The all knowing alethiometer is taking Lyra north with Iorek, the armoured bear.
However going through an abandoned village, they encounter the body of Billy Costa. The missing Gyptian boy without his daemon. This may not have translated from the book so well. A missing daemon should be like an amputation. To the Gyptians this is an horrific sight.
More interesting is Boreal's excursion to our world. We are in a boxing gym where Will Parry (Amir Wilson) is getting bullied in the ring by another boy. His mother appears to be unstable and it is all linked to Boreal's search for explorer John Parry.
The witch queen Serafina Pekkala appears in this episode and confirms to her former lover that the witches have known of the multiverse.
Visually the episode looked great. A strand of the story has been brought forward regarding Will Parry. It means the pace has quickened a bit. However I still think pacing is an issue.