A Love Letter to Thra

The fantasy genre has become mainstream. Charging forward with Game of Thrones, the stigma around the genre has been negated slightly. No longer are the days of hiding your fandom of Lord of the Rings in order to avoid being labeled as a “nerd”. Fantasy shows are for everyone. Your girlfriend asking your grandmother if she has seen the latest episode of Game of Thrones. The gas station attendant talking with a customer about season 3 of Stranger Things. Two of the 50 people with a DC Universe subscription discussing Doom Patrol. All common interactions.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a fantasy television show unlike any other. Never before has a television show of this quality been created in a puppet-only space. For those of you old enough to remember, Jim Henson (The Muppets, Sesame Street) directed The Dark Crystal in 1982. A movie creation beyond its time in relation to the technical aspects, The Dark Crystal was not a perfect movie but involved a style that was beautiful, dark, and magnificent in all the right ways. This new series is a prequel to Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal and sets to explore the world of Thra that was created in the original film.

Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, The Incredible Hulk) directs the series and does a phenomenal job in filling in for Jim Henson. The main synopsis of the plot can be written as follows: The Gelfling race on the planet Thra becomes aware that their overlords, the Skeksis, are threatening their species and planet with their exploitative actions. With this knowledge, three main Gelfling inspire a rebellion to battle the Skeksis and save their planet. Watching the film from 1982 is not a necessity in order to enjoy the new series. I had no knowledge of The Dark Crystal prior to viewing the Netflix series and was immediately enthralled with the world and the characters. Let’s touch a little more on those topics.

The World of Thra

From the first episode, we are introduced to the world of the Thra in all its mysticism. The team behind The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance does a phenomenal job in creating this fantasy world that we should care about. A world home to the 7 Gelfling clans, Skeksis, and mystics intertwined in conflicting harmony. The Gelfling race are small elf-like creatures that live scattered throughout Thra whose females develop wings that allow them to flutter and glide. The Skeksis are designed to look terrifying, resembling some sort of reptile/bird combination that will definitely terrify the younger crowd. Many different biomes are located on Thra including dry deserts, expansive forests, deep swamps, underground caves, and volcanic areas. Three Suns surround the planet, with its main landmark being the Castle of the Crystal, which houses the Dark Crystal itself. With a larger magnifying glass, you could associate The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance with tackling the issue of climate change and how our own actions affect the planet we inhabit.

The Characters

Taron Egerton as Rian

Anya Taylor-Joy as Brea

Nathalie Emmanuel as Deet

Jason Isaacs as The Emperor (skekSo)

Simon Pegg as The Chamberlain (skekSil)

Benedict Wong as The General (skekVar)

The voice acting cast for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is almost as impressive as the puppeteers acting out the scenes. The number of big-name actors and actresses that are involved in this series is utterly mind-blowing. Apart from the people listed above, the following are also apart of the voice cast:

Mark Hamill

Keegan-Michael Key

Helena Bonham Carter

Caitriona Balfe

Lena Headey

Alicia Vikander

Natalie Dormer

Mark Strong

I could keep going…

The most amazing part about all the talent listed above is that I did not notice them. The voices belonged to the characters themselves. I was not listening to Nathalie Emmanuel; I was listening to Deet. The voices and the characters became one and it allows the viewer to totally immerse themselves in the fictional world. It produces a sense of realness. A connection that grows with each episode, so by the final episode you have actual emotions that can be altered based on the outcome of the series.

Technology is wonderful and has advanced since the first Dark Crystal, but when it comes down to it, it’s basically just a hand in a head controlling the puppet. The puppeteers do a marvelous job of conveying emotion through each character by using small animatronics and hand motions. By adjusting either the camera, the light, or the positioning the puppeteers can sell any emotion. It is wonderfully rare to see a fantasy show with this level of depth and creativity.

My Take: A-

At its core, the series explores human interaction, and how cultures differ from one another. The series takes the old magic of the original movie and pushes the limits of a puppet-only space further than ever before. An alien planet that is not only inhabited but feels alive. Characters that are foreign but feel familiar. Hopefully, Age of Resistance attracts enough attention to warrant a second season.

Will You Enjoy it?

I understand that it may be difficult for some to lose themselves in the world of Thra. Average viewers may have trouble with the Gelflings, whose stiff faces may come off as emotionless and restrained. But I totally disagree that this series needs a human element to be successful. Through the wonderful acting of the puppeteers, in conjunction with the phenomenal voice acting work, I had no trouble discerning each emotion the characters were feeling. I hope you give the series a shot. It’s one of my favorites of the year.