HBO’s 10/10 Fantasy Masterpiece Has A Missing Episode That Will Never Be Shown

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Even though one episode was never made, His Dark Materials remains a truly exceptional fantasy series. Based on Philip Pullman’s beloved book trilogy, the HBO show follows Lyra Belacqua (played by Dafne Keen) as her quest to find a missing friend leads her on an incredible journey that impacts all worlds.

The series finale is often praised as one of the greatest endings in fantasy television, offering a heartfelt and true-to-the-book conclusion. It solidified the show’s excellent reputation, but a lost episode remains unseen by audiences.

A Standalone Lord Asriel Episode Was Never Filmed Due To The COVID-19 Pandemic

Originally, James McAvoy’s character, Lord Asriel, was planned to have his own episode in the second season of His Dark Materials. However, executive producer Jane Tranter shared at Comic-Con@Home in 2020 (as reported by Deadline) that filming had to be cancelled when the UK went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She clarified that the story, separate from the original novels, was penned by Jack Thorne with Philip Pullman’s blessing. It would have depicted Asriel’s adventures after he passed into a new world at the end of season one, detailing what he experienced before reappearing in season three.

With filming finished on the rest of season 2, and because this particular episode was self-contained and didn’t greatly affect the main storyline, the team behind His Dark Materials continued with editing and finishing it while under lockdown. As a result, the season ended up having seven episodes instead of the originally planned eight. You can find more details from Tranter’s statement below.

This episode differed from the rest of the season because it was a self-contained story. Jack wrote it in collaboration with Philip Pullman, exploring what Lord Asriel was up to between the end of season one and the start of The Amber Spyglass.

This allowed us to finish editing the seven episodes of The Subtle Knife. We decided to temporarily set aside the episode focusing on Asriel, with the possibility of working on it separately later. Essentially, we had finished adapting The Subtle Knife.

Following the season finale, Tranter shared more information with Entertainment Weekly about what would have happened with Asriel in season 2. These scenes would have taken place three days before the season’s start, showing how Asriel contributed to Cittàgazze being nearly empty when Lyra and Will Parry (Amir Wilson) arrive, and detailing his actions afterward.

She already had concerns about whether the lost episode would ever happen, because the show was focused on adapting The Amber Spyglass for season 3, and the longer they waited, the harder it would become. This was back in 2020, and with His Dark Materials concluding in 2022, it now seems very unlikely that the episode will be produced.

We aimed to tell the story of Cittàgazze – why it was abandoned and what part Asriel played in that. We wanted to show what happened to Asriel, where he went, and his motivations. This backstory happens three days before the events of season 2 begin. The episode is a flashback to those three days, which then leads directly into the start of the season.

If we revisited that episode, it would be a standalone event. I’m not sure if, after finishing The Amber Spyglass, people would still be interested in it, especially as we get further from The Subtle Knife. It’s closely connected to the world’s mythology. It felt like a clever way to address audience questions about Cittàgazze, spectres, and the mythology itself. Honestly, I’m just not sure what the interest level would be.

Although most of Asriel’s storyline couldn’t be included this season, the creators found a way to feature him in the finale. He appears before a host of angels and asks for their assistance in the fight against the Authority. According to Thorne, Executive Producer Dan McCulloch worked tirelessly to make this happen, and James McAvoy generously recorded his lines during a day with strict COVID-19 safety protocols.

His Dark Materials Is Still A 10/10 Fantasy Show Despite The Missing Episode

Most shows would suffer if an episode went missing, but that wasn’t a problem for His Dark Materials. The series still became a uniquely compelling fantasy story. Because the episode focusing on Asriel wasn’t originally part of The Subtle Knife, its removal didn’t interfere with accurately adapting Philip Pullman’s books.

The storyline didn’t really need this addition, and the characters – Lyra, Will, and the others – were still engaging without it. However, including Asriel in the finale did lay the groundwork for his important part in season 3, giving James McAvoy ample opportunity to play him as he fights a war and ultimately defines his relationship with Lyra.

As Tranter suggested, a separate episode could have clarified some aspects of the world of His Dark Materials, but it wasn’t essential to the show’s already strong story, characters, plot, or central ideas.

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2026-01-24 17:49