Power couple

Ruth Wilson and Ariyon Bakare on their villainous double act as Mrs Coulter and Lord Boreal in His Dark Materials

- CAREN CLARK, SEAN MARLAND

FANTASY DRAMA

His Dark Materials Sunday, BBC1 HD, 8.10pm

Villains don’t come much more charismatic and complex than ruthless Mrs Coulter and steely Lord Boreal in BBC1 fantasy drama His Dark Materials. And this week we find the dastardly pair taking a huge risk as they head into the mysterious realm of Cittàgazze.

After her confrontation with daughter Lyra (Dafne Keen), Mrs Coulter, played by The Affair’s Ruth Wilson, now follows her back into the city. Meanwhile, Boreal, played by Good Omens’ Ariyon Bakare, remains obsessed with getting his hands on the powerful subtle knife. But as deadly spectres swarm around Cittàgazze, danger approaches for them all...

Here, Wilson, 38, and Bakare, 49, tell us more...

Why is Boreal so fixated on getting the subtle knife?