His Dark Materials: Who Was in the Cube in Episode 7?

His Dark Materials is a trilogy of novels written by Philip Pullman. The books were adapted into an HBO/BBC One TV series that first aired in 2019. After three seasons in 2022, the last few episodes aired, and there were a few unanswered questions. For example, who was in the cube in episode 7 of season 3?

In the crystal cube was an angel called The Authority. In the last few scenes of episode 7, Will and Lyra stumble onto a crystal cube that fell from the Clouded Mountain. When Will cuts it open, an ancient angel inside instantly dies. This was, in fact, the infamous Authority, Pullman’s in-universe All Mighty or God.

For many people who haven’t read the books, this scene in the episode might have felt a little out of place and a little rushed and underexplained. This is no surprise because many people were shocked when they found out there would only be three seasons of the series, which is far too few to properly adapt the books into a TV series. But don’t worry; here, we will explain everything you need to know about this ancient angel.

Who was in the cube?

In the second to last episode in the final season of His Dark Material, Asriel and Mrs. Coulter finally reach The Clouded Mountain. The Clouded Mountain, or the Chariot, was a fortress and the heart of The Republic of Heaven. It was believed that as The Authority grew older and weaker, more clouds surrounded it, so no one had seen its summit for thousands of years. It was also said that The Authority lives in a chamber at the heart of the palace.

Now, the Regent Metatron is ruled over the Clouded Mountain, an angel that took over Heaven from The Authority after he grew too weak. Metatron was once a human who became an angel, but he still had human vices. This weakness allowed the shrewd Mrs. Coulter to tempt him, destroying him in the end. Since he was also greedy and power-hungry, once Metatron became more powerful than The Authority, he betrayed him and locked Him in a crystal cube. This cube kept The Authority alive but imprisoned and powerless.

As I said, Mrs. Coulter successfully tricked Metatron into trusting her, and when the right moment struck her, Asriel pushed Metatron into the Abyss. As Metatron was an angel made from Dust, when he started falling into the Abyss, there was no way for him to escape, even though he had wings. Metatron’s downfall meant the end of the Republic of Heaven, and as the whole place was crumbling down, we saw a crystal cube falling from the fortress to the ground. Will and Lyra stumble onto the cube in Asriel’s camp and decide to cut it open to set the thing inside free.

When Will cuts it with the Æsahættr, and at that moment, a scruffy and old creature immediately dissolves into atoms. The book readers will know that this was The Authority, who goes by many names, God, Creator, Father, etc. In the book The Amber Spyglass, this scene is also very brief, a short sequence that shows that The Authority dies a mediocre and underwhelming death. This goes with the theme of the whole trilogy that is about, as Pullman himself said, “about killing God.”

Who was The Authority?

The Authority is a looming figure mentioned frequently from the story’s beginning. The first time we actually see The Authority is a few seconds before he dies. The authority was the first angel to condense out of Dust, and he declared himself a deity. Since he was the first, all other angels that were formed after him, he claimed that he created. The first angel that discovered this secret, Xaphania, was exiled and later joined Asriel’s rebellion. He was worshipped in many worlds across the multiverse as The Creator.

Although he didn’t create any of the worlds, in the early ages of his reign, he established the world of the dead, a prison for the ghosts of people who die. As thousands of years passed, The Authority was becoming older, and he decided to name Metatron his Regent. Eventually, Metatron betrayed him and trapped him in the crystal cube in the heart of the Clouded Mountain.

The Authority’s death is like a metaphor that Pullman builds up throughout the whole series. The Authority was an oppressive tyrant that everyone feared, and he was freed from his prison by “helpless children” Will and Lyra, and he instantly dissolved into atoms. His death was unimportant and went by unnoticed.