His Dark Materials (2019–…): Season 2, Episode 2 - The Cave - full transcript

It's a city in the sky.

Someone left in a hurry.

Lyra Silvertongue. Will Parry.

We must find the child.

The prophecy is about
a girl named Lyra.

HISSES: Tell me...

..who Lyra Belacqua is!

I will make it my sin.

Lyra. There's an Oxford
in your world, too?

This house... This family.

I don't care how you do it.



I want the letters.

He trusts me. I need to know
whether I can trust him.

He's a murderer.

Ahhh!

But there's something else
about him, too.

He's got something to do here.

I think we both do.

I'll take you as
far as the broad,

then I've got to go see
my mum's lawyer.

LYRA: I know, you already said.

No.

Definitely not.

Oh, yes.

What do you think?



No capes, Lyra.

MOCKING: "No capes."
Eh, what does he know?

Or hats.

The point is to blend in.

Is this good enough for you, Pan?

You can't put Pan in that.

Lyra, people are going to
be looking for me.

Bad people, the police.

You mustn't look different
or you'll draw attention to us.

They'll start asking questions.

They'll find this window
and everything.

This is a good hiding place.

I'm safer here,
so let's keep it that way.

Lyra?

Sorry, Pan. Unbelievable.

PAN: It stinks of old goat!

WIND CHIMES TINKLE

You're sure you remember
where this is? This is the gate.

I can see it, Will.

Lyra, wait!

Wait!

CAR HORN BEEPS

Are you OK?

Yeah. They don't have cars
that fast in my Oxford.

You don't have the word
"wait" either?

Come on, get up.

SHE GRUNTS
This way.

PAN: I'm fine, thanks for asking.

Is this similar to your Oxford?

I guess.

Sort of.

We need to be careful.
Blend in.

CAMERA CLICKS
Sorry.

PERFORMER: Would you like a picture?

TOURIST: Oh, look at that guy!

PAN SQUEAKS

Come on.

Mind out! Oh!

Lyra.

Wait, that building's close
to Jordan in my world.

Lyra, slow down!

I've never heard of Jordan College.

The tower's right there -
it's right next to it!

Oh! So sorry, so sorry.

Further back that way.

What's the matter?

You were right - Jordan College
doesn't exist in your world.

This isn't like our Oxford at all.

Come on.

GRUNTS SOFTLY

Your Eminences,
venerable brothers,

I will not use this solemn day

to tell of the wildness
of the witch

whom I saw strike our
brother Sturrock down.

But have no fear.

She and her kind
will be brought to account.

As acting cardinal...

..of this Magisterium,

I have a duty to tell you

that these troubled times

call for strong,
decisive leadership.

And the Authority has blessed me

with a clarity of purpose

which cuts through my grief...

..like a knife!

In deepest respect,

I dedicate myself...

..to this great task.

That's nothing.

One time, I fell off a tree,

and the librarian thought
I'd broken my leg.

So he carried me all the way

from the Botanic Gardens
back to Jordan.

We have the Botanic Gardens.

My mum used to take me.

Good as new.

What's that thing, anyway? Why
do you keep looking at it?

I just need to do something.

What's it do?

You phone people on it and it
tells you stuff, like the news.

I have something a bit
like that, but better.

Mm-hm.

I asked it about you, Will.

It told me you're a murderer.

What?!

I needed to know about you,
so I asked it.

And it's fine - it's the
good kind of murderer, like...

Stop saying that word.

You don't know
what you're talking about.

I had no choice.

PHONE PINGS REPEATEDLY

What's it saying?

It's saying I need to see my mum.

I have to make sure she's all right.

Stay out of trouble, OK?

I'll meet you at
the Botanic Gardens, 5pm.

PAN: You shouldn't have
called him a murderer.

This looks more like our Oxford.

I do not like this place. Get in!

Huh? Sh.

Where do I find the scholar
to tell me about Dust?

Keys - which saint held the keys?

St Peter, wasn't it?

So there must be a
St Peter's College.

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS

It's telling me to look for the
door with the mountain on it.

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS

It's saying...

..not to lie to the scholar.

How are you going to manage that?

It's telling me to focus on the boy.

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS

To help him find his father.

But...

..I thought Will was supposed
to be helping us.

We don't have much time.
Let's find the scholar first.

OK.

MECHANICAL WHIRRING, PINGING

SHE GASPS

You're interested in skulls?

Huh?

Did you know...

..that people still do that?

Drill holes in their heads.

They must be lunatics.

There's a name for it.

I've forgotten what it's called.
Trepanning.

Are you a student in Oxford?

No, it says it there.
HE CHUCKLES

I wish I knew so much at your age.

Charles.

Lizzie.

I'm a collector.

I've donated various items
to this place.

Listen, if you ever want to know
more about these artefacts...

Thanks.

Nice to meet you, Lizzie.

CAR DOOR SHUTS
LOCK BEEPS

MESSAGE ALERT

MUFFLED TV IN BACKGROUND

You were right.

Will texted me - he'll be in
touch soon.

The head of
the Magisterium, Ruta?

He was a bloated monster who spread
hate and fear and blindness.

I had to send Dr Lanselius
as a peace envoy

to clean up this mess.

We can't get drawn into this
cycle of futile revenge.

We must focus on the girl
and the prophecy.

You speak as if you are above this.

And you act as if you
have no self-control.

I protected the prophecy.

Thanks to me, our enemies still
don't know the child's name.

We need to unite the nine clans.

We've cut the head off
the Magisterium.

So let's finish what they started.

The world's changing.

We've all sensed it.

The skies are darkening.

The light is dull.

I'm trying to reach for the child,
but...she feels indistinct...

..like she's behind a veil.

If we cannot reach her,
all will be lost.

This is it, St Peter's College.

You mustn't go lying to
the scholar, remember that.

Pan, I won't lie to him.
I can do that.

Hi.

Er, can you please tell me
where the physicist is?

Well, what kind of physicist
are you after? Will I do?

You're a scholar?

Believe it or not, I am, yeah.

What were you doing?

Oh, I'm watching...

There's a nest of fledglings
in the drain - wrens.

They come back every year.

Sorry, you are?

Lyra Silvertongue.

Mary Malone.
You're not a student, are you?

Can you please tell me about Dust?

Dust?

What do you mean?

Well, we call it Dust in my world,

or we also call it Rusakov
particles - you ever heard of them?

In your world...
In your school, you mean?

No.

We're not allowed to study Dust

because the Magisterium
thinks it's original sin.

They take children to the North,
and now there's an opening.

And my father is...

I'm saying it all wrong.

I didn't think it would be
this difficult.

I'm not sure I'm who you're
looking for, Lyra. Yes.

Yes, you are.

I know you are.

Is there someone I can call to
help, your parents or...?

No.

This matters.

This matters...

..so much.

You see, my friend was killed.

Because of Dust.

I've travelled so far.

I found myself here.

And Jordan's gone...

..and I don't know where to go.

I need to find out about Dust,

because if I don't find
out about Dust,

it will all be for nothing.

Roger's death will be for nothing.

I miss him so much.

I'm sorry about your friend.

I need you to tell me about
the particles you study.

Please.

OK.

OK.

Hmm.

You missed the funeral.

You know, I'm not sure you've
shown Cardinal Sturrock

the respect he deserves.

Will you help MacPhail
keep the top job?

I vote this evening,
but he has stiff competition.

Father Graves.

I think you'd make a better
cardinal than either of them.

Graves is on quite the crusade.

He's arrested half the North,

and the council seem rather pleased.

I saw they're holding

that manservant of Asriel's
down in the basement.

Any sign of the man himself?

Uh-uh. Not a trace.

Where have you been hiding?

HE CHUCKLES

Away.

On business.

And you?

How is that charming
daughter of yours?

The escape artist.

They grow up so fast.

Has her daemon settled yet?

My daughter is
none of your business.

You are Dr Martin Lanselius,

consul to the witches of the North,

and you claim to have been
sent here as a peace envoy.

Is that correct?

Appointed by Queen Serafina Pekkala
to reaffirm the mutual tolerance

between our cultures.

I was sorry to hear
of the cardinal's death,

but that witch acted alone.

We have grounds to believe
you are here as a spy.

Do you deny that the witches
have been conspiring

against the Magisterium

with the heretic Asriel,

and you are here to gain
intelligence?

Absolutely.

To side in human conflict
is against their nature.

You will find no evidence
of conspiracy because...

..there is none.

I am here to offer our deep
regret and broker peace.

That is all.

May I question the prisoner?

MURMURS FROM THE GALLERY

Dr Lanselius, you are the son of
a witch, born out of wedlock.

This witch, did she raise you?

I spent my childhood in the lakes,

then, as is the tradition...

..when my daemon settled,
I left home. Ah.

What sort of a mother
would send her child away?

Is this not all a perversion
of all that is natural?

She sent me to my father to spare me
the pain of the daemon ritual.

A barbaric practice.

No, the ritual is beautiful.

There is a region
in the furthest North

where daemons cannot go.

To become a witch, a girl
must cross it alone.

It allows separation
without breaking the soul.

Witches have been hiding the power
of daemon separation for centuries.

Rituals aren't a secret.

The witches have no
quarrel with you.

Witches are the enemies of men.

They use their soft,
deceitful ways to seduce us.

They steal men's seed and then
they abandon their offspring.

Well, then, you have
misunderstood them.

Oh, please, enlighten me.
Witches see...

..the mysteries and beauty
of this planet

in ways that men cannot see.
Blasphemy!

Did you hear that? Blasphemy!

Thank you, Father Graves.

Only the Authority can know
the mysteries of this world.

All rise.

Dr Lanselius...

..you are hereby condemned
as a traitor.

By Magisterium decree,

on the charges of heresy,
collusion and conspiracy,

you are sentenced to
eight years' hard labour

and daemon captivity.

Take him downstairs.

Next detainee to be called,
number 1584.

Thank you.

Please.

Thank you for seeing me.

I'm Will Parry,
Elaine and John Parry's son.

In this letter he wrote to my mum,

he said if there was ever any
trouble, she should contact you.

I expect he was talking about the
trust I helped him set up.

Your mum's been getting a
small payment

from the fund
every month. William...

We need the money now.
I'm afraid,

by law, you're still a minor,

and therefore I can't let you
have the money just like that.

Your mum would need to
come and see me herself.

She's not very well.
I'm sorry to hear that.

Your file, Ms Perkins.

Well...
DOOR CLOSES

..you could ask
one of the other trustees.

Hmm. Graham and Annabel
Parry, your grandparents.

What?

Ah.

I recall there was some dispute
over your father's estate.

Yes, here we are.
They have an Oxford address.

I have grandparents in Oxford.

Thanks. So...

..you wanted to ask me
some questions?

Sorry, they're a bit stale.

OK. I promise to
answer your questions

if you promise to answer
mine in return. Deal?

Fire ahead.

Do you study Dust?

I don't know what your dust is,

but we study something
called dark matter.

And what's dark matter?

We don't really know,
that's sort of the point.

It's... It's not visible.

It's the matter in between all
the known bits of the universe,

stars and galaxies.

You study physics?

Er, sort of.

Well, we were trying to find
a particular type of particle,

one that doesn't respond to light,
so it's very difficult to detect.

We call them shadow particles.

We built an electromagnetic
field around a detector

to try and isolate their signal,
and then we fed that

through the Cave - our
computer - to amplify it.

And...

..what we discovered was
actually pretty extraordinary.

I started testing objects
to see if the particles

would respond differently.

I saw more activity when
the items were man-made -

a chess piece,
my I Ching box in particular.

BEEPING

Finally, in a moment of madness,

I attached myself.

But it was only afterwards,
when I was lost in thought,

that it happened.

What did you find?

The set of particles made contact.

They seemed to be...

..conscious.

SHE LAUGHS SOFTLY
I don't know how else to put it.

You can't see them
unless you expect to,

unless you put your mind
in a certain state.

Do you know the poet John Keats?

He has a phrase for it -
negative capability.

You have to hold your mind
in a state of expectation,

without impatience.

And then they flock to your
thoughts like birds.

That's Dust.

Lyra, how do you know about my work?

None of it's published.

Because of this.

That's really beautiful.

Is it some kind of game?

It's not a game.

It told me to look for the door
with a mountain on it.

Ask me something
I'd never be able to know.

Oh, gosh.

Um...

OK.

Tell me what I did
before I became a scientist.

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS

You were a nun...

..but you stopped believing
and you left.

They'd never let you
do that in my world.

Wha...?

STAMMERS: How did you do that?

Well...

..it's like you said.

I put my mind in a sort of...

..in-between state...

..and the meanings just come to me.

And that's how you knew
about my research?

It told me you'd tell me about Dust.

It's the original sin.
Original sin?

SHE LAUGHS
I became a physicist

so I wouldn't have to think about
things like that.

Well, you need to.

The Magisterium in my world
want to destroy it.

Who are the Magisterium?

They control everything.

They think Dust is evil.

But I think what they do is evil.

Sometimes people are afraid of
things they don't understand.

Dark matter does sound pretty
ominous, but in my experience,

it's actually quite beautiful.

Can I see your computer Cave?

Please.

We've been waiting for you to come
and see us, hoping you would.

Why don't I know you?

When your dad went missing...

SHE SIGHS

..we were all very upset.

Some thoughtless words were said.

But we're very happy
that you've found us.

How is Elaine?

We know she had a hard time

after your father disappeared.

Is she OK now?

Why did he leave us?

I know Johnny found it very
hard to be away from you.

Anyway, it doesn't matter.

I just need your help
with this trust stuff.

Oh, for heaven's sake. You see.
What did I tell you?

She sent him here for money.
Graham.

She didn't send me anywhere.
Graham!

Oh, I'm sorry.
Just give him a moment.

RINGING TONE

PHONE BUZZES

DI Walters.

It's Graham Parry.

You were right, he came to us.

Keep him there, I'm coming now.

I understand why you're angry.

John's absence has been hard on
all of us, but we can help you.

You can even stay here if you like.

Can Mum stay?

It sounds like your mum needs
some professional help.

How do you know that?

Mum's fine.

She's not fine, is she, Will?

And neither are you.

Your parents exchanged
letters and, for some reason,

the police think that
they're important.

If you could just explain
and help us find them,

then all of this can be over.

Oh!

I'm sorry. Don't worry at all.

You can sit just here.

I'm just going to attach these
electrodes to your temples

to hook you up, and when I do,
just try to clear your mind.

You can look at that screen there.

I've only managed to do this
once with a small response,

so let's just see what happens.

Oh, you can relax,
it won't hurt you.

All set.

Just...give it a go.

DISCORDANT BUZZING

BUZZING FLUCTUATES

What?

Did I do something wrong?

No, no, no. That's the...

That's the best display I've ever
seen. What were you thinking?

I was just asking if it was Dust.

I think that means yes,

but I can get it clearer
than that - look.

What...?

Those are pictures.

It must be Dust.

Your particles... It's talking in
the alethiometer's language now,

but you could get it
fixed into words very easily.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Say that again.

It says you're important.

You have something important to do.

But you have to make
the connection yourself.

The Chinese box you have upstairs -

you'll need it where you're going.

You mean the I Ching?

Time... Oh, no.

Um, I have to leave, I'm late.

What?! No, you can't go. Sorry.

I've got someone waiting for me.

Will you come back?
Tomorrow, please!

OK.

Bye.

Come on, Lyra.

Well, now that party's over,
I think I'll take my leave. Leave?

What kind of woman raised
Father Graves, do you think?

Did you see how he paraded himself?

I cannot understand why he
is afforded such admiration.

SHE SIGHS
Sometimes, subtlety is overrated.

What are you suggesting?

You must go one step further
to beat him.

My thanks to you, Lord. Mm.

You heard Lanselius.

We know where the witches
are vulnerable.

It would be most irregular to act

before the trials have terminated.

Graves is a man of big words.
Be a man of big actions.

The cardinalship is yours,

you just need to show some...

..strength.

Will, I found the scholar!

She's called Mary Malone and she's
got an engine that can see Dust,

and she's going to make it talk.
Will, it was incredible.

I found out the Dust might
not be sin at all.

I don't know what it is,
but we need to find out.

We need to go...now.

SIRENS WAIL

Will.

I never knew there were so
many ways to talk to Dust,

actually talk to it.

I mean, the alethiometer,
the Cave, the Chinese sticks...

If I could just go
back there tomorrow

and play a bit more
with the engine...

Will, what's the matter?
I thought you'd been caught!

I was waiting for you out there when
the police were looking for me,

and you were playing.
I was doing something important.

What am I doing around
waiting for you?

What am I doing here?

I came back here to make
sure my mum was OK,

not to mess around with you.

Because you need my help.
Why do I need your help?

To find your father!

What do you know about my father?

I only...

I don't know, I've only been told we
need to find him. Told by whom?

They're lying. OK? My dad left me
and my mum took off to the Arctic.

OK? He's dead.

Will you let me show you?

It's called an alethiometer.

If you ask it a question,

it will tell you the truth.

I've asked it about your father.

He took some letters
and he ran away.

It was a man.
I think he was thief.

And...

..and you killed him.

I wasn't meant to.

They were scaring my mum.

He tried to steal her letters...

..and he fell.

I can't stop thinking about it.

Can you ask it whether
my mum's OK?

I need to know she'll be all right.

PAN WARBLES

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS

She's worried,

but the man you left her with,
he's kind.

She's safe.

It says she's safe, Will.

And that thing only
tells you the truth?

Yeah, not good or bad, just truth.

Did it really say
my dad was alive?

It said we need to find him.

I don't know who to trust any more.

I didn't either.

People that I thought were safe...

..turned out not to be.

But you can trust me.

I won't give you away,
not to anyone, I promise.

I've done that before.

I betrayed someone.

I hate myself for it.

I'm going to have to leave her,
aren't I?

Just like my dad did.

I don't want to, Lyra.

But I'll put her
in danger if I stay.

The alethiometer told me you're
connected to Cittagazze.

Maybe your father is, too.

I like it here.

PAN WARBLES

Me too.

I think it was the most
extraordinary

discussion I've ever had.

She had this quality about her.

And the things she knew!

Listen, Oliver, she achieved
the best results we've ever had.

What we need is a tangible solution
to this funding situation.

She hasn't got a spare million
as well, has she?

She's going to come back tomorrow,
and then you'll see for yourself.

Have a little faith.

Oh, let's leave faith
out of it, shall we?

Just get a good night's sleep.

HE SIGHS

See you tomorrow.

DOOR OPENS
Mm-hm.

Sorry to disturb.

The council have approved
your proposal.

The men are ready.

The order only needs your signature,
and we shall launch the airships.

A great many of us are in
support of this, Father.

The witches must be cleansed.

I'm praying for your success
at the vote this evening.

Hmm.

It has to be done.

It all...

..had to be done.

Yes, a necessary sin.

But still a sin.

We will atone for it.

Put your hand out.

HE GRUNTS

SIZZLING

GRUNTING AND SIZZLING

BOLT CLANKS

I gave you every chance to escape...

..and yet here you are.

I haven't got long, Thorold.

I believe Lyra's in danger,

so if Asriel knew anything
of her whereabouts,

you must tell me.

Well, they came to the lab.

What? When?

She travelled all that
way to find him...

..and he was going to...

What, Thorold?

..cut her...

..and use the energy
to create a window.

Instead, he used a boy,
the kitchen boy.

He never mentioned the prophecy.

Where did she go?

She went to save the boy.

She's...

She's followed Asriel, she's
followed him through that window.

She's in another world entirely.

KNOCKS
Thank you, Thorold.

LOW MURMURING

Marisa.

They voted unanimously
in my favour.

I owe you my thanks.

You have nothing to thank me for.

Don't you see?

This...

..is a curse.

A web of my design

in which you are both
the spider and the fly.

I have had to bite my lip

while all of you parade around,

concocting your
fearful little schemes,

daring to judge me.

And all the while,

there's a myriad of universes

out there that you could
only hope to fathom.

Careful.

You forget yourself.

I forget myself?

MONKEY GRUNTS

No, Cardinal.

I have a very, very good memory.

And since you need
the past to remain buried,

you'll turn the other cheek
while I take what I want.

Where are you going?

I'm leaving.

Where?

Are you going to find Asriel?

SHE LAUGHS

No.

I'm in search of something
infinitely more valuable.

Good luck, Hugh.

GRUNTS SOFTLY