Shadow and Bone season two premiered on Netflix on March 16. The young adult fantasy series is based on the novels by Leigh Bardugo, also an executive producer on the show. The first season was highly praised by longtime fans of the books and new viewers alike, and left many storylines to be closed in the second season.
Starting off with Alina (Jessie Mei Li) and Mal (Archie Renaux) searching for the second amplifier, the sea whip, so that she can destroy the Fold. However, they don't know that The Darkling (Ben Barnes) hasn't died (which the audience saw in the last scene of the season) and is hunting them. The Crows are back in Ketterdam, and they have some scores to settle as they didn't accomplish the mission they had: to capture the Sun Summoner.
Season two of Shadow and Bone was brilliant, and it is much harder to make a great second season than the first one. Nevertheless, the team behind the show did an incredible job in season two: exploring different elements of the characters and their storylines, as well as expanding on the world and how it works. Here are all the reasons why the second season is even better than the first.
Spoiler Alert for the second season of Shadow and Bone
New Interesting Characters
Maybe one of the most anticipated elements of Shadow and Bone's second season was that multiple well-beloved characters, including the fan-favorite Nikolai Lantsov (Patrick Gibson), were going to come to life on screen. With an astounding cast, all the actors did a great job portraying these new characters who give a breath of fresh air to the series and enhance the development of the already-known ones.
Some of them were Wylan (Jack Wolfe), the twins Tolya (Lewis Tan) and Tamar (Anna Leong Brophy), and even the new villain of the story, The Apparat (Kevin Eldon), who had a brief yet powerful scene in the finale episode making longtime fans very excited for what's to come.
The Stakes Are Higher
One of the main highlights of this season is that the audience is taken right where they left off in the first one: The Darkling has returned, and he is more powerful than ever. From the get-go, the stakes are higher than in the first season; and they increase with each episode.
Higher stakes keep the story interesting and create a natural flow that tells the viewers it will not get easier. This also goes for the characters' emotions: as things get dangerous, they have a real chance of losing people they deeply care about, and will have to deal with loss and grief if things go wrong.
More Action and Violence
The Shadow and Bone trilogy gets violent and dark as the story progresses. But, one of the main elements that felt lacking for fans was the violence present in the Six of Crows stories, especially related to Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter).
The wait was worth it, and some scenes taken directly from the pages made the final cut – deepening the violence and brutality of this universe. There are some very explicitly and realistically violent moments, such as the times Brekker has to showcase how powerful he is -- and the lengths he will go to make Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly) suffer for what he did to him and his brother.
Deeper Into Politics
In the first season, there were some explanations of how politics work in the Grishaverse. However, it was more focused on Alina's experience in the Little Palace than the consequences of war. Now politics are everywhere, including the violent and crime-filled Ketterdam, which is almost the center of the Crows' stories. The result is a much more complex world.
With Alina taking a position of power and getting engaged with Nikolai, becoming the future Queen of Ravka, there is a lot more politics to come - especially since Fjerda basically declared war on Ravka.
Developing Shadow and Bone's Characters
While there were many new characters: the ones from season one were given time to shine and expand on why they are the way they are. Kaz's past which wounded him, but made him become who he is, and this dynamic is explored. Also, Inej's (Amita Suman) past of being kidnapped and sold to the Menagerie is explained and hinted that it may be a driving force for her character in the future. Jesper's (Kit Young) mom's passing, and the fact that he is also Grisha, give this fun character a new layer beyond being the comic relief.
Characters' Duality
This is an action-packed and journey-orientated story, but the characters continue to be the heart of this show. One of the best elements that this new season brings to life, which was introduced in the previous one, is the duality of the characters. They are not all bad or all good.
It was really refreshing to see this in Alina, the protagonist of the Shadow and Bone story. She knew it was wrong to use Merzost to get Mal back: she knew it was unnatural and would have dark consequences. However, Mal is her best friend and the love of her life – so she does it. The finale already shows that she will experience the aftermath of her choice.
Mind-Blowing Ending to Season 2
The last few moments of the finale episode are wild in the best way possible. There is so much going on for multiple characters leaving the viewer begging for the new season and the continuation of this story. There are many adventures set to begin:
- Mal taking over as Sturmhondm working together with Inej to find slave ships.
- Alina and Nikolai and their lives ruling Ravka.
- Nikolai becoming the King of Scars.
- Alina using the Cut with a dark power unlike her own (coming probably from her using Merzost to revive Mal).
- The Crows are heading to the Ice Court to get the Grisha, who invented the drug that enhances the Grishas' powers.
It was the perfect way of ending this incredible season, and setting it up for a new one.