disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

SHADOW AND BONE (Season 2) -- A Perfect Follow-Up Tying Up Subplots From Season One

3/16/2023

0 Comments

 
Review by Dan Skip Allen
Picture
(L to R) Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev, Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov in episode 201 of Shadow and Bone. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.
Shadow and Bone is based on the books Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, a young adult fantasy adventure by Israeli-American author Leigh Bardugo. The first season premiered on Netflix in 2021 with good reviews and a lot of fan fervor. This March, the second season premieres. It picks up where the last season ended, so fans won't have a hard time following along. 
​
The second season doesn't spread out the characters as much as the first, but they are separated into two distinct groups most of the season. One group features Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and Malyen (Archie Renaux), who meet Nikolia Lansov (Patrick Gibson), the future king. He helps them gather an army to fight against General Kirigan (Ben Barnes) and his dark creatures from The Fold. 

Another group is led by Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter), with crew Jesper Fahey (Kit Young), Inej Ghafa (Amita Surnan), and Nina Zenik (Danielle Galligan). Together, they help him finish some unfinished business with Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly), before they get commissioned to retrieve a sword that may help destroy General Kirigan and his dark army of creatures from The Fold. Eventually, the two groups find each other and battle with the dark forces.
Picture
(L to R) Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev in episode 201 of Shadow and Bone. Credit: Dávid Lukács/Netflix © 2023.
The thing about fantasy television series or films based on popular book series is that they have to keep the feel and tone of the books. Not having read the books, I don't know if that'd be the case, but from what I'm watching, the series seems authentic to this world that it creates. There are visual effects that play into that mix. The fighting scenes are pretty cool, and the aesthetic of the show seems pretty on point with similar fantasy shows of its kind.

With this show having such a sprawling cast, it's hard to focus on any one character for too long. Each of the characters has their own arc and motivation. As a viewer of the show, it forces you to take sides and root for one group over the other. That's the nature of these types of series or films. If the characters weren't so interesting, the show wouldn't work as much as it does.

Season 2 of Shadow and Bone delves deeper into the world created by Leigh Bardugo. Eric Heisserer did as well as one could adapting these novels into a series. They reach far and wide. They have a universal appeal to fans and newcomers who are watching for the first time. There is heart and love, as well as pain and anguish within each episode of season 2. The main characters all have room to shine, while supporting characters have surprising arcs of their own. With so many characters in the show, that's a hard thing to do. 

Shadow and Bone is now streaming on Netflix. All eight episodes reviewed.


​Rating: 3.5/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Dan Skip Allen
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About