Leigh Bardugo’s soaring two series, Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone, have been accumulating reviews for a while. Soon enough, in 2021, the Shadow and Bone TV show came out, with fans instantly loving the first season. It’s been a long wait, but after two years, the second season has finally come out.
In general, the one aspect loved about this show is the crossover between the two series, which doesn’t really happen in the books. Even if some plots are slightly altered, everything remains mostly the same, and the changed parts don’t ruin or make the plot worse. It’s notable that Bardugo had a lot of input into the casting and directing details of the show, and that contributes to how the whole production turns out.
In this season, new cast characters are introduced, such as Wylan Van Eck, Nikolai Lantsov, and the siblings Tolya and Tamar. The show stars Ben Barnes, Jessie Mei Li, Freddy Carter, and more talented actors and actresses. These anticipated characters are represented very well in the show, especially Nikolai, with his charming personality. And with new characters, a new part of the plot unfurls: Kaz Brekker’s backstory is touched upon, something that is vital to the show and his character’s personality.
Even though this show is known to be captivating, playing off of Bardugo’s incredible world-building skills, it may be difficult to understand if fans haven’t read the book. The show tends to dump information on viewers without much context (unless of course, they’ve read the books). The plot itself isn’t easy to describe unless the audience knows the details of it beforehand. As someone who’s read both of the series, the books are the only reason I understand everything in the show.
But this problem seems to improve in season two, where background information is highlighted in flashbacks and memories. When more time is given to create the story, the show gets better. One concern of fans is that there needs to be a few more seasons to truly lay out Bardugo’s creation.
Despite the problems, the show seems to be loved by all, and is currently in the top 10 watched for netflix as of now.
However, will that rating stay? Will this show kickstart, or will it be another one of Netflix’s infamous cancellations?
By Krisalyn Joyce
Image provided by IndieWire
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