His Dark Materials 3 (HBO)

A recap at the start would have been useful as it has been a while since season 2. It helps to have read the books, as this season is largely based on book three of Philip Pullman’s trilogy – The Amber Spyglass. Lyra has been abducted by her mother, Mrs Coulter, who is keeping her sedated in a misguided attempt to keep her safe. Will is using the subtle knife to cut his way across worlds trying to find her, while the Magisterium is also trying to find and eliminate the ‘Eve’ of prophecy. Meanwhile Lord Asriel is mustering the forces of rebellion against the Authority, both helped and hindered by angels taking sides, and taking little heed of his daughter’s fate. When Will liberates Lyra she persuades him they need to journey to the Land of Dead, so she can make amends to her lost friend Roger, but this entails leaving behind their souls with no guarantee they will be reunited. There is a lot going on in the infinite multiverse; it can be hard to keep track of all the threads, and the Eve theme is a tad heavy handed. The visit to the Land of the Dead brings back some favourites, and ties up a few loose ends. Throughout the cinematography is beautiful and the cast is all class. Ultimately, it’s all about love and sacrifice, with an unexpectedly poignant and heartfelt ending to the series.