The highly anticipated second season of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone has its official trailer, less than a month before its premiere. Adapted from the best-selling book series written by Leigh Bardugo, the season is expected to cover events from both ‘Siege and Storm’ and ‘Ruin and Rising’, the second and final books in the series. The Crows, from Bardugo’s Grishaverse duology, ‘Six of Crows’, also make an appearance in the trailer, although their role within the season remains a mystery.
The first season followed Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) discovering her power as a Sun Summoner, and fighting against the manipulation of fellow Grisha, General Kirigan (Ben Barnes). A sub-plot tracked three of the fan-favourite Crows, Kaz (Freddy Carter), Inej (Amita Suman) and Jesper (Kit Young), as they attempt to kidnap Alina for a hefty reward. The season concluded with Alina breaking free of Kirigan’s chains, teaming up with the Crows, and escaping with love interest Mal (Archie Renaux) beyond the Fold. The final shot was that of Kirigan emerging from the Fold, followed by his army of shadow, the nichevo’ya.
Season two’s trailer ups the stakes considerably, with the opening scene showcasing the extent of the Darkling’s newfound power. His shadowy creatures envelop a village, and Alina comes face to face with him, now scarred and even more powerful. The nichevo’ya are intimidating and chilling — “an unkillable army made of shadow.”
The plot of the season is set up smoothly, as the characters attempt to find two other amplifiers, in order to defeat the Darkling for good. The Crows appear to be assisting, with Kaz snidely remarking, “If you die, we don’t get paid,” to an unknown figure.
The second season promises to be an action-packed adventure, with shots of the Darkling and his army attacking the Grand Palace, as well as multiple impressively-shot fight scenes. The range of characters, as well as their unique skill sets, allows for glimpses of some exciting battles to come.
The trailer also allows us to see the new characters fully; fan-favourite Nikolai Lantsov (Patrick Gibson) is a prominent feature, as well as Grisha twins Tamar and Tolya (Anna Leong and Lewis Tan), and final Crow Wylan Van Eck (Jack Wolfe). We also briefly see Matthias (Calahan Skogman) in Hellgate Prison, with Nina (Danielle Galligan) presumably attempting to make amends for her role in his capture.
Overall, the trailer promises a thrilling, satisfying second season, with plenty of action, and compelling character drama.
Shadow and Bone season two will premiere on March 16th.
Words by Emily Nutbean
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