'His Dark Materials' Episode 7 sees an epic bear fight and the uneasy reunion between Lord Asriel and Lyra
If 'Cleganebowl' was your thing, 'His Dark Materials' Episode 7 brings 'Bearbowl' with heart-stopping CGI effects as Iorek clashed with Iofur in an epic battle.
Leading to that event is Lyra "Silvertongue", as Iorek calls her, beguiling Iofur with the one thing he has always wanted that humans have. A daemon. It is why he tries to be more human -- a weakness that Mrs Coulter has exploited. Lyra after learning about Iofur's daemon obsession from a scholar locked in the dungeons with her, comes up with a unique plan. She tricks Iofur into thinking she is an "artificial daemon" made in Bolvangar, who can travel like a witch's daemon and knows secrets that she will turn over to him once she is his daemon.
But to claim her as his own, Lyra tells Iofur, he has to defeat Iorek in single combat. Iofur, while a dangerous figure, who even killed his own father, is a neurotic megalomaniac and agrees to the terms. After feigning defeat, Iorek uses a surprise lunge to kill Iofur and reclaims the Svalbard throne and dominion over the bears. He seems to have picked up some of Lyra's quickwitted nature in her company.
Meanwhile, Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) is having her own freak-out, walking among the ruins of The Station and is completely clueless about where Lyra has now gone. The Magisterium official gives her a tongue lashing as he directs his men to bring in crates of weapons to annihilate Lord Asriel (James McAvoy). Mrs Coulter, with her mix of charm and menace, secures a place of the Magisterium's mission in the North to kill Lord Asriel.
In our world/timeline, Will's (Amir Wilson) mother is visited by Lord Boreal (Ariyon Debo Bakare). He uses every trick to intimidate and gaslight her into giving up John Parry aka Stanislaus Grumman's (Andrew Scott) letters. But she resists, running to Will just after school ends. When they return home, they see there has been a break-in. Will leaves his mother in his coach's care before going back to secure his father's letters. It is a bit of bad luck, Boreal's spies also reach the house to search and trash it again. When Will accidentally throws one of them down the staircase, the intruder dies. Will escapes before the second spy finds him.
Will is on his way back to his mother when he realizes, suddenly, that his life will never be the same after the accidental murder. He disappears into the night with his father's letters in his backpack.
The scene shifts to Iorek depositing Lyra and Roger in front of Lord Asriel's laboratory in the mountains. At first, Lord Asriel is aghast. He clutches at Lyra saying she must leave immediately. He says, in a desperate voice, "I did not send for you." It is harsh words for a girl to hear from her father, especially when she thought she was an orphan just weeks ago. But as soon as Asriel spots Roger Parslow (Lewin Lloyd), he calms down and says he is very happy to meet Roger with a slightly hungry expression on his face.
For someone who knows a predatory adult when he's seen one, Roger shrinks while Lyra, standing behind him, feels uneasy. Lyra might be silver-tongued around others but her parents' actions always leave her anxious and speechless. Whatever Asriel has planned for Roger is not good.
Lee Scoresby and his balloon are still far away even though Serafina Pekkela guides him, telling him a battle is nigh. She tells him, mysteriously, fate is at work, and Lyra is exactly where she needs to be. But what about Roger?
'His Dark Materials' airs on Monday at 9 pm ET on HBO.
