girl needs some positive female role models in her life, just saying.

- Lyra’s speech at the Gyptian meeting was beautiful.

- The entire sequence of Tony and Benjamin sneaking away to search Mrs. Coulter’s place, her finding them and Benjamin killing himself rather than revealing information, Farder Coram expaining to Lyra how the Alethiometer works, Lyra trying to use it and finding out about Benjamin’s death, her telling Farder Coram and him not believing her, Tony returing and saying that Benjamin’s dead, at which point Farder Coram realizes that Lyra can read the Alethiometer... 10/10. I don’t think they could have done that any better.

- I’m really feeling the strong urge to re-read at least the first book before next week’s episode. My memory of them has gotten way too foggy.

#His Dark Materials #HDM spoilers #HDM BBC #His Dark Materials BBC #HDM bbc spoilers #Lyra Silvertongue #Ma Costa #Farder Coram #Marisa Coulter #Dr Carne #Will Parry #John Parry #Stanislaus Grumman #John Faa #Tony Costa #Benjamin de Ruyter

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