By: Apostolisza8
Disclaimer: I am not a tv series guy. I am also, whenever Ι feel that a series is suitable to my tastes, a very slow watcher. I mean, if you look in the dictionary on the opposite of binge-watching, there is probably a picture of me making watchlists for future use.
“As the Gelfling race on the planet Thra become aware of the fact that their customarily worshiped overlords, the Skeksis, are exploitative, taxing essence-suckers who are destroying their world, three Gelflings — Rian, Brea and Deet — inspire a rebellion after discovering a horrifying secret behind the Skeksis’ power that threatens their entire planet.“
Enslaved’s “Essence” is indeed capturing the melancholia of the heroes’ goal, and not only that ( this review is spoiler free)
Thus said, from the first trailer of the “Dark Crystal” puppet animated Netflix series, Ι was captured by the feeling. So Ι started watching the first, and not the last i hope, season and gradually caught myself into a maelstrom of thoughts. Before Ι try to analyze the aspects that make “Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance” a must-watch and an epic fantasy classic, Ι will try and explain, spoiler-free, the setting.
There is an old movie, that is called The Dark Crystal (1982). If someone has watched it, then they clearly know what to expect. The aforementioned film, is more of a sequel to the Netflix series, and personally speaking, it’s easily passable. The reason is not because of its quality (a cult classic nevertheless), but for the incredible step up that the series is, in all of the film’s and lore’s aspects. Jim Henson‘s world of Thra and its stories, is one of the most underappreciated in the dark fantasy genre. While the film set the milestones for the division between the rulers Skeksis and the extinct, natives of the land, Gelfring, there was a lack of depth in the lore, mostly due to the plot setting of the film. Now, it is time, for tales of old, for the flames that sparked the resistance against the unlawful rulers, for the legacy and the song of Thra, to unfold before the watchers eyes, via the new tv series.
Many people cite the LOTR trilogy as the penultimate pinnacle of epic fantasy. The last decade, the Game Of Thrones mania sparked a rejuvenation of interest for the genre, due to its mainstream success (and possibly the loudest downfall of a series, ever). In a cinematic world full of superhero stories of comedic error and trial, and in an age where the streaming services have been publishing one adaptation next to another, there is a middle point that is long forgotten. There is a part of the fantasy lovers demographic pie, that is stuck into the magic of the 80s films. I want to travel even further back in time. From the legendary “tales from the crypt”, to the myths of Conan, of Elric, even to the world of H.P. Lovecraft, there have always been some principles that ever since have been trying to fight the modernization of the genre. The primordial “good vs evil”, the dialectics with pre-modern societies, the complex clan systems, the hierarchy, the usage and the worship of gods and magic, the need for the heroes to take over and ascend into something greater, due to the previously mentioned trial and error. The tale of heroes is long gone in an exchange for darker grey characters, a more realistic (but in reality lacking fantasy) approach, where someones personal problems are capable of haunting him in every aspect of his life. For real, how many times in the last years, has there been a visual output that claims that heroes are unrealistic?
That is the problem that “Dark Crystal” overcomes. All these questions are answered in a ten episode span, where, if someone surpasses the whole discrete technical puppet setting and voice acting (both of them equally amazing though, some of the best in ages), will witness the greatness of epic dark fantasy. Following the three core protagonists representing different clans and social positions into the world of Thra, the viewer will find himself into a world so incredibly set, that the key of the story manages to confine with the key directional approach. Thra, as a setting and as a living organism, via the crystal that empowers her beings (matriarchy is a key concept in the series), guides the rivals towards a climax. The living embodiment of the land, Aughra, will have the guide’s role, the mystics and their lore is deep enough to add intense plot twists, there is death, genocide, murders, legendary items, betrayals, dreamfasts (seriously being a liar in this universe is a bad idea), forgotten prophecies, advisors, ecology, and in the top of all, the inner conflicts of the extraterrestrial invaders Skeksis stand tall. Among these fantasy principles, someone will have to add, the costumes, the puppets’ designs, the soundtrack and, of course, the comedic tone, light enough to help the viewer stay in touch and sympathize with many creatures.
Let the song of Thra guide you into a land where magic is real, and in the end, you will probably have witnessed the greatest fantasy series of our time. On the other hand, if you can’t stand the setting and the overall tone, no problem at all, you can always dive into fantasy literature where the main themes of the ‘Dark Crystal” are found in different universes and still be happy. As the lyrics from Borknagar’s “Lights” go: “My heroes, they all died so long ago”.
Kvasir's Thread 