Shadow and Bone : “No Mourners” Review
Shadow and Bone is finally out and we couldn’t wait to start our roundtable reviews. If you still haven’t started watching the highly anticipated show of the year, check out the books, read our article here and start now! This is our Shadow and Bone “No Mourners” Review. Joining me (Rike) on this one are Jen and Dan. Let’s enter the Fold one last time for now, shall we?
Shadow and Bone : “No Mourners” Synopsis
In the depths of the Fold, Kirigan (Ben Barnes) demonstrates the scope of Alina’s (Jessie Mei Li) powers, while the Crows cross paths with a stowaway amid a do-or-die undertaking.
Your opinion about this episode in general?
J: I really enjoyed the episode and thought it was a strong end to the season that finally tied the crows to Alina as well. I don’t think they could’ve done it much better, in fact i can’t think of anything i would have changed.
D: I really enjoyed it. It brought together a lot of the plotlines throughout the season, it made the inclusion of the Crows make sense to the main plot, and had a healthy mix of action, emotional scenes and both character and plot progression. I was happy with it.
R: This episode was a proper mix of fighting scenes and adorable moments. Definitely a great season finale with a shocking end for everyone who didn’t read the books yet. Loved the way Mal (Archie Renaux) was teaming up with the Crows and the end with all of them sitting together. Two worlds colliding and I couldn’t ask for more. Also, I want waffles now.
Let’s talk about Nina (Danielle Galligan) and Matthias (Calahan Skogman) first. Nina saved Matthias life, even in doing so she ends up putting herself into a position she knows he might not be able to forgive her. But for Matthias Nina is willing to take that chance. Your thoughts about Danielle and Calahan bringing these characters to live and their storyline in general? Did it live up to your expectations?
D: I think Danielle and Calahan did a terrific job. They’re both very important characters, and the story of how they got to where they are is incredibly important to later stories. The way it was done acted out perfectly. In the books we don’t find out what happened until much later, but I feel like it was important to include it in the show this early because it really sets out the basis for both of their motivations going forward.
R: First things first: They weren’t one of my favorite ships in the books, but that doesn’t mean that I still have a soft spot for them no matter what. Calahan and Danielle both did a perfect job portraying these characters and made them some sort of extra special. One can see the connection even if they’re just looking at each other. Talent. It was definitely living up to my expectations. Can’t wait to see more of them now that the level of trust seems to be broken.
J: As I have mentioned before, I definitely have a soft spot for Matthias and Nina and really enjoyed their storyline, even if for nonreaders it may seem out of place. Calahan and Danielle did a wonderful job bringing those two to live and I truly couldn’t have asked for a better cast. That being said, I am excited to see how their story evolves next season and how it will tie in with the timeline in the book.
Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta) and Inej (Amita Suman) working together. They do share a common goal and have each other’s back even though they are supposed to be enemies. Zoya directly defies the Darkling by making the skiff move again and Inej throws a knife straight at his heart. However, Zoya’s decision to act against the Darkling isn’t easy. Did you enjoy watching her character development throughout the season? Is there going to be a “new” Zoya after everything that happened to her?
R: She definitely did a great job, even though I kinda disliked her a bit more while reading the books. She changed for the better and stood up to the one man who’s responsible for her whole world to fall apart. That’s strength. The way she wants to go and look for her family after what the Darkling did to Novosibirsk even though Kaz (Freddy Carter) told her not to. Let’s just say: Sometimes it’s better to be haunted than to live in doubt, right? This fight isn’t far from over and there’s definitely going to be some kind of a new Zoya next season.
J: Sujaya definitely was amazing and unfortunately is underrated for sure. Even Zoya is a pretty interesting character, as we will learn more about her in later books, which unfortunately wasn’t always portrayed well in the show so far. I did love her “plot twist development” in the end and am curious to see how she will act in season 2. You can clearly see that she is still struggling but also not one to mess with for sure.
D: I definitely think that Sujaya did a great job there. It was interesting character development that came earlier than I expected it to, but it was very well done. It’ll be interesting to see how far the show takes this change in Zoya in the future, for sure.
Two characters who never get a chance to spend some time together in the books. Do you think Alina and Inej could become great friends (maybe in the next season)?
J: I think friends may be exaggerated but I do think they could make a great team. In general I am all here for the crow/shadow characters interactions and I hope we get to see more of those further along.
D: I think Alina’s discomfort at being branded a Saint may initially cause friction between her and Inej, but ultimately I do believe they’d be great friends. I feel like they would be strong for each other and to each other, and would constantly push themselves to be better.
R: Maybe not immediately because as of now Alina is still a saint to Inej and it might take some time until they figure things out and see each other as a normal human being. But this friendship would be epic. No discussion allowed.
Alina takes her power back during this episode. Do you think one day she’ll be ready to destroy the Fold for her people and for her country?
D: She has a VERY long way to go. The Darkling had centuries to build his power. Alina has had less than a year. She’ll get stronger, and with popular support due to being branded a Saint she will go far. But there’s a long road left to be travelled for her.
R: She might have taken her power back, but she still needs a lot of time to focus on herself and figure everything out. It’s a lot of power and a lot of pressure on her being a saint and the sun summoner. Not something which you can come to terms with overnight. But she’s already a badass woman right now and there’s still more to come. Alina has a lot in store for all of us.
J: At least that’s the goal, isn’t it? I mean I would love it if she would manage to do it, but we all know that things never really go according to plan. Like Rike said, she definitely still needs some time and practice to figure things out.
The Crows added a lot to the storyline. Do you agree that without them the whole Grisha story would have been too dark? Seems like the balance was perfectly struck and everyone had a chance to shine, right? Do you have a favorite Crow?
R: Damn, I love the Crows a whole damn lot. Like pretty damn much. They were able to give this show some sort of extra vibe. I was excited about every scene they were included in. Every single one of them is just so unique. Definitely giving the right balance to the show. Gotta admit that Kaz is and always will be my favorite Crow in the books and in the show. However, Jesper (Kit Young) is such a fun guy and he made me smile a whole damn lot. His humor is just everything and his lines were the best. No lies detected. Can’t wait for the next season with a new adventure. Let’s go!
J: I don’t think that the Grisha storyline would have been too dark without the crows. However, I do think that something would have been missing. I absolutely loved the balance between the Grisha and the Crow Storyline and like I already mentioned above, how they both formed one at the end. In addition, I also love the Crows and everything they bring to the table and while I do think that the show also would have worked without them. I don’t think I personally would have enjoyed it as much.
D: I think adding the Crows and giving us additional background on their characters was very important. It’s good to see how they started out, but it also added both lighter moments and some terrific foreshadowing to the show. We also got to see an interaction between Kaz and the Darkling, which is what most book fans have been waiting for. Without the Crows, I don’t think the show would have been as well received or successful, and for me they were my favourite part of the series.
Your score:
J: 9/10
D: 9/10 – strong finale. Provides something to build on for season 2.
R: 9/10
We would like to hear your opinion on the latest Shadow and Bone episode “No Mourners”. Let us know in the comments or via social media, and don’t forget to join us when we are back with some more round table reviews for Season 2.
PS: You can read our latest review here and our exclusive interview with Angus Castle-Doughty and Andy Burse here.
