at its higher potential. A mix of moral philosophy and entertaining action—where the smartest people in the room are constantly trying to outsmart one another with clever words and intense stares, only to find there’s still so much beyond their understanding.
Nowhere is this better represented than with Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson), whose inaugural trip into our world—and all its temptations—runs alongside Lyra (Dafne Keen) and Will’s (Amir Wilson) quest to get the alethiometer back from Lord Boreal. On the surface, Lyra and Will’s mission is the most critical part of the episode. After the events of last week’s “The Tower of the Angels,” Will has found himself the bearer of the Subtle Knife—a powerful object that can create doorways between worlds. This puts him on par with Lyra as one of the most important people in the multiverse. But unlike his new friend, whose childhood curiosity (mixed with pure arrogance) coaxed her into mastering the alethiometer right away, Will is more timid and unsure. His approach to using the Subtle Knife is more out of necessity than pride. This is not an object or destiny he signed up for but he still knows there’s work to do.