Much like the way Alina discovers her powers while crossing the Fold, the first episode of Shadow & Bone is bursting with ideas, most of them promising. I’m not sure how anyone who wasn’t familiar with the books managed to follow along but for me it was an exciting experience being overwhelmed with ideas both new and familiar.
The first episode deftly set up the major elements, themes, and emotional beats of the characters, while never letting anything linger for too long. The strongest elements – the way that Alina and Mal feel about each other, Kaz’s way with brutal words – shine through while a lot of character details are paid lip service but not fully explored. Things like Inej’s religious philosophy and humanitarism have their moments but for a new watcher might more easily slip through the cracks.
Easily the most defining aspect of the pilot is the worldbuilding. The universe is PACKED. Different nationalities have shifting loyalties, disputes between Grisha and non-Grisha, the appearance of Shu, Fjerdan, Zemeni, Ketterdam, Novokirbirsk, Sun Summoner, Dark Heretic – these words get tossed around like candy and the show challenges you to keep up.
Shadow & Bone is about survival – the different ways communities and individuals build up walls and tricks to keep them safe from the dark unknown. Sometimes it’s luck (“you make your own luck” book Kaz says in my brain), but mostly it’s because you’re a step ahead. That seems to be the main message of the pilot, “Keep up, or perish.” If you hesitate in this world, the volcra, or an enemy bullet, or Pekka Rollins will get you. The reveal of the separate timelines underscores this. The Six of Crows crew will remind you, what you’re looking at is not always what’s happening – this show is smart and asks you to be smart too. It’s been a while since a show has done that.
Balancing both series of books instantly gives a broader view of the universe that these characters inhabit. On the east side of the Fold you have Alina and Mal as fated lovers, a plot full of nationalism, military authority, and classism. On the west side you have the capitalistic gang wars, diversity, gambling, and despair. The dour east gets balances out by the freewheelling west, while the brutalism that defines all their lives plays out in different ways. Pointing the storylines towards each other at the very end of the pilot simply makes it more exciting – these universes are going to clash and it’s going to cause problems. Let’s get into some trouble.
NOTES w/BOOK SPOILERS:
- Ana Kuya!!!! I love her even more as she seems less puritanical here and more concerned with the survival of her children.
- I had forgotten about Alexei and then quickly remembered why I had forgotten about Alexei. His new plot point was nice though.
- NO LOUD NOISES AT THE TABLE, JESPER
- Alina being half-Shu is a big deal, and I love the change, and all the attention it brings to racism (especially because of the iffy way the Shu are sometimes dealt with in the books). I’m sure I’ll have much more to say on it later.
- I loved seeing all the propaganda and writing in Ravkan. It’s both dope design and a nice visual reminder that the characters are speaking different languages even though we hear it in English (I appreciated the way the book did this as well).
- “The only way out is through.”
- The music and sound effects deserve a shout-out. Specifically Inej’s Wraith whoosh and Kaz’s cane hard stop. Everyone was having SO MUCH FUN.