I’ve always maintained that a second series of a series is the defining season. The first season is the trial run and if it does well, the season that follows gets a bigger budget which means better set pieces, better effects and CGI and just more of everything. Shadow & Bone’s season 2 did not disappoint. It added new characters, new locations and expanded on the lore. The story took a darker turn and we saw some good fight scenes, I was particularity fond of the Crows’ storyline this time round, this was my favourite part. Seeing the characters navigate through the underbelly of a crime ridden city during the first half of the season was a joy and the setting of this world is quite unique, mixing Victoria era London aesthetics with a fantasy world full of people who can wield magic and bend the elements to their will, it was fun. Their travels to a whole new region, while short-lived, was a glimpse in the other interesting locations this world has to offer. The story was way more brutal this time (someone got torn in half and a dozen more got cut in half!) and seeing the main villain go down a path that was even too dark for him was quite the journey. I did find the writing off of a certain character in the last Episode a bit of a cheap shot, not so much the writing off but the way in which they did it. I rolled my eyes and muttered, “Really?” I was expecting a much grander fight leading to a more ceremonial death. Instead it was just… too easy?
But the repercussions for some of the choices the characters made in the final act has left me wanting to see more for season 3. Netflix has a habit of shutting down good shows after two seasons so let’s hope Shadow & Bone gets its much deserved season 3!
