Properly, Shadow and Bone Season 1 Episode 8 is one explosive season finale.
“No Mourners” takes its title actually, as Kirigan activates everybody to broaden the Shadow Fold. And contemplating that he controls Alina’s powers, it’s as much as Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and Mal to cease him.
However the season finale has so many twists and turns that retains us on the sting of our seats, with gorgeous character improvement, new alliances, and one epic battle.
The spotlight of Shadow and Bone Season 1 Episode Eight is undoubtedly Alina’s character improvement coming full circle.
She started the sequence as somebody who has disdain for Grisha, somebody who may even be afraid of them. When Alina discovers she is Grisha and the Solar Summoner, she desires to have something however this accountability. It’s a burden, one thing Alina by no means requested for.
However slowly, Alina accepts who she is. She doesn’t simply settle for her future — she embraces it.
Alina turns into stronger the extra she practices summoning gentle. She desires to tear down the Shadow by summoning gentle. Alina desires Morozova’s Stag to strengthen her powers. She won’t let anybody cease her, not even The Darkling.
That’s how Alina breaks freed from his management. Alina has turn into so highly effective and assured with herself that she fights again in opposition to The Darkling’s management. Although he killed the Stag on Shadow and Bone Season 1 Episode 7, the Stag chooses to amplify Alina’s powers.
An historic creature defies Grisha amplifying legal guidelines to offer Alina what she wants. The Stag is aware of Alina is its true proprietor — the magic belongs to her alone, it doesn’t matter what The Darkling might imagine.
So, when Alina lastly realizes that she is the one who pushed herself and developed her powers, she is the Solar Summoner — Alina is aware of that she is now extra highly effective than The Darkling. She is now essentially the most highly effective Grisha on the market.
Alina takes again what’s rightfully hers as she acknowledges and embraces her future because the Solar Summoner. We’ve got been ready for this second since we uncover that she is Grisha on Shadow and Bone Season 1 Episode 2.
Alina: You first phrases to me had been, “What are you?” That is what I’m.
Kirigan: How do you declare such energy? I’m the one who killed the Stag.
Alina: I did not perceive earlier than, however I do now. You can not declare what was not given to you. The Stag selected me.
Kirigan: You selected to betray our individuals. I used to be making an attempt to avoid wasting us.
We’re so proud and in awe of Alina. She has by far the perfect character improvement of anybody on the present. She by no means wanted to switch her powers to anybody.
Now, Alina really believes she is the Solar Summoner, and when she heals from the battle, she might be able to face the Shadow and Fold and tear it down for good.
We’re excited to see what’s in retailer for Alina if Netflix renews Shadow and Bone. We count on nice issues from her, contemplating that she is well probably the greatest characters on the present. Similar to her function because the Solar Summoner, she shines on her personal.
Alina could also be the perfect a part of “No Mourners,” however she isn’t the one character who steals the present, particularly in the case of forging new alliances.
The Crows had been certain to satisfy Alina and Mal in the end, however their first assembly with Mal remains to be one for the books, particularly since they workforce up collectively. Zoya additionally joins their combat in opposition to The Darkling as soon as he reveals his true self and slaughters a village of harmless individuals.
In the present day, we redraw all of the maps. With the ability of the Solar Summoner at my command, I management the Fold and its monsters. I can transfer it to any border I like, engulf any harbor, devour any metropolis. Take what you might have seen again to your own home international locations. Inform the Fjerdans. Inform the Shu Han. There might be no extra conflict with Ravka. All international locations will reply to us. For who would oppose us now?
Kirigan
Conflict is devastating, particularly by the hands of a ruthless power-hungry normal. The Crows, Alina, Mal, and Zoya wouldn’t have a lot in frequent. Mal and the Crows don’t even get alongside at first, and we’ve got seen how a lot Zoya hates Alina.
However darkness brings all of them collectively as they combat The Darkling and his troopers. It’s peculiar that it takes an amazing evil for brand spanking new dynamics to take form, nevertheless it by no means fails.
Darkness is a stable motivator to convey anybody collectively, no matter who they’re or the place they’re going. The Crows tried to kidnap Alina, and now, they’re combating alongside her,
The Crows, Alina, Mal, and Zoya all consider in one thing larger than themselves, strangers or enemies allying collectively for the higher good. There are a lot of prospects for The Crows to cross paths with Alina, Mal, and Zoya, however this route is by far the only option.
It additionally makes the bonfire scene after the battle a lot extra rewarding, because the group takes a while to wind down earlier than heading to Os Kervo.
Zoya leaves for Novokribirsk, however everybody else travels to Os Kervo with the eventual vacation spot of Ketterdam. When Alina, Mal, and the Crows arrive, we hope they don’t lose contact with one another and have one another’s backs.
We like the brand new friendships that emerge from “No Mourners,” particularly between Alina and Inej. Their dynamic is gorgeous due to Inej’s unwavering religion within the Solar Summoner.
And at its core, Shadow and Bone is a narrative about religion. Alina needed to consider in herself to turn into the Solar Summoner.
Kaz believes in Inej and Jesper, who all the time have his again. Mal needed to consider he would discover his approach again to Alina, and Inej’s religion has all the time been a vital a part of her character.
Even The Darkling believed within the Solar Summoner and Morozova’s Stag, even when it was for his personal achieve. And Nina and Matthias needed to consider in one another in the event that they had been going to outlive the Fjerdan wilderness.
Kirigan: It is simply you and me now, Alina. And we’re all we want anyway.
Alina: You will have wanted me, however I by no means wanted you.
Nina and Matthias surprisingly find yourself on the identical ship heading for Ketterdam after a whirlwind confrontation with Fedyor and different Grisha.
It’s heartbreaking to see their newfound relationship disintegrate earlier than our eyes, particularly over a misunderstanding. However Matthias was cautious of Nina from the start due to how his neighborhood brainwashed him with lies about Grisha.
So, he would leap ship on the first likelihood he acquired, despite the fact that Nina saved his life.
However we already know that the enemies-to-lovers trope has by no means been a breeze, and it normally takes plenty of exhausting work and improvement between two characters to get it proper. However it makes it extra rewarding once they find yourself collectively.
Nina and Matthias additionally board the identical ship for Ketterdam. And contemplating Matthias is imprisoned, Shadow and Bone formally units up the premise for Six of Crows.
And The Darkling emerges from the Shadow Fold along with his newly created monsters, nichevo’ya, which additionally units up the premise for Siege and Storm.
If Netflix renews Shadow and Bone, the second season might be a mixture of Six of Crows and Siege and Storm — the primary and second guide of their respective sequence.
Contemplating that Six of Crows takes place two years after the ultimate Shadow and Bone guide, it will likely be fascinating to see how the writers will interweave these characters once more, particularly since Alina and Mal are in Ketterdam themselves.
We’re crossing our fingers for this renewal as a result of we’re removed from able to let go of the Grishaverse.
We set out with a transparent mission, a prize of 1,000,000 kruge. And a brand new member on our crew. So, what did we be taught? Individuals with trains are evil. You may’t kidnap a human sunbeam. And perhaps, simply perhaps, greed is a poor motivator. True wealth is the buddies you make alongside the way in which.
Jesper
We wish to hear from you, Fanatics!
What did you consider Shadow and Bone Season 1 Episode 8? Was the ultimate battle the explosive scene you had been on the lookout for? What do you suppose will occur as soon as the ship docks in Ketterdam? What would you wish to see on a possible second season?
Tell us your ideas within the feedback beneath!
Sarah Novack is a workers author for TV Fanatic. Observe her on Twitter.