I cannot believe we are now LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY from the drop of the S&B!! That’s absolute madness. Only five more days!! Since it’s very fitting, this week, I thought I’d write about my expectations for the Shadow & Bone Netflix adaptation—both good and bad. I’m going off of cast & crew interviews, rumours (bc they’re juicy), & the opinions of all my smart mutuals on #grishatwt. Here we go!! expectations shadow bone netflix adaptation
*If you’re trying to avoid spoilers from the books, you might want to skip this post :/ I’m going to mention some major plot points!*
All the good stuff
Casting & Characters
I think it’s generally agreed upon the casting for this show is inCREDIBLE. Not only do the characters look as close as many of us readers imagined them, they all have such a wonderful understanding of the characters they are portraying on screen, which is such a huge assurance.
I could wax lyrical for hours on Ben’s mastery of the Darkling’s dualism, Freddy’s grasp of Kaz’s precarious nature, Jessie’s perception of Alina, Amita’s amazing appreciation and expertise with Inej—and on and on. Archie, Kit, Danielle, & Calahan are doing us all JUSTICE. expectations shadow bone netflix adaptation
Ben Barnes, sir, you are a literal king (of Narnia) and a legend (Black Heretic legacy af). This man really said let me put my intelligence, English lit degree, and incredible acting together to create the best portrayal of the Darkling possible. I’m not gonna lie, when I first saw that Ben would be cast as Aleksander, I was momentarily slightly disappointed, because honestly, I’ve never simped over Ben at all :’) And I SIMPED over Aleksander when I read through the trilogy last summer.
But, there’s no one else I’d rather have playing him. I’ve loved Ben since Prince Caspian and have loved him over the years; he’s an outstanding actor who I think is seriously underrated. His ADORABLE affinity for the books & his dedication & acquaintance with the Darkling’s character is something I would not trade for someone who merely looks how I imagined the Darkling in my own head. (Also, he is becoming v attractive to me in all these trailers & clips we’re getting… so…)
If I were to speak on every actor’s words about the characters they’re playing, I think we would be here awhile, so we’ll leave that place of honour to Ben hehe.
The Ships
Although I am a huge Darklina shipper, I have always been able to appreciate Mal & Alina’s relationship, and I think it’s so obvious that they were beautifully destined to be together. I absolutely believe that Archie’s portrayal of Mal, and the way Malina’s relationship seems to be written, is going to bring so much more dimension to Mal’s character, and I know that I’m going to sympathize a lot more with the progression of their love.
Kanej are going to kill all of us, won’t they?! Freddy & Amita are not only pretty much exactly how I imagined Kaz & Inej to look, they are, without a doubt, so in tune with their characters and their relationship. I’m already in pieces at all the Crows scenes, and I have no doubts that we’re going to get exactly what the books gave us in terms of their relationship, with all the great enhancements of the backstories that will be present in Season 1.
HELNIK NATION LET’S HECKIN GOOOO. Cal & Dani are !!!!!! everything!!!! We have not even come CLOSE to getting the kind of Helnik & Matthias Helvar content we so desperately crave, but as Julie said, I guess that means we’re at less risk of being disappointed lolol. I love the dynamic between these two, and omg—the HELLGATE shot, the still of them clinging to one another in the middle of the SEA, PLEASE, GOODBYE.
Technical Things
The cinematography already looks stunningly exquisite. The shots, the angles, the panning of Kaz’s heckin cane to his face (LADKFJALJF), etc, etc.
What we have of the score is also wonderful, beautiful; I know it’s going to be one of my favourites already.
Storyline—I’m really looking forward to the storytelling methods employed, the lining up of the Crows timeline with that of Alina’s, and all that good stuff.
Questionable things/rumours to worry about
Plot/character concerns
I’ll preface by saying that you shouldn’t take my word for this–read the interviews, spend some time browsing through #grishatwt, and come to your own conclusions. One of life’s chiefest beauties is diversity of thought and opinion. Be kind when you thoughtfully engage with premises you disagree with. (Side note: y’all need to RELAX with the ship wars/other disagreements. Just ship peacefully with those who ship like you, and respect the ships of others in the fandom. IT’S NOT THAT DEEP. I know I love these characters sincerely and keenly, but they’re still fictional characters in a fictional world. There’s no need or excuse for being so bitter and rude.)
It’s kind of worrying how much diversity has been pushed by the production team. When I read the books, they were simply a mere reflection of real life–diversity is, of course, a part of that. I didn’t read any tokenism or pushed narratives within the stories, and I don’t think that’s what Leigh was aiming for in the books either. The show is, of course, going to naturally reflect that which is in the books, which again, reflects that which is reality.
Zoya’s relationship and behaviour towards Alina, as it will be portrayed on screen, is also something of concern. Apparently, there is going to be a lean by her character to act racist–which isn’t the case in the books. It certainly seems unnecessary to bring this to the screen. expectations shadow bone netflix adaptation
Jesper’s bisexuality was very naturally portrayed in the books (I think that’s generally agreed upon? Correct me if I’m wrong.), but it appears like it might be fetishized or stereotyped. Again, what would be the purpose of this? Why not bring it into the show as seamlessly as it is weaved within the story. It’s not in your face, it’s not forced: it’s just there. It’s a reflection of reality.
Locals…
Not only locals, but tOxIc fans who feel the need to personally attack/slander cast members, are such a pain. People feel the need to express their frustration in the worst possible ways. Again, THERE IS NO NEED. I can understand disappointment, but that disappointment should never be expressed in such harsh ways. Ie, Danielle should not be attacked because she isn’t as curvy as you want her to be. Leave her alone. She’s handled these criticisms beautifully and said that she is just another version of all the Nina’s imagined out there. Be disappointed, sure, but do NOT go around commenting horrible things about people’s bodies, etc.
Locals are annoying. Sorry. I am LOTH to see the ignorant masses who say “wHy dOn’T kAz aNd iNeJ kIsS aLrEaDy?!?!@#!@#!#!” Go away. AND the people who apparently do not have any reading comprehension and hate matthias, mal, or anyone else without cause. On the other hand, I hope that this show opens the door for many new lovely people who will also find themselves reading the books and falling in love with the Grishaverse.
Overall
Essentially, my expectations for the Shadow & Bone Netflix adaptation are not in bad shape. I am wholly excited for this show, and I cannot wait to see it on my screen at midnight in 5 days. I think (I hope?!) the pros outweigh the cons. Hopes are very high, and I look forward to seeing the books fleshed out and portrayed in a way that is truly an homage to the stories, characters, and themes. Also, follow my creative mutuals on #grishatwt!!
p.s. my thoughts on the grishaverse trilogy, in case you missed it at the top there 😉
p.s.s. my thoughts on six of crows/crooked kingdom (which is basically just an ode to matthias benedik helvar)