The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance season 1 premiere recap: End. Begin. All the Same.

Brea & the Royalty

Would it be a fantasy story without some kind of princess? Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy) is the youngest daughter of the Vapra clan and a princess. She’s introduced as a curious and kind-hearted girl who voraciously reads everything possible. In fact, she spends a majority of her time inside the palace library with a smudge of ink on her face. Brea is the dark sheep of her family, her sister Seladon (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is next in line for the throne, Tavra (Caitriona Balfe) is a distinguished warrior, and the Queen Maudra Mayrin the All-Maudra (Helena Bonham Carter) is respected by all.

For the first time, Brea is allowed to attend the Tithing Ceremony but falls into the street at the parade. The Skeksis notice and offer to take the young princess to the Citadel, which immediately seems like a bad idea. In the carriage, The Scroll-Keeper (Neil Sterenberg) is impressed with her knowledge and ability to read. The Collector (Awkwafina) isn’t nearly as taken with the young girl and encourages to stop finding knowledge.

Arriving to the ceremony a bit late, the Scroll-Keeper promises to put in a good word on Brea’s behalf. She gives him a grateful hug before standing beside her less than pleased sisters. However, the ceremony eventually shows the Skeksis’ true colors to Brea. They refuse a lowly farmer’s offering despite his land suddenly falling infertile. To make up for his “disrespect” he’s pressured into offering up his wife’s pendant which was her dead mother’s. Brea is horrified and asks to make the tithing on their behalf but is immediately shot down by Seladon.

Back at the library, Brea is scanning over the Skeksis’ traditions and tells the Librarian (Toby Jones) that they don’t make any sense. He quickly snatches the book and encourages her to stop going down that path. Unfortunately, she isn’t about to turn a blind eye to lies. Brea’s theory is that the Skeksis like to take things so that the people will need to fight over what is left. She attempts to grab the book back but it lights up the entire library with a gorgeous rainbow spiral.

With this new vision, she rushes to tell her mother the good news only to be horrified that she’s wearing the farmer’s pendant. Turns out, her mother seems to be aware of the Skeksis’ lies but allows them so they can remain in power. No longer trusting her mother, Brea keeps the news to herself but later it’s revealed that she stole the pendant back to return to its rightful owner.