And so in one episode we’re thrust into a universe on the cusp of conflict, with the fate of more than we realize resting in the hands of a young girl. The beauty of this adaptation is not only the length – with an hour per episode, there’s much more space to delve into the complexities of Pullman’s writing – but what’s on screen. The imagery is gorgeous, the characters are just as rich as readers will remember, and the sense of anticipation that drives the narrative for viewers who may not have read the books is wildly compelling. In a nutshell it’s a well-crafted coming-of-age story intertwined with politics and good old-fashioned adventure. But Pullman fans will already know that His Dark Materials is so complicatedly more than that. On first look, this TV adaptation seems poised – finally – to convey that accurately.