Weekend Watch: Shadow And Bone
Enter the Grishaverse with a new fantasy series
Image Credit: Netflix
Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, in which I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, step into a whole new world (sort of) with Netflix’s big new fantasy series. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite
The shadow – pun not intended – of previous fantasy outings hangs heavy over Shadow And Bone, which Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer adapted from Leigh Bardugo’s novel series. It’s hard not to point to Game Of Thrones (politicking, backstabbing), Divergent (young people sorted into different groups, YA romance), and even War And Peace (part of the aesthetic) as direct influences. And there are certainly times when the new show comes off as a cover band, playing the hits of established acts without truly finding a sound of its own.
That’s too reductive, though, as Shadow And Bone does have charms to offer, even if you must be patient to find many of them. It’s set in a world riven by conflict and a giant, swirling dark cloud called The Shadow Fold, one filled with winged beasties just waiting to pick off and munch upon unwary travellers. Our primary focus – though the viewpoint jumps around a fair amount – is lowly trooper, orphan, and mapmaker Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), who discovers that she has an extraordinary power that could be the key to collapsing the Fold. Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But even as she begins to hone her ability, she soon finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in her world is quite what it seems.
As you’ll have guessed from that brief synopsis, there are a lot of terms flung at you quickly, and the series is in no mood to hold your hand through the early stages of storytelling. Fortunately, Heisserer and his writing team have a good lock on moving through the plot while introducing the characters and ideas, and the cast makes it all easy to swallow. Li in particular is a captivating lead, and if some of the storylines around her (the romance angle between Alina and old friend Malyen, played by Archie Renaux is serviceable but hardly the most original concept) don’t work as well, they do at least meld together successfully. Ben Barnes, for example, lays on the charm as the charismatic, haunted General Kirigan, who is driven by a mission to destroy the fold, and sees Alina as his best shot.
Shadow And Bone’s world-building also comes across as borrowing elements from other books and shows, but it does interesting things with them, forging its own path as the various conflicts between parts of this land are outlined and the different characters come into play. A highlight is the criminal trio played by Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, and Kit Young, who are tasked with tracking Alina down for more nefarious reasons and sponsors. This new fantasy world might not break lots of new ground, but it’ll certainly fill the fantasy void left by the departed likes of Thrones, Harry Potter, and others.
Shadow And Bone launches on Netflix on 23 April. I’ve seen the entire first season.