Theseason 2 premiere ofShadow and Bonecomes to Netflix from the showrunner’s writing desk. Eric Heisserer is perhaps best known for penning the award-winning screenplay forArrival, but he’s had a huge hand in crafting this series. His deft hand behind the characters' voices is one of the strongest aspects of the series thus far.
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For the uninitiated, or those who don’t remember,Shadow and Bonetakes place in a fantasy world in which a percentage of the population is born with supernatural gifts. These magic-wielders are called Grisha and their presence is handled very differently from one shore to the next. Every country isa fantasy counterpart culturemodeled after some real-world historical example. A massive deadly expanse of darkness called the fold threatens to consume the world unless a chosen one with a specific magical power emerges. That fated Sun Summoner is, it turns out, the main character Alina Starkov. The first season follows her training to use her newfound power, herlove triangle between achildhood friend and the main villain, and the many disparate forces seeking to capture her for personal gain.
Season 2 picks up only a couple of weeks afterthe conclusion of the first. The show follows an A-Plot/B-Plot structure that keeps it bouncing around geographically and focusing on two main groups. Alina believes she’s successfully pushed back the fold as she arrives in her new safe haven, but she’s convinced she’ll need another power boost to properly destroy it. She suffers prophetic nightmares that keep her on her toes. Once she makes it to the relatively peaceful island nation of Novyi Zem, she’s able to explore her burgeoning romance with the aforementioned childhood friend Mal. That doesn’t last long, however, as both Mal and Alina are fugitives who find themselves under attack by a variety of armed forces. This culminates in a funPirates of the Caribbean-esquechase sequence, buffeted by plenty of slapstick and sight gags, before Alina and Mal charter a ship to a new adventure.
Meanwhile, theB-Plot follows the Crows, a group of enterprising young career criminals who set out to hunt down Alina last season. After accepting a bribe to let her go, the Crows' ambitious leader Kaz discovers that leaving their job undone has made them persona non grata in their home city. Their headquarters have been claimed by a rival gang and the local police are after them for a murder they didn’t commit. The gang is forced to split up as Kaz makes some quick hiring decisions in pursuit of his vengeance. As the Crows discover the depths of their enemy’s control over their home, all hope seems lost. Luckily, a helpful figure emerges from the C-Plot to offer aid, in exchange for an impossible task. The Crows are outmatched and on the back foot, forcing them to declare open war as they ready themselves for action.
The interesting thing aboutShadow and Boneis that it really does have something for everyone. Last season was divided three ways for most of its runtime, but most fans had a definitive ranking of whichplot line they preferred. Fans who weren’t interested in the show’s take on Jon Snow and the Wildling Girl wouldn’t have to sit through it for long before the next teen love triangle scene would take over. Those who couldn’t stand the YA novel romantics could enjoy the fantasy crime storyline instead. It divided its time well and the entire cast felt extraordinarily well-utilized. This is a show that drops a lot of funny words on its audience, but it’s masterfully shown, rather than told. The second season continues to raise the bar, helped along by the expectation of understanding that one earns with a second season.
Shadow and Boneseason 2 is off to a great start. The story is as engaging as ever, the split narrative still keeps the audience guessing, and thehandful of new charactershave established themselves in record time. Though there’s clearly a lot of inspiration taken from other standouts in the genre, the strong casting, characterization, and presentation keepShadow and Bonefirmly its own thing. The series still has room to grow and some pacing issues to work out, but it’s been a lot of fun to watch so far. Keep an eye on this entertaining fantasy series, it seems like it’s able to keep the surprises coming.
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