Goddamn, the first five minutes of this episode pissed me off.
Having backstory for a villain is always a complicated thing. The audience has to understand their motivation and place their despicable action in the grander scheme of things. The Darkling has no interest or use for mortals – their either soldiers or inconsequential. He wants Grisha to be safe and bellieves the best way for that is for Grisha to have power, to wield it strongly instead of fighting scared. That’s believable and actionable, those views have very elegantly and subtlely been expressed.
BUT WHY OH WHY DOES HE HAVE A WIFE THAT DIES?!? Yeah okay, it’s to show the futility of a Summoner in love with a mortal. Oh boo hoo, Alina will get over Mal. But there are…other types of important people in your life? It could have been a brother or a child (ring any bells with Morozova?), it could have been a best friend. If we’re to believe that Jesper and Inej would grieve over each other the way that Alina would grieve over Mal, why is it that romantic women are always cut down just to drive decent men insane. JESUS CHRIST, I’M TIRED OF IT.
Okay, okay, that’s out of the way. I mean, the rest of the episode? Pretty great. Centering around the Darkling’s viewpoint and how he loses Alina isn’t the worst decision. Alina mentions that the Darkling could have had everything he wanted, but he never gave Alina the chance to say yes. Consent issues lie at the heart of their relationship. Mal even says it – doesn’t matter who understands her best, Mal is the one Alina has chosen. As much as the show is about survival (and Genya frames her betrayal as the need to survive), the romances are often about partnerships. What makes people truly equal? The Grishaverse is fascinated with power dynamics.
Milo makes a return as The Most Important Goat in the Grishaverse. The Kaz and Inej ship takes flight as Kaz essentially calls Inej his own personal Saint. The Crows are on board the skiff crossing the Fold. Most likely they are going to try to kidnap Alina again. No mourners. No funerals. I’m hoping things change on the ship, that we correct course by veering wildly off-course. If the Crows are going to be along for the ride, at least let Alina learn their names.
NOTES w/BOOK SPOILERS
- I can see a future where the Crows are part of Sturmhond’s crew as Alina and Mal search for the sea creature. Please bring me this future.
- The body horror of the stag’s antlers is pretty gross and I’m fascinated by it.
- The other reason Kaz loves crows so much is because they’re called a murder. Maybe don’t mention that to Inej, though.