I wasn't expecting to say this only 5 episodes in, but I'm feeling like the show runners have missed a lot of the heart from the show and this episode in particular has certainly exposed a general lack of understanding of the source material.
Firstly this episode was filled with so much exposition about Will's life and universe. Which cut into how much time could be given to Lyra and at such a critical moment for her characterisation.
Why was the village with the "ghost" boy completely empty? Thus not demonstrating to the viewers the fear and repulsion of a child without a daemon, the towns people had? Why was Billy not holding his fish? Why was the scene involving Lyra and the coin taken away? Why were the Gyptians not more frightened and horrified about a person, a child, without a daemon? I mean this is a part of his SOUL that has been cut away yet it didn't evoke too much of a reaction from anyone. The whole scene where Lyra enter's the cabin is completely devoid of the utter horrific emotion that Lyra and Pantalaimon had to conquer, it was not fear they had to overcome but revulsion and despair.
They keep missing little character beats from the books. No fish, how she treated Tony, the bit with the stick where Lyra tries to trick Iorek. The anger Lyra showed to the Gytians who simply tossed the fish to the dogs. And finally Lyra overcoming the instinctive horror of confronting a person who has had their soul cut away, to show empathy, kindness and bravery, where others, adults, where incapable of doing so.
The quote from Iorek Byrnison is missing and yet so valuable: "Shame on you! Think what this child has done! You might not have more courage, but you should be ashamed to show less."
Lyra doesn't lie in the show either. At all. Which is one of her central character traits. Hopefully, this will change somewhat.
Also what's up with this oddly modern and fancy house of Will and his mother. It's such a small thing but his home is completely not how I imagined it. It looks too cool almost. In my head it was a slightly quaint terraced British house.