The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance – Season 1 Episode 5 Recap & Review

 

The Prophetic Dream-Fast

We begin Episode 5 of Dark Crystal where we left off, with The Hunter alone with Rian. However, Chamberlain arrives and convinces him to take Rian back to the castle before taking a trophy to confirm the successful hunt. Tied upside down, Chamberlain antagonizes Rian, drinking Mira’s essence infront of him.

Meanwhile, Deet is warned against going to Ha’Rar, as a sobbing Hup tells her he’s scared. Despite initially feeling down, Deet reminds him of his courage and the true meaning of being a hero. As they keep walking, they arrive in Ha-Rah where Hup helps steal an outfit for Deet, before managing to secure a route to the All-Maudra.

The Skeksis inside recommend the seven strongest guards volunteer to go on an expedition – this expedition inevitably leading back to the castle and being sacrificed to the crystal. While they head out, Chamberlain and Rian ride in, as they discuss death and the idea of saving lives, something that sees the Skeksis attempt to coerce Rian into seeing the Skeksis’ way of viewing life. However, he stubbornly refuses to believe him, prompting Chamberlain to tell him he’ll be responsible for the slaughter of all Gelfling if he starts a war and leaves now.

Having seen the blight first-hand, Brea’s Mother sends Seladon South to be with the Landstrider Herds, before Brea joins with her Mother and heads down under the throne to find out just what the rock creature is hiding. While underground, Deet and Hup arrive in the Throne Room where they tell Princess Seladon their story. Convinced they’re lying, the Princess asks for proof, to which the Grottan asks her to dream-fast, met with a disgusted look at the Gelfling’s lack of hygiene.

Out on the road, Gurjin and his sister arrive and save Rian from his fate. As Chamberlain slashes at them with his sword, the Gelfling work together to free the creatures acting as wheels. As Chamberlain crashes the kart in the middle of nowhere, the creatures are freed and revel in their newfound freedom while the trio of Gelflings return.

Meanwhile, Aughra tries to speak to Thra but finds herself lost in her many techniques for communicating with the world. After sitting with the Sanctuary Tree for a bit, she begins chanting, as memories of the past flood forth and different bands of Gelfling begin to Dream. As they do, Aughra appears before them all and tells them more about the world they find themselves in.

The Crystal Of Truth has called for their help as the World is dying. With an inevitable battle on the horizon, Seladon fails to heed the call and heads back to the living world while Rian is told to join Brea and Deet in Ha’Rar. Once together, the fires of rebellion can ignite and start the final fight against the Skeksis.

Seladon, having previously returned to the living world, demands the traitors be forced out, informing the Skeksis personally of their betrayal. As the rest of the Gelfling head back too, the All-Maudra demands volunteers be let go. Standing up to the Skeksis, the General slices her stomach and kills Brea’s mother. While Brea mourns, Seladon ascends to the role of All-Maudra, courtesy of the Skeksis.

With all our Gelfling now joined together against a common threat, Seladon’s ascendancy to mad Queen is something that feels like it was always destined to happen. If there’s one thing this show has done so well over the episodes, it’s foreshadowing and seeing these early, small moments pay off later on down the line is great to see.

As all our characters begin overlapping dialogue and giving solitary, heart-felt performances, Dark Crystal’s emotional story offers up a dramatic, emotional peak at the end here, with the differing fortunes of the two sisters helping to add more depth to this tale. Quite where Age Of Resistance goes from here remains to be seen but for now, the series continues to delight with another very good episode.

 

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