What I’m Watching: His Dark Materials

His Dark Materials: Season 1, Episode 4 “Armour” (B-)

I found this episode to be overly expository, though it’s possible my frustration stems from knowing how this would all play out because I’m familiar with the story. I also imagine that it would be relatively predictable to a viewer unfamiliar with what happens in the books how the events of this episode would play out. I remember being so excited to meet Iorek Byrinson, the armored polar bear, when I saw the 2007 film adaptation of “The Golden Compass” and then being disappointed, and it’s true that this show’s strongest point is not its talking animals. I also appreciate that Lin-Manuel Miranda is not an easy actor to get, and he had to be excited about the role in order to take it. That said, the way that the character of Lee Scoresby was presented felt a bit childish, and that coupled with Mrs. Coulter applauding slowly when the priests tried to make their case just didn’t work for me. Mrs. Coulter going to the other armored bear, Iofur Raknison, so that she could ensure her own control of his captive Lord Asriel is a major move, and hopefully Lyra has assembled a proper team with Lee, Iorek, and all the Gyptians so that she can make a move against them. I’m liking the story but eager to get to a bit of the action so that things can move along quicker now that we’ve already reached the midpoint of the season. I’m still in, but I’m ready for more excitement.