TV SHOW REVIEW - Shadow And Bone: Season 1
By The Masked Medic
So I’ve been finding it difficult to sit down and watch TV shows like I used to, only because comic books and films don’t take the time. However, since I now have someone to watch the shows with and who recommends stuff to me, I’m a little more willing to have that patience. One of the shows that was on my list, but lower down received a promotion and I finally got down to watching ’Shadow and Bone’ on Netflix!
Season 1 of ‘Shadow and Bone’ tells the story of Alina Starkov, a cartographer in the Ravkan army. She and her best friend Mal were signed up and whereas he became a tracker, she pursued her creative talents. Their land is split into two with the mystical abyss known as ‘The Fold’ between them. The magical ‘Second Army’, led by the enigmatic General Aleksander Kirigan is looking for a Grisha (those with magical abilities) who has the power to control light in order to break the fold. During a crossing across the fold, it appears that Alina has that power and she is whisked off to learn how to control it. Naturally she can’t take Mal with her and she attempts her best at reuniting with her friend. Meanwhile Mal, who has been caught just as unaware as Alina about this new revelation tries to do his best to get to the base of the Second Army; “The Little Palace” in order to see his old friend. At the same time in East Ravka, a group known as the Crows, make a deal to kidnap Alina, not knowing who she is, in order to earn the prize of a lifetime. Can Alina master her new power with the help of General Kirigan? Will Mal ever reunite with his best friend? And just how will the Crows get to West Ravka to pull off this heist?
As with many fantasy shows and films, there are a lot of characters, and that means we have an extensive cast. Let’s start with some of the Crows. Playing Jesper and Inej were Kit Young and Amita Suman respectively. I thought both did a really good job with their characters. Jesper is so charming and likeable and Young’s performance really exudes that. Suman’s character on the other hand is supposed to be mysterious and although Inej’s scenes do show her skills, I’d hope for more elaboration on her past. Archie Renaux plays Mal Oretsev, the phenomenal tracker and Alina’s best friend. There was an innocence to his performance, but as the season goes on, you see him grow into the role and you see Mal grow into a man. Now let’s talk about the two lead roles. Playing Alina was relative newcomer Jessie Mei Li. Fun fact, I actually went to Medical School with her brother. That has nothing to do with her performance, just me letting you guys know. Aha! No, but seriously, Li’s performance was good, but it certainly left me wanting more. Playing the mysterious General Kirigan was Ben Barnes. Now those of you that know me, know that I think Barnes is fantastic. I loved him in Prince Caspian and I kinda just think he should be getting more exposure than he is. That being said, he wasn’t the standout performance for me. That was reserved for Freddy Carter who plays Kaz Brekker, the leader of the Crows. His character is moody but intelligent, and his performance was just awesome!
Okay, let’s get into it. This first season of ‘Shadow and Bone’ was fantasy incarnate. It had me hooked quite quickly, and what’s more, I had this desire to return to my own creative writing. There are naturally a lot of characters, but I didn’t feel that I was overwhelmed with names and places, unlike other shows in the same genre such as ‘Game of Thrones’. Although the season starts in different locations, I liked the way that all the plots come together and by the end of the season you’re left with very few questions. I know the show was based on a book series, and one of the aspects that I really appreciated what that clearly each of the nations in the show was based on different ethnic regions. It’s nice to have that representation sometimes, but also it felt like it did play a significant role in the way that certain characters, like Alina, for example, were viewed by everyone else. I’m saying this because I want to, and not because I’m sure it will bring glee to someone’s face, but I am really glad that I moved this series up my list!
So, I know that Netflix has recently had some issues with overspending but I think this first season was made just before all that started. The CGI was good, especially with a lot of the magical powers exhibited by the Grisha. I liked a lot of the costume design too. I’ve never really commented on that before, but yeah, they were cool. The cinematography was decent and I’m excited about the second season!
Rating:
Story: ★★★½
Acting: ★★★
Filmography: ★★★½
Integral vs Filler Episodes: ★★★★
Enjoyability: ★★★½