His Dark Materials – The Botanic Garden Review

His Dark Materials has come to a close, ending on a bittersweet note with “The Botanic Garden.”

Lyra and Will have fled into the World of the Mulefas, searching for their dæmons. In this paradise, Lyra and Will come across an old friend, Mary. Lyra and Will finally get to act on their feelings for each other but receive tragic news that prevents them from being together.

Anyone who has read the novels knows that His Dark Materials was filled with sad and tragic moments and the series finale explores one of the most heartbreaking moments of them all. Lyra and Will finally declare their love for each other, but they could not be together. They couldn’t be in the same universe because one of them would die young, and all the portals to other universes needed to be closed. Their kiss restores the balance to the multiverse but to maintain this the teenagers must sacrifice their happiness. This was a bittersweet ending considering all that Lyra and Will have been through. Yet the series was known for having loads of dark moments and ideas like child kidnap, soul-sucking monsters, and child death.

When I first read The Amber Spyglass I felt genuine sadness for Lyra and Will. I was invested in them as characters. “The Botanic Garden” had a lot riding on it. As a fan of the novels, I was more than satisfied with the season finale.

After the Multiverse crossing adventure and a war to determine the faith of humanity, “The Botanic Garden” was a more personal, intimate story. The cast of characters had been pruned: there was only Lyra, Will, Mary, Serafina Pekkala, and Xaphania who had a significant role in the story, with Father Gomez, Balthamos, and Atal making an appearance. It was a love story since Lyra and Will kissed. They had a shared experience that no one else could ever possibly know or understand. It was an episode filled with heightened emotions and Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson were on top form for their final appearance on the show.

One of the biggest changes from the novel was showing Will and Lyra going to The Botanic Garden in Lyra’s Oxford. This was a change for the better since it had more of an emotional impact to say goodbye there. They agreed to go to the Garden every year at the exact same date and time, so they would spend time with each other even if they were worlds apart. It led to a touching montage where Lyra and Will make their yearly pilgrimage.

There were other changes in the episodes from the source material but these were minor. An example of this was changing Mary’s love interest which led her to renounce her faith. In the novel it was a man, the TV show made them a woman. The outcome was the same.

The other major storyline in the episode involved the search for the dæmons. There was a particular focus on Lyra’s pain and longing. It was harder on her since she had been with Pan all her life. This half of the storyline was more focused on Lyra and Pan since for Will having a dæmon was a new experience for him and he was excited. Serafina says to the dæmons that their humans will need them because of their heartbreak but anyone who has read The Secret Commonwealth know that things don’t end well for Lyra and Pan.

The episode was Philip Pullman’s retelling of the Garden of Eden and how Adam and Eve got persuaded by the Serpent to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, leading to their banishment from Paradise. Will and Lyra were Adam and Eve, Mary played the Serpent because she told them stories of her love affair, and the kiss turned innocence to experience. Pullman twists this because the act of ‘sin’ was a good thing since it enabled humanity to be creative and thoughtful, but it comes at the cost of them being unable to live in Paradise.

In my review of “The Clouded Mountain,” I compared it to anime series. “The Botanic Garden” continued that trend. Some anime series’ final episodes follow the heroes winning a major conflict, yet there has to be a parting of ways. In His Dark Materials all the characters must return to their home worlds. “The Botanic Garden” followed a trait of anime where it showed the power of love can conquer any threat.

His Dark Materials did end on a high note. “The Botanic Garden” was the best episode of Season Three as it portrays Lyra and Will’s personal tragedy to ensure all of reality is saved.