After the last episode of the second season aired on HBO, some interviews given by Lin-Manuel Miranda where published online by several sites, such as Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Slate and Gizmodo
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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: At the risk of ticking off fans of another popular fantasy series, it seems your watch has ended.
LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA: Haha! Yes. Hodor. Please. Hodor.
What was your reaction when you found out that Lee would be going out in this blaze of glory? And then what was it like acting it out?
Well, my first reaction was back in 2005 when I read the books. I had that in the back of my mind when I said yes to the gig. I’m gonna have to do one of the most heartbreaking deaths in literature, or at least in the literature that I’ve read. So, I think a part of me has been preparing since I signed on for the gig. One of the things that’s so affecting about it and the genius of Philip Pullman is every death in this story is two deaths. We haven’t just gotten to know Lee, we’ve gotten to know Hester and their relationship. I think that’s the extra twist that you never see coming. It’s heartbreaking in the book, and I hope we did it a bit of justice.
I also found something really beautiful about this moment. Everybody in Lyra’s world who has a daemon comes with this blessing that they are not alone in their final moments on earth. I was curious if you had any thoughts on that for Lee.
Pullman wrote a book called Daemon Voices where he wrote a series of essays about his thinking around the series, and the notion of a daemon was a storytelling solution. [People] can monologue about what they’re doing and how they’re feeling if they have someone to talk to. So, why don’t I put their souls outside their body? And it’s so simple and so elegant, but you’re right, it brings this incredible moment of solace in the final moment. I haven’t read The Subtle Knife for many years. I didn’t want to re-read it and get too attached to anything in case our version strayed. But the line that always stayed with me is Lee saying to Hester, “Don’t you go before I do.” That is a beautiful, heartbreaking line.
Read the rest of the Entertainment Weekly interview and the others under the jump.
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