His Dark Materials season 2 will adapt Philip Pullman’s The Subtle Knife, and set viewers up for the endgame. What must it get right?
It may not be the next Game of Thrones, but HBO’s His Dark Materials has given television lovers a new fantasy story to look forward to. And after the first season’s dark ending, fans are eager to dive into the second, which arrives on the network this November.
Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) may have lost her closest friend at the end of season 1, killed by her own father Lord Asriel (James McAvoy), but her journey is just beginning. And if the series follows Philip Pullman’s books closely, she’ll have plenty more obstacles to overcome. The second book in the series, The Subtle Knife, greatly expands upon the world introduced in The Golden Compass, and it brings many of the characters’ destinies crashing together.
That means we’ll be seeing a lot more of the show’s supporting characters in this second season, with Will Parry (Amir Wilson) in particular getting a much bigger role. Fans can also expect to learn more about Lyra’s “destiny” outlined in the prophecy we’ve heard about so much in the earlier episodes.
As with many fantasy narratives, His Dark Materials is made up of many complicated storylines that the show will have to balance to ensure it stays on track and portrays. So what are some things we really hope land well in season 2?