The Bench Scene in 'His Dark Materials' Leaves Fans Teary-Eyed

A certain piece of furniture made its first appearance on Season 2 of His Dark Materials. The bench plays a crucial role in Lyra's relationship with Will, as it's the spot they promise to visit each year on Midsummer's Day to reminisce about each other. U.K.-based fans took to Twitter straight after the episode titled "The Cave" aired on BBC One on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, to express how much they appreciated the bench scene.

Based on Philip Pullman's fantasy novel trilogy, HBO's His Dark Materials tells the brilliant adventures of Lyra (Dafne Keen). She first meets Will (Amir Wilson), a boy so determined to look for his father that he accidentally stumbles into a universe different from his own, in the second book, titled The Subtle Knife. 

The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass chronicle their complicated relationship, which is overshadowed by larger-scale investigations into various mysteries. 

In a crucial chapter of The Amber Spyglass, Will, Lyra, and a group of others travel to the world of the dead, a ghastly parallel universe where Lyra's best friend, Roger, lives. To enter, they have to leave their daemons behind — which none of them takes to too well. 

While in the realm, they make a pact with the harpies. They cut open a new window so that the dead can escape, and in exchange, they let the harpies feed on their stories. Having fulfilled their mission, the group returns to their original realm — where they discover that Will's daemon, Kirjava, has changed. 

At the end of the book, Lyra and Will agree to return to their respective universes — with no chance of a reunion in sight. Will breaks the knife they use to open windows to different realms. Meanwhile, Lyra loses her ability to read the alethiometer. 

The only reminder of their relationship? The bench, which they promised to visit every year on Midsummer's Day. 

The crucial scene depicting the bench left fans reeling with all sorts of emotions. 

"Excuse me is this THE bench, as in... THE. BENCH ?!?!?! #HisDarkMaterials," wrote a person.

"I love them so much already but damn, that bench #HisDarkMaterials," tweeted another fan.

"I'm enjoying a lot of the foreshadowing in #hisdarkmaterials BUT NOT THIS THIS WAS A LOW BLOW," wrote somebody else. 

The park bench that inspired the one described in the book series can be found in the Oxford Botanic Garden in Oxford, U.K. According to a previous article by The Guardian, the bench stands near the river Cherwell, underneath a tall black pine tree. As the outlet reveals, the bench attracts an exceptionally high number of visitors every Midsummer's Day. 

Season 2 of His Dark Materials premieres in the U.S. on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.