As someone who has never read the books the show comes off as surprisingly dull. It is certainly beautifully made, you can see the story has tons of potential and there is probably a lot of information (too much perhaps) missing compared to the books. But the storytelling in the show is clunky at best and most of the characters are just not very engaging to me. I think this more because of the writing than the actors, most of whom do well with the material they are given.
I don't know how (un)popular of an opinion this is, but I kind of liked the movie adaptation better. I found Lyra a much stronger character in that one.
I had to force myself to watch season 1 in its entirety because I really had a hard time liking the show, no fun at all. I was hoping that this would be slightly more tolerable in season 2 but it turned out worse. The show itself is pretty complicated in every aspect, but I think the main issue for me is having to follow the show from the perspective of children, on top of the existing and poorly written fantasy.
The 1st episode of the 2nd season reminded me that I didn't like the show and reinforced the reasons why. I don't see this show ever going into a direction that would please me; time to let it go.
Intriguing enough to keep watching but good lord, the story arc with the boy in the "real" world is a snoozer.
All I can say, besides this having been a wonderful, excellent show, is that I keep thinking Iorek will transform into Optimus Prime whenever he talks.
the series turned woke to 11, forced diversity and making white peeps look bad on purpose.. it's made white people(authority)(bad People). vs black people( the good guys).. i stopped watching.
Superb! Let this be an example of how a story should be told. So many stories written in books lose substance when brought to life in motion pictures. After having to compress it into such a short amount of time to tell the tale properly, many details are left out that make a story special. It was wonderful to see a story that was given enough time to be told while not being over done as well in taking too much time as some are done when ending long after they should have ended just to milk them for more money, taking away from the magic of the whole telling of the story. After the final episode, I felt as if I was losing a loved one, yet satisfied with the closure I felt at its conclusion. In my humble opinion, I believe this to be one of the finest productions of which I have had the opportunity to experience. This is how to tell a story. Watching it again in the future is going to be a blast! Thank you for the adventure.
I'm a fan of the book series and the production quality on this show is great, but man the writing is atrocious. I'm trying to keep watching to see if it gets better but so far I'm fully caught up and there is no shortage of cringeworthy moments in here.
I found this series to be all over the place. As someone who has never read the books, my only experience with the material was the film from 2007 - 'The Golden Compass'. Season 1 of this show largely covers what that film covered, with seasons 2 and 3 then going beyond to cover the rest of the books.
I think there are two main areas that were a mixed bag/perhaps negative when looking back at the show. The first is the action sequences. Some pieces of action were decent, but others were downright laughably atrocious. The second would be the acting, which I thought was very inconsistent. Some actors were great, but others were simply bad. I'm not sure if it was just the acting or if it was also to do with how certain characters were written, but I found both Lee and Will to be painful to watch in almost every scene they were in. Will did get better in season 3, as did Lyra (who I found more meh than anything) - but I think that's largely due to those actors being a little older by the time we got there. Not sure what it was about Lee, but he just really bugged me.
The real standouts of the show are Ruth Wilson as Marisa Coulter, and James McAvoy as Lord Asriel. Both give great performances and are the highlight of any scene they are in.
Overall, I did enjoy the show, and it's definitely a unique watch, unlike anything else I've seen on TV - that alone is enough to make me recommend it. The plot was mostly solid, and I was intrigued from start to finish, wondering where the story would go next and desperate for answers. I was never bored, and there were a lot of interesting concepts and ideas to unpack. A wonder of imagination.
It gets a 10/10 for originality and creativity, but it's ultimately dragged down by a few aspects in the execution that aren't quite up to scratch.
I think this series holds a special place in my heart considering I read the books in middle school, so when I heard they were adapting the books into a TV series, I was excited. I am happy to say that this adaptation was very good in my opinion, and while there were some odd parts to it, I still enjoyed the series.
I read the book series about two decades ago so I have really been looking forward to see it filmatised. The movie was a good start, but it was cancelled...In this case, it was actually a postive thing because more time was needed to dive into this universe and persons.
This TV series is a beautiful masterpiece that follows the books almost perfectly. The authors have taken their time to properly portray going from a child to grownup, love, science, religion, the characters - and what their roles is in Lyra and Wills journey from two diffent Oxfords througout the multiverse with visits in heaven and the purgatory. One thing I enjoyed when reading the books was the connection between Lyra and Pan (daimon) and this could also be felt here.
Worth a watch for every ages as it is simple to understand. Highly recommended.
I really loved the whole series. and I hope to see more of Lyra's story somewhere as that's so far not explored as much.
Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson were really great as the main actors on this, I'm definitely going to follow what else they may end up doing in the acting world.
I have had such a love/hate-relationship with this show. I disagree with a lot of the choices made. Every season got me thinking about quitting, but it pulled me back just in time…
The visuals are cool, but the story gets confusing sometimes. My biggest issue is the way that it’s told. The final episode is a prime example of that. The war episode (S3E7) was an amazing climax, just to end it all with a whole episode that’s supposed to be an emotional send off, but is just a big boring mess (two sobbing teenagers on screen over their heartbreak). You don’t spent a whole last episode on that, people!
I didn't read the books, but at least in the show... Lyra is so damn annoying...
all 8 final episodes of season 3 are out, show was great as a whole. Sadly felt too short 3 seasons isn't enough. I heard it got cancelled . This app needs updating 59 to allow deleting and further more tv show shows only 2 episodes out. The developer is making money on ads and he is sitting on his fucking arsel. get up you lazy shit and fix thew3 app problemlem of not being able to back space. and showing shows that have been released
As someone who hasn't read the book(s) I get the feeling, that there is information missing.
There are reactions in certain scenes where I don't understand what gets the characters so excited. They act like its obvious, while it isn't for the unknowing viewer.
I have the suspicion, that there is a section in the book explaining the reaction which wasn't translated in the show sometimes.
I don't know if its true, but are the daemons all female? If so, I hope it gets explained why that is (unless I missed it).
Aside from that, great cast, great storytelling and great characters so far - Although I somehow love Marisa best so far, cunning and evil - my kind of woman :)
Finally... Part two of 'the golden compass' was never to come so this is something i am really waiting for!
As someone who's read the books I was really looking forward to this but unfortunately the series falls short...
Too many things have been changed or are missing.
Vital information is simply revealed way too soon, you don't even get a chance to piece the clues together and figure things out for yourself. There is no mystery, no suspense.
I'm not satisfied with the portrayal of some of the characters either (Lyra, Lee, Yorek)
The opening sequence is amazing though!
The Golden Compass movie had it's flaws but overall it is much closer to the first book.
this is kidshow, like golden compass ,harry potter. if i knew i woldnt have started . but reluctantly finished s1
At least a series with a proper ending.
Not something all streaming series get.
Far from a happy ending though.
Overall it's a decent series.
This series is very much carried by Dafne Keen and Ruth Wilson.
Acting by Amir Wilson / Will Parry is dreadful. He has just one facial expression and that's it.
Story wise the motivation of 'lord Ariel' is not worked out properly. The same goes for the 100% turn around in just a few episodes of how 'Marisa Coulter' treats her daughter. Not believable enough.
Every season somewhere in the middle the story gets very weak and/or goes completely off the rails. Season 3 is no exception.
But again, at least it got a proper ending.
I had to struggle through the first episode, after that I slowly got hooked. Just finished the first season and I want to know what's next.
UPDATE
I’ve watched the full series now. And honestly, I think it gets better and better the further you get.
I don't really have a lot to say on this show, overall, it's just kinda there? It's adapating a source material I don't really like that much to begin with, and while there was plenty that was done to give a lot of fresh perspective and much better done resolutions than Phillip Pullman ever did. It's a lot more nuanced, and lot more basic also. It looks great, with amazing VFX and amazing performances with Ruth Wilson stealing the show and Lin-Manuel Miranda absolutely failing on filling the void left by Sam Elliot in The Golden Compass, and it does, for all intents, end very nicely, and with a sad and somber and bittersweet bow.
In short, it's aight. Watch it if you have HBO and don't care about things that are critical of religion, I guess lol.
Setting, scenery, idea, story, length and production: 10/10. But several dubious decisions by some characters and some logical lacks are present imo. Didn't read the books, I admit...
Just finished watching the final season (after dipping back into some of season one and two). This show will always be on my TOP SERIES list. The first season inspired me to read the books, which were excellent. When you have a book series that is so packed with great writing and adventures the challenge is picking and choosing what you can fit into the TV series. The screenplays did a faithful job, but, by all means read the books, they are very good. As for the show, this is a marvellous series for those who love fantastic adventures. Spectacular cast. Wonderful performances. Dafne Keen was a revelation in LOGAN and, now, she has matured into a multi-dimensional actor. Ruth Wilson is brilliant, as always. James McAvoy is Shakespearean in his delivery, especially in the last season. (Just a bit of trivia: the actor who plays Father President, Will Keen, is actually the father of the actor that plays Lyra, Dafne Keen). An intriguing premise and storytelling. Convincing special effects. I give this series a 10 (wonderful) out of 10. [Fantasy Adventure]
Shaky ending, but good overall. Season 1 had me entranced! Season 2 was good. Season 3 was a little convoluted. The last episode was SO slow and the romance was forced. Would have rather they tacked a shortened version of it onto E07. *I never read the books but the ending was just not satisfying.
Read the books as a kid - they were great.
Shows unfortunately fails to capture the epic grandeur. Slow as heck too, and sort of grim - being that the main plot point is a series of kidnappings and rogue kid medical experiments.
Wanted to like it, and I appreciate the attempt,
but just dull and depressing and plodding AF.
4/10
Through the Majority of the show I felt nothing, no attachments to any of the characters, I wasn't rooting for anybody. The whole show felt like a joyless ride. Lots of the characters were dull and not very engaging. Lyra was pretty annoying. You can see it had potential so many stories within the story. The real stars of the show were James McAvoy and lyras mother.
Why is season 3 episode 7 and 8 and 9 missing from Trakt?!!!
Couldn't be arsed after season one but I'm gonna give it one more chance although I'm not expecting much.
The writing across the series ranges from good to dog shit to anywhere in between. I haven't read the books but I can clearly see the potential in the lore. But it needed better writers. I'm glad I watched this show, but it also just makes me wish I'd read the books instead.
Superb! Let this be an example of how a story should be told. So many stories written in books lose substance when brought to life in motion pictures. After having to compress it into such a short amount of time to tell the tale properly, many details are left out that make a story special. It was wonderful to see a story that was given enough time to be told while not being over done as well in taking too much time as some are done when ending long after they should have ended just to milk them for more money, taking away from the magic of the whole telling of the story. After the final episode, I felt as if I was losing a loved one, yet satisfied with the closure I felt at its conclusion. In my humble opinion, I believe this to be one of the finest productions of which I have had the opportunity to experience. This is how to tell a story. Watching it again sometime in the future is going to be a blast! Thank you for the adventure.
Season 1 was very good, season 2 good, season 3 just so so for me. I found season 3 dragged a lot with a lot of padding to such an extent that I started to actually lose interest in what was going on. The last episode of season 3 really dragged and could have been just 10 minutes long IMO (somehow this series released earlier here in SE Asia than the scheduled release dates).
Having not read the books before jumping in to this show I really didn't know what to expect. I found the show had a slow build, and really took the first few episodes of the debut season to be able to fully introduce the characters and the story. Dafne Keen does an amazing job at playing the protagonist Lyra. However, I think that the choice of locations, and the cinematography is what truly stood out to me throughout the two seasons.
Season 2. Just completed. Enjoyed this season, but again more questions than answers! Building up nicely for season 3,hoping for more clarity this time. Very enjoyable show. Very interesting characters with some real nasty people.
Having just watched the last episode of season 1, I was disappointed. This episode appeared rushed and all over the place. More questions than answers :thinking: I hope season 2 brings these answers.
After reading the books long ago, and loving them, I was expecting great things about the adaptation into a tv series... and what can I say, my expectations have been easily matched... fantastic tv show that puts the movie the golden compass in it's shadow....
1st season was far better than the 2nd, it didn't answer that much of question instead it brings more question. it felt like a filler
I haven't read the book so I am very impressed with this series. Enjoy the demon links with their human. :thumbsup_tone1:
Found this gem yesterday, binge watched season one in one evening:joy:. Nice serie recommended
good show but wait for season two to finish so you won't be stuck at that end :rolling_eyes:
i love how the characters are very round, not totally evil nor totally good (except for iofur, who was pure evil). i particularly like that children here are very childish, which means they act like they should, being the hero/heroin or not. the only thing, i think some things could be clearer for us who haven't read the books yet (like the boy's arc and his mother's, i feel like it should have had episodes dedicated only to them, or some alternate episodes, or at least they should get some more space), it's probably hard to translate all of that universe, but all in all it's pretty great. excited for next season!!
Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/nov/03/his-dark-materials-review-bbc
As a fan of the novels I welcome this adaptation. After the disappointing movie we finally get to see this world come to life on television. Is it perfect? No. Essential aspects from the books are missing or not given enough significance (notably, they fail to show how important the relationship between a human and their daemon really is). Still, I'm very excited for the next season!
Solid fantasy thats keeping me interested.
This is a marvellous series for those who love fantastic adventures. Spectacular cast. Wonderful performances. Dafne Keen was a revelation in LOGAN and, now, she has matured into a multi-dimensional actor. Ruth Wilson is brilliant, as always. An intriguing premise and storytelling. Convincing special effects. I give this series a 10 (wonderful) out of 10. This has already been renewed and my hope is that they take on the whole series of books. [Fantasy Adventure]
Finally, a worthy adaptation of one of the best book trilogies ever. So far it seems to be really good, the casting is stellar, and the animation and vfx are not disappointing at all. Can't wait to see the rest of the season!
Miss Coulter really seemed to "ape" her daemon in this episode, I really saw it for the first time. It's so hard to decide whether to start reading the books now.. or keep the faith and watch the episodes as they come. For now, I am reading along with Mr Mercedes, The Watchmen Comics and this trilogy, His Dark Materials. I also have the prequel which is all about the "dust". I think that would spoil it for too much, so I keep that one hidden away.
Shout by Hermano DamascenoBlockedParent2019-11-04T04:15:43Z
we've been waiting for this for twelve years!