His Dark Materials: Season 2, Episode 4 "Tower of the Angels" Recap and Review

Finally, after what feels like the world’s longest wait, Andrew Scott makes his arrival in this week’s episode of HIS DARK MATERIALS. The episode first opens with another voiceover that describes how The Subtle Knife was first made, as well as tales about the legend behind the Tower and Angels and Cittagazze.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

Lee Scoresby travels through a swampy, Amazonian-like river as he continues his search for Stanislaus Grumman. As he seemingly nears wit’s end, Grumman’s daemon (voiced by Scott’s FLEABAG co-star Phoebe Waller Bridge) arrives at the river’s edge and leads him along the way. When the two finally meet, he introduces himself as “Jopari,” formed from John Parry (cough, cough, it’s Will’s dad, cough). While Lee begins to decompress about his long journey to find him, Jopari tells him that Lee didn’t find him, rather, Jopari summoned him—using a ring that once belonged to Lee’s departed mother, which he presents to him.

Lin-Manuel Miranda in HIS DARK MATERIALS.

As the two continue talking, Lee learns that Jopari is no longer in possession of the knife that he seeks. Jopari tells him that he believes the knife needs to get into the hands of Lord Asriel, which gives Lee pause and prompts him to tell Jopari about Lyra and how Lord Asriel tried to destroy her. Jopari insists that even though he doesn’t like Lord Asriel, he is fighting on the better side of a much greater battle that has been going on for a very long time. As Lee continues to fight against Jopari as his paternal instincts for Lyra kick in, Jopari confesses that he, too, abandoned his family in pursuit of his work and has spent years trying to find a way back to them. Feeling sympathy for him, Lee agrees to take Jopari to wherever he needs to go, so long as he vows to protect Lyra with the knife once they find it. The two make a deal and set sail together.

Meanwhile, Lyra and Will go to the Tower of Angels and work together to find a passage way in. As they climb their way to the top, the encounter an older man, Giacomo Paradisi (Terence Stamp), who immediately informs them that there is another boy in the tower and he has possession of the knife. Practically on cue, the boy (who turns out to be Angelica and Paola’s brother, Tullio) runs out and immediately begins attacking Will. The two engage in a fight and they burst through a window, dangling off the tower’s edge. Lyra tries to intervene, but Tullio kicks Pan, Lyra’s daemon, and she falls to the ground. Will is ultimately able to hold his own and get out of immediate danger, but not before Tullio gets back hold of the knife and slices off two of Will’s fingers. Through the adrenaline rush, Will is able to successfully overtake the fight and Tullio runs off.

Giacomo gives Will some brandy to ease the pain, and shows his own hand to reveal he is missing the same two fingers—signifying that Will is now the possessor of the knife, relieving Giacomo of his duties. He trains Will on how to use the knife, including how to open and close a portal, and how he has to focus his mind (similar to how Lyra has to focus to speak to Dust) in order to successfully wield it. He explains critical rules about the knife (including to never open a window without closing it, never show your knife, and never allow anyone else to use it) and he marvels at how quickly Will picks it up. Both Giacomo and Tullio ultimately both succumb to attacks from the Spectres. Lyra congratulates Will on being the wielder and apologizes for having not listened to the alethiometer when it told her that Will was important.

The witches report back to Serafina what the Magisterium did as well as where Lyra is, and they once again declare that justice will be served. Marisa, meanwhile, meets with Lord Boreal (who had previously taunted Dr. Malone at her office), and he informs her that he has found and “trapped” Lyra. Marisa quickly laughs him off and reminds him that Lyra is known for escaping traps, and Lord Boreal insists that the exchange agreement they made will keep her loyal. He also tells her about the alternative Oxford universe, and the two walk through the tear in the sky heading towards Lyra.

Dr. Malone, having been motivated by her unsettling encounter with Lord Boreal earlier (who had again tried to disguise himself as Charles Latham) tries again to focus her energy on communicating with the Dust. Her efforts are profoundly successful, and the Dust takes on the form of a computerized voice and begins communicating in English. Shocked, Dr. Malone begins asking questions, such as if they are shadows and if they are dark matter, to which the Dust replies that they are. It confirms that it is not a human entity but that humans have always known of it, and confesses that what they actually are is Angels. “From what we are, spirit,” the Dust says. “From what we do, matter. Matter and spirit are one.” The Dust confirms that Angels have always intervened in human evolution and that they are powered by vengeance. The episode concludes with the Witches performing a sneak attack on the ships of the Magisterium and successfully enacting their revenge.

Overall, this episode was a much-needed build up of action rather than just exposition. It is exciting to finally see some of the storylines beginning to play out, but it’s curious to wonder how they will quickly wrap up the story with just a few episodes left in the season.

Grade: [A-]

What did you think? Did you catch this week’s episode? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson in HIS DARK MATERIALS.