Discussion: Shadow and Bone

 

This month we went a little rogue. Instead of a book or movie, we decided to review the 1st season of Shadow and Bone. 

I am in red and Carole in purple.

Title:  Shadow and Bone
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Released: April 2021
Season: 1 - 8 episodes
Rating: TV-14


Dark forces conspire against orphan mapmaker Alina Starkov when she unleashes an extraordinary power that could change the fate of her war-torn world.

TRAILER: 

DISCUSSION:

***SPOILER WARNINGS***

 I had the lowest hope, YA fantasy, ha, omg this would be so bad. So cliche, everyone would look like models, and boom, ooops, i fell in love ;)

I was worried too bc YA fantasy is a tough genre. It is easy to fall into the cliche circles. I’ve wanted to read the books but was too scared. Same with the show...I was scared. BUT I am glad we took the risk and watched it (*cough* thanks for forcing me hehehe  *cough*). I fell in loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee too!

I mostly fell in love with the Darkling though *happy sigh* Omg Ben Barnes and that scruff, that is what dreams are made of. Were there other actors? Where?

Hahaha he was indeed dreamy! I liked Mal too, not AS dreamy, but def the guy you would take home to meet your parents. The Darkling is the bad boy you never take home because you know mom would fall in love too ;) 

LOL. True. I know falling for the bad boy is so cliche, but OMG that scruff. Fine, yes I have a huge Barnes crush. Mal, meh, I had actually none feelings, I was mostly confused why he and Alina never had acted on their feelings, I did not really buy their, omg we suddenly love each other thing.

Barnes is dreamy and the Darkling’s powers ROCKED! Scary but awesome. BF really wants/thinks Mal has a secret power because of how well he can sense things and track really well. I can buy that. But I agreeeeeeeeeee….I don’t understand their relationship. It’s like they both have feels but don’t act on it and then they get mad at each other. I don’t understand it. I was so mad at them both about being so DENSE about the letter thing. Like...come on! Use your dang heads. 

Yes, what so they never got drunk, never sat in a tent on a campaign and thought omg tomorrow we die? I can in the end believe that, but I can’t believe that they both had feelings. Why never say so then?

Hmm, powers? Interesting

RIGHT? I have a hard time imagining they never once accidentally kissed or something. Hopefully we see more in season 2 or Alina gets with the Dream Boat. IDK. SOMETHING.

And yessssss BF thinks he has a power that he doesn’t know about. Did he ever get tested? They didn’t really show it. He was always hurt WHICH BF thinks he might be like Wolverine because he has been so close to death SO many times and hasn’t died and heals relatively quick….so who knows?!

I was so caught up in my crush that I did not consider that. It does make sense!

I didn’t consider or think it either, but he’s convinced (I think he has a mini guy crush on Mal hahaha). 

I do hope we get to see more powers in the next season. There are some powers we really didn't see in action. I want to learn more about the Darkling powers too. 

More powers please.

But first, some negative things, I was confused coming into this world. It made no sense. The fold? The world? I had to check some maps to get a handle of things. Like how they could not go around the fold. How the Gang came there, what ship? I thought they were like the next town over or something.

I agree. I was a little confused too. I re-watched the first episode and I did some research to understand this world. As far as I know you CAN go around it (which was mentioned quickly by someone) but you have to cut into the enemies’ territory in order to do so and they are at war with them. As for the other country I think they are not on good terms with them either (that is the country Alina’s parent is from). Sooooo I’m beginning to think that this country doesn’t get along with anyone so they rather take their chances and go through the dark fold. 

Here it’s where it does not make sense. You only need a thin patch of land. You take your army, conquer and hold it. And then people can go through. Like do it!

But if you’re at war with like 2 other countries and they ripped in half….they are not making good decisions. And now the one half wants to ditch the other half and be its own country. They have a lot of problems. They have a dumb king who makes dumb decisions. 

But they only ever showed that army on two sides of the fold. Like why? I know you hate your neighbors, but think how they could prosper, they could demand a tax for going around. But yes I still think brute force. You just need to go around, not an entire country

That would be smarter but that one country is crazy witch haters and wants all the witches to burn so I can see them not caring about getting extra money from them because they harbor the witches and employ them. Dumb rulers the lot of them. I don’t blame the Darkling for just wanting to be in charge. Heck...I think they need a strong hand. Dumb humans. 

Same, I get why the Darkling wants to change things, and omg all countries suck. Kill all humans!

Sometimes I found myself siding with him. Those humans are terrible and have no loyalty and are terrible to the grisha. Humans always fear what they do not understand. Such a pity because it’s so cool that some people have these powers. 

Right, what did you think of the kidnapping gang? I was not at all interested in them. The goat thing was cute though.

I got more interested in them as the story went on and especially when I realized that their actions really were going to play a huge role in the events about to happen. Especially in the last episode but it did take me a bit to be interested in them. I really did adore the gunslinger. That is going to be interesting in the next season. He is awesome. And that goat! Bring the goat back!!

I just found it so hard to believe they could pull it off. Like hello, everyone hates you, up your security! And Inej, dunno what to feel, like I can’t kill, and then kill! Also those grishas did nothing! So I kind of hated them there.

I thought it was so impossible it might be possible that they COULD pull it off. I bet they are going to be game-changers in the next season. I feel like this was a warm-up for them. OMG the security in that place shocked me….how could the Darkling allow for weak borders like that? No background checks? No heartranders double-checking? I did want to see more Grishas siding with Alina….I was disappointed in them but they were so blinded by the Dream Boat….which….can you blame them?

I’d be blinded. What else, I can’t remember now. I did like when we learned about Darklin’s past, I got him then. From what  I understand Alina was not half Shu in the book, and it had me confused here. Like how did she end up here then? Did one of her parents dump her there? Was Mal half Shu too?

From what I gathered her parents and his parents died in the fold. I wonder if they were soldiers too? I do want more backstory of HOW they ended up orphans and what not. I am curious about reading the book (at least book 1) and seeing how different and maybe getting more backstory about the world. 

Oh right, I forgot! But yes how could one of her parents be Shu then? Questions! It was weak on backstory.

That is my biggest issue was the lack of backstory. You get small snipbits here and there but I really think we needed more. 

Omg it is getting late here. Awesome show! I binged it. I am team Darkling. I do NOT want him to end up with Alina, they can all die. I want him to rule, mowuahahahahahahahaha

Sameee. We have to do the last bit of yard work. But yess...I binged it twice. It was a really good show. Just wanted more backstory, but it works overall. I adore the Darkling and Mal...maybe Mal and Alina will switch sides and join him. MWUAHAHAHAHA. Let the Darkling rule the world ;) But yes - I for sure recommend. I do want to read book 1 now. 

I do NOT want to read the books. You can try that. Watch it!

The end?

I’ll let you know how book 1 goes hehe.

The end!