CONTAINS SPOILERS
Season two of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone (a tv series based on the wildly popular Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo) had a lot to unpack in terms of both plot and character. While some fans took issue with the sheer amount of content crammed into the eight-episode season, I am not among them. I can understand that the season may have left non-book readers with whiplash, but as a book reader, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Since there is so, so much to talk about this season, I’ve decided to structure this review a bit differently, dissecting the show, as the title suggests, ship by ship, to individually discuss each romantic partnership—the portrayals and writing of as well as the circumstances surrounding them. So, without further ado, let’s get into it, starting with the ship that stole the show and my heart this season.
Wesper (Wylan and Jesper)
Kanej has been my OTP since I first read Six of Crows in 2018. While they certainly did not disappoint (more on that soon), it was Wesper that had me scouring the internet for fanart and edits this season. Jack Wolfe’s Wylan, and Kit Young’s Jesper are pure perfection, as if they truly stepped right off the page. I really liked the changes to their relationship dynamic. Whereas in the books, their relationship is a satisfying slowburn, in the show it is a fast-paced, whirlwind romance and quite honestly, I loved it. It was swiftly established that Jesper and Wylan had a one night stand prior to Wylan’s involvement with the Crows as their demolitions man. This helped to ground their relationship, functioning as a framework upon which to build the rest of their interactions. Giving them a past together made it more believable that they would fall for each other now as quickly as they do, especially given the time constraints that come with giving all of the many characters adequate screen time. Furthermore, with no guarantee of a third season or a Crows spin-off, the fast pacing ensured that we got the Wesper content we deserved—intimacy and romantic interactions rather than just longing glances and suggestive quips. Praying to the saints that we do get the spin-off, by having Jesper and Wylan’s relationship already established, the stakes for the events in Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are upped significantly.
For the show, Wylan was written in a way that will help to prevent him from being further infantilized by the fandom, a frequent problematic occurrence that I was glad to see opposed by the showrunners. Wylan’s innocence and awkwardness are unmistakable, but so are his agency and the destruction he is capable of. Regarding the dyslexia reveal, I would have preferred it to have been executed differently, but it added some angst to Wylan and Jesper’s relationship and made a nice little parallel between the shame each man feels about his own abilities, so I while it was not my favorite moment, I can forgive its lackluster execution.
On the topic of rushed reveals, one that I took no issue with was that of Jesper being a Fabrikator. Having the reveal in the first episode allowed for Jesper’s hallucination of his mother in which they discussed their Grisha powers in what was by far one of the best scenes of the season as well as some great fight sequences in the finale of Jesper using his powers and the aforementioned tension between he and Wylan. Plus, giving the audience knowledge of Jesper’s power now leaves more time for deeper character work to be done in the spin-off we’re all hoping for. Just like the first season, Kit Young stole every scene he was in. It was wonderful to see him in some more hard-hitting emotional scenes this season in addition to his usual hilarious remarks, demonstrating Kit’s range as an actor and Jesper’s depth as a character.
While it did have just enough angst to add a satisfying amount of tension, the Wesper content we got this season was a collection of wholesome moments of queer joy for which I am immensely grateful. No matter what you think of this season as a whole, I think we can all agree that this cannot be the first and only time we get to see Jack Wolfe and Kit Young as Wylan and Jesper on our screens and for that reason alone we need the Crows spin-off.
Kanej (Kaz and Inej)
We finally got to see Kaz Brekker’s backstory on screen, brief flashes of memories from his childhood, spanning from when he and Jordie met Pekka Rollins to the day he crawled out of the harbor. Before the season aired, it was common knowledge that Kaz’s backstory would be part of this season. I was excited and terrified by the news, hoping that the show would do the tragic backstory of one of my favorite characters of all time justice. Did they? For the most part. They hit all of the most important bits and it was truly heart wrenching to watch, but I wish they had shown the flashbacks in a single linear scene rather than cutting to snippets of them every now and then. The way the backstory was shown made it more confusing for non-readers and for readers, it left out one of the most horrific parts. Whether it was cut for time, to prevent a TV-MA rating or any other number of reasons, I still wish we got to see young Kaz using his dead brother’s body as a life raft to get to shore.
Even though the final transformative moment for Kaz in that time of his life was not shown, Freddy Carter once again gave a stunning performance as adult Kaz. From panic attacks from skin-to-skin contact with others to unrestrained ruthlessness towards Pekka Rollins to heartfelt moments with Inej, Freddy was given a lot more of Kaz to work with this season and he delivered on every front. In his final moments in the last episode, we saw him wielding a new cane, which brought me immense joy. Those who have read my season one review will recall that I have a strong dislike for the design of the crow head on the cane Kaz uses for all of season one and most of season two. When he was shown at the new Crow Club with the crow skull cane in his hands, I audibly gasped with joy.
While I was not fully satisfied by the depiction of Kaz’s trauma, I was thoroughly disappointed that we saw no depiction whatsoever of Inej Ghafa’ s equally traumatic past. There was some discussion of the Menagerie here and there, but we never got so much as a glimpse of the abuse Inej endured during that time. Not when Mogens nearly bested her on the rooftop, not when she learned of Tante Heleen’s death and Pekka Rollins’ ownership of the Menagerie or in her hallucination. Nothing at all. I realize that there was a lot to get through this season, but Inej’s trauma deserved to be seen as equally present and valid as Kaz’s.
Despite not having the chance to explore her character’s past, Amita Suman continued to imbue Inej with all of the ferocity and grace that are so central to her character. We got to see Inej dial up the violence as well, giving us all some truly astounding action from everyone’s favorite knife wife this season. As well as some incredible knife fights, Amita showed us the value of subtlety as well, excellently portraying all of the nuances of Inej’s expressions in her interactions with Kaz, real or imagined. Their relationship undergoes some rocky moments this season, but there is no denying their love for one another. Still, Inej recognizes what is best for her and ends the season on a ship with Tolya and Mal, hunting the slavers that captured her brother. This is yet another major change from the books that I really liked. I have seen lots of people on social media complaining that it’s too early for Captain Ghafa, but I disagree. Inej is not a captain yet, she’s part of a crew, not in charge of one. This lays the groundwork for Inej having naval experience so that when it is time for her to become Captain Ghafa, we as an audience know that she is capable of achieving her goal because we have seen her hunt slavers on the high seas before.
Helnik (Nina and Matthias)
Danielle Galligan continued to shine as Nina Zenik, harnessing her character’s wit and determination with ease. I wish we had seen more of Nina this season, but what we got was fantastic. Her moments of humor and heart were well balanced, she was able to take part in the adventures that came her way while never losing sight of her primary goal— freeing Matthias from Hellgate. I especially loved her moments with Zoya where they bickered over loyalties, prejudices and love versus patriotism.
Unfortunately but understandably, Matthias Helvar was sidelined this season, trapped in Hellgate prison without very much plot to work with. Matthias’ scenes feel distinctly disconnected from the rest, but actor Calahan Skogman commands every scene he’s in, fueling my excitement to see what he will bring to Matthias in the future when the Fjerdan has some more plot-relevant things to accomplish. We need that spin-off, or else Matthias will be stuck in Hellgate forever.
Darklina (Alina and the Darkling)
Jessie Mei Li’s Alina Starkov had quite the emotional journey this season as her quest for power continued. In order to tear down the Fold, she needs the power of all three of Ilya Morozova’s amplifiers, which she pursues relentlessly, all while struggling with a mental tether that connects her and the Darkling, resulting in a number of almost-real-but-not-quite interactions between them. Alina makes her allegiances clear, resisting his attempts to manipulate her into joining him, denying him when he tells her that he is the only one who will ever truly understand her and satisfyingly rejecting him one last time before she destroys him for good, telling him, “Mal and I changed the world”, a warping of the phrase he first used to lure her to him, “You and I are going to change the world.”
Even though the Darkling has been vanquished, his presence is still felt by Alina and perhaps even partially possessed by her. The last shot of the season is Alina using the Cut, one of the most powerful Etherialki attacks and a move previously only used by the Darkling, with wisps of shadow wavering from her fingertips. It is not clear whether Alina is still in possession of her Sun Summoning abilities, but whether she is or not, I am so happy that the decision was made for Alina not to lose her powers completely like she does in the books. That ending to her story never sat well with me, so to see her continue her path as a woman in a position of power and authority pleased me greatly.
Ben Barnes’ General Kirigan, or, as he is more commonly known, the Darkling, was vaguely lackluster this season mostly due to the fact that every plot that did not directly involve the Crows was outshined by them. It was intriguing to see Barnes lean into the menace of the Darkling, but even so, a significant amount of the Darkling’s screen time consisted of him moping about and coughing alone in an ornately decorated room. The Darkling was written as a primarily one-note villain this time around and while I can understand some fans’ disappointment at taking away some of the Darkling’s nuance, I personally thought it was a relief to see him portrayed as what he is and what so many in the fandom struggle to comprehend that he is— a villain, plain and simple.
Malina (Alina and Mal)
Continuing what they started in season one, the writers enhance the relationship between Alina and Archie Renaux’s Malyen Oretsev by making him supportive of her in her quest for more power as opposed to afraid or even jealous of what she might become. Even when he feels like he cannot keep up with her unyielding determination to accomplish her goals, he never abandons her, never tells her that she wants too much. Instead, he lets her know how he feels, recognizes that he may not be enough for her and promises that he will always be there for her anyway.
The shift in Mal and Alina’s relationship following his resurrection via Alina’s usage of merzost was yet another welcome deviation from the books. Their journey as a couple had a nice arc this season, centered around their unwavering support for one another and exploring the ways that support can manifest itself, beginning with the two of them searching for the same thing together and ending with them searching for different things on their own.
Denya (Genya and David)
Daisy Head shows her true talent and shines as Genya Safin. In season one, I was left feeling very lukewarm about Genya, but this season, I loved her. The rage and sorrow from what she has endured at the hands of Ravka’s most powerful men is palpable and heartbreaking. Her best performances are in episode’s four and five, when she escapes the Little Palace, wreaking havoc on the room before she does, and when she confronts Queen Tatianna. Her best bits may exist midway through the season, but throughout her performance is laudable. My only criticism is that I wish we had got to hear her delivery of the iconic “I am not ruined. I am ruination” quote.
Lucas Pasqualino's David Kostyk continues to be a gem of a supporting character. Though his quirky mannerisms and adorable awkwardness from season one are the same, the stakes are higher and he has some difficult decisions to make. His relationship with Genya is one of safety and comfort, something particularly beautiful to see given what both of them, but especially Genya, have been through. The way he communicates his feelings for Genya by likening her to what he knows best, metal, is extremely well done. No matter the circumstances, his love for Genya never wavers, not even when the Darling’s nichevo’ya attack. David seals Genya in an elevator and sends her to safety, sacrificing himself. I do not think he is actually dead since we never saw a body, but only a third season will tell.
Zoyalai (Zoya and Nikolai)
Patrick Gibson was the only new addition to the cast who I did not love. His Nikolai is…fine. Not awful by any means, but certainly nothing spectacular either. Sometimes he felt like a caricature and other times he just felt boring, which is something no one should ever be saying about any incarnation of Nikolai Lantsov. Whether it was the writing or Patrick’s performance, I do not know, but Nikolai was missing that perfect, delicate balance of charisma and heart that makes him such a wonderful character in the books.
I desperately wanted to see more from Zoya Nazyalensky, played by Sujaya Dasgupta. In the books, Zoya is such a stubborn and ambitious person with so many emotional layers, she is someone who poses a very real threat to anyone who dares challenge her. The show has barely scratched the surface of who she is to the extent that I occasionally found myself forgetting she was even there. I know that her sidelining is another effect of having such an expansive cast of characters and plots that needed dealing with, but handling a character who is such a force to be reckoned with in the source material and who will have major impacts on the plot if the show is renewed for a third season so poorly was a major letdown.
Overall Thoughts
I can understand fans’ frustration at the significant changes the show made from the books. When the first photos of Jack Wolfe as Wylan were released, I was irked that they had changed his hair color to brown from the red it is in the books. Thankfully, I’ve undergone some character development since then. Jack Wolfe’s Wylan has become my favorite new character of this season and honestly, maybe even my favorite character overall. Change is an inevitable aspect of an adaptation of any work from one medium to another. I found season two to be a big step up from season one, building on characters from the first season as well as bringing in some new ones and introducing new and exciting plotlines to the Grishaverse. As you have read, even I cannot help comparing the show to the books in many areas, yet I realize that in order to enjoy the show I have to recognize that the show and the books are two completely separate entities and that no matter what the show does that I dislike, the books will always be there to go back to. I sincerely hope that I will be able to return to Netflix’s version of the Grishaverse as well. Here’s to hoping for a third season renewal of Shadow and Bone and the greenlighting of the already written Six of Crows spin-off. No mourners.
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