The Dark Crystal Prequel Series Coming To Netflix

[Reverend]

The Gelflngs would basically have to take the castle and hold it for the next 80 to 200 trine until the Great Conjunction. Either they would need to force the Skeksis out of the castle (than bring them back to be made whole), Imprison them for a several Gelfling generations, or execute them all. And not all the Skeksis are at the castle at this time. At least three are being recalled, and there is a least one more out there (if not three more). While executing them might be the simplest way, that also kills their Mystic counterparts, who have done nothing to the Gelflings to deserve death.

It does raise the question as to whether the Mystics and the Skeksis being reunited was a vital part of healing the crystal. Probably the best evidence for this is that the Mystics hid and preserved their lives for all that time, when doing otherwise could have potentially saved Thra from a millennia of Skekis rule. Selflessness and sacrifice seem to be at the core of what the Mystics are about, so self-preservation at the expense of so many others wouldn't make for much of a credible alternate explanation IMO.

And just nine Skeksis seem to be formidable in combat despite how they look.

Indeed, we saw they were able to overwhelm and capture most of their own guard force, which is no small feat, even with the element of surprise.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Perhaps our heroes will try to restore the shard with the Crystal, not knowing that it's not simply a matter returning it and that the Great Conjunction has to occur at the same time (and the urRus possibly needing to be there, too).

 

[Reverend]

Perhaps our heroes will try to restore the shard with the Crystal, not knowing that it's not simply a matter returning it and that the Great Conjunction has to occur at the same time (and the urRus possibly needing to be there, too).

I don't know. I mean surely that would imply they were able to overcome the garthim, take the castle and hold the chrystal chamber, no? But then what? Did they just retreat and let the Skeksis back in. Surely they'd at least imprison, if not execute them in such a scenario.

I suspect that given where the shard was in the movie, that the healing of the crystal was one of the many paths Aughra had foreseen, so she kept it until the time was right.

As to how things end for the Heroes of Thra...I guess it depends at what point the story will leave off relative to the movie. It would be we weird to leave it on a high note with a new united Gelfling kingdom standing against the garthim, given how we know that ultimately ends. But I think it would be equally weird to end it on a total downer.
If I had to guess, I think the smart way to play this is to introduce a new twist in the story hitherto unsuspected. Like for example if the last act of the Resistance was to somehow hide a population of gelflings far away from the reach of the Skeksis. Escaped across the seas, or into down into some deep caves, or frozen in stasis somehow.

I have only a vague recollection of the sequel comics, but didn't that feature the Gelfling race back in full force just a few centuries later? Were they all decedents of Jen and Kira, or were those two not the last of their kind as they thought, just the last in that part of the Thra? Perhaps many, of not most are decended from those that returned from some diaspora.

 

[Ithekro]

I wonder if the fusion of the two species and their (final) use of the crystal to leave Thra is what returned all the essence back into the land and made it green and living again at film's end. Rathar than, you know, taking a century or two to regrow everything and well repopulate the Gelfling species via only one male and one female.

 

[Christopher]

I wonder if the fusion of the two species and their (final) use of the crystal to leave Thra is what returned all the essence back into the land and made it green and living again at film's end. Rathar than, you know, taking a century or two to regrow everything and well repopulate the Gelfling species via only one male and one female.

We were told in the show that the Crystal gave life energy, and that the Skeksis corrupted it by draining it and then by reversing its polarity so it took life energy/essence. So presumably once the Crystal was healed, it returned the life force it had taken.

As for the Gelflings, I wouldn't be surprised if Jen and Kira weren't the only survivors. After all, each one thought he or she was the only survivor until they met each other. There could be others just waiting to be found. I've seen a couple of articles noting that the series makes a point of establishing some remote, hard-to-reach locations where Gelflings could have theoretically hidden, like the Caves of Grot and the desert. The producers have been asked about that and hinted that mayyybe they hinted at that on purpose.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I don't know. I mean surely that would imply they were able to overcome the garthim, take the castle and hold the chrystal chamber, no? But then what? Did they just retreat and let the Skeksis back in. Surely they'd at least imprison, if not execute them in such a scenario.

I was thinking more along the lines of a stealth operation. Rian was a castle guard so he would easily know all of the ends and outs of the place (like, say, a certain sewer pipe..).

I'm not saying that's necessarily a path the showrunners should go down on, but it's an option to explore, especially if Aughra isn't so forthcoming with information.

If I had to guess, I think the smart way to play this is to introduce a new twist in the story hitherto unsuspected. Like for example if the last act of the Resistance was to somehow hide a population of gelflings far away from the reach of the Skeksis. Escaped across the seas, or into down into some deep caves, or frozen in stasis somehow.

They did introduce the crystal desert that the Dousan resides in and explicitly stated that it was hard to traverse. That seems the most obvious to place to hideaway Gelfling survivors.

On the other hand, that story direction reminds me a little too much of a storyline in the the Mirror Universe novellas that Pocket Books did years ago, a storyline that always left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I probably wouldn't mind it if it's just something that happens out of sheer desperation and survival, and not part of some grand foreseen plan like in the Mirror Universe novellas.

 

[Destructor]

Does anyone know what country the mountain exteriors were filmed in? They looked very, uh, 'New Zealand-y'.

 

[Reverend]

Does anyone know what country the mountain exteriors were filmed in? They looked very, uh, 'New Zealand-y'.

So far as I'm aware, it was all shot on a soundstage. Though I have no direct knowledge, I imagine the distant landscape shots were some combination of CG, photographic plates and what looked like miniature work.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I tried looking for the making-of documentary, but the only thing I can see under “Trailers & more” are 8 short one-minute vids, most being teasers and trailers. Is there somewhere else that the doc can be found?

 

[JD]

It's not with the show, it's by itself as a separate movie. It's The Crystal Calls: The Making of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

 

[tomalak301]

It's so hard not to participate in this thread for fear of spoilers, yet every episode I'm observing something cool. I'm on episode three now and I just love the world building going on. Every storyline (especially Deet's) is offering something that just expands what we already know about this universe and the puppetry is just incredible. How long is this series from the movie. It's amazing we're seeing so much of the Gelfling clans yet in the movie there were only two left.

Also, I'm a little confused about the mystics. If they were the equals to the Skakies, (I think, since the Crystal of Truth merged them back together, shouldn't they be around?

Also, the music in this series is gorgeous, and I guess Fizzgig is not just a name, but a species of Thra.

 

[Reverend]

Also, I'm a little confused about the mystics. If they were the equals to the Skakies, (I think, since the Crystal of Truth merged them back together, shouldn't they be around?

I think it's mentioned in the second or third episode that they're hidden away until they are needed. And I'm not sure that they're equal since IIRC the urSkeks' inability to master their darker halves were what got them in this situation in the first place.

 

[Christopher]

How long is this series from the movie. It's amazing we're seeing so much of the Gelfling clans yet in the movie there were only two left.

Netflix's teaser trailer says it's 50 years before, but according to Lisa Henson, the producers are being deliberately vague about just how far ahead it is.

Also, I'm a little confused about the mystics. If they were the equals to the Skakies, (I think, since the Crystal of Truth merged them back together, shouldn't they be around?

The movie established that they lived in a remote valley far from the castle, basically as ascetics and hermits, so one wouldn't expect them to be out and about much. Anyway, keep watching.

 

[HarryCanyon1982]

Here's my ideal cast for the Mystics:
Jim Cummings as the leader.
Keith David.
Brad Douriff.
Kevin Conroy.
Ron Perlman.
Rob Paulsen.
Brad Garet.

My ideal voice cast for Skekung the garthim master/new general and SkekShod the treasurer.

Clancy Brown or Charlie Adler (with his T-bone from Swat Kats and Ed Bighead from Rocko) voice as Skekung.
SkekShod should be voiced by John DiMaggio from Futurama, Princess Mononoke and more.

 

[tomalak301]

The movie established that they lived in a remote valley far from the castle, basically as ascetics and hermits, so one wouldn't expect them to be out and about much. Anyway, keep watching.

Episode 4 pretty much answered this question with Augra and the Archer.

 

[Christopher]

Here's my ideal cast for the Mystics:

Did you forget you already posted that four days ago?

 

[Ithekro]

The Mystics are pretty lowkey, as a race. I wouldn't expect them to do to much at all in this series (aside from the few adventurous ones) They have no ambition to do things, so they don't really do things. I half think the reason the Skeksis are always so hungry is because the Mystics don't eat much, and they don't eat much because they usually feel full due to the Skeksis eating. (downside of being two halfs of the same being).

Plus any Skeksis that die in this series will also result in the loss of a Mystic. And while that can be a plot point in at least one instance, I don't know if it even comes up when other Skeksis die...since the Mystics are not that vital to the plot at this time. There are only, what two listed in the cast for this season?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The Mystics are pretty lowkey, as a race. I wouldn't expect them to do to much at all in this series (aside from the few adventurous ones) They have no ambition to do things, so they don't really do things. I half think the reason the Skeksis are always so hungry is because the Mystics don't eat much, and they don't eat much because they usually feel full due to the Skeksis eating. (downside of being two halfs of the same being).

Plus any Skeksis that die in this series will also result in the loss of a Mystic. And while that can be a plot point in at least one instance, I don't know if it even comes up when other Skeksis die...since the Mystics are not that vital to the plot at this time. There are only, what two listed in the cast for this season?

Spoiler: First season

Yup, we only see two Mystics so far but we could see more as there are some unaccounted for.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I am curious - since Mystics and Skeksis are tied together (could be a kind of quantum entanglement going on there), and since the Archer and Hunter could feel each other's wounds, and in the movie, the Chamberlain's counterpart got a bloody hand from where Jen stabbed the Chamberlain, would it stand to reason that the Scientist's counterpart would have spontaneously lost an eye when they put that thing in the head-cage with him?

Such a disturbing way to live - waiting for your other half to injure him/herself or worse and then just all of a sudden - POOF! Your arm falls off or you just drop dead. Similarly, in the movie:

Spoiler

When the Scientist is attacked by his animals, he falls down the crystal shaft into the lava and his counterpart, who's meandering across the plains with his cohorts, explodes into flame and incinerates into nothing. That one Mystic in particular must be in bad shape towards the end.

 

[Christopher]

would it stand to reason that the Scientist's counterpart would have spontaneously lost an eye when they put that thing in the head-cage with him?

Apparently not. SkekTek the Scientist's counterpart is UrTih the Alchemist, who has both eyes:

http://www.darkcrystal.com/images/encyclopedia/enc_urtih_rightcolumn.jpg

Perhaps originally the intent was that he was simply wearing some kind of device over his natural eye, rather than it being a prosthetic. If so, that creates a continuity glitch.