(The following review contains spoilers for season two of “Shadow and Bone” on Netflix and the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo.)
The second season of “Shadow and Bone” debuted on Netflix on Thursday, March 16. Based on the bestselling novels by Leigh Bardugo, the show merges the plot of the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy with elements from Bardugo’s “Six of Crows” duology while taking some creative liberties to craft a stunning original show.
In the first episode, the Sun Summoner Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and her childhood friend Mal (Archie Renaux) set off to find the Sea Whip, a mystical creature whose scales will amplify Alina’s power and help her tear down the Fold — a shadowy, monster-infested wasteland that destroys everything inside it. Unbeknownst to Alina and Mal, the villainous Shadow Summoner known as the Darkling (Ben Barnes) survived the battle at the end of the first season and plans to stop them from amplifying her power.
Many people within the “Shadow and Bone” fandom criticized the ending of the books, which ended with Alina and Mal getting married and Alina sacrificing her powers and immortality to save Mal’s mortal life. In the show, Alina keeps her powers and immortality, and she and Mal take a break from their relationship to discover themselves on their own before settling down. While I love how the show doesn’t bind Alina’s happy ending to a man, the sudden breakup between Alina and Mal felt uncharacteristic because most of the show is centered around their seemingly unbreakable bond. However, I’m curious to see how their relationship will be handled in season three.
While the confrontations between Alina and the Darkling were nothing short of spectacular, I wish season two had made better use of Barnes’ thrilling intensity and the excellent lines from the novels. The Darkling is such a polarizing character, and it’s a shame that this season didn’t embrace his full potential as season one did.
The show also dives deep into the story behind clever criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter), an orphan who built a gang of thieves to take down crime boss Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly), the man responsible for his brother’s death. Carter’s chilling performance – especially in the fight scene with the Dregs gang and his confrontation of Rollins – delivers a sizzling tension throughout the show.
Equally breathtaking is Amita Suman’s portrayal of the knife-wielding assassin Inej. Fierce yet vulnerable, Suman’s deep understanding of Inej’s backstory and values shines through in even her smallest actions. In the future, I would like to see the show explore Inej’s trauma with the same level of attention as Kaz’s because it provides essential context for her character’s motivations.
The show speeds up the slow-burning chemistry between Kaz and Inej but maintains the crucial scenes in their relationship from the novels. Carter and Suman expertly deliver their characters’ most iconic lines, and they deliver incredible chemistry despite having minimal physical contact.
Kit Young’s quick wit as the chaotic sharpshooter Jesper provides excellent comic relief, but the show also explores the more serious side of Jesper’s story as he struggles to accept his Grisha powers after years of suppressing them. Season two also introduces Jesper’s love interest, Wylan (Jack Wolfe), a runaway with a knack for demolition. In the books, Jesper and Wylan initially dislike each other, but their nagging quickly turns into flirting. In the show, however, Jesper and Wylan already met during a one-night stand, and their story is centered around navigating a committed relationship. While the show’s scenes between Jesper and Wylan were adorable, I did miss seeing their early interactions that were so crucial in the books. That said, I really love “Shadow and Bone”’s approach to queer relationships; Jesper and Wylan’s love is shameless, multifaceted and handled with the same respect as the show’s heterosexual ships.
Star-crossed enemies to lovers Nina (Danielle Galligan) and Matthias (Calahan Skogman) are separated in season two because Matthias is still in prison, but both characters still provide great entertainment individually. Nina is her usual playful, unabashedly bold self, while Matthias undergoes a deep religious crisis as he struggles to reconcile his piety with his rage and lust for Nina. But the scene where Nina and Kaz pretend to be a couple during an attempted heist is by far my favorite.
Zoya Nazyalensky (Sujaya Dasgupta) has been a criminally underused character in both seasons of “Shadow and Bone.” I hope she gets more screen time in season three. While she has some incredible fight scenes, Dasgupta is also an incredible actress and deserves more dialogue-driven scenes.
The relationship between Genya (Daisy Head) and David (Luke Pasqualino) was beautiful and devastating. After a lifetime of sexual exploitation under the king, Genya finds safety with shy, gentle David, who loves her unconditionally even after the Darkling’s shadow monsters irreparably damage her face. In the novels, David dies in the final book, but the show places his death far earlier in the timeline, emphasizing the unjust brevity of their relationship. Genya’s heartbreaking emotional breakdown after David’s death is by far one of the most moving scenes of the series.
Season two also introduced a host of beloved new characters from the novels. Patrick Gibson brought both excellent comedic timing and subtle depth to his portrayal of Nikolai Lantsov, the roguish yet valiant prince who fights to defend his country from the Darkling. I particularly love his interactions with Alina because well-written platonic relationships between men and women in media are in short supply.
Anna Leong Brophy and Lewis Tan shine as Tamar and Tolya, the fierce brother-sister duo who protect Nikolai. While there have been valid complaints about the Asian representation in the first season of “Shadow and Bone,” I really liked how Alina, Tamar and Tolya were able to bond over their shared biracial heritage and embrace the beauty of their identities. As a biracial queer Asian woman, Tamar has always been one of my favorite characters from the books. I’m so glad that the writers got this representation right.
While the show incorporates many major plot points from the books, it also seamlessly adds new storylines, such as the Crows’ quest for a sword to kill the Darkling and Rollins killing Tante Heleen to frame Kaz for murder. Although the dozens of plot twists create a complicated story to follow, each storyline is clever and well-written. As in season one, weaving the characters from “Six of Crows” into the events of the original “Shadow and Bone” trilogy also maintains an element of surprise for viewers who have already read the books.
Overall, season two of “Shadow and Bone” was an explosive success, and I can’t wait to see each character’s story continue to unfold next season.