Why The Shadow & Bone Netflix Show Is Better Than The Book

[@crazykenna]

I loved how the Darkling took her to a fountain and he said he used to come there all the time, but it’s a ruin that’s over grown and forgotten by time and it subtly tells the audience that his history is quite a bit longer than he’s letting on.

[@TheRedHaze3]

I mean, he is pretending to be like 120 years at that point. It's not inconceivable that the fountain could look like that after just 100 years.

[@crazykenna]

@@TheRedHaze3 I recall reading that in the book, but was that his claim at that point in the show as well?

[@jelletinny]

Omg, i totally missed that! Great catch!

[@jeanetten.s.8557]

OH MY GOD THAT'S WHY HE WAS CLEANING THE FOUNTAIN WHEN THEY VISITED THERE! Those plants take a long time to overgrow a stone structure like that! He said he used to come there all the time and since I've never read the book I - like Alina - have no biases to this General Kirigan. So I was just as fooled as she was. I thought the Darkling is 26 years old. And from the way he was talking I thought he was still coming till well into his teens years (when he first got his post). So why would there be overgrown plants at a fountain you had not visited in 5 or so years? Before anyone roast me for my dumbassery. I only realized after Alina removed her scar that something is up with Kirigan. Genya said Kirigan gifted her when she was 11. But she only look to be in her late 20's - probably 5 years younger than Kirigan. So how could someone so young be in any position to gift anything to the queen. I just thought he looked good for his age but that's when I started getting super sus.

[@happyjellycatsquid]

@@crazykenna They say nothing about his age before talking about him being the Black Heretic in the show :)

[@stephaniaariasr4652]

I'm glad you mention the scene when Inej meets sankta Alina, her reaction was so powerful and really give chills.

[@SharonLinfromTaiwan]

That scene moved me so much too. Amita's acting is wonderful.

[@TheBookLeo]

one of my favourite parts!

[@kate-hy5om]

such a memorable part !!

[@gurubishisama]

As a viewer who came into Shadow and Bone completely blind, having never read any of the Grishaverse books and knowing literally nothing about them or the plot, I actually thought it was very clear that the Darkling wasn't just pursuing Alina's power, but also her companionship as his equal. I wouldn't be too worried that the show didn't make that clear, because I thought it was abundantly clear and one of the most interesting pieces of that love triangle.

[@aryanemarques2089]

Me too,it was very clear to me that he developed unexpected feelings for her

[@tiffanymaeuy5869]

Same here😊

[@justsaying8358]

I defenetly got the feeling that he feels that he's in the right to have Anila as his lover as they are destined to be together no matter what, and that he looks forward to it

[@AllThingsShaunda]

Same. Plus you could see that he was very jealous when Alina was reunited with her childhood crush. Ben Barnes did a good job!

[@JTZombiE]

I actually thought the Darkling was gonna be a "good" person, not the main antagonist, and I didn't even know the books existed until I finished watching the series. So in my perspective, I think they made the reveal well-written, and I kinda thought Pekka Rollins or another character out in the world was going to come into play to be the main antagonist lol

[@dancerluver195]

I actually think Ben Barnes portrayed the fact that the Darkling secretly cared about Alina pretty well. For example when they kiss and he has to leave, he comes back abruptly to kiss her again which I took as him genuinely wanting to kiss her vs just trying to manipulate her. Also when he learns from Kaz that she wasn't kidnapped she chose to leave , you can see the heartbreak on his face. There are also other moments when if you watch the Darkling's face closely you see that he has feelings for her, Ben portrayed it very well but subtly.

[@dancerluver195]

I think the addition of the Darkling backstory also helped a lot because in the book I really struggled to understand the Darkling's choices, but in the show I can clearly see how lonely he is and how much he thinks he is doing the right thing in order to never be as vulnerable as he was in the flashback. It makes even more sense that he is so infatuated with Alina because after so long he finally found someone like him. I think in some way the show fleshed in him out much more than the book did.

[@SharonLinfromTaiwan]

@@dancerluver195 Agree!!!! Love Ben Barnes portrayal of him!

[@ashleyelisabeth4]

@@dancerluver195 There was actually a prequel to Shadow and Bone called "The Demon in the Wood" where it explains how the Darkling came to be and why he thinks the way he does. Reading it added a lot more depth to Darkalina scenes and fleshed out his character arc.

[@aimun5255]

Yea I thought you could tell he likes her but when he sees her choose another path, he hardens his heart again and flips the switch to "make me your villain" aka I will have you, no matter what the means, which is an amazing depiction of his abusive personality

[@jennrobertson1758]

I agree, he did show his feelings so well. I was impressed with the subtle looks he gave her that conveyed so much in his eyes. The back story gave more understanding of his behavior. In the book the darkling was so one dimensional I didn’t get that he cared for her or really even the grisha. He seemed just self absorbed and power hungry.

[@gemmaberlanti3508]

The only downside of this adaptation is that Netflix didn't give the show ten episodes.

[@TheBookLeo]

agreeed

[@emmal3819]

@a user they have actually, it got renewed for season 2 before season 1 even came out

[@abbeyBominable123]

@@emmal3819 no they have not. Netflix has not yet renewed the show. The showrunners already has plans fro upcoming seasons but Netflix has not officially confirmed anything.

[@ienvs]

For me personally, even though I would like more episodes, it also didn't feel too short. They really made good use of the time they were given.

[@AnAdultKpopFan]

@@abbeyBominable123 Actually a source, not an official one, but one that has never been wrong in their predictions of shows being renewed or not, has already said that they will be renewing. It's not an official source of course, but considering they've never been wrong, it's safe to say it most likely will be renewed for Season 2.

[@jenniferg.9017]

I was watching Ben Barnes's interview and I think they did want to add that layer of complexity you mentioned with the Darkling and Alina. Ben said he sees the Darkling as the Ying to Alina's Yang this balancing force that he is undeniably drawn to. I think that he liked her more than he wanted, especially when he ran back to kiss her for a second time after he was called to leave. That was a small detail that Ben said he purposefully added to show the audience that it wasn't all a manipulation. I wonder if they took away the line.. "the problem with wanting..." because it came off corny in real life? I got the feeling he was incredibly jealous of Mal even when he was like "Orphans in Karmazin...how adorable". He lost his cool and that level of self-assurance whenever Mal came up...

[@Natalia-ix6iz]

YES! And the fact that he rejected Zoya.

[@moonlightstripess]

Yeah as a non reader that line would have came off as really corny.

[@ahonabhattacharyya6116]

totally agreed. Like every time Mal's name came up you could see cracks in his cool and calm exterior and that was just so nice to watch.especially when he is trying to convince Mal to give up on Alina in episode 6 (I think) like he knows that Mal is serious competition and that he would anything in his power to just not let Alina go.

[@nomadine85]

Yes yes yes exactly. All of this

[@flyfantasy6565]

@@ahonabhattacharyya6116 and in my POV he knew if he kills Mal Alina wouldn't forgave him and it would hurt her

[@sabrinalauren1484]

Milo was the best addition to the show

[@Dynsdead]

I agree 😂

[@martinacosta3821]

Milo is love, Milo is life hahaha

[@AnnaJovhomishch]

Oh,my.. forgot about the goat. Thought you called Mal Milo, 'cause he is, you know, boldhead :P (like that little airbender in Legend of Korra) P.s. i'm sorry, nevermind

[@sabrinalauren1484]

@@AnnaJovhomishch I'm surprised with your reference hahaha Don't worry, it happens!

[@melseha3449]

@@AnnaJovhomishch omg that little fartbender is everything

[@frakkintoasterluvva7920]

As someone who hasn't read any of these books, I can assure you that they did very much get across the pining between Inej and Kaz. It was my favorite ship in the show and the most interesting one because it was subtle

[@nomadine85]

I agree! (I also haven’t read the books.) It wasn’t spelled out but it was still blatant, I thought. I mean. She kills for him, against her faith, the one thing connecting her to her parents, after having witnessed Alina. He puts up his club for collateral for her. Then there’s the clear sense of heart break when Kaz accidentally voices that they’ll go without her if they have to, which he obviously regrets and doesn’t mean, as soon as he said it. That wasn’t just professional. You can see the conflicting emotions in regards to her possibly leaving at the end. The whole “nobody is like you” - and that being very much not in regards to their acrobat ninja capabilities, which she directly said the other girls also have. It’s so very blatant to me how much they are pining after each other, while being “professionally” respectful and supportive “as a friend”. Maybe I’m just too attuned to such romantic subtleties, but it was definitely very obvious to me.

[@unrulycrow6299]

Oh yeah, I haven't checked the books yet (though they've been on my radar for a while and I already got Six of Crows on my Audible account), but I greatly enjoyed the subtle dynamic displayed between Kaz and Inej. Overall I enjoyed Kaz' gang the most out of all the cast - they're highly entertaining and capable despite being regular joes compared to Grishas. Then again, I always have been weak for rogue characters.

[@c.a.2945]

Agreed. THere was a lot conveyed with the little looks between the two characters and the visible pain on Kaz's face with Inej was hurt. Plus the fact he put his club on the line as collateral for her.

[@marybr5154]

I agree. I haven't read the books but they where adorable in the show. I also could tell from the very begining that the darkling was just using Alina. So yeah, not at all shocking when he is revealed as the bad guy. I kind of got the felling he wanted her by his side, but in a very posesive way, not as a loved one.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

As someone who read the books I can insure you that their relationship only gets more and more interesting as the story advances 😍

[@emblogger7658]

To be honest, I didn't mind that change. In the books, he clearly wanted to seduce and use her but started to like her in the process, while in the show, I didn't feel like seducing her was part of the plan, having this romance seemed like a suprise to him too. His intentions were more genuine in the show, and that (for me) made him more of an antagonist and less of a villain, if that makes sense. I get your point, I just like the direction they went in. (Great video by the way)

[@nomadine85]

A very nice way of putting it! Antagonist instead of villain. Yes.

[@aryanemarques2089]

Yes exactly, I didnt get the feeling that he was romantically manipulating her in the tv show, he was lying about the shadow fold and the use of her powers of course, but it didn't seem that the romance between them was something planned, he really seems surprised for this to be happening, like when alina kisses him for the first time and he says "not many people surprise me miss starkov". I also like the direction they went in, I prefer much more how the darkling and alina's relationship is in the show than in the book.

[@emblogger7658]

@@aryanemarques2089 Yes, my thoughts exactly. To be honest, I like almost all romantic relationships better in the show :D

[@madeleineharp6167]

i watched the show before i read the books and i was legitimately a darklina shipper until i read the books. in the show he doesn’t feel enough like that sarcastic witty antagonist that we get in the books.

[@viljakristina2583]

Totally agree!!

[@josh_5911]

My only problem is how they rushed through Alina's time in the little palace... We didn't get to see the power dynamics between the different grisha groups or even delve deep into Alina's friendships there... We also got like one scene with botkin and didn't get to see her grow her powers well during training.

[@iremSusi]

Absolutely I agree ! I even felt myself in a roller coaster while watching, and that bothered me a lot because they could go into more detail. I understand they have a shortage of time and episodes, but they could put a 10-minute time lapse per episode.

[@josh_5911]

@@iremSusi I know ! I felt like they really rushed the story. I would have loved at least two more episodes to be honest.

[@caramelcoffees]

i felt robbed of a magic training montage. it would have really helped to explain what alina's powers actually are

[@ΑποστολίαΠολύζου]

Exactly and that's why we needed two more episodes. Also I hate how they made her so close to Marie and Nadia from the start. She also confesses so easily that she can't use her powers. I think those changes made Alina seem less developed in the series. In the books we see her GROW attached to the Little Palace. Also since she was basically all alone there that made her whining more reasonable whereas in the series it's like she has everything except Mal. In the books she was so much more than that. It's like all her development went into Mal. But I still love both the show and books.

[@lost0055]

It felt like the whole plot happened in just a week. Needed more of alina's character development and her relation with the darkling shou've been a little more gradual. I heard 2nd season has 8 episodes too which means it'll be just as rushed as season 1

[@monarie7856]

I didn't read the book, but in the scene when the Darkling is talking to Mal about how Alina will come to love him in years to come, I did get the feel, that he really wanted her, because she's his equal. But that dialogue certainly wouldn't have hurt.

[@TacticusPrime]

It seems to me that Kirigan just wanted Alina for her power and wanted her to rely on him. I think he wanted to separate her from her old life and he wanted to control her power. He uses a sort of performative vulnerability to manipulate her into trusting him. But then she kisses him. He seems to really want her. She's someone who, unlike everyone else that he has been with, can remain with him through the centuries. She's passionate and young in an exciting way. When Mal arrives, he is jealous and controlling. He's determined to keep her for himself. Ultimately, he'll enslave her rather than let her leave him. Does he love Alina? In the way that abusers can love their victims, yeah. But it's overshadowed by his own goals and ruthlessness.

[@frauchen9864]

@@TacticusPrime according to ben barnes in netflix afterparty, kirigan really has feelings for alina cause he’s been lonely for so long

[@mammamonssterr]

@@TacticusPrime your comment is amazing 👏👏👏

[@Bluey306]

@@frauchen9864 and i don't think the above comment invalidates that. a bad person can care and have feelings for someone else even when they're making choices that ultimately harm them. i enjoy that nuance of Kirigan also deep down having feelings for Alina, and having a desire for a connection with her because of his loneliness -- it's just that it clashes with his overall goals and his inability to treat Alina as her own person with her own agency. it's almost like, on top of his own goals with the Grisha and the Fold, he's also so desperate for companionship with what he perceives as his equal (and Alina objectively is, being the Sun Summoner) that he'd do anything to keep it -- even though it means being possessive, controlling, and hurting her. Amanda the Jedi said it best: he (and i'm paraphrasing) genuinely wants to be with her, but like all bad guys he's unable to see that he's the bad guy. when Alina calls him out for treating her like a pawn and an object, instead of an equal, he says "fine, make me your villain" -- which from a writing perspective is such an awesome gut-punch of a line (and i love how Ben Barnes had a sliver of hurt in Kirigan's eyes), but also shows that he still thinks he's right. so yeah, he loves her, and he genuinely wants her after centuries of loneliness, but in the way abusers love their victims, and overshadowed by his own goals and ruthlessness. the complexity we get through Ben Barnes' portrayal is able to make it convincingly tragic. we see that he _could_ love her in a healthy way, without possession and without control, but he doesn't. he chooses not to. it's so interesting!

[@Bluey306]

@@TacticusPrime well said! 👏

[@bubblepop999]

Okay, the Darkling and Mal duking it out mano a mano in The Fold was pretty amazing and unexpected too. Lmao. I loved it. No magic, no bullshit, just a good ol cockfight.

[@rafz9147]

Yh but not gana lie the darkling was putting the pressure on mal. Mal got wooped

[@TinyCloud90]

Also when mal says I’m not gonna kill you, your past will !

[@takemeaway5548]

@Jayy Menace he didnt die tho like at the end of the ep we see him come out of the fold

[@alealcantaram]

LOL 🤣🤣

[@niamhharikasen7848]

Why did Netflix had to release Shadow and Bone during my exam season🙃

[@pearld1ver]

I feel ur pain mate :')

[@alyssapinon9670]

I’m waiting to watch it with my friend over Netflix party since we both have exams

[@rubenaalexander5007]

HAHAHA *cries*

[@shilparamanaryan3652]

Yeahhh its really not fairrrr

[@gaboskiee7171]

Yo i feel uuu

[@Kodzuken8396]

The scene that everyone is talking about where mal tells Alina that she doesn't need to explain whatever she did with darkling. Actually that happens in the books as well.. He Infact says “I don’t care if you danced naked on the roof of the Little Palace with him. I love you, Alina, even the part of you that loved him."

[@frank7411]

The book line sounds a bit more, idk, passive-agressive? Insincere? It sounds a bit off to me, the serie's line feels more genuine.

[@aceballeza3804]

I hope they would dance together in the next season lol 🤣😷 darklinaaaaaaa for the end game...

[@Naahi95]

YES Mal gets too much hate for things he doesn't even do just because the fans interpreted him wrong

[@Kodzuken8396]

@@frank7411 may be you feel that way because of the palace scene where mal was jealous

[@Kodzuken8396]

@@aceballeza3804 🤭

[@Mjackson2319]

I’m glad somebody said it! I feel like they took all the criticism the readers had about the book and I corrected it in the show. Plus the flow of how certain things was presented in the show actually made more sense in the way that it was presented in the books

[@tessyliz7062]

One thing I really liked about the show was how likeable Alina was, sometimes the main character isn’t likeable at all, but she was definitely a great main character

[@TKDDLJ09]

And she wasnt likeable or memorable in the books. I only remember not liking her and thiking she was stupid the book, that all i rememeber from the book 🤣 show Alina is definitely much much better.

[@tessyliz7062]

@@TKDDLJ09 I really want to read the books, would you recommend them?

[@TKDDLJ09]

@@tessyliz7062 I only read the first and didn't like it. But if you have read other YA novels written arround 2010s then I'm pretty sure you will like it. It's very standard 2010s YA fantasy/dystopian character wise. 😊 Six of Crows is AMAZING though!

[@tessyliz7062]

@@TKDDLJ09 thank you so much 😊

[@tomatosoup1304]

Yup!! Especially since i wasn't the biggest fan of her (or Mal) the show made them much more likeable

[@sieliestschonwieder1987]

I understand your point saying this dialog of the darkling talking to Alina was missing in the Show. But to me even without that, I loved the way Ben Barnes showed through his acting that Darkling really cares for Alina, too. There were those sweet tiny scenens like him looking at her all the time secretly, being soft and worried, asking for her consent and being very emotional when she turned away. So to me he portrayed well that he manipulated her but unwillingly started to love her, too. :)

[@dancerluver195]

I agree, when I was watching the show his feelings for her were so clear.

[@ashleyelisabeth4]

I was 50/50 when it came to Darkalina in the show because there were some scenes between them that I really loved, but then there were others that just felt rushed or anti-climatic. For example, I thought them kissing in episode 5 was way too soon since it seems like they just started talking and they really didn't have that many scenes together to make their kiss convincing. I understand that they're supposed to be insta-love whereas Malina is a slow burn in order to show why the Darkling and Alina are not compatible, but I still think there should've been a build up to it so you can actually understand the chemistry between them.

[@SharonLinfromTaiwan]

Yes. I also really enjoy Ben Barnes' portrayal of him!

[@mayakane9978]

@@ashleyelisabeth4 I think the point is also because he's manipulating her. He's actively trying to get her to fall in love with him to use her powers so he wants it to happen fast before she knows any better and she's been ripped away from everything she knows, had it thrust upon her that she was not what she thought she was and she's desperately trying to find somewhere to belong, something the Darkling promises to provide her. This isn't two people making a bond out of love its two people doing something out of fear and desperation.

[@ashleyelisabeth4]

@@mayakane9978 Darkalina is such a complicated relationship because originally the Darkling was just using Alina for her power, but what he didn't anticipate was for him to fall in love with her. Ben Barnes and Bardugo said that when Alina brings out his humanity, it catches the Darkling off guard because he's been living for so long that he's forgotten what it feels to be human and now he's conflicted on what to do about it.

[@lyka6338]

A lot of good points were already covered here but I wanted to add that I also found the change to Alina’s race so interesting. Apart from the fact that I’m Asian myself, it’s also timely given all the Asian hate in the US recently. Not sure if this was an adjustment made before or after casting Alina but either way it blessed us with the beautiful Jessie Mei Li! I also liked the reversal of roles in Mal and Alina’s childhood. If I recall correctly, Alina was always the weak and sickly one in the books, but in the show it was actually Mal who was the weak one and Alina became his protector. It really helped cement Alina as a strong female character in a more modern way vs the outdated not-like-other-girls-way. Would also like to sneak a quick thank you to you Leonie because you were the reason I picked up the books earlier this year! 💙

[@phadenswandemil4345]

The change to Alina's race was made before casting!

[@kidd32888]

As an Asian American myself, it really hit closed to home

[@nochu9753]

If you think about it, Alina was never weak

[@Goiriath]

Nah, even in the books it's clear that while Mal looked after Alina when she was sick, he was more timid as a child than her (I would have been afraid of the dark) and he kind of grew up to be braver to try and match her. He says that she looked after him, and it's his chance to look after her. Honestly, show Mal *is* book Mal, it's just that the books are written with unreliable narrator, and there's often a big gap between what Alina thinks is going on with Mal and what he actually says, does, or turns out to have been doing later. Honestly, it seems like the author decided that whole single narrator with misunderstandings *did not work* and dropped it for later books and the show. This is definitely Leigh Bardugo's Mal, just not one she got across to all readers.

[@lyka6338]

@@Goiriath ​ and @Nochu 97 So I ended up looking back at the first few chapters of the book and realized I somehow forgot that Alina's "weakness" was only a physical one. She may have been frail, sickly, scrawny (heck, people nicknamed her Sticks), but she was snarky and wasn't afraid to talk back. It was actually one of the things that amused me about her character early on in the series. What I didn't pick up on though, for some reason, was Mal being a reserved and timid child. IDK if I just wasn't invested enough in him to notice it (LOL sorry!) or if that facet of young Mal was just played up more in the show.

[@dianaandherbooks]

I read somewhere that they make the darkling reveal his name so that Alina could have a reason to trust him in the first place. Because it wouldn't have make sense for Alina to actively seek for him and kiss him if they didn't show us that both have connection.

[@aleksandra3552]

@@blushberryxo So that she thinks she's special to him because he trusts her with that info. I really wonder how they are going to show us that during the manipulation he actually developed feelings for her.

[@dianaandherbooks]

@@blushberryxo I mean, that's the point, since they wanted to give Alina more agency of her own, they make her start the kiss, and as a colateral damage I guess; they reveal the darkling's name for it to make sense.

[@ashleyelisabeth4]

The Darkling could've given Alina a fake name though so it didn't sabotage the significance of his real name being revealed later in the story. Also, it would've shown his character development like it did in the books where he went from being afraid to trust and be vulnerable to someone again to being someone who is willing to allow that part of himself resurface, all because Alina reminds him of a place from his childhood where he felt the most welcomed and safe. If you read "The Demon in the Wood", it literally explains how the Darkling came to be and why Alina is his salvation.

[@starkovsummoner]

exactly, it would also have been weird for them to be so close to each other and she still referring to him as "general" or "sir"

[@ΑποστολίαΠολύζου]

I disagree. The reveal of his name was so Alina could see his human side after all he's done. She also finds out about his childhood and how complex he really was. It was like a battle inside her that made her accept her powers. Also in the books it was the first amplifier that connected them a lot. Don't forget that it was the Darkling who first sought her out. I wish they didn't change that.

[@e50e1]

It was such a genius idea to bring in the crows, they brought in so much energy and humor to the story & their interactions with Alina and the Darkling were so cool to see.

[@gwenc7805]

For me, the answer to "why the shadow and bone show is better than the book" question can be condensed to two word: the crows

[@jenniferg.9017]

I can't wait for more seasons and more time to flush out the crows' backstory. I believe the reason why Inej and Kaz's chemistry is not as intense yet, is that Inej and Kaz have only known each other for like 6-8 months at the time the show started. Once we get to the actual heist in Fjerda, they have known each other for 2 years and Inej had come close to dying several times lol which will hopefully heighten that chemistry. I need to see Kaz more ruthless and harsh! He had glimmers of that, but I need to see him takes someone's eyeballs out in sheer rage lol.

[@purpleplanetary]

yesssss

[@TKDDLJ09]

I think people forget that this is a prequel to six of crows. And like they arent yet the characters we know and love completely. We see glimpses of it here and there, especially Inej and kaz. When we end the show, they are just meeting Nina and then a whole ass year is supposed to happen before six of crows. Thats a long ass time to develop characters. Like Inej hadnt even killed someone in the show, so we actually got to see her first kill, which was great. So im hoping the characters will grow in the next season and kaz will become more sarcastic as he is in the book and then i want to see how badass Inej really is with her stealth and stealing secrets.

[@elizaelise5192]

yassss I'm so pumped up! I really hope they give us that scene where Kaz rips out Oomen's eyeball. also, yeah, the best part about this being a prequel was how we got to see inej's first kill

[@yasminechoerryscherry3701]

​@@elizaelise5192 I love this random but sometimes y'all scare me a little bit

[@skyycollector]

the only thing that bothered me was when they revealed the darkling's name just like that, bc that is such a beautiful thing at the end of the trilogy and now.....what is going to happen to that scene at the end?

[@muskaan3711]

Ikr that was annoying

[@Suzumiya_]

Quite annoying 😒

[@krystene.9457]

I agreee!!! That got me sad😿

[@salmaraf]

Riiiight i was so mad when that happened like dude you dont even know each other that well yet

[@ashleyelisabeth4]

I know! 😖 They basically just threw his character development out the window by doing that

[@nayrarodriguez3385]

I actually thought they rushed Alina's independence. They made it that the scar was everything holding her back and when she erased it, she was a new person so easily. When in the book, she had months to grow and learn about herself, train physically and discover her powers. And in the end, when she erased the scar, she immediately went to Kirigan. I would have actually liked to see her friendship with other Grisha (especially Genya) since when Genya hinted at what the king did to her, Alina kinda moved on or didn’t seem to fully catch on. For me, they made her sort of go from one man to another (which doesn’t show much independence imo). And about the kiss, I liked that she took the initiative, but they also took away the factor of the Darkling being a seductive manipulator and wanting to charm her to get her on his side.

[@ChangesOfTomorrow]

I think the intent was that Alina has been in the palace for months, but the show did poor job showing us how much time passed between events. I perceived the Darkling as her seducer despite her initiating the kiss, to me it was more like he did a great job leading her to come to him. But yeah, that development felt a bit rushed especially when she ran away in basically the next scene which felt off.

[@nayrarodriguez3385]

@@ChangesOfTomorrow Alina mentioned to Mal how he ignored her for months. That's the only hint we got at the time pass, because even with the crows' story, I would have believed just a few weeks passed. I wish they would have worked on her development more, as it is something I doubt will be worked on if we get more seasons. I just feel like they ruined that part especially since she's the main character. Alas, I hope we get to see more in next seasons

[@ig1441]

You said it so perfectly! What’s so sad is that in the first book of shadow and bone I just didn’t care much for Alina she just felt eh. And in the show the case is so much worse. She feels reduced to being a girl in the middle of a love triangle and it’s so obvious. There never is a moment where she’s just alina who’s not tied to mal nor the darkling and it’s disappointing. The pacing definitely adds to this problem like you said everything felt so rushed so when Alina tells Mal it had been months I was shocked bc it didn’t even feel that way

[@nayrarodriguez3385]

@@ig1441 Exactly! I've seen many people say how they liked Alina in the show more but I don't understand how when we aren't shown enough of her without being tied to a man and improving by herself :/ I wanted to see her train, both her powers and fighting, and not only when fighting another female character over a man.

[@MinieAnne]

Wow that really not what I see in her it's funny because I really don't watch the show with the lens of the romance and maybe that's your problem, when she get rid of her scar she become more confident and that as nothing to do with the darkling actually she did not need him anymore and she's ready to take her role as the sun summoner her falling for him it's just a bonus. And even her relationship with mal even though we know they both love each other for now they act like brother and sister and I don't have a problem with that they deeply care for each other but they both need one each other and not only Elena.

[@alonya8412]

Honestly, I love the darkling from the show. And that change from the books makes him different yes, but not worse in my opinion. Actually, it makes him more likeable for me. When in the books he was manipulating her and was clearly aware of it(with him saying that"this wasn't supposed to happen"), in the show you can actually believe, that he is truly trying to make the world a better place just doesn't realize that the means he is using are manipulative. At least with Alina. And we do get to see that he truly fell for her in the scene with him and mal, when mal is captured. That speech about mal aging while he and Alina will not was not a manipulation towards Alina since she didn't hear it or know about it. so we don't have any reason to assume it wasn't honest.

[@XEveryoneLovesEmilyX]

The scene of them making out was way to close to the one where his mother helps her escape. To me the speech would have taken away all the suspense because you already are suspicious that he has different motives and the speech would make it way too obvious. Why would he talk about not being supposed to want her when he is exactly what he is pretending to be.

[@McKatie101]

@@XEveryoneLovesEmilyX yesss agreed!! His mom made it sooo obvious he had other intentions too early.

[@nomadine85]

@@XEveryoneLovesEmilyX Yes exactly! He was doing what he wanted to, why would he stop in the middle of a make out session to admit he “shouldn’t” be caring and therefore make her “suspicious” when he was just genuinely wanting to be with her - his care and hesitation came across in the “are you sure?” Line way better than anything else could have conveyed. And to be honest, I think he was kind of asking himself that question, too, on some level. Also, just because he’s obsessed with the fact that someone he NEEDS now exists, and that this influences how much she means to him (isn’t that normal?? We are all influenced by all parts of the people we like) - it doesn’t automatically make his actions manipulative, just because there’s more than just romantic feelings. The practicality of liking the person who you also need doesn’t negate the romantic attraction he has towards her, it’s a part of it. That scene and many other scenes weren’t manipulative, they started to become manipulative once Alina made it clear that she was choosing Mal and a believed in a different methodology to achieve the end of the war than he did. Saying “together we can achieve anything” instead of directly confirming her question whether they would destroy the fold. Saying he said won’t harm Mal, not that he’ll release him. Even the fact that he doesn’t tell her “everything” from the get go is not a manipulative thing. It’s a careful thing. She was only just getting used to being a Grisha, who would skip along someone dealing with an entirely new view of life to tell them YAH LETS UNITE BY USING OUR POWERS EH no. He’s had centuries (I think?) to plan a line of solution to the war, no matter how much you like someone, she could even be his wife, as a war strategist he doesn’t have to tell her everything?? And they’re not even that close but only starting to get to know each other. Why are people saying he’s manipulative because he doesn’t tell her everything right off the bat? Come on. It’s not like they’re talking about a surprise birthday party. If anything the manipulative aspects emerge in conjunction to Mal (and thus Alina’s connection to a value system which doesn’t like the Grishas, likely delaying her integration and acceptance of being a Grisha). It was manipulative to not pass on their letters, but very telling of his jealousy and seeing Mal as competition for Alina. I actually think that his mother somewhat misinterpreted his intentions with Alina, because she was basing her judgement on his previous behaviour. I had the impression that he was genuinely hurt when he realised she left, and not in terms of “dammit my mother thwarted my plans” but more so in terms of “dammit, that’s not how it is at all and now I can’t prove it to Alina because proof does exist, it’s just not true! But wow she believed her that quickly?” Anyway. What was my point? Ah yes. Yes, he’s manipulative, but not just generically, and it doesn’t impact the fact that he does genuinely feel understood and less alone and fond of Alina. In a more mellow, less dramatic progression of events (that wouldn’t make for as interesting of a story), I could totally see them balancing each other out and finding a middle ground to achieve the end of war after some internal discussions among them, after, ya know... actually being together (instead of just freshly making out once). It’s such a teenage angst thing to judge proof in such absolutes...

[@Thenoobestgirl]

@@nomadine85 I agree with every word. I love show Darkling because they gave him genuine redeeming qualities that Ben Barnes also portrays so well. I am looking forward to seeing how they're going to handle the love triangle in the future (and in the far future aka in the eventual portrayal of Rule of Wolves) since they've changed so much of his character. He still deceived her, but it wasn't intentional in order to get power but more because they were just getting to know each other and you don't exactly put all your flaws on the table on your first date... Which brings me to Baghra - fuck you Baghra, you unnecessary cockblock! Honestly I think that if it wasn't for Baghra spiriting Alina away the Darkling would have come around and made Alina his equal for real instead of tried to control her. I think he felt like he had to put a leash on her simply because she ran away from him and he couldn't bear to lose her. If she didn't run away they could have been a real power couple...

[@kostisth1436]

I havent read the books and i quite liked the show but i felt that everything happened a bit fast..

[@TheBookLeo]

yes i do think they didnt really take enough time to explain everything to non book readers

[@ratgirl44]

The characters needed a bit more fleshing out like in the books IMO.

[@ashleyelisabeth4]

Yeah, that's because there was just a lot for the writers to cram in for only an 8 episode season and the fact they were combining two stories didn't help either.

[@SilverstreamPJ28]

I heard that they could've done 10 episodes but on the same budget as 8, so they opted for more high production on 8 episodes instead of 10 with lower production, which would explain why it may feel rushed

[@ashleyelisabeth4]

@@SilverstreamPJ28 Yeah, that's what I heard too. I just hope that for the next season they're given a larger budget so they can do more episodes and not have to worry about trying to cram everything in because the pacing was definitely one of the major issues I had with this season.

[@VictoriaHatzson]

Ben Barnes as The Darkling *chef’s kiss* 👌🏻

[@davidshead1323]

Already commented but just want to gush about the show more. Like the six of crows crew are so dam cool. Like especially Kaz Brecker. The music comes on and he stares incredibly intensely and just lays out his plan to make all the money and it's just so sick.

[@msbv...]

I totally get being frustrated with the removal of the Darkling's iconic line (i was too). But, I still think what it represented character-wise can still be found in the show, and that is all thanks to Ben Barnes' performance. In the book, that line indicates that he has actually gotten feelings for her, something he never planned for. But in the show, it is evident by the way he looks at her and the way he regards her that he has come to care for her too. "You mean a lot..." for example; he doesn't need to say "to me" for the audience and Alina to see what he means. And the biggest example is in the war room scene, when Alina tells him "you are not alone". Once she leaves, he stands by the door unsure of what to do. That moment is exclusively for the viewers, he is alone in the room and Alina can't see him. He lingers, either hoping she'll come back or about to follow her. We see there and then that he is falling for her, that feelings have entered the game. He wouldn't have done that unless he felt something for her. Another thing that highlight his feelings shining through is when Alina runs away and he searches the palace grounds for her. He never assumes she left by her own free will and is worried she might've been abducted (this is bad for him, both because of his plans and new found emotions). In the book we never know if this happens, (because it is from Alina's perspective) but actually seeing it lets us know that he actually worries for her well being and safety. We can see genuine worry in his face Again, the line in the book might've made this part of his arc clearer, but it is nevertheless present in the show. Actually, I think that Ben Barnes made the character seem more into Alina than he ever did in the book, just by the simplest glances and interactions. The relationship they both have is very complicated and interesting, I'm excited to see where Netflix takes it next

[@nomadine85]

Okay I got emotional reading this comment, I’m way too invested. But yes, to all of it

[@happyjellycatsquid]

@@nomadine85 Honestly same, I wanna cry when Ben’s eyes fill with tears when he realises Alina’s left him 🥲

[@aryanemarques2089]

Wow I loved this comment! I agree with everything you said, I dont mind that they took away that line of the darkling because I think that in the show they showed so many times, in various subtle ways, that he did develop feelings for her, just the way he looks at her shows that so clearly to me. I'm very excited to see more of their relationship in the show, they have such an interesting and complex dynamic for me, their interactions were the part that I most enjoyed and held my attention in the show.

[@TheRedHaze3]

I think they should have kept the Darkling's quote, "the problem with wanting is it makes us weak", but I think there were other hints that he fell in love with Alina. For example, when he talks with Mal when he's captured. He says he that Alina is eventually going to forgive him for what he did, and that he is willing to wait for as long as it takes, even years.

[@mundanehauntings]

You are soo right!! Kaz is exactly like how I imagined and I am obsessed! Because I read the books, I know every thought from by just looking at Kaz's face and it was amazing. Also, the face off... Im ded

[@elrilmoonweaver4723]

Other changes: Alina is SHU! She wasn't in the book. She was never described as mixed-race. But here, she is. She's having to deal with racism in the show and it's.... great. I love that change, highly approve.

[@07xxEMMA]

Yes, you’re so right. Such another level of depth for her.

[@crazykenna]

I wish they did more with that. The Shu are the only characters in the series who never get to speak for themselves. Yes, racism bad, but can we KNOW WHAT THE SHU ARE ACTUALLY LIKE AND HEAR THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON ANYTHING. Kuwei never even gets a POV chapter. It’s so frustrating!!!!!

[@kobimorgan6522]

really? i thought it was really unnecessary and distasteful to add racism towards her character. she's literally a fictional race and gets called "rice-eater" which just perpetuates that POC will always deal with racism and stereotypes no matter where they go. also they never addressed or resolved the prejudice she goes through; she just gets called "half-breed" and nothing comes of it.

[@elrilmoonweaver4723]

@@kobimorgan6522 Are... you talking from the perspective of someone who's actually read the book. Yes, racism is terrible and should not be perpetuated... in real life, but this is a fictional character, that was bland in the book from the start. Giving her some external conflict to make her interesting, even if it does mean having to deal with racism, is never a bad thing, because we see more layers to the character. I am not approving the racism itself, I am approving the use of racism to flesh out the character more. Strictly, from a story perspective. I don't know what you understood from my comment, but approval of racism is not what I meant.

[@kobimorgan6522]

@@elrilmoonweaver4723 what did it add to her character though? i love seeing more POC actresses on big names like Netflix, but it sucks that casting them also means adding racism to the story even when it wasn't in the source material. in the TV show alina doesn't become anything because of her struggles with racism, she just takes it silently and moves on. no character faces backlash because they're racist. and if you didn't know, most if not all of the writers of Shadow & Bone are white. it just doesn't sit right with me . . .

[@sukerbole2463]

i feel like the show felt kinda rushed, though? in the book you really had the feeling that a lot of time had passed in the little palace, that she was struggling for a long time with her powers, and in the show it felt (to me) that it wasn't _that_ big of a deal because she got over that fairly quickly

[@alexz3t899]

yes! i felt the same way but i honestly think it’s because netflix didn’t give them enough episodes to work with. which is why i’m hoping people will watch it and we’ll get a second season where hopefully there will be more episodes.

[@JTF2402]

She was months in the little palace. But the show didn't show that very well. Only, she said to Mal. that she wrote Mal for months.

[@TKDDLJ09]

But i would be boring to see her struggling for episodes and episodes. It was clear that she was there for a decent amount of time. And since we have to follow way more characters we cant spent so much time with Alina. So I dont think 2 episodes would have made a difference, because it would then maybe just be filler episodes of seeing Alina train and it would do nothing to the plot. I think i episodes were quite right, because it didnt drag the story, like so many other show does.

[@winterzephyrr]

so I disagree with the whole cutting that one "wanting" line after the darkling kiss. it was unnecessary in the show. not only is Ben Barnes giving uwu eyes at Alina the whole time showing he has feelings for her (even after the betrayal), he does tell Mal he expects Alina to forgive him with enough time. it's very obvious he still has a villainous crush. I think the line ends up being unnecessary in the show becuase of it's visual medium and being able to garner truthfulness or implication through observation of the stellar acting

[@TheBookLeo]

yes, that's a good point actually!

[@aryanemarques2089]

Exactly, though Ben's acting it was very clear to me that the darkling developed feelings for her, so I did not miss that line from the book

[@ObviouslyASMR]

I just finished the show and hadn't read the book so this was super interesting, not enough people are talking about Shadow and Bone :P One thing I noticed was that the world felt relatively small because I didn't feel the duration of the travel. That also reminded me how I didn't like that in the later Game of Thrones seasons. I did appreciate that you simply had to infer exposition from context without many pauses. I wish I could put my finger on why, but this world didn't feel as immersive as early GoT to me. That didn't stop me from enjoying it though anyway great video!

[@Molly-tv5sv]

I feel like they had drawbacks in the show with worldbuilding due to their limited time. They had to fit an entire book into eight episodes of screentime, plus the content of a short story for the darkling's backstory and the fact that half of their characters were from a sequel duology that they had to contextualize and immerse the watcher within. It's extremely hard to get all of that in within the space of 8 episodes, especially since, in the Grisha books, we aren't even familiarised with any land but Ravka until the fourth book written within the universe - and that captures the scale of distance a bit better. That being said, I do agree that worldbuilding is less than great. Hopefully, as the contextualizing is able to be slowed, the world is able to be expanded upon and we are shown the wonderful intricacies of the world that Leigh showed us in the books :)

[@ObviouslyASMR]

@@Molly-tv5sv Thanks for the reply! Those are indeed understandable reasons for the lack of time to go further into worldbuilding, but I suppose they could've extended the runtime. Anyway I do hope they'll slow down in the coming seasons like you said, because I did enjoy the first one :)

[@arfielding4495]

I agree with this so much. I hope they include the wanting line a future season. But I think they did capture the spirit of it with other acting decisions throughout the show, because Ben Barnes makes it looks like he really does care--frequently has tears in his eyes, and his delivery of the line "Make me your villain" is super different than it's described in the books. So I think they got the essence of the 'it's genuine feelings but he doesn't let that override his hunger for power and domination'.

[@crazykenna]

Yeah in the book I could feel him rolling his eyes as he said it, in the show he’s actually conflicted (or so it seems).

[@starkovsummoner]

'it's genuine feelings but he doesn't let that override his hunger for power and domination'. you perfectly summed up for me what i was thinking but wasn't able to put into words. he did fall in love with her but that doesn't mean he is gonna stop wanting power . its a case where those 2 things can coexist

[@sarahgomes5180]

It makes sense for him to act like that, as he himself said to Mal, he and Alina are eternal, he acts from the perspective of someone with centuries of life, where a fight, however big it is, becomes just a minimal disagreement in the grand scheme of things. It’s more rational for him to solve the immediate problem he has in his hands and use eternity to appease Alina's fury. For this I can’t believe it’s fair to say that he puts his hunger for power before his feelings, because he has a completely different perspective on how to act, when compared to the mind of someone mortal, this is so clear when he talks to Luda, when she says that she could live another 100 years with the amplifiers and that doesn't make him excited, because what is another 100 years for someone who is immortal? Does he suffer from losses? Of course, but he waits for them and over time that makes him distant, it’s his form of protec himself, because if he gets attached to something or someone finite he’ll sufer, I believe that this reasoning can even explain his change of focus, because the fight for Grisha no longer has the same weight as centuries ago, before so many losses and so much solitude. Alina comes and shakes this conviction and his posture, because he and his mother are no longer the only ones, he is no longer alone. I believe that over time Alina would have changed him completely, given the chance.

[@aryanemarques2089]

@@sarahgomes5180 I love your comment! I agree with you, I think things are more complex with him than just "greed of power", he is someone that lived for a long time, he has experiences that other don't have, he thinks differently from the others. He sees, acts and plans things in the long run. I think that when he meets alina, he finally sees someone that can understand with time the things he has been through and the burdens he carries, he sees someone that he can perhaps open up his heart and develop feelings without the fear that she will be taken away from him like almost everything else in his life was including Luda.

[@estadoagridulce]

it’s so obvious that the show made mal more interesting so the general audience won’t question malina as much a readers do. don’t get me wrong i really liked show!mal, i even get why alina would choose him over the darkline....something that the book just didn’t pull for me.

[@starkovsummoner]

ben barnes himself has said that the darkling did in fact fall in love with alina in the show and that her light seduced him (he was conflicted between his newfound attraction to her and his thirst for power), and i did really see that in the way he looked at her during many scenes. i do really wish they had kept the dialogue from the makeout scene in the book, but regardless of that i still felt he fell for her

[@deli5194]

I never read the book but I clearly got the idea that the darling wasn't JUST manipulating her and cared about her as well, maybe because of the flashbacks and the scene in the tent before they go in the fold. He also tells that other grisha about how she is her only equal and protects her.

[@jemimaburton4101]

The crows (yes that includes Milo) were the best parts

[@lightandleaves3858]

Milo is the best part, I understand Jesper on this point 😌♥️

[@taylor_green_9]

I hope the show will give more weight to the Darkling's backstory in future seasons and show how he went from wanting to protect his people from genocide to being obsessed with power for its own sake. I'll love it if he eventually reverts to his original goals and ideals, especially if he is forced to choose between clinging to power and achieving those goals and makes the right choice

[@1evonvielen]

Why the Shadow and Bone series is better than the books: The Crows.

[@muskaan3711]

100% agree with the title. S&B show is def better than the S&B books. The show Alina and Mal have more agency over their actions and have well-developed personalities. The only thing I didn't like in the show is that Kaz and Matthais were too soft, they're a lot meaner in the books. Also, the Darkling revealed his name to Alina way too soon. Something that didn't sit well with me was they made Zoya racist to Alina in the show (calls her "half-breed"), it felt unnecessary as Zoya had many other reasons to despise Alina. And this remark never gets brought up again.

[@lotteoosterbaan5336]

The main reason in my opinion why especially Kaz is a bit softer than in the books is because it's his backstory from what we see in soc. I think the show is like a year before the soc storyline and in that year Kaz hardened up a lot, I think in the coming seasons (hopefully) we'll see Kaz get hardened by circumstances and the storyline in the show. As for Matthias, I think they mainly focused on his story with Nina, where he is a lot softer. The moment where we could see Matthias being mean is while interacting with Nina on the ship and that's not a lot, and a lot of Matthias being mean in the book comes from his anger at Nina and that story is yet to happen. Don't want to hate, just wanted to explain my views on these points!

[@muskaan3711]

@@lotteoosterbaan5336 that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the reply :)

[@shineon6584]

@@lotteoosterbaan5336But isn't Kaz's arc in SoC is about him learning to open up and become less cold/ruthless? So shouldn't he be even more ruthless and intense in the prequel? I'm fine with the changes though since I get everything can't translate perfectly, and the cast did a great job regardless. I think the writing for the Crows wasn't 100% accurate/less complex as a result of mashing their story with Shadow and Bone, but once they start adapting the actual source material SoC, I'm sure their characterization will make more sense! I'm just glad we got to see the Crows on screen!

[@c.elise_612]

I think another thing is that the audience is supposed to like Kaz, and new viewers who haven't read the books wouldn't have access to the internal monologue that softens the intense and hardened attitude he gives outwardly, which would make it difficult to like him. The most entertaining thing about Kaz and the way he acts is that if we weren't in his head, and he wasn't one of the main protagonists, he would straight up be the villain. He's ruthless, and his inner thoughts undercut that ruthlessness by a lot. So if you take book kaz, remove the internal thoughts, and toss him into a show where even the villain (Darkling) is softened at the edges, new viewers would be like " you expect me to believe Kirigan is the bad guy when this dude is over here threatening the lives of children???"

[@shineon6584]

@@c.elise_612 That's a good point! I'm sure us readers are just being super picky about things and most people who haven't read the books wouldn't notice a difference haha. However, instead of making him "softer" to balance out his "ruthlessness," they could've lightened him up instead by bringing humor to his dialogue. Kaz is serious, but also sometimes snarky/witty in the books, and engages in banter w the other crows, and that makes him more likeable vs. the show where he comes off as a little too serious imo.

[@pearld1ver]

Can we please appreciate the fact that she is wearing a six of crows earring?

[@priyambalsara3639]

Awesome review/analysis! The only thing I disagree with is regarding the removal of the Darkling's dialogue. In the book, the line "the problem with wanting is that it makes us weak" provides the reader with an explicit glimpse into the Darkling's psyche. Since the book is from Alina's first person perspective, the easiest way for us to learn what the Darkling is thinking is for him to straight up tell us in some way or the other. However, in the show, we have Ben Barnes to do things with his face. You can 100% tell that the Darkling actually has feelings for Alina. In episode four, when he monologues about having fought alone for so long and briefly loses control of his powers, that wasn't manipulation, it was real. During the famous "make me your villain" scene, rather than saying the line with a tone of resignation like in the book, he seems genuinely heartbroken at Alina calling him out. In fact, I'd argue that the show's version of the character is far more willing to open up to Alina than his book counterpart, and thus genuinely believes that she has betrayed him. TL;DR: Removing the dialogue doesn't really ruin the Darkling's character. They removed a line which "tells" us who he is and replaced it with scenes which "show" us instead.

[@Ducavalentino15]

My thoughts exactly :)

[@jammin.g918]

You know what, I agree. I just feel like it’s probably harder to see that and understand his physique for those who haven’t read the books. I’ve seen people say that all of that (the tears, etc) were a part of his manipulation/grooming plan

[@mipaleditx]

Totally agree. I feel like they showed much more how the Darkling feels for Alina even though they left that dialogue. For example, when Kaz tells him that Alina has escaped on her own we see him having tears in his eyes and there were other scenes when he was even more emotional towards her than in the books. I feel like in the show he really falls in love with her.

[@aryanemarques2089]

Yes I agree with all that you said

[@claragrossi7569]

I agree with what you said about the darkling but not completely. I feel like they substituted this "forbidden desire" with something that, in my opinion, strikes as even more meaningful which is the idea of only ever finding true company in an equal? I really think that the whole internal turmoil he had regarding mortality, or his lack thereof, was very interesting to me. Seeing him loose his girlfriend was very nice because i think it heightened the sense of urgency that he felt of finding someone who could endure and be with him forever. Sure there are power motifs behind his infatuation with Alina, but the interesting thing about it is that he's too naive to even notice it. As it's shown throughout the show, we constantly see displays of his ego and his savior complex. He thinks he's saving people, he thinks he's acting for a noble cause, and he thinks his infatuation with Alina is love. He's delusioned, and I think that comes with the lack of consequence being immortal ends up causing you. That's just my take on it though, I really loved your video

[@aryanemarques2089]

That is an interesting analysis of him

[@aidafuentesv]

I’ve been waiting for this video so much.... I wish Netflix would’ve contacted you to promote the show on their channel, hopefully it will happen in season 2

[@Emma-sj6wp]

I adore Show Mal. He is everything Book Mal fails to be. Human, but a good and supportive friends (and later love in life). I liked him in the beginning of the first book, was confused, then hated him, then of course you can't mention Book Mal with out that Iconic Tat, but by the end I loved him again. I think a lot of it has to do with Archie and Jessie's off screen friendship. It brings a realness to their on screen friendship that just isn't there in the books. It's super enjoyable. The show really gave his character a second chance.

[@maiasanders3691]

why did you hate him? I defiantly got annoyed at some parts, but I hated the darkling more than anything.

[@Emma-sj6wp]

@@maiasanders3691 I'm sure if I read the books again I wouldn't feel as strongly lol. Mostly it was how he guilt-tripped Alina for her decisions at every turn during the second book without fully understanding her reasoning. It really got on my nerves. I find a lot of his character beats similar to Jace from *The Lunar Chronicles* and Aspen from *The Selection* .

[@davidshead1323]

Never read any of the books but loved the show. Love a fun fantasy with actual believable performances. The changes you talk about make me think I really wouldn't like the books so I'm glad this is the version I've experienced. That being said like I personally got what those words they said in the kiss scene just from the performances and they did well to have enough humanity with the general, like calling him Alexander, I felt that he did need to have a real name to feel more human. I do think after the twist he was just a little bit one note but I did get a sense that he did genuinly want to be with Alina and that he did find peace with the fact that she could share in that power and immortality. I think it could have done with an extra episode just to flesh his motivations out more before the finale once we know the twist. I thought that Nina was really well done. I don't think it was too quick with the development personally, it was just efficient and felt believable given the circumstances they were in. Even once she saved his life he still took a bit of convincing to come onto her side and like her but his performance gave the impression that he wasn't all bad at the start anyway and it was more his background and job that made him treat her badly. It felt like he was saying all the things he said to justify having her imprisoned and barely fed to himself but I was like yeah he feels bad about that. Better the sequence of events that happened than dragging stuff over more time thans needed. I like Game of Thrones but Christ the character development in that could be way more efficient for what that show does. This found a really good balance I felt at doing things as efficiently as possible without being rushed other than the finale really, I think it just needed a bit more. So excited for another season, will probably rewatch a few times tbh. Great video btw, I know how much work it is to edit such a long video and put in all the clips and have your timeline bits as well like really good job dude, can't wait for the next video!

[@TheBookLeo]

loved hearing your thoughts as someone who hasn't read the book! i hope Netflix gives them a few more episodes to work with in season 2

[@TKDDLJ09]

You are so right on GoT. Like jesus christ it was slow, like mother of christ they could spent a whole season and they would only make it 1% 🤣🤣🤣 and Nina is literally exactly like i imagined her from the books, right down to her voice. That actress is such a spot on cast, that im suprised not more people are talking about it! She is exactly as I imagined her! And if you had the read the books than Nina and Matthias happened exactly as it did in the show and it was clear in the show that they had been lost for days, if not weeks. And in the book they arent lost much longer than that either.

[@BasicallyBrittx]

Yesss loved this!! Totally agree! Loved Mal soooo much more in the show too. MILOOOOOOO 😭😍😭

[@TheBookLeo]

i want to hug a goat now

[@equestrianrosie]

I haven't read the books but from watching the show it was apparent to me at least that the Darkling HAD fallen in love with her. Ben Barnes showed this through so many subtle actions in the season's last act. Being disappointed rather than irritated when Fedyor had info on Nina, not Alina. The look of despair, not rage, he has when Kaz says Alina CHOSE to leave. And everything in Ben's performance of the Tent scene after Alina's been infused with the amplifier. At this point, brute force could accomplish everything he wants, no need to try to explain his actions to Alina UNLESS he does care for her.

[@nomadine85]

Yes! I also thought it an important distinction to make that it wasn’t him who “placed” the antlers but his - admittedly somewhat clumsy seeming - equivalent that Alina’s red haired friend liked. I forgot the name for what they do. We see later on that the antlers could also have been sunk in fully into the skin, it seems like that was almost like... a botched operation? And the darkling seems visibly regretful when she says “instead you made me THIS”. But what he actually did (still not cool) is order for it to be placed on/ into her against her will, after realising she’s no longer choosing him. But the reason I differentiate it here is because I think the fact that it wasn’t him but his servant (?) that actually performed it, both on her and on his hand, speaks more so against that guy’s skill level, than the darkling’s intent. I doubt he wanted Alina to have spiky antlers protruding from her skin, since he didn’t want her to be against him as a base line. It seems like he felt bad about it, but more justified because she chose Mal over preventing the genocide of their people (in his eyes).

[@aryanemarques2089]

Exactly!

[@maiasanders3691]

yeah in the books, he's crueler. But, he does still want power more over Alina--well he wants to save eveyrthing but he doesn't realize what he's doing is wrong.

[@emberadler9793]

this is just my thoughts, but i think that they reveled the darkling's name in the third episode because they didn't want everyone to address him as just 'the darkling' for the majority of the series. it also gave a piece of him to alina, and that started the process of coming to trust him.

[@uj0608]

These earrings are FIRE 🔥

[@qprego6742]

Alina is worse in the books? Well, i suppose i will never read them because i already can't stand how bland Mal and Alina are.

[@graysinton923]

Lmfao trust me, it is SO much worse in the books.

[@maiasanders3691]

they are much better

[@maiasanders3691]

@@graysinton923 no, they are interesting and grow lmao. Mal isn't perfect and has a lot of character development same as Alina.

[@BooksMichelle]

I agree with all the Mal stuff! In the book he is such horrible character most of the time, but in the show he is actually likable and charismatic. Like I actually understand why he is supposed to be a popular guy in the show, whereas in the book Alina keeps saying how popular and well-like he is without showing us any evidence.

[@TheBookLeo]

exactly! i did not find book mal convincable at all

[@kat8366]

FR LIKE I HATED ALINA AND MAL IN THE BOOKS AND I REMEMBER BEING LIKE A HARDCORE DARKLINA SHIPPER IN LIKE 8TH GRADE BUT AFTER WATCHING THE SHOW I REALLLLYYY LOVE MAL

[@amaZINGsabrina29]

I think they set up the plot for Six of Crows very nicely at the end! It was nice to see Nina and Matthias' relationship play out but I agree, it did happen more quickly. Im hoping that they'll have the Six of Crows plot in season 2 and then the Crooked Kingdom plot in season 3

[@natasha2112616]

I actually liked the character development Mal had by the last book. And they essentially made him too perfect on the show in my opinion

[@nigeriangranny5321]

YES! I actually DESPISE Mal hate now. 😂 I’ve always liked him, while recognizing his flaws, of course (that also happen to be incredibly human, but whatever). He has a lot of nuance, especially after what he went through after Alina left, IMO.

[@McKatie101]

Agreed. He’s too perfect on the show. And somehow he’s kinda boring to me. I still ship Alina and the Darkling

[@aryanemarques2089]

Yes the fact that he doesn't have any flaws makes him a little boring to me, at the same time I thought he was annoying in the books 🤣 I guess his character is just really not for me

[@maiasanders3691]

agreed!!! I love feeling annoyed with characters but then slowly loving them!

[@shineon6584]

My only complaint was that the writing for the SoC characters didn't feel as accurate/complex (although they were perfectly cast)! Especially when they left Ketterdam. But that's fine given that they were supposed to take the backseat this season, and adaptations aren't supposed to be 100% accurate anyways! Hopefully, things will smoothen out once we get to the actual SoC storyline!

[@mmormmmorn5370]

im still mad bc kaz got beaten up easily in the first ep

[@shineon6584]

@@mmormmmorn5370 Yeah, that was a weird choice :/ But I didn't mind that too much since it's not like he's physically infallible, just good at hiding his vulnerabilities! I'm more disappointed that we didn't get to see any locking picking/sleigh of hand/pickpocketing :(

[@rayb401]

I feel like the scene where she says “awe could have had everything... together” and the emotions that play out on his face show that he like, does care but doesn’t see how also doing what he did is awful. I feel like the line on the book should have been there to like, double confirm that that’s how he feels, but I think Ben did his best with the expressions to tell me that at least

[@fiebienietveld9299]

I feel like they might have revealed the Darkling’s name early, because if/when they do the Morozova reveal storyline, it has to be more fast paced than the book, so they would already plant this seed to lead to that reveal, because we now know that his last name is fake. If you would show Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising as they are in the books, I feel like it would be very, very boring, because a lot of those books consists of traveling and very static dialogue filled scenes. For the excitement they are of course incorporating the Crows, but I feel like they would want to cram a bit more of that Morozova storyline in less episodes to make it a bit more sensational. I would understand if this was the case, but I was also very surprised when he told her his name just like that.

[@aleksandra3552]

I also think they wanted to avoid the "he-who-must-not-be-named" situation if he was constantly called the Darkling. The name reveal makes sense to me and since Leigh approved it, I think they must have some clever trick for that moment in Ruin and Rising.

[@fiebienietveld9299]

@@aleksandra3552 Good point!

[@Dianuxkasfenix]

I really like Mal in the show! I particularly love how he did not tell her that she was easier to fed when she did not know she was Grisha (and looked way more sickly). Because I really wanted to throw a shoe at Mal after that.

[@carlibasson2410]

I must say, season 1 was excellent.!!! But season 2 made me want to read the books... And the books are AMAZING!! WISH THEY MADE A SEASON FROM EACH BOOK, SO MANY character development moments they missed 💔and the love triangle is SO MUCH BETTER in the books!!! Feels like these books could make for a block buster trilogy like the Hunger games #shadow&bone #thehungergames #blockbuster 🎉

[@BadBloodwillout]

I haven't read the book but the way you described the darkling is exactly how I perceived him in the show. He likes her for her power, he's lonely, he falls in love with her in the process. Like it's all there. I don't think the dialogue you mention would have added anything tbh. Interesting analysis though!

[@treesspeaklatin8950]

13:13 I've never read shadow and bone, but I was fully expecting mal to be super jealous and ruin the scene for me, because it happens A LOT in YA books and shows. However when he said that alina doesn't owe him an explanation... I just LOVED that so much👌

[@caitlyn.m.t9618]

One thing I really wanted out of the show is a bigger focus on the friendships because I do feel like they took a backseat to the romances in the books, particularly the friendships between the women. So the fact that I got so much of Jesper and Inej made me really happy, and I loved every scene with Inej and Alina because it was just so pure. I was also living in the scenes at the end involving Zoya and Inej and Alina. Like I was so happy. I would have liked more scenes with Alina and Genya if I am being honest, and I hope we get more focus on those friendships in the future. I also can't wait for Inej and Nina in the next season. As for the Darkling and Mal...I always thought that Mal got a lot more hate than he deserved (please don't come at me). Like if you don't like him that's fair and he definitely has flaws in the books but he also has a great development, especially in Ruin and Rising. I personally don't find him interesting, in fact I have no feelings on him, but one thing I would say other than some dialogue changes and the big fight scene being basically removed...he was exactly the same in the show in my very unpopular opinion. His core character was there, it is just (as you said) we're not seeing it purely from Alina's perspective and you don't have to read between the lines either. As for the Darkling...I am not gonna lie he does not appeal to me at all in the books or the show. In fact he very much irritated me in the books. I wasn't irritated by him in the show and wishing for his disappearance from the screen constantly, so that's an improvement. I have no complaints in how he was portrayed in comparison to the book, and I think that speech at the end directed to Mal did show his obsession to Alina well. But then again he is not really on my radar so maybe take that with a grain of salt.

[@elisong6579]

Yeah I definitely think people are way harder on mal maybe just because he’s alina’s love interest and people think that since shes the protagonist she deserves someone more( which in a way i do see why becuase its entertaining>

[@zofiabochenska1240]

I love the eyeliner! And I'm still debating if I want to watch it, I'm afraid that without the nostalgia I won't really like it...

[@TheBookLeo]

i would stil recommend it!

[@esterjulian9267]

I read it just before the show and I really enjoyed it even though I didn't have that nostalgia. There were a few things a bit cringy and weird but overall great.

[@jammin.g918]

Totally agree with your points! Though I loved Ben’s portrayal of the Darkling, I feel like that dialogue in the war room scene was very much needed in order to understand him as a character. I feel like those who’ve read the books were still able to understand the Darkling in the show, but for those who haven’t, it’s a lot harder for them to do so. What a lot don’t understand, like you said, he does care for Alina, however, his lust for power and revenge is stronger than his feelings for Alina. I feel like Netflix is really trying to villainize him, but it’s hard to completely do so when you look at his micro-expressions. I guess that made up for the left out dialogue, Bens’ ability to portray his feelings through expressions (phenomenal btw 🤩). Also, I was very much triggered by the early name reveal 😡 lol.

[@peightoncook7931]

You’re so right about the darkling thing! I couldn’t put it into words why his character felt off, but the dialogue in the war room scene would have made him feel more like the complex villain we know from the book!

[@toshomni9478]

I've heard that the feeling was that calling a character The Darkling for a long live action series would just seem too weird and was one considered one of those things that works on the page but not as well on the screen.

[@lightlawliet3526]

i absolutely HATE the fact that people keep calling ben old. older than other actors etc. i mean i get why darkling and alina relationship is problematic but calling someone older isn't a valid criticism. and when the arguments keep popping up if crows character look teenager or in their twenties. smh. if you stay alive you're bound to age. shocker i know. -_-

[@crazykenna]

Reading the ages of the characters in Six of Crows was so funny to me, I immediately aged them up in my head - I refuse to entertain the idea that everyone is 17-18 ahahaha (and to have the Darkling as a young adult in comparable age to Alina???? Why????)

[@lightlawliet3526]

@@crazykenna i mean the darkling is thousands of years old so no reason for him to look like a teen or young adult for that matter.

[@vp98215]

even though ben atleast has 8-9 yr difference b/w most of the main cast he looks the same age or even younger than some of the cast members... there is no way ben looks 11 yr older than the guy playing mathias, in fact he looked younger than mathias and some of the grisha characters... he and freddy looks like they are of the same age... even kaz and darkling looked like they are of the same age group... also none of the characters looked or acted like they are teens... alina legit looks and acts like she is in her early 20s... there is no way the crows look like they are teenagers... kaz definitely looks like he is in the latter half of 20s... a teenager being a swindler and owning a nightclub is weirder than alina and darkling's problematic relationship...

[@lightlawliet3526]

@@vp98215 you clearly missed my point dude. age isn't a valid criticism is what i'm saying. who looks or is older than whom isn't the matter at all.

[@natashadarko3066]

The Darkling doesn't just betray Alina. After he puts the collar on her we get this scene where we can see that he doesn't see this as a betrayal because everything he's doing, he's doing for them and Grisha. in fact he even told Mal that he has feelings for her. Not to mention the way Ben Barnes looks at her, speaks to her and even acts with her. it is clear he has feelings for her even if it is not said. like you said show not tell.

[@womangela]

I love that this is a more focused review video! I think a lot of people do the broad general reactions videos (whichI love to see as well) but I love coming to your channel knowing that we're going to get a Leonie-style analysis because I always know it's going to be very thoughtful, honest and concise. I totally agree that the show took all the weak and outdated parts and updated them to feel more coherent. Almost every character was more fleshed out in some way, and I think they did amazingly with the amount of episodes and budget that they had. There's always room for growth, but in the same way that they heard what didn't work so well in the books and made it better on screen, I have a lot of hope that they'll take certain feedback from the first season and make the next season even better. (And hopefully Netflix gives us the go for more episodes within a season so that the show people can take their time and things won't feel so rushed!)

[@TheBookLeo]

this comment made me so happy

[@fromgravity]

i actually got the whole thing where the darkling actually has feelings for her? and i haven't even read the books so idk i guess it might just be a subjective thing. either way i think the show and ben barnes did an amazing job making it clear that he actually did love her his desires for power just outweighed that.

[@IlseLove100]

I loved this video essay style about the book and show! I think most of what you said is exactly what I thought! The things I did think however were better in the book are Genya's story and the role Alina played at the end. Alina in the show just ends up lying on the floor of the skiff having not really done anything, except freeing herself, while Mal actually fights the darkling. In the book she uses the stags power for the first time cutting the skiff in half and leaving everyone on it to die. Straight up savage Alina, but it's one of those moments where she becomes a little morally grey, now she just felt like a helpless victim and I didn't really like it. And they just got lucky that the darkling got snatched up by a volcra XD I wonder how it will change their dynamic since she didn't leave him to die in the show... Genya's has so little screentime and I am not really sure if I would have understood what was going on if I hadn't read the books. The thing with the king, the importance of the kefta (here all the grisha are nice to her, not treating her like an outsider) aren't very clear, and a sentence here and there would have done the job, without taking much more screentime. A friend of mine, not having read the books, didn't even pick up on what the king did to her and that she poisoned him, so her betrayal feels a bit random...

[@dianaandherbooks]

I was waiting for this. You and Cindy are the reason why I read the books!

[@TheBookLeo]

ahh that's amazing to hear!

[@Didi_Online]

I still think there were some problems in the development of Alina. The whole “you didn’t contact me for months” sorry but shouldn’t it be obvious to anyone that they wouldn’t let her trade letters with someone else outside of there? My mom who didn’t read the books said that right when she picked up the paper to write to Mal. It honestly makes - imo - the character a lot dumber. The fact that Mal ran after her even after they knew she was a Grisha ( and she saw that ) should’ve been enough for her to not believe he would give up on her like that. They were each other’s family and they protected each other throughout their lives. That whole turn from her is just very unrealistic for me. Which instantly disconnected me from whatever Alina was doing and made me care more about the Crows, Nina or even Mal’s journeys. As for the Darkling I think seeing him in live action just makes me question even more the people who wants to see the good in him, all because he has feelings for Alina - don’t mind that he will treat her like a puppet. the Darkling says he wants Alina to be his equal, does he tho? Cause anytime Alina makes a decision opposite to what he would’ve wanted she is punished for it, like being hunted or him forcefully putting the amplifier on her body ( to control her power). Secretly caring for her helps her how exactly????

[@wanderingbeyondpages]

I think they dropped his name so early because she is the only one who uses it which shows more intimacy between them: They already made him a person by using General Kirrigan instead of this mystical name of the Darkling. Which is what Leigh tried to do at the end of the books: making him a person

[@DariaElGrellPozina]

I agree with a lot of things in this video, I've read the first book after the show and was totally blindsided by how boring Alina was, how much of an asshole both male leads were, but especially Mal. However, I don't agree with Darkling's "missing layer", I think Ben Barns did a fantastic job of being a total heartthrob and giving Aline The Look. In the book I didn't feel like he cared for her At All, just her power and that's what I got from the quote- that he wants the power so much it weakens him, not Alina :0

[@intheatmosphere8]

I feel like this video didn't age well..I finished the second season last night and must admit I was really disappointed. Netflix managed to cram Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising into 8 episodes 😢 The result - rushed storyline, confusing character arcs and bad writing. I don't understand why Netflix refuses to follow the source material..

[@kashishbhatia6655]

omg girl when you were talking i was here sitting and yelling YASSSSS GIRL YASSS i agree with everything you said

[@Meggimagine]

I don't agree with your opinion of the Darkling regarding the missing line of dialogue. I think you see his feelings when they argue in the tent in episode 7. You can see his desperation for her to understand his actions and motivations and the actual heartbreak when she still rejects him (understandably so, I wouldn't want my boyfriend to fuse antlers to my collarbone to control me either...). The "Fine. Make me your villain" said with the tone and pained expression he had is so different from the one described in the book, which IMO felt more like a "welp, flunck this, at least I tried" line coming from the Darkling. You can see he cares about Alina, was hurt by her rejection but still felt his mission was more important. That made him appear more human to me 🙃🙃

[@giorgiar24]

Yeah no.... Ben barens was great. Literally the only good thing about the show. And the reason I watched it even when the trailer already had left me disappointed. Like I've seen bad takes but this one wow. Putting two storielines together was dumb. No reason for having the crows. Kaz and jesper were casted pretty badly. Especially Kaz I could never take him seriously. The others were at least well casted so at least that. Which is the bare minimum. I don't know how people actually liked this show when it felt so fake and plasticky almost.

[@SharonLinfromTaiwan]

I've been looking forward to your new video on the show! I love the show so much!!💕For screen Darkling, I actually felt that in the show, especially with Ben Barnes' stellar performance, I felt it shows the Darkling does have true feelings for Alina. Like the expression from Ben's gazes, the scene where he went back to kiss her again (so smitten by that 😆), and the conversation he and Alina had in the tent after the amplifier was placed in Alina's body (the way he said for "US"). I like that the show really humanized both Mal (not the unsupportive teenage boy we see in the book🤣) and the Darkling and giving them so much more depth, and I felt I can root for either! As for the revealing of Aleksander, I've only read Shadow and bone so far so I don't have too strong of a grudge to that🤣and I was so smitten by how Ben Barnes delivered that line😆❤️. But yeah I've learned many readers think it's a miss opportunity. But heyyyy this is only Season 1 and let's see what will come next! Netflix PLEASE renew!!!! Gahhhhh

[@Goiriath]

I like that the show Mal does hit the same character beats as book Mal, it's just we don't find out for book Mal until waaay after everything has happened. Like, even in book 3, stuff like he's been saying he's like to marry Alina since he was 8, and continued having 'inappropriate' thoughts as a teenager, but was trying to be a good friend to her, which you can just see in show Mal . Or like, the fight, where Mal sees Alina dancing with the Darkling, and... So, he is pretty hurt because he did see pretty accurately actually that they are romantically involved. Yes, that's exactly why the Darkling wanted her to wear his colours. Mals response is actually to just leave without saying anything. And then to ask if she's happy. He only gets snarky after she snipes that maybe he'd prefer she was being tortured, which just doesn't hit the same when you realise he really *has* been worrying she was being tortured but not just that, but that physically pretty much has been tortured himself - he's actually still injured, had his best friends and almost entire platoon murdered in front of him, that's all in the book but not revealed till much later! He thought she was in danger then got there to realise she's... moved on. Looks happy. And is now used to a previously unimaginable level of luxury for a couple of peasants, and he hasn't heard from her once. They dropped that scene in the show, but they could have kept it and Mal would *still* be a more sympathetic character because you'd have seen exactly where he was at that moment. The single pov just didn't work for the book, because most people don't replay the entire earlier book in light of information that gets dropped in one sentence at the end, or even a book or two later! I mean, I often do, and go flicking back through to figure out the timeline for something, but I'm a weirdo and kind of deep analyse for fun.

[@nathalie3601]

i blame ben barnes for everything, everything being my love for the darkling and the rare moment of me shipping a toxic pairing aka darklina now how am i ever going to read the books again with ben barnes in the back of my head??!!! like the absolute awe in his eyes whenever alina is there, the way he goes back for a second kiss when he has to leave , the absolute sadness in his eyes when he delivers the "make me your villain" line

[@aryanemarques2089]

Ben is amazing, I love how he humanized the darkling's character more

[@inspiringer6418]

I don't know if I'm crazy but as someone who has never read the books, the only two characters I cared about was Inej and Jesper. I honestly didn't find Kirigan as a very interesting villain.

[@gwenc7805]

I found that even though they didn't include that specific line of Darkling, his other scenes showed us why he wasn't just manipulating Alina, and that he might be genuinely drawn to her--in the scene of his past where he lost Luda, it echoed the scene later when he told Mal that Alina has only one equal, it was because he had experienced that himself, and he saw her as his only chance to not being lonely for eternity. Also, as multiple comments mentioned, he doubled back to kiss Alina even though he had to leave. So yeah I would say that line wasn't really necessary for me, but then again it's just me

[@DCDarko17]

I agree with what a lot of people have said in the comments, that Ben Barnes shows us just by looking at Alina or coming back for another kiss etc that he does like her. So for me personally i dont really mind that they revealed his name so early. Then again, i dont ship him with Alina so i guess i probably dont care as much about it as people who ship them. I agree with you some what on the changes to Mal from the books to the tvshow. I dont think he is as bad as people say and i agree with him when they fight in the first book. I would be just as angry as Mal if my friend was taken away so fast and then i did not hear anything from that person. Not knowing if my friend is okey etc. Then finally seeing her and seeing that she fine and that she´s with the darkling. But what a lot of people like to forget is that he does apologize for the way he reacted in the books. They just want to stay on that one fight..

[@dontmintme]

While I also don't like that they made The Darkling tell Alina his name so early, I think they wanted to humanise him

[@daizyflower272]

I personally think that we shouldn't say which the book or series is better they are both incredible

[@lamaahmed635]

I agree but Ben's acting was so good that he did not even need a monologue

[@corradosecchi6810]

Hi Italian here throwing my two cents! I have not read the books, but I really enjoyed the show. And I agree with your core argument that the show is better. Whoever wrote it clearly had read the famous essay "YA clichés and how to avoid them (and if you cannot, minimize them)", and they did a good job of it, especially considering what was in the book in the first place. Adding the Crows' plotline was a stroke of genius for me. I was not particularly invested in Alina's story in the first four episodes: not that it is bad, the writers do their best to navigate a treacherous sea of tropes, but it is still very predictable. Instead, I was hooked on the Crows, because they keep things interesting: aside from showing a lot of world-building lore, they show three characters, all understandable, all of them competent and cool, but each with their own flaws and weaknesses, which make them human and relatable. Back to the main story, I also like the fact that Alina in the show is of Asian ethnicity: as far as I know (someone correct me if I am wrong, as I said I have not read the books) and from what I have seen in the art you showed, she is not in the original. I liked it because it is a part of the narrative (unlike, let's say, The Witcher, where ethnicities are seemingly random) and the foreign ethnicity plays into her character, not to mention the fact that different etnical traits make her stand out from the rest of the cast. Regarding Kirigan or, as you said, the Darkling: they made the choice of portraying him as a full blown antagonist (at least for this first season), the millenary jaw-droppingly handsome wizard with world-conquering ambitions, a commanding presence, a D&D-approved traditional dark cape and a really awesome shadowy boomerang :D Jokes aside, they wanted to avoid the 'love triangle' dynamic as much as possible, focusing on creating cool characters rather than exploiting the relationship trope. Not revealing his name was something that, in all likelihood, worked very well in the book, but would probably not translate as well in a tv show, as it would look ridiculous (with her asking around 'what's his name' to everyone? I mean, I just do not see how it could have worked as anything but a recurring joke). Regarding the sentence that they cut out of that scene: I can think of two valid reasons. First, by showing the letters that do not arrive (the ones that Mal and Alina send to one another), they had already planted the hint (again,as you said, by showing, not telling) that there was more going on behind the scenes, and putting that sentence would have been a bit too much. The second reason has to do with the avoiding-tropes trend stated above: one unfortunate and persistent trope of YA novels is the level of verbal and psychological abuse that female protagonists are willing to take from the... let's say Tall, Dark and Handsome love interest. That sentence plays right into the trope that it is ok to (verbally and psychologically) abuse someone as long as you truuuuly care about them. And do not get me wrong, I understand the fantasy element: the problem is when the fantasy is built for mass consumption (like the Twilight movies, or this tv show) and starts having real-life consequences. So I can kind of see why it was removed: and I also appreciated that, when Kirigan tries the manipulative crap during their conversation in the seventh episode, Alina acknowledges the attraction but tells him to shove it.

[@luinestablero5860]

Everything I don't like about the books is related to Mal: Mal kind of ignoring Alina until she's special and being jealous of the Darkling because now he has all Alina's attention and Alina being obsessed with Mal just because they have always been together and they being in love with 0 chemestry, in the series they are more like brother and sister and I think they have better chemestry like that and not like lovers. The Crows were also a good fresh touch, they weren't part of that story so they give you someting new, someting you are not expecting bc you didn't read it in the books but still works...

[@aryanemarques2089]

I agree with you, I think that mal and alina work better as best friends or adopted siblings than lovers.

[@nayrarodriguez3385]

And calling Mal unsupporting of her powers is weird to me because... in the second book he literally bets that she can hit the furthest mountain with them when she didn’t even believe it herself.

[@biancaarcand4316]

It was the third book actually, and yea but it took him THREE BOOKS before he started supporting her

[@nayrarodriguez3385]

@@biancaarcand4316 need to reread the books because the last two mix, but Mal is worried how her powers were affecting her, it was not that he didn’t support her or else he could have left her and be safer by himself I’d say

[@AngelAdorable3]

I think they revealed the Darkling's name so casually is because it's a little less ridiculous? The show verse doesn't feeling like a world where someone would go strictly by a moniker. It would feel a bit silly, I think.

[@VioletAasimarOfficial]

I like everything you had to say here. I only disagree with your comment about the Darkling's portrayal. You can tell by his facial expressions, his voice, the way he talks about Alina when she's not there throughout the season that he truly loves her. For example, when Kaz takes a jab at Kirigan about Alina not wanting to be a captive anymore, you can tell by the facial reaction that that hurt. The man almost bursts into tears when Alina rejects him in the tent towards the end of the season. I could go on, but I think it's obvious that the Darkling fell in love. I also think he made a show of making them "equals" by revealing his name earlier. (Of course, he undoes that later once they get the amplifier.) If anything, they did a much better job of showing his love and pining for her in the show, because I didn't feel that at all in the book. I really liked the Darkling a lot more in the show. Besides there's nothing that says they won't work in the dialogue about wanting later down the line.

[@beckyg2292]

This may be a totally random thought process, and admittedly I have not read Shadow and Bones. But the Alina/Mal relationship (and how she's suggesting supports my thought) reminds me a lot of the Katniss/Gale relationship in Hunger Games (which I have read...repeatedly) and if Hunger Games had written K&G's friendship-romance like they did with A&M in their filmed adaptations, I could actually understand people who are Team Gale. Thank you for reading my weird thoughts.

[@cedarmoss7173]

I heard that Leigh wrote the Darkling as a social commentary on how powerful attractive men use people and instead of heading a warning readers just ended up loving him. I think the Darkling’s feelings for Alina in the books added a bit of nuance and realism that stopped the readers from catching the point so in the show they removed some of it to help the audience get it more

[@hydrangeas_inmy_hair8982]

Words cannot describe how relieved I am, to not be the only person with this opinion

[@stephbalanag]

17:13 you can see in ben barnes face that the darking cares for alina and when kaz said that alina willingly get kidnaped you can see in his eyes that he is heart broken. P.s i want a darkiling redemption arc. he and alina want the same things he is just more violent at doing so, he just wants grisha to be equals to the rest of them thats the main reason he made the fold to protect his people.