When the trailer for Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) was released, I must admit that I had no idea what it was. I had no clue it was meant to be a prequel series to the 1982 film The Dark Crystal, created by Jim Henson. In fact, I had never even seen or heard of the original film at all. I do know, however, that Jim Henson and his company are renowned for being some of the most important, if not the most important, innovators of puppetry in the film and television world. Jim Henson is the mastermind behind the beloved Muppets (featured in The Muppet Show and Sesame Street), Fraggle Rock, Dinosaurs, and Bear in the Big Blue House to say the least. He also directed the David Bowie film Labyrinth. Though Henson passed away in 1990, The Jim Henson Company has carried on his legacy throughout the years.
I soon learned that the original film is revered as a cult classic, one that paved the way of puppetry in film in a big way. Though it may seem dated to viewers who watch it now, The Dark Crystal was incredibly advanced for its time. I was also surprised to learn just how deeply fantastical and – dare I say – dark the material and concept is, something I didn’t learn until I started watching Age of Resistance. Though it may sound silly to admit that out loud, it truly was a surprise, since anything Jim Henson-related in my mind was always more geared toward children and family-friendly television.
I was immediately hooked after watching the first episode of the ten-episode premiere season, enthralled by the fantastical world of Thra and its deeply layered plot and character structure. Today’s post outlines why I loved the first season of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and why I think it’s so important that the more laborious, traditional art forms such as puppetry are making a comeback.
Warning: Spoilers for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance below.
Let me start by saying that this show starts off very much the same way many fantasy shows start: by introducing a ton of characters in its first episode. There’s Rian, Ordon, Gurjin, Mira, Brea, Tavra, Seladon, the All-Maudra, and Deet, of the elven-like Gelfling race; then there’s the vulture-like Skeksis, which include the Emperor, the Scientist, the Chamberlain, the General, the Gourmand, the Ritual-Master, and the Scroll-Keeper. And there are more major players that come, of course, as the show progresses. It’s a lot, and it’s understandable to be overwhelmed. However, the show does extremely well in laying down the plot in a way that doesn’t present too convoluted, as well as establishing its main characters in a distinguishable way. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself knowing everyone’s name and face as if it’s second nature.
Set approximately 50 years before The Dark Crystal film, the wondrous world of Thra is one where magic and the fantastic are the norm. Thra, however, is slowly descending into darkness, as its life source – the Crystal of Truth – has been abused by an alien race, known as the Skeksis, who have become the sneaky, manipulative lords of Thra. This is because Thra’s true guardian, Mother Aughra, left the Skeksis to rule – under the impression that they were the good guys – while she explores the universe with her third eye (or, something like that. To be honest, I’m not entirely clear on this element of the lore). The Crystal of Truth is now the Dark Crystal, as the Skeksis have been draining it of its magic to remain immortal. However – the show begins in a moment of crisis for the Skeksis, as the Crystal is becoming weaker, unable to give them the life source as per the usual method. The Skeksis become desperate to find a way to remain immortal, and begin to do so at the fatal expense of the Gelfling – and of Thra itself.
It’s a pretty epic journey as the Gelfling, who eventually catch wind of the Skeksis’ sinisterhood, attempt to break out of the indoctrination and rally the troops. I could likely write multiple posts about the political nature of the show, but let me not get ahead of myself. One of the main reasons I become so quickly hooked on this show is that the characters become fully realized, three-dimensional beings very fast. The dialogue between everyone, particularly between the sinister Skeksis, is excellent, and this is likely due in part to the voice acting (and, of course, the puppetry itself). I won’t list everyone, but notable performances include Taron Egerton as heroic Rian, Nathalie Emmanuel as optimistic Deet, Victor Yerrid as (perhaps the best character ever) podling Hup, Mark Hamill as the brilliant but curmudgeonly Scientist, Jason Isaacs as the ravenous and commanding Emperor, and – last but not least – Simon Pegg as the conniving, cunning, ever-so-slippery Chamberlain. Pegg does an uncannily good job at channeling Frank Oz, who played the Chamberlain in the original movie, right down to the odd quirks and vocal inflections.
The most compelling thing about each of these characters is that there is always a possibility that their development can go in any which direction. Characters that you may think are pure evil in one instance offer thought-provoking, philosophical perspectives in the next; characters you think will never deter from the path of goodness do in the most severe of ways, and vice versa. Characters you think will stay alive meet their untimely ends, and characters you think are sure-fire targets stay alive.
Those who have been dubbing it “the Game of Thrones of puppets” are actually pretty accurate. (In fact, many of the GoT actors lend their voices to the show, including the aforementioned Nathalie Emmanuel along with Lena Headey, Natalie Dormer, and Ralph Ineson.) Not only does Age of Resistance capture the same unpredictability of GoT – and with it, a similar sense of shock and awe elicited when such an unpredictable event does happen – but it maintains a similar political overtone. Every episode shows multiple moving players, a board of opponents either becoming one step closer to their own version of victory or one step backward. Age of Resistance even maintains a similar level of bleakness to GoT, wherein viewers quickly realize that the “anything goes” mentality applies in a big way. (As in, this is definitely an adult show – not because there’s anything sexually explicit, but because of the level of violence and morbidity. Anyone who may think this is G-rated is sincerely wrong.)
The only main difference (besides the whole non-human thing) is the pacing. Age of Resistance manages to belt out an entire narrative and almost wrap it up neatly in a bow within a mere ten episodes, and I applaud the creators for doing so in a way that didn’t feel rushed (at least, most of the time). My only main issue lay with that of the character Seladon (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who in my opinion is forgiven much too quickly by her family even after being one of the most atrociously hateful and petty characters I’ve seen in onscreen in a while.
The puppets are breathtaking, the world intricate and vivid. It is truly splendid to see such tangible artwork take place, with minimal CGI, particularly in an era where every other movie or show is filled to the brim with CGI. I would say the only remotely distracting element of the puppetry was that, the moving mouths of the Gelfling (aka. the smallest puppets in the show) are relatively limited. However, I quickly got over it because the show is so immersive in every other regard. If nothing else, the artwork and sheer effort it must have taken to domineer every detail of this show will knock your socks off.
Another element that really stood out to me is the way gender is played with in the world of Thra. Characters are really only defined by their pronouns, but do not have specific “male” or “female” characteristics. The only thing that separates gender is that female Gelfling have wings and can fly. Mother Aughra is a character that is in fact characterized as “intersex”, displaying both typically male and female traits. Another example is that Deet casually mentions to Rian that she has two fathers, without any awkward pretense or unnecessary explanation. It is extremely clear that being queer, gender non-conforming, and anything else is completely, unblinkingly normal in Thra, and that reflects the world I strive to be live in. Not to mention that the Gelfling are a matriarchal society, wherein each clan are run by a female “Maudra”, which is entirely awesome.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this show. The world is full of fascinating features and, I’m sure, tons more unexplored lore – which is why I sincerely hope that Netflix will renew it for a second season. Whether you have watched the original film before seeing the show, or did what I did, where you watch the show first and then the film – either way works equally well. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a clear homage to the original movie without updating itself in flashy ways, rather presenting itself as a much more finessed, saturated, sleek version of its predecessor both in appearance and operation (and, of course, film quality).
Coursing the complex depths of indoctrination, the indigenous struggle, manipulation, deception, and the corruption of the government, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance ended on a significant cliffhanger: and I sincerely, truly, hope I get to see more of the fantastical world of Thra.
~ Z ~
