The Dark Crystal got a somehow darker prequel

In an era of increasingly rare practical effects, it’s a small miracle that Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance even got made. But getting to work on a beloved classic with Jim Henson Company muppets as opposed to CGI greenscreen attracted a who’s who of voice talent. Without naming them all, they’ve got Anya Taylor-Joy, Mark Hamill, Sigourney Weaver, and Eddie Izzard on board, and that’s really just the start of a stellar cast.

OK. That’s the production, but what about the story?

As The Dark Crystal is simultaneously one of Jim Henson’s and Disney’s darkest stories, rewinding to a happier time in a prequel carries a certain dread certainty with it. Each and every beautiful setting, all the kind and heroic gelflings, the very world of Thra itself all come predestined for doom. The question remains: how?

The Skeksis are already in charge of everything. They’ve been draining Thra’s life force to feed their immortality. But there’s a small group of plucky youngsters (Rian, Brea, Deet) who are trying to free the gelflings from their Skeksi overlords.

The trio adventures together. They find clues, seek allies, try to uncover plots and motives, and all that heroic jazz. Meanwhile, the Skeksis, aware that they’re running out of Thra’s lifeforce to draw from, discover a way to get the energy they need directly from living Gelflings, kicking the genocidal horror show into gear.

Because, as we all know, the Skeksis have already won. It’s sort of an inescapable pall, trying not to get too attached to these adorable little muppets filled with hope and friendship and selflessness. You know a terrible fate awaits them all, but they’re just trying so damned hard.

The one season available on Netflix ends on a hopeful note. Clearly, the intent was to tell a longer version of the A to B tale of the Gelflings’ downfall. While I was saddened to hear that the planned second season wasn’t picked up, at the same time, maybe it was nice to let the Gelflings go off on a high note.