‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ Recap: ‘She Knows All the Secrets’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I have to admit, that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the slow buildup that The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance has been working toward when it comes to the rebellion that is brewing on Thra. Because taking the time to explore the character’s motivations and assemble an unjust world adds depth and meaning to the audience’s experience with this story. But even then, this series is going above and beyond when it comes to telling its tale, since it is truly pouring over every single detail when it comes to how a rebellion is built and energized and the next episode of the series continued that deep dive by exploring exactly what a resistance needs to truly get going, but not before it took the time to follow up on a supremely important cliffhanger from the last episode.
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Because ‘She Knows All the Secrets’ picks up a short while after we watched Rian be snatched away by The Hunter and as expected, his life was in grave danger. For The Hunter was ready to claim his physical prize and there was no way that Rian would be able to overpower him, making it seem as though this tale was going to open up in brutal fashion, that is, until the Chamberlain showed up to rescue this brave Gelfing. But such an act did not come about by way of nobility or heroism, oh no, as always, the Chamberlain had an agenda of his own, one that involved presenting Rian to the Emperor so that our hero could recant the ‘lies’ he had been telling about the Skeksis and it was just impressive to see this monster continue its powerful manipulations and nearly seal Rian’s fate. But thankfully, his friends came to his aid, putting him on the road and the offensive once again.

Which is a good thing indeed, for the Skeksis were putting together a grandiose plan to collect Gelfings for their Essence Machine. Which meant that something had to change when it comes to those who wish to fight and well, the chaos present here as Deet and Hup made it to Ha’rar while others moved about the countryside in confused fashion spoke volumes to the fact that it’s not enough to want to fight, there needs to be leadership and a plan of attack to make a resistance worthwhile and that came to fruition by way of Aughra. For this powerful being finally figured out how to communicate with Thra once again, and in doing so she found a way to dive into the dreamfast of our principal heroes and while in that void, she was able to give them the plan and direction they need to bring the fight to the Skeksis at last.

But alas, while seeing anyone rise up against injustice is always a wonderful thing, this story was quick to remind us that not everyone will go along with the plan in question. For Seladon learned of the plan as well, and her loyalty to the Skeksis and her desperation to be something more in this world, prompted her to side with the enemy, and she quickly told the Skeksis about her mother’s plans while they were still within the palace. And unfortunately for the All-Maudra, her daughter’s dedication to the status quo ended in disaster when the Skeksis punished the wise and wonderful leader of Ha’rar with a deadly blow, and to compound matters further, Deet and Hup and Brea were branded as traitors and dragged away as Seladon assumed the throne and once again, we are left with an ending that is filled with heartbreak and uncertainty.

However, while that ending was tough to watch and tough to swallow, this was a quality and powerful story when all is said and done. For this one really moved the plot forward when it comes to the insurrection that’s been building over the past few episodes, and everything that happened here felt natural and logical and that speaks volumes to the quality writing present in this tale. Yet what truly impressed me about this story, were all of the surprising twists and turns present here, especially when it comes to Seladon’s decision to betray her mother. Because I really didn’t see that coming, nor did I fully understand how much she believes the lies the Skeksis feed her, but while it would be easy to engender anger and hate her way, she simply doesn’t understand, and her ignorance will likely come back to haunt her. My only hope for her at this point, is that she finds some form of redemption by way of the forthcoming rebellion, for this really is quite the tragic turn of events and it should be interesting to see how Hup and Deet and Brea get out of this mess, so they can fulfill their roles in the fight ahead. Until next time. 

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