I wasn’t sure what to expect as I sat down to watch His Dark Materials. At first, I had great trouble remembering the title, but after watching the first four episodes, I can relate to the story in a much better way. Dafne Keen is playing the role of Lyra, a little girl who has the fate of the world in her hands. Ruth Wilson plays the role of an evil aunt (or maybe a mother), who at first is hard to understand, but after some episodes, we clearly understand that she might not have the best future planned for Lyra and the rest of the world.
His Dark Materials is a story about a society in which the standards for what you are to believe and what you are to say is clearly set. The Magisterium is the rulers of the universe, and they can rip your life apart in a few seconds if that is their wish. Lyra, who has been raised in a scientific environment, is now sent to discover the truth about the world, and even though she might not understand her task, she is brave and gets ready to face the world and see what is the reality hind the materials we see and trust.
She is quickly allied with the Gypsies, and later we are also introduced to talking bears, witches, and all sorts of creatures. It is also interesting to see that every person has their own daemon following them around. This reflects their own personality, and for most people, this represents their own lives and their own thoughts. So, if you kill this creature, the actual person also ends up dead. At adult age, the daemon turns into a permanent being, but as Lyra gets in a fight with the character of Ruth Wilson, her daemon suddenly changes to a much bigger and angry creature, reflecting the spirit world of Lyra herself.
I haven’t seen The Golden Compass yet
A family member of mine told me that His Dark Materials was made into a movie a few years ago. It was titled The Royal Compass, and it was a popular movie with lots of celebrities in it. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I will go ahead and watch it as quickly as possible. Luckily, I discovered that you can watch The Golden Compass on Netflix in a few regions, so I can just use a VPN and go ahead and stream it online straight away. I will later return to the topic of whether I enjoy the movie or the HBO/BBC series more.
Who will like His Dark Materials?
I believe that this product will be enjoyed greatly by those who love fairy-tale stories with special effects, special worlds, and that brings the real world and the science-fiction closely together. This is a series that makes me feel a mixture of The Handmaid’s Tale, Harry Potter, The Narnia Chronicles, and maybe even The Hunger Games at the same time. So, if that makes His Dark Materials sound interesting to you, go ahead and give it a try. But be warned, it normally takes 3-5 episodes before you get hooked up with a show, so you better be patient before you make your final decision.
Where to watch His Dark Materials online?
I have earlier written an article on how to watch His Dark Materials online, so check it out. You can also watch my little YouTube video dealing with the same topic. Currently, you can watch the show on BBC iPlayer, and if you have an HBO Now subscription, you can also watch it on HBO Now.
But, with time it might be removed from BBC iPlayer in the UK, so HBO is the best solution long-time for streaming His Dark Materials online. I will, however, keep my article on how and where to stream His Dark Materials online updated, so make sure to check it out if you want to watch the TV series online.
