His Dark Materials Review: The Fight to the Death (Season 1 Episode 7)
Lyra and Will find themselves in difficult situations on His Dark Materials Season 1 Episode 7, “The Fight to the Death,” as the crosshairs of villains prove to be hard to slip out of.
From the very first image, Mrs. Coulter’s rage can be felt even in her silhouette. While she may be defeated yet again, she miraculously spins this into another last chance as the Magisterium makes moves on Asriel. Mrs. Coulter appears to run off of proving herself, and while each defeat may come as a slight, each loss only adds to that rage, and that it’s close to its explosion point now.
photo: Courtesy of HBO
One of the more intriguing factors of the episode is Lyra’s tricking of Iofur. The way she plays on his vanity, aggrandizing and flattering him, is a clever way to win his trust. The way the scene is framed places pain and death as a breath away, making each word hang and mean so much. Iofur is driven by power and the need to prove himself, and Lyra earns her new Silvertongue moniker during this scene.
The battle between Iorek and Iofur comes fast and furious, each impact and scrape felt during the fight. There’s a ferocity to the hits, the visual effects team matching the viciousness with a sense of scale and ferocity. But a lot of the battle’s power also comes through the audio, the crashing of bodies and eventually the defeat of Iofur played out almost entirely through the visceral sound of that defeat.
The violence is treated tastefully, never showing too much or being excessive with showing the result of Iorek’s victory, Jamie Childs’ direction leaning toward suggestion and the reaction of Lyra as our point of view to the carnage.
The palace is an eye-popping set, the way the torches light and reflect off the stone and how the blood coats certain sections. It gives off the sense of danger simply with the production design, added all the more by the great effects of the towering bears as they eye up Lyra as she enters.
photo: Courtesy of HBO.
Iorek’s place at the head of the armored bears is cemented, but thankfully it looks like he will continue being part of Lyra’s journey. Along with Ma Costa and Coram, Iorek is the kind of stability and kindness that Lyra needs at her side, especially now that Asriel is not quite himself once he is finally found.
The moment between Lyra and Asriel comes as immediately deflating, as it isn’t what is expected. There’s a coldness to Asriel’s greeting, as he doesn’t see it as a reuniting of father and child, but rather as a request gone wrong. Asriel appears in need of a child and becomes transfixed on Roger, relieved that Lyra isn’t alone.
The first thought that comes to mind is that Asriel has a plan similar to Mrs. Coulter’s, of children unlocking the power of the Dust, and that his concern at the sight of Lyra is that she may need to be the victim. We don’t know yet whether or not Asriel would go through with such a thing if this is the case, when Mrs. Coulter is fairly quick to decide in Lyra’s survival during similar circumstances.
We haven’t been as close to Asriel over the season as we have Coulter, and so it’s not clear what he is capable of yet, or even if he’s to be considered an ally in a world where allegiances can be deceiving. There can be a darkness to even the kindest of characters, and so as of now, Asriel’s relief over Roger takes on a nefarious tone, and may shatter Lyra’s connection just as she meets her father again.
photo: Alex Bailey/HBO
Will’s story still comes as disconnected to the main arc, though it’s feeling closer than ever to finally converging. The need for the letters to discover a clue to his father’s whereabouts reaches its peak, and with one of Boreal’s lackeys either dead or incapacitated, Will is likely to take off. He doesn’t return to his mother at the end of the episode, but decides to run instead.
There’s the question of how he will intersect still, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that Will is important to what’s coming, perhaps not during this season, but what comes after. The need to find his father John and to escape the clutches of Boreal is growing more perilous by the episode, and while his mother may be safe at a friend’s home, Will’s safety looks to be lessening as he ventures forth.
His Dark Materials Season 1 Episode 7, “The Fight to the Death,” places Iorek into a position of power, and gives Mrs. Coulter one last chance to prove herself. It’s an episode of villains trying to make moves but finding themselves overtaken by spirited, optimistic heroes. The show balances the wins and the losses against the enemy, and so while there is joy at this moment, it may not last.
Lyra faces her most difficult challenge in whatever Asriel is cooking up, especially with Mrs. Coulter and the Magisterium on their way. Will is without a compass of his own, possessing his father’s letters but without a place to go. Both are on their journeys of discovery, and they will need allies at their side for whatever the enemy has coming next.
What did you think of this episode of His Dark Materials? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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His Dark Materials airs Mondays at 9/8c on HBO.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.