His Dark Materials (2019) s01e01 Episode Script

1 Open the bloody door! What in the world? This is Lyra and Pantalaimon.
Asriel, I hereby invoke the privilege of Scholastic Sanctuary! Scholastic Sanctuary?! Jordan College is a place of learning, it's not suitable for a child! Outside of the college, she is not safe.
I have no choice.
I have no choice! You keep her safe! Lyra, the rules are simple.
We know the rules, Pan.
You don't obey the rules.
- It doesn't mean I don't know 'em.
- We need to win this time.
- Just count us down.
- Three, two one.
Oi! Cheat! Lyra! Sorry, Mrs Woodbridge! I'll help you clean it later! Mind yourself! Lyra! Lyra! Class! Phys-ed, Master! Sharpen the body, sharpen the mind! - Roger! This way.
I know a short cut! - Are you sure? Lyra! Lyra, will you wait? That's the last time I listen to you, Salcilia! Lyra! Cheat! You know I hate it down here! Lyra? Lyra? Boo! These coffins have got skeletons in them.
All coffins have got skeletons in them, Roger, that's sort of the point! Yeah, but I can see these skeletons! Only the ones with the open caskets.
Makes you wonder what's inside the ones that are closed.
I wasn't thinking that.
No.
Why do daemons disappear when you die? And yet humans leave these nasty skeletons behind? Do you ever think about what animal Pan will settle as when he stops changing form? I think about it.
Pan and I talk about it.
Pan thinks he will be a lion.
I don't! I think he'll settle as a sloth, or a guinea pig.
You said you wanted something cunning, like a fox.
And you? What do you think Salcilia will settle as? Oh.
A house marten or a house cat? Then let's drink on that.
Drink? Lyra! Lyra! We should go, the storm is upon us.
Not yet.
We should have enough time.
I need one more! We have to find us a way off the mountain.
- Pack up.
Quickly.
- Yes, yes, all right! Favour your right side down the face.
Thorold! This is the one! I think we've got it! I know the Magisterium have never ventured this far north, but really, I feel we are We're pushing our luck here.
Jordan College are going to take some convincing.
I have to be certain of what we have before I stand in front of them.
Come on.
Here we are.
- Are your hands clean? - Yes, sir.
There we go.
We'll let the storm blow itself out.
It's finally time for us to put on a show for the scholars.
We'll head south in the morning.
But we're taking a friend.
If I can't convince them, he will! Eyes will be opened and your daemons will assume their true form and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Lyra, if you could try to stay awake? I am.
I'm listening, I'm listening.
I'm a god, knowing good and evil.
"As" gods, Lyra.
The Magisterium wouldn't approve of blasphemy.
I thought we were protected by Scholastic Sanctuary? Yes.
A privilege we had to earn and one we must not abuse.
Without Scholastic Sanctuary, you wouldn't be here and nor would I.
You would do well to remember that, Lyra.
- Lyra! It's your uncle.
- Now then, where were we.
Ah, yes.
Finally, I'll get to go to the North with him.
Lyra, don't do anything stupid.
Librarian, will you read me that fascinating piece on the serpent's motivations in the Garden of Eden again? I don't exist to entertain you, Lyra.
- And the Magisterium wouldn't approve - Please.
Where is it? Ah, yes.
We put it up here, didn't we? Now, where is it? Ah, there we go.
Ah, thank you, Serena.
There you go.
Lyra? Lyra! So, this isn't stupid? All right, you've had your fun.
Not yet I haven't.
He's here.
Asriel it's time.
No, Lyra, don't! The Retiring Room is expressly forbidden.
Not for family reunions.
All right, that was close.
Is this the Tokay? Yes, Master.
The 1938, as you ordered.
Lord Asriel was most partial to that, as I remember.
Good.
Now leave me, please.
Um Do it! Now! Pan.
We don't know what he put in it.
If it was innocent, why did he send the Butler away? The Master's a good man.
He's always been kind to us.
He's poisoning my Uncle, Pan.
The Master ordered it decanted especially for you, my Lord.
Ren, I wasn't expecting to be disturbed! There are only three dozen bottles left of the '38.
All good things pass away.
Oh.
Oh.
My Lord.
We should rest.
If this evening goes as expected, we won't sleep for a while.
Lyra? Lyra, what the hell are you doing! Let go of me and I'll tell you.
I will break your arm first.
The wine was poisoned! I saw the Master poison your wine! You saw him? Yes.
He added white powder and Pan thinks it's me being dramatic, but You see? I ain't lying.
Why would the Master poison you? I thought he was our friend? That was clumsy, wasn't it? Yes.
Someone tries to kill you and you just destroy the evidence?! Keep your voice down! Someone probably tries to kill me and, yes, I destroy the evidence.
Surely you should be doing something.
I am doing something.
I'm wondering why the Master would want to do that to me.
I'm sure he had a good reason.
To be honest with you, if I were him, I'd be afraid of me.
I have waited for over a year to see you! For nothing.
You're infuriating! And you're tenacious.
At least you used to be.
Now, do you want a job? - No! - You might find it - a little bit cramped in there.
- I don't want a job.
I want you to spy on the Master.
Everything he does.
But particularly whenever Dust is mentioned.
Do you think you can do that? - But - Quickly, someone's coming.
Good girl.
Come on, quickly now! If you make a noise, I will not save you.
You're on your own.
- Do you understand? - Yeah.
Bit of an accident, I'm afraid.
Such a shame.
Only three dozen bottles left, apparently? Whatever we discuss this evening will remain private.
- Hear, hear.
- Even from the Magisterium.
Jordan College will not become a channel for gossip, rumours and dangerous controversy.
The pursuit of knowledge and our academic freedom is too precious to risk.
Hear, hear.
Lord Asriel.
Thank you, Master.
As some of you already know, I set out for the North some 12 month ago on a diplomatic mission to the King of Lapland.
At least, that's what I was pretending to be doing.
In actual fact, my real aim was to go further north still, right on to the ice, to try and discover what had happened to the Grumman expedition.
This is the first of the discoveries I made.
I took this photogram with standard silver nitrate emulsion.
However, I took two photograms that day the second one with a specially prepared emulsion.
Where does that light come from? It isn't light.
It's Dust.
- What?! - Dust?! It can't be! What's Dust? Shh, I need to see what he's showing them.
Gentlemen, it is Dust! It registers as light on the plate because particles of Dust react with this emulsion in the same way that photons of light react with the standard silver nitrate emulsion.
As you can see, the figure of the man is now perfectly visible.
But I'd like you to turn your attention to the child.
We can't see the child clearly because the child does not attract Dust, which, given the nature of Dust, is precisely the point, is it not? We, as adults, are surrounded by Dust.
In fact, we're almost consumed by it.
But children, it seems, are not.
Gentleman, I believe this is proof that Dust is exclusively attracted to adults.
Just as the Magisterium has always suspected.
My next discovery, however, may be considered even more heretical.
Asriel! Be very careful! That's only where it begins to get exciting, Master.
In one of his last messages to the Academy in Berlin, Grumman made reference to a certain natural phenomenon only seen in the lands of the North.
I believe this is what he was referring to.
I took this photogram a few days ago.
The Aurora, the Northern Lights.
Yes, that's right.
When seen with the ordinary emulsion.
But I'd like you to look at it again using mine.
A city in the sky.
Pan, it's beautiful.
A myriad of worlds, of which the Magisterium controls only one.
A myriad of worlds made visible only through that most distasteful of substances Dust! Clear the room! None of us can hear this! I'm afraid you have to hear this, Master.
These are heretical discussions! Necessary discussions.
I believe Grumman found evidence of these multiple worlds and he paid for it with his life! - His life? - I found his body preserved in the ice off Svalbard.
I brought back his head as befits a scholar of this college! I believe you knew him best, Sub-Rector? My eyes are not very clear and the ice is dirty, but it could be Grumman.
Who would have done this? It's most likely the Magisterium trying to mask their tracks, to keep us safely innocent, or as the Master would have it, academically free.
Gentlemen, there is a war raging right now between those trying to keep us in ignorance and those, like Grumman, willing to fight for the light, to fight for true academic freedom.
Gentlemen, he was a member of this college, his work was profoundly important and I need funding to continue it.
Who will stand against me? Rejoice for your path is secure For all the journeys to be endured Rejoice for your path is decided You and daemon back to the flame, undivided.
We are here to give thanks and tribute.
My son's daemon has settled as a hawk.
Lyuba soul, companion and protector of my son I welcome you in your settled form to my family, my boys and my trust.
This ring confirms the settling of your daemon and your transition from child to man.
Who here will help guide Lyuba and Tony? Sura and I will.
Thank you, Benjamin De Ruyter! As symbolised by the ring, forged from the silver that all you families donated - Pleasure.
- Happy to.
Yes.
we ask that you uphold the Gyptian ways.
Others may see us as outcasts but we are one unified family, and so we ask you and Lyuba to protect and fight for the freedoms of all, no matter what may stand in our path.
Do you both accept our ways? We do.
Yeah, we do, we do.
Oh, I'm losing my little boy.
Ma, don't say that.
Oh, both my little boys.
He's been following me and pestering me all day and night, before the ceremony.
You became a man tonight.
- Well done, Tony.
- Thank you.
He stayed a boy.
He wants to know you're still his big brother.
Of course I'm still his big brother.
Go on, go.
Catch Billy and and tell him.
Ratter, what is it? Ratter, no! Have you seen Billy? Billy, where are you? Billy, are you out here? Get off.
Aargh! Help! Help! The girl.
What? Oh, yes.
Did they vote to give you the money? Now you wake up! Yes, they did.
What's Dust? It's nothing to do with you.
It is to do with me.
You told me to spy for you.
Now you have to tell me what I was spying about.
Lyra, there are things that There are such things that you're better off not understanding just yet.
Can I see the man's head? No! Why would I let you do that? The Master can we still trust him? I don't trust anyone.
Go to sleep, Lyra.
Take me North with you.
Goodnight, Lyra.
I have no idea how but he knew.
He spilt the decanter himself.
Forgive me, Master, but I can't help being relieved.
I was never happy about the idea.
Of murder.
Hardly anyone would be happy with that idea, Charles.
But the balance of Jordan College was at stake.
There is a great change coming that will threaten us all.
And the alethiometer warns of appalling consequences should Asriel continue his research.
Apart from anything else, the child will be drawn in This is about Lyra? Yes.
She has a part to play in all this, and a major one.
The irony is she has to do it all without realising what she's doing.
But she's just an innocent girl! And she needs to stay one which has meant protecting her, making sure the college was unimpeachable.
But there's little chance that Asriel's heresy will not get back to the Magisterium.
You're saying, we have to let her go? The alethiometer says that Lyra has to make a journey.
What kind of journey? One which, I'm afraid, includes a great betrayal.
Well, who's going to betray her? Asriel? That's the saddest thing she will be the betrayer.
And the experience will be terrible.
We can keep her here.
We must! I know you care for her, and you've truly taught her as well as you could, Charles, but all we can be is scared for her.
And scared of her.
Come on, hurry up.
Great, you're here! I'm starving.
I brought you an extra sausage.
You mean you got an extra for yourself.
This may be true.
I missed dinner last night.
I noticed.
Where were you? In a cupboard.
The whole night? Most of it.
It's complicated.
Have you ever heard about Dust? Dust? I'm guessing you don't mean the stuff we polish off? Unh-unh.
Where should I start? Are you all right, Lyra? Just thinking aloud.
Well, there's two things you need to know.
A Gyptian boy, Billy Costa, is missing.
Billy Costa? I remember him Tony's brother? Some people are saying there's a man with bright eyes, others say it's a singing man with a fox daemon.
It's got to be the Gobblers.
The Gobblers? I've told you, the Gobblers are a myth, Roger, they don't exist! The Gyptians will find Billy.
Fine.
But don't blame me when I get to say I told you so.
Second thing your uncle's packing up an airship to leave.
Not without me he isn't! Lyra! Uncle! Uncle! What?! What are you doing here? I'm busy! You're not leaving! I can't stay! The Magisterium will be on to me by now.
Besides, I got what I came for.
Be a good girl, try and learn something, and I'll see you on the way back.
Please, Uncle, you've only just arrived, we've hardly talked! We need to go.
Please, Uncle! Lines up! I am sorry, but I just don't have time for you right now.
I Let's go.
Take me North! You promised you would! Take me with you, we'd have lots of time then! The North is no place for a child.
Did it look like this? What? The airship that my parents died in? No.
No, it was smaller.
She's better than you think she is.
She's special.
Everyone's special! So, where? We've searched here and here.
Nothing.
We covered all the abandoned wood.
There was nothing Lord Faa.
Where is Ma Costa? We told her to wait on her boat in case Billy returns there.
And the rest of our people? - State Police have shown no interest.
- Hmph.
No surprises there.
So we're organising teams of our own.
We've got a group that went North from Magdalen Bridge up the Cherwell.
Nothing.
We divided Jericho, we staked out the Airship Station.
John, the Gobblers will have got him out of Oxford by now.
You think it's the Gobblers? The Gobblers haven't took my brother.
That's just a children's story.
No.
The Gobblers are real.
John Faa and I have visited six different Gyptian communities, all having children taken, all the same way.
Yeah, but why? What can they want with them? That we don't know.
We don't know what they do, but we will find out.
We have word they are taking the children to London.
Maybe it's the best way to hide them? But we must go and try! Wait, leave here? No, no, Ma would never agree to that! Billy's lost, he's not been taken.
Continue the search.
Cover as much of this area as we can today.
And if we do not find him here, we'll go to London and find him there.
Where are you, Billy? Well, if he won't take us, I'll find another way to go North.
You are aware that I work here right? And you're pretty much stuck here because we're orphans and both of us have no money.
Sometimes you've got to have dreams.
We're going North, Roger.
I just know we are.
If you say so.
He worked them up into a fervour, they were almost riotous by the time he finished.
We're sure this information is correct? I had good people inside the room.
So Asriel claims he can see Dust now? It's not what he can see, it's what he claims to see through it.
A hidden city.
Other worlds.
The Master of Jordan College risks him saying as much? Scholastic Sanctuary.
The Master cannot be so naive as to imagine that Scholastic Sanctuary protects him from the accusation of heresy.
Asriel clearly got the better of him.
They've given him an enormous amount of money to travel North and continue with his work.
Discover all you can and by all means permitted.
This kind of heresy is of the highest priority to the Magisterium.
I shall take it to the Cardinal.
Yes, Father.
I need to know where he's going and what exactly he intends to achieve.
I will do all that I can.
Oh, Boreal.
Yes, Father? Not a word to any of our mutual friends.
That includes her.
Benedic, Domine.
Nos et dona tua.
Quae de largitate.
Tua sumus sumpturi.
Et concede, ut illis salubriter.
Nutriti tibi obsequium praestare valeamus.
Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Amen.
Amen.
- Good evening, Mrs.
Coulter.
- Good evening, Master.
Lyra, this is Mrs.
Coulter, she may be of some interest to you.
Oh.
Hello.
I am not used to the grandeur of this at all.
You'll have to tell me which knife and fork to use.
- Oh.
- I don't want to make a fool of myself.
Are you a female scholar? You seem surprised.
Well, female scholars don't dress like you.
I'll take that as a compliment.
No, I'm not really a scholar, I'm a member of St.
Sophia's College.
Most of my work takes place outside Oxford.
Hi, Lyra.
But I'm not interesting.
You are.
Tell me about yourself, Lyra.
Oh, well, nothing to say, really! So, reports you use the rooftops as your private thoroughfare are completely false, are they? How do you know about that? You are quite something, aren't you? I'm surprised Asriel doesn't talk about you more.
You know my uncle? Oh, yeah, we occasionally bump into each other at the Arctic Institute.
You're an explorer too?! Oh, that's such a grand word.
But, yes, I suppose I am.
Have you ? Have you ever seen an armoured bear? Or Tartars?! Well, I've negotiated with bears.
It's much more tiresome than it sounds.
I've fought Tartars and that can actually be quite fun.
But does this really interest you? I am capable of being quite boring sometimes.
No, no, no, no.
Where the North is concerned, you could never bore me.
Well, my favourite moment is early morning, when the sky is high and the land seems endless.
All that's in front of you is fresh unbroken snow.
You feel utterly alone and you feel utterly magnificent.
I want to feel like that.
Take a seat, Lyra.
Lyra, do you know why I'm here? The Master has asked if I can find a place for you and, naturally, I wanted to meet you first.
And now that I've met you, I like you, and I want to offer you a position as my assistant.
Now, you'll need to learn fast and I won't take any slacking.
But I think with your enthusiasm and my know-how we could make quite the team.
We'd go to the North? Well, we'll go to London first.
And you'd have to be prepared to leave tomorrow.
I have an airship booked for the both of us.
My friend Roger can he come too? He's not much of an explorer, but he can cook and clean and The boy in the dining hall? But I have all the household staff that I need, Lyra He won't let you down.
I need him.
He's my best friend, my only friend.
Please.
He's an orphan like me and leaving Jordan College would be the most exciting thing for us.
Fine.
He can come.
Lyra, stop and think before you tell him.
There is a chance he may not want to go.
Jordan College is all he knows.
It's all I know too! But we were always going to leave Jordan College, Pan.
- Roger isn't like you.
- We'll explain it to him tomorrow.
Even he'll know he can't miss this chance.
We can't.
Ma! My Billy My Billy.
Ma, it's all right.
It's all right.
Is it safe to Librarian? Who were you expecting at this hour? Roger with my breakfast.
What You're needed.
Rather urgently, as it happens.
Well, quickly, Lyra, get dressed.
Ah, good girl, come quickly.
We haven't long.
I'm leaving Jordan to live with Mrs.
Coulter and Roger and no-one And no-one is stopping you.
You know about that? Mrs.
Coulter has spoken to me, yes.
I arranged it all myself.
The part of your life that belongs to Jordan College is coming to an end.
Now, please sit.
So, why am I here then? Lyra, I promised once to do everything I could to protect you from anyone who might do you harm.
Protect me? From what? And the older you've got, the more I've felt the importance of that promise.
Who did you promise? I think Mrs.
Coulter will do her best by you, but I can't be sure.
So I'm going to give you something.
And I need you to promise that you will keep it private.
This matters, Lyra.
We need your word.
What is it? It's an alethiometer.
One of only six that were ever made.
It's beautiful.
Lord Asriel himself brought it to this college, when you were just a baby.
It's extraordinary.
What does it do? It tells you the truth.
How? That, Pan and you will have to learn by yourselves.
But please know that it is illegal unless approved by the Magisterium.
So secrecy is No, no, no, I don't want secrets.
It's my uncle's.
He wouldn't want me to have it anyway.
Lyra, look at me! The powers of this world are very strong.
Men and women are moved by tides much fiercer than you can imagine.
This hopefully will provide you with some protection.
Go well, Lyra.
Goodbye, Lyra.
And keep your own counsel.
Not a word to anyone, not even Mrs.
Coulter.
We need to tell Roger we're going to London.
I'm looking for Roger.
So am I! He didn't turn up for the breakfast shift! Roger? Mrs Woodbridge, have you seen Roger? No, I haven't.
Any of you? Mr.
Cousins, have you seen Roger? - No.
- Roger? Eric, have you seen Roger? No.
Roger! This is the last place he'd be! There's nowhere else to look! Roger! Are you down here? You don't think the Gobblers have got him, do you? Readying the boats? Are you thinking of leaving, Farder Coram? My son's still out there.
Farder Coram has done nothing.
I am halting the search.
You may be the Western King, but my son is worth more than The children call them Gobblers.
There's nothing saying he's with them.
There's nothing saying they even exist.
Billy's a good boy.
He's strong because you have been a strong and good mother to him, Maggie.
And if he could, he'd have found his way back to us.
But he has not.
He's just lost his way and he needs us to find him.
They've taken 16 of our children so far and that number keeps growing.
Searching for him here, when we know he is lost, is foolishness and you know it! We're going to London, we will fight those Gobblers and get our children back.
Come on.
Good, you're early.
I like early.
My friend Roger, he's gone missing, I can't find him anywhere.
This isn't like him.
Something's happened.
What do you mean? You seem worried, Lyra.
Tell me.
I know the Gobblers - Shh.
- are just children's stories but Not here, Lyra.
But one of the Gyptian children, Billy Costa, he's gone missing, they say it's the Gobblers, so With every child's nightmare there's an element of truth, Lyra.
You're saying the Gobblers could be real? They could have Roger? He was right? It is possible.
- Then we should call the State Police - No, no, no, no.
They'll be of no use at all.
The State Police wouldn't care about a kitchen boy, he'll be miles away by now.
Lyra, listen to me.
Do you care for this boy? Yes.
Does he care for you? - Yes.
- Right.
Then we'll need to take the matter into our own hands.
The Gobblers will have taken him to London.
I'll set down tracks as soon as we arrive.
The Gobblers are in London? Yeah, of course they're in London.
Oxford's too small.
In London, children can just disappear.
In Oxford, there's nowhere to hide.
In London, there's everywhere.
And you'll help find him? Lyra, look at me.
I won't just help, I won't just try, I'll succeed.
Your luggage, Ma'am.
Right, I'm on the eight o'clock airship.
I expect to see you there.
For your sake and for Roger's.
Lyra, the gift the Master gave you.
What did he say this did? Tell the truth.
Tell me where Roger is.
Come on.
Tell me where I can find Roger.
The airship is about to leave.
If we're going, we have to go now.
Tell me if the Gobblers have Roger.
If the Gobblers have him she's our best chance of getting him back.
Isn't she? Wait! Lyra, I am so glad you decided to join me.
Here, come, take a seat.
I think it's the best decision for both of us.
So, where do we start looking for Rog? Lyra, airships aren't safe spaces to talk, shh.
But we need to start thinking about where to We're together now.
We'll have plenty of time to discuss whatever you wish.
A bit of quiet now would be best.
The Gyptians.
They're leaving too? Let me out! Lyra, this is your new home.
Home for us all.
Roger's too.
When she finds him.
27 Gyptian children have been taken.
And now is the time for action.
We will get our children back.
Is it true that you're funding Asriel's investigations? What do you know about Dust, Lyra? It doesn't affect children.
And who did you learn this from? Recent Gyptian raiders causing trouble again.
We're going to find out what they're doing to the children.
This kind of heresy is of highest priority to the Magisterium.
How are you able to be so far away from your daemon? How am I supposed to trust you when no-one tells me the truth?! Some things you're better off not knowing.
The children, they are taken some distance inland.
- We have to fight.
- We have to kill.
The Magisterium are everywhere.
Lyra, don't breathe.
We all want to find the missing children so will you stay with us? - I've been busy.
- Where? Oxford.
What do all of these symbols mean? It takes years of study.
It's trying to warn me of something.
I suspect it's trying to warn you of everything.
We go North.
Now! I represent the Western Gyptians and we would like to hire you.
I know what you're fighting, kid.
You're going to lose.
I would obtain the services of an armoured bear.
Tell me where she is.
With Iorek on our side, we stand a chance.
Has anyone seen a bear? Who is Lyra Belacqua? What's he trying to do with Dust? Flood us all with sin? This is war.
The fate of more than this world depends on her.
And who are you, exactly? - It's time.
- I know.