Shadow and Bone season 2 is now on Netflix.
The first season of Shadow and Bone pulled off a near-impossible task: it successfully combined two separate stories and sets of characters (from the novels Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows) into one cohesive series of episodes. With the second season, the writers had to do it again with an even larger cast to play with, this time pullIng from several of Leigh Bardugo’s books, including the companion series The Lives of Saints. Several of the stories and characters have been scattered, tweaked, and expanded within the season but, somehow, remain fluid and entertaining in the storytelling.
Overall, the writing remains strong, despite struggling a bit to merge so many characters and storylines into eight episodes. The main focus has always been Alina and Mal’s journey to destroy the Shadow Fold, but they know they cannot do it alone. They seek help from privateer/pirate named Sturmhond (Patrick Gibson) and his crew, which includes mixed-Shu-Ravkan twins Tamar (Anna Leong Brophy) and Tolya (Lewis Tan). Newcomer Gibson, who probably faced the most pressure from book fans playing Sturmhond knocks it out of the park with his ability to shift his performance from cocky and stubborn to endearing and sensitive as the character demands. Although he doesn’t serve as a love interest, there is definitely potential there, and he is shown to be worthy of Alina’s affection because of his righteous magnetism – and it doesn’t hurt that he’s equally as handsome as he is charming.
Though the series is centered on Alina’s story, the Crows are the most engrossing to watch. Kaz (Freddy Carter), Inej (Amita Suman), and Jesper (Kit Young) return home to their club, which has now been taken over by local gang leader, Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly), whose expanded role this season is appealing to watch. Though he is definitely not someone to root for, he’s given some emotional depth and relatability that makes Kelly’s performance as an austere gang leader engaging. It’s very believable that this man could lead an army through fear.
“
The Crows carry out another heist-like plot, filled with interesting twists and turns. There is a lot going on with the crew, but their adventure leaves us with a satisfying ending. Inej, in particular, also gets a riveting fight sequence with one of Pekka’s assassins-for-hire in which she proves how she earned the nickname “the Wraith.”
The Crows’ and Alina’s storylines eventually do merge, leading to another exciting team-up to take down Kirigan. It does become overwhelming trying to keep track of all of the characters in the battle sequences, though. An attempt to add some emotional weight to the scene didn’t end up adding much value, as we’re introduced to so many people that we don’t have enough time to get attached to any of them.
“
In fact, many of the characters aren’t really given any time for development, which is a shame since so many seem quite interesting at first glance. While Alina, Mal, Kirigan (Ben Barnes), Kaz, Inej, and Jesper are granted room to grow, the others – such as Matthias (Calahan Skogman), Nina, and Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta) – are given smaller parts that are quickly glanced over.
It’s also disappointing that, even though he’s given ample time to expand on his role as the main villain in the series, Kirigan’s personality seems to have shifted from an empathetic and tormented soul to a one-dimensional bad guy who just wants Grisha domination, no matter the cost. It becomes almost irritating when he appears to Alina, attempting to win her over as if he had some sort of redeeming quality to him, but Barnes is never afforded the opportunity to create a sense of compassion for his character. Instead, he just remains bitter and angry the entire time.
“
As for the romance, which is a staple of the books, Alina and Mal’s relationship remains the strongest and most infectious in Shadow and Bone, all due to Li and Renaux’s palpable chemistry. Every moment between the two, whether it be a subtle glance or Mal’s determination to protect Alina, make it hard not to root for the success and survival of the couple. That’s not to say the other love stories aren’t compelling – Wolfe and Young are captivating portraying the book’s fan-favorite couple, “Wesper,” and the series doesn’t shy away from the characters’ sexy and tender moments.
The action and romance is set against a beautiful backdrop, as Shadow and Bone excels at bringing the fantasy world with their gorgeous production and costume design. That’s especially noticeable when the characters travel to new parts of the Grishaverse that aren’t presented in the book, such as Shu Han, which is inspired by ancient China and Mongolia. Other countries, such as Noyv Zem, which is based on African colonies, are highlighted well in the series. The Zemini outfits are beautiful, filled with bright colors and African-style designs, including stunning headdresses that are highly reflective of the culture they are inspired by.