His Dark Materials (2019–…): Season 2, Episode 5 - The Scholar - full transcript

Until next time.

The alethiometer... Someone took it.

But we need it. Without that
we'll never find my dad.

You're a thief. I'm a collector.

You still don't recognise me?

The party in London.

Where have you been?

Oxford.

Ah! You're hurting us!

Lyra!

I found her. I have something
that's vital of hers.



I made a bargain - that she and
the boy acquire something for me.

How did he get in?

I understand you've been making some
fascinating discoveries

in the field of shadow matter.

I'm interested in funding your work.

Defence funding.

If you could see what Lyra did,

the Cave was genuinely
communicating with her.

There's a boy hiding in this tower.

He stole the knife from me.

Who are you? Get out!

Fight, boy, fight!

Will, you are the bearer
of the Subtle Knife.

Ask a question.



Is Dust dark matter?

Yes.

What are you?

Angels.

You can cut an opening out of this
world altogether.

The knife will protect you

and ward off and kill Spectres.

Promise me that you will
protect IT, too.

I found a window...
into another Oxford.

We've got to get
the alethiometer back,

so we'll have to steal it.

She's mine.

Best coffee in Oxford.

No daemons.

Seems barbaric, doesn't it?

They have the appearance of freedom,

but the government's far more
corrupt than the Magisterium.

Twice as many shopping arcades,

half as many places of worship.

It's a culture of consumerism,
not faith.

Prepare yourself, Marisa.

OK, so his house
was set back from the street,

and it had a driveway like this.

Hm. What's that? The window.

The window's really close
to Latrom's house -

that can't be a coincidence.

Then we shouldn't use it.
It's too risky.

You'll have to cut a new window.

If the worlds match up,
we can get even closer.

I bought this shortly after I sold
my first Muscovite collection.

Shall we?

We know where the window is
in both worlds.

So that'll help us find where to cut
through to Latrom's house.

And then, when we're in,

That's assuming
I can definitely cut a window.

Let me show you around.

So this is your big secret?

It must have taken you years
to build this collection.

This item brings me
particular pleasure.

This is a piece of wall

that split the city of Berlin...

Delightful as this... all is...

..how does it connect to Lyra?

Lyra will come here to do
the exchange.

And as you can see, my home
is fully monitored.

..for what she wants.

When I found her,
she was trying to read it.

So you stole it from her?

..for you.

Hm.

I'm not sure I can cut a window.
You can.

It's like Giacomo said -
become the tip of the knife.

Come on, you can do it.
I know you can.

Is this your Oxford, Will?

I don't know.

Come on, let's do another one.

Will, you left the window open.

Wait, I know this street.

It's near the window in the park.

He's getting good at this.

He is.

Come on.

Lyra... Lyra, come and look at this.

Look, Pan was right.

The worlds do match up.

So that means if we cut a window
by the tower...

Then we cut into his house.

The alethiometer's right there.

Before trying anything
near the tower.

Will, we can't let him have
the alethiometer.

I know.

We will get it back.

The sound quality from these
speakers is quite something.

I can see why you like it here.

You'd like it here, too.

I was considering
investing in a research project

that would certainly suit you...

..concerning elementary particles.

What do they know of that
in this world?

Enough to interest your daughter.

Sorry?

Carlo, can you make that stop?

Explain what you mean.

Lyra visited a woman called Malone.

She runs a small department
in a college.

What do you mean,
she runs a department?

Academia works a little
differently here.

She's investigating
the properties of dark matter.

Dust.

You can't be thinking of going.

Carlo, Lyra hides things
from me instinctively,

and as her mother, all I want to do
is to keep her safe,

and the only way I can do that
is to know what she is doing.

I need to know what strange ideas
her mind is being filled with.

Fine.

But you're far too conspicuous
like that.

I didn't know
what your preference would be.

Would you mind?

It is fundamental
that the people retain

the purity of their faith
in the Magisterium.

I can assure you, Your Eminence,

that though there are
some mutinous dissidents

advocating Asriel's
preposterous notions,

those men and - heaven help us...

..women...

..have been arrested and are under
the control of the Magisterium.

All except Mrs Coulter,
a former ally to Asriel,

who hasn't been seen since
your inauguration, Cardinal.

Perhaps it is time
the Magisterium issued

a firm public denial of the anomaly.

No, Father Graves.

We remind the people

that it is their faith
in the Magisterium

which will keep them safe
in these troubled times.

I beg your pardon, Cardinal.

Thank you.

A telegram from the North
informing me

that 24 of our Magisterium soldiers
at base camp

have been killed in cold blood
by the witches.

The bombing of their lands has led
them to retaliate.

We restored order!

Not before the witches travelled
through the anomaly.

They've gone through?

Your Eminence,
we're losing control of the North.

We need more troops
around the anomaly immediately.

The witches could return, bringing
corrupting influences to our world.

Cardinal, a decision must be made.

We need to show strength
in the face of insurrection.

This tragedy...

..is not a setback.

A lack of devotion among our ranks,

and for this treachery,

24 of our brothers have been taken
as martyrs.

Father Graves, your faith
is clearly marred

with the stain of doubt,

and doubt is an insult
to the Authority

which must be severely punished.

Will you escort him to the cells?

Yes, Cardinal. Your Eminence...

Guards!

This is absurd.

My devotion to the Magisterium
is absolute.

Cardinal...

Cardinal!

Thank you.

Fra Pavel...

Who?

Coulter!

She said she was going in search
of something valuable.

I want you to find out what it is.

I am relying on you.

Will I do?

You look wonderful.

Thank you.

You're determined to go?

If your daughter returns,
we may miss her.

And that's why you must stay.

Keys.

Your daemon...

Surely I'm not the first woman
you've witnessed

capable of self-control.

Have you never encountered witches
on your travels?

I won't be long.

Can I help you? Yes. Mrs Malone?

Doctor.

This is my private office.
Who let you in here?

Please forgive me.

I have heard all about your work,
and it sounds...

..absolutely fascinating.

Whichever private investor sent you,

you can read my work
when it's published.

No-one sent me.

Marisa Coulter.

I'm an experimental theologian.

I think you know my daughter... Lyra.

You're Lyra's mother?

I am.

Is she all right?

She's fine.

We're staying with friends
in Oxford. I'm taking her home.

She mentioned trouble at home.

It's been a huge misunderstanding.

She told me what happened,
and that is why I'm here.

I wanted to apologise to you
in person,

in case she was a nuisance.

She wasn't a nuisance
in the slightest.

I loved meeting Lyra.

It was the most interesting
conversation I've had in ages.

The ideas she has...

What ideas are those?

Well, about the morality
of dark matter,

or, um, what did she call it?

Dust.

Her grasp on quantum physics
is astonishing.

And the compass...

The alethiometer. Yes.

How she's able to understand it,
I have no idea.

It's extraordinary.

You must be so proud.

I am.

So it's experimental theology
you've been teaching her?

It's not a field of research
I'm familiar with.

Where would you say
theology comes to science?

Where does it not?

Tell me about your work.
I have a million questions.

What was your doctorate in?

Have you published any papers
I might recognise, or...?

Sorry, I'll get you some coffee.
Hold on.

Oh, dirty cups. Sorry about that.

You must play the serpent.

You have been preparing for this
as long as you have lived.

You must make a journey
which starts at hornbeam.

Hornbeam...

Deceive the guardian...

..find the entrance.

Entrance to what?

You will be protected.

Protected from what?

Save the girl...

..and the boy.

Your work here is finished.

We start by cutting
into the cabinet room.

What if Latrom's
in the cabinet room?

You can't force him to give
the alethiometer back.

I wasn't thinking about forcing him.

You were. Oh, shut up, Pan.

I was going to say Latrom's
probably got it hidden

in a safe or something.

I could distract him
to give you more time to search.

You do the cutting,
I do the talking.

What's that?

Oh, Tullio, please, no!

Don't leave! Why'd you leave me?!

No, no, no, Tullio!

The Spectres must have got him.

Come on, come back! Come on!

Oh, Tullio, no, no, no!

No! I'm so sorry.

You're sorry?! So you did this.

Did you take the knife?

I never meant to hurt him.
It's not Will's fault.

He attacked us.
He was going to kill us!

But you admit it!
You did this to Tullio!

No!

Yes, you did. You did that
to Tullio. You did that!

You see what you did?

I'm so, so sorry. Please...

You see what you did?

I'm sorry.

The knife was the only thing
keeping the Spectres away from him.

They will get you.

But why?

Tullio stole the knife from Giacomo,
he tied him up.

He would've killed us all.

I never wanted to fight him.

You had to, though.

If we could have got it without
fighting, we would.

"Now the serpent was more crafty
than any of the wild animals..."

Crafty?

Not in the lab? It's a miracle.

That's not what you think.
I'm not judging.

You aren't going back
to the convent, are you? No.

OK, good. Um...

You were right, though,
about my life.

Something happened at work.

It means taking time away
from my research, so...

Finally! You really need a break.

Taking some time is a great idea.

We have friends with a cottage
in Devon.

Um...

I was considering somewhere

a little bit further than Devon.

Abroad?

I might just see
where life takes me.

I don't know yet.

Lyra, you ready?

It's time.

I can't see anyone.

Do you think Giacomo's still
in there?

Do you think the Spectres got him?

Don't think about that now.

I don't want to hurt anyone else,
Lyra, whatever they've done.

You don't have to.

You just need to cut us in there,

Yes. You were right!

To get to the basement,
we'll have to go lower.

Giacomo's rooms.

Come on.

What do they drink in this world?

That they do rather well.

How did you find Malone?
Impertinent.

Intelligent.

Free.

I found her arrogant,
like many women in this world.

Do you find me arrogant?

Of course not.

You're clearly upset.

Did you know,
when I was an honorary scholar,

I achieved the highest results
in our final examination,

but because I was a woman,

I was denied a doctorate
by the Magisterium?

I've written plenty of papers.

..take the credit.

What did Malone say to upset you
so much?

Hm.

Do you know who I could have been
in this world?

..about the scandal
over my affair with Asriel?

He seduced you.

And then abandoned you.

Leaving me a grieving widow.

With a child out of wedlock.

Why are we talking about Asriel?

We're not talking about Asriel,
we're talking about me!

Yeah.

Come here.

We'll do it somewhere around here.

Make it really small.

He has the alethiometer.

Why do you assume you're the first
person to have travelled here?

Why not?

If you found the window,
others could have.

But if you were...

..looking at what you've done...

..you wouldn't deserve to be.

That's a little unfair. Is it?

This place is full of ideas,
ideas our world is hungry for,

and yet you...

Give me some credit.

You've only seen a fraction
of what I've achieved.

I've built a company,
I've made a name for myself.

Oh, and were you hoping to add me to
your little collection of treasures?

I was hoping that this might be
a life you'd want to share.

My dear Carlo.

If you actually got me...

She's here.

Bring her down.

OK.

One, two, three, four...

Why don't you come inside?
Where's my alethiometer?

Where's my knife?

Will's got it. He's on his way.

Always close the window.

Why don't you come inside
and we can talk about this?

Will will be here any minute now.

Agh!

Stay back. He's going to attack.

What?

Will! Lyra!

Lyra.

No... Lyra...

The door's locked.

You found it.

Don't come any closer. Stay back.

I thought we had a deal.

Sit down.

The deal's off.

I mean it! I'll cut this.
Just give me the knife.

Lyra!

Here. This is yours.

Take it.

And why would I trust you?

Stay back, I mean it.

Don't you dare. That carving is
of huge historical importance.

I heard you could read it.

I'd love you to show me.

And then I can tell you more
about Dust, if you want me to,

and why Asriel did what he did
to your friend Roger.

I don't want to hurt you.
I've seen what the knife can do.

Lyra, you are special.

I know you don't believe me,
but I am only trying to protect you.

You can already read
the alethiometer.

I can teach you to use that power
in other ways.

Lyra! We need to get out of here.

Give me the knife
and you can leave...

Lyra, stay away from that boy.

Do you understand me?
He will do you nothing but harm.

You are so like I was.

I am...

..nothing like you.

What would your mother say?

What?

How is she, your mother?

Awful to think what could happen
to someone so...

Agh! Agh!

Agh! Lyra!

Agh!

Lyra, I've got it, come on!

Lyra, quick!

Lyra!

Lyra!

Hey.

Made you some coffee.

Thanks.

No problem.

Easy.

When I heard him hurting you,
I wanted to kill him.

So that was your mother?

I've never seen you
like that before.

She can seem so good sometimes.

And I want to believe it,
but I mustn't.

Once, she used her daemon

to hurt Pan, to hurt me.

I'm always scared something bad's
happening to my mum.

But never that she'll hurt me.

It may sound strange, but...

..I hope I'm not like either
of my parents.

It didn't feel good,
acting like she did.

..Ma Costa...

They'd be lucky to be anything
like you.

Well, now that we've
got this back...

..I will do nothing
but help you find your father.

Promise.

You offered her the alethiometer.

Well, you failed to tell me

that they had a knife
that could cut between worlds.

They're gone.
We can't go after them.

We have to. We can't.

The crossroad world
we passed through...

..is for the Spectres.

Spectres?

Until recently,
the knife was guarded closely,

impossible to get to.

Now the city is deserted,
plagued by Spectres.

They consume everything
that makes us human.

So is Lyra in danger?

Tell me more.

They attack and kill adults
in seconds.

There's nothing to be done.
No human can survive there.

You're wrong, Carlo.

Once you understand something...

..you can master it.

And we have no choice but to try.

Or...

..are you going to admit defeat

and let an adolescent take
that knife from you?

Hm?

OK.

This is private property.

Yes, I'm supposed to be here.

Where's your Latrom security pass?

Latrom security pass...

I left it at work.

I'm sure you can make an exception.

No? OK, uh...

I'll just... I'll call Charles.

Mrs Coulter?

Yes. We were told to expect
you together.

He's on his way.

Of course, Mrs Coulter.

Thank you.