Shadow and Bone Season 2 Roundtable
Welcome back to the Grisha verse! We’re so excited that Shadow and Bone season 2 is now available on Netflix. It’s sure to be an amazing continuation of the previous season. Based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone returns for a second season of new friendships, new romance, bigger battles, epic adventures — and a shocking family secret that could shatter everything.
Remember to check out our fandom shop for all the best Shadow and Bone merchandise at Fandom-Made.com. Below you will find our roundtable of Shadow and Bone Season 2.
THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2 OF SHADOW AND BONE. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE.
Shadow and Bone season 2 picks up with Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) on the run, she’s determined to bring down the Shadow Fold and save Ravka from ruin. But General Kirigan (Ben Barnes) has returned to finish what he started. With a new army of shadow monsters and new Grisha recruits, Kirigan is more dangerous than ever. To stand a fighting chance against him, Alina and Mal (Archie Renaux) rally their own powerful new allies and begin a continent-spanning journey to find two mythical creatures that will amplify her powers.
Back in Ketterdam, the Crows must forge new alliances as they contend with old rivals and even older grudges that threaten not only their place in the Barrel but their very lives. When a chance at a deadly heist comes their way, the Crows will once again find themselves on a collision course with the legendary Sun Summoner.
Shadow and Bone. (L to R) Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik, Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, Kit Young as Jesper Fahey, Jack Wolfe as Wylan in episode 201 of Shadow and Bone. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
They really increased the intensity of everything this season; there was more powerful magic, many different types of fighting, and dramatic sequences. What do you think was the most memorable moment for you?
Dan – I thought that the fight sequences were much improved this season overall, which made it all the more enjoyable. The one very outstanding moment for me was Kaz (Freddy Carter) fighting the Dregs. It was something that had to happen at some stage, and it didn’t disappoint at all. I was also a big fan of whenever Jesper (Kit Young) gets out those guns – great stuff. Inej (Amita Suman) had a particularly intense set of fights this season, too, and they were great fun to watch. The contrasting styles of those 3 individuals was really interesting.
Clare – Dammit, there were too many epic fight scenes this season. It’s probably a tie between Jesper’s gunslinging in ep 2 and Kaz taking down the Dregs (which was sexy as hell). Special mention goes to the insanely awesome fight with Ohval because that was the business!
Oh, also shirtless Matthias plus wolves might have broken my brain.
Amy- I’m a sucker for a good fight scene, and seeing Kaz fight was perfect, we’ve seen him fight with a cane but now know he definitely doesn’t need it to win a fight. Thought my top favorite moment of the whole season was the battle with the Grisha and Ravka/Crows. Not going to lie for a moment there Nikolai (Patrick Gibson) and Tamar (Anna Leong Brophy) had me a little worried about their fate. The whole sequence was a masterpiece.
Brina – Honestly, my most memorable magic moment was the flying boat. I don’t know why but I really loved that scene and the look on their faces as they were flying through the sky. And the runner-up moment was when Mal showed he was the amplifier to Alina. It was just so pretty and colorful and it was like that was their love for each other all over the darkness.
What was your least favorite moment this season and why?
Amy – I know it’s most likely important for next season and for the character Nina (Danielle Galligan), but the flashes to Matthias (Calahan Skogman) being a prisoner. It made me keep thinking that, okay he’s going to get out at any time. But obviously, that never happened.
Brina – I have to agree with Amy and Clare, Matthias in prison. They keep going back to him being there but never letting him out. I think they could have done better with that storyline. It was dragged out too much for me. So I love Mal and I hate that he can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to Alina. He loves her more than life itself and he had to die in order for her to love him the same way. And in the end, he was lost all over again. He couldn’t have her because he wasn’t sure it was “true love”. His whole storyline really made me sad for him this season.
Clare – Yeah, distinct lack of Matthias getting freed was hugely annoying. I might not be a book reader, but I know that the “Six” of Crows includes him!
Ooh, and also Kirigan really didn’t feel like that much of a threat this season. His shadow creatures did, but honestly other than some dream flirting with Alina he was kinda wasted I thought.
Dan – I have to be a little careful what I say here, because of my line of work and who I work with… So I’m going to go with a relatively safe one. Even though I knew it had to happen (she dies in the books, too), Baghra (Zoe Wanamaker) dying just made me sad. She was such a brilliant character, and I missed her once she was gone.
Every character that was featured this season had some degree of character development. Who do you think had the best arc across the entire season?
Clare – Kaz. Hands down. The delving into his backstory gave him so much more depth and so much more to play off. Freddy Carter absolutely nailed this season.
Dan – Kaz and Jesper. The deep dive into baby Kaz and his brother, Jordie (Tommy Rodger), were superb. Freddy brought an intensity and vulnerability to the character that really impressed me. The backstory for Jesper and why he hides his Grisha nature was very well done, as was his ultimate acceptance of it.
Amy – I hated Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta) last season; the character just really irked me for some reason, but this season she became one of my top favorites. With how her relationship has changed and grown with Alina, also I love her sassiness with how she just speaks her mind.
Brina – Jesper. I loved how we got to see him grow and accept that had powers and he wasn’t hiding himself anymore. I love Kit Young. He plays Jesper perfectly.
Shadow and Bone. Patrick Gibson as Sturhmond in episode 201 of Shadow and Bone. Cr. Dvid Lukcs/Netflix © 2022
This season, there were some new faces that were added to the cast. What did you think of the season’s new additions and what they brought to it?
Amy – I have to agree with everyone; Wylan and Nikolai are absolutely amazing additions. They both brought different elements to the show that was definitely needed. I also love Tamar, and the fact she picked on her brother the entire time with his snacks and poetry. I want to see more of her.
Brina – I loved loved loved Nikolai, lets just say he can have his shirt off as much as he wants in the coming new season….if he is in it. I also loved Tolya (Lewis Tan) but I have always had a tiny crush on him. I liked that he was a total badass fighting dude that read poetry and ate snacks all the time.
Clare – Okay, Wylan (Jack Wolfe) is fricking ADORABLE and his relationship with Jesper is so sweet! Loved the way he got Jesper to admit he was Grisha, and to actually use his power! My fave new addition though had to be Patrick Gibson as Nikolai Lantsov. Where exactly does one get a flirty, sexy Ravkan privateer prince with an airship? Asking for… um… me.
Dan – My two favorite additions were definitely Wylan and Nikolai. Both of them brought things to the show that were missing previously, and helped to balance out and develop their respective storylines. Without those characters, I don’t feel that season 2 would have had as much impact or importance.
Anything Else to Add for Overall Thoughts of Season 2
Clare – Overall I enjoyed this season a LOT more than season 1. It felt almost like a different show. The solo fight scenes that Jesper, Kaz, and Inej had in the first few episodes were miles better than anything in season 1. I was really surprised that they destroyed the Fold so easily and quickly this season. The journey to get one amplifier for Alina in s1 was brutally hard but the subsequent two seemed ridiculously easy. The Crows getting hold of the sword was much harder.
Also – can all the female characters stop being badasses with epic costumes? I swear I added about 4 new cosplays to my plans watching this!
Dan – Overall, a very enjoyable season. There were a lot of changes to the books (and adapting two and a half novels into eight episodes still seems a bit… full, to me at least), but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I thought the acting was much improved overall, a lot of the new additions were great and actually brought something to the show, and there seems to be a relatively clear way forward for a potential season 3. There are still questions left to keep everyone thinking until whatever happens next comes to be, but it was still a satisfying watch.
Amy – I really enjoyed this season, it was a whole lot more understandable, and it didn’t feel as chaotic as season one. The storyline was so much easier to follow. As someone who hasn’t read the books, that was my main issue last season. We got to see more depth to all of our fan favorites. Finding out Kaz’s backstory and what happened to make him King Crow makes him justifiable for how he acts. Also, I didn’t expect the Fold to be destroyed this season, with so many issues everyone was facing, I really thought that would be pushed back to the next possible season. Why did Alina use shadowmagic? How did she go from The Sun Summoner to now Shadows? I need these questions answered.
Brina – It was a great second season. I think I liked it better than the first one. Loved all the backstories we got from all the different characters. I also enjoyed all the use of magic and getting to see it used as weapons and of course the flying boat. I usually don’t rewatch shows but this one I would totally watch again. And this season has made me decide to read the book series. And by read I mean listen to it on Audible.
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