When Shadow and Bone season one rolled around in April 2022, it was an instant hit. Adapted from the popular book series by Leigh Bardugo, it managed to stay faithful to the source material while bringing fresh spins on its characters; the fans lapped it up.
There was angst! Love triangles! Magic! Season two offers more of the same, so for fans of the show already and Bardugo’s books, it’s a delightful return to a familiar universe.
Season two finds protagonists Mal and Alina (Archie Renaux and Jessie Mei Li) fleeing the shores of Ravka after season one’s showdown with the Darkling.
Alina is the Sun Summoner: a Ravkan orphan with the ability to conjure light from her fingertips. This makes her a Grisha (ie a magically gifted person) and, in season one, brought her to the attention of Ben Barnes’ Darkling. Wouldn’t you know it, he has the ability to control the dark and hundreds of years ago, created the Fold: a monstrous nightmare realm that has swallowed up much of Ravka.
Long story short: towards the end of season one, Alina bonded with a magical amplifier cut from the horns of a mythical stag (look, just go with it). Now, having bested the Darkling she’s on the hunt for the other two, the Sea Whip and Firebird, to increase her power still further and destroy the Fold once and for all.
Unfortunately, as we find out, the Darkling is still very much alive (and sporting some sexy facial scars to boot) and he’s out for revenge.
There’s a lot of plot here, including with the Crows (the gang of thieves from series one) in Ketterdam who become involved in a rivalry with a local thug. Fortunately, it’s silly enough that you can ignore most of it and just enjoy the ride.
Alina and Mal are on the run, as per usual. The Darkling is alternately scheming and making ominous pronouncements, as per usual. There are campy plot twists and grandiose statements; buildings blow up with alarming regularity and pretty much everybody who doesn’t have a clearly defined name or role in the story is offed over the course of the show. Plus, in the grand tradition of YA novels, people make rash or stupid decisions for no other reason than to cause unnecessary drama.
This could very easily descend into the wrong side of camp. Fortunately, the strong central performances from the cast keep Shadow and Bone anchored. Jessie Mei Li shines as Alina, imbuing the character with determination and ferocity (in the books, she’s disappointingly milquetoast); Archie Renaux matches her beat for beat as her love interest and loyal companion Mal. And who could forget the squabbling Crows? In addition to Freddy Carter’s Kaz, Danielle Galligan shines as new addition to the ranks, the ever-cheery Nina Zenik.
However, marks for top scenery chewing have to go to Ben Barnes, who’s carving out something of a niche playing handsome villains (see his performances in The Portrait of Dorian Gray, or indeed Westworld). His Darkling is a delight to watch: over the top evil, relentless in his pursuit of Alina, and absolutely irredeemable.
As with season one, the show sometimes struggles to balance its competing plot lines – this time around, Ketterdam feels like the more exciting place to be, rather than Ravka – which leads to rather an unevenness of tone. Added to which, though the show gets to expand its universe somewhat (Alina and Mal initally flee to Novyi Zem, and we get to see more of Ketterdam), none of the places feel distinct enough to be exciting.
But for die-hard fans, that won’t matter. It’s gloriously campy fun that will sweep them along with it.
