Shadow and Bone: Great Possibilities But Failed By Netflix

Based on Leigh Bardugo's bestselling book series, this Netflix adaptation tells the journey of Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) as she aims to reunite her war-torn country after revealing an incredible magical power. The show merges with Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo's other book series set in the same universe, starring characters Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter), Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman), and Jesper Fahey (Kit Young).

The show had a good balance between storylines, and I never felt that one set of characters was prioritized over another. I personally favored the Crows because their chemistry was amazing and hilarious. Despite being a group of criminal antiheroes, I fell in love with all of them; there was so much opportunity for creativity and playfulness that I felt was used perfectly. You can tell that the cast honored and respected the original material.

Now, justice for this show because it's sadly been cancelled. Apparently, viewership for season 2 wasn't high enough to satisfy Netflix, so it's gone. Fans of the show have been petitioning Netflix to revive it and I support their efforts. It's a great show that has so much potential for plenty of future seasons. Maybe another platform can pick it back up, but that's just my hope.

I loved this show. Even though I never read the books, I could fully understand the premises. It had a great mixture of incredible characters, engaging plotlines, and fantasy elements. There was romance involved, but it never felt overpowering enough to take away from important themes. And the set design was incredible, with so much detail that I felt transported to Ketterdam or Shu Han. I really hope there's some sort of continuation of the series, like a Six of Crows spinoff, because I need closure on Inej and Kaz's complicated relationship.