Summary
Shadow and Bone season 2 doesn’t give enough attention to two characters, and their love story lacks the depth it has in the books. A Six of Crows spinoff could properly finish these characters’ story, allowing the show to explore their relationship in a more meaningful way. Having a spinoff series would provide the opportunity to delve storylines that Shadow and Bone doesn’t have the capacity to address.
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Netflix has yet to reveal the future of Shadow and Bone, but the streamer needs a Six of Crows spinoff series to do justice to two major characters from the show. While Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and the Grisha from Ravka come from Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy, the characters from Ketterdam and Fjerda are pulled from her Six of Crows books. Shadow and Bone season 2 changes the Crows’ stories a lot, which is to the detriment of their plot. With so many characters to cover, some lose out, getting less screen time and development.
Two characters from the Crows are especially hurt by Shadow and Bone’s decision to mesh their storylines with Alina’s quest to defeat the Darkling. Although most of the Crows get their own subplots while assisting with that goal, two of them get less attention. In order to refocus their storylines, Netflix needs to bring Bardugo’s other books to life with a Six of Crows spinoff.
Shadow And Bone Doesn’t Do Justice To Nina And Matthias
Shadow and Bone season 1 opens with Nina and Matthias separated from the rest of the Crows, and it follows them as they grow to love one another. Their romance is complicated by the fact that Nina is held captive by Matthias and other Fjerdan soldiers, all of whom hate Grisha. When the boat they’re on capsizes, the pair must work together to stay alive. And Shadow and Bone does a decent job of unraveling their feelings for one another, right up until Nina betrays Matthias’ trust in order to save his life. All this is true to the books, but season 2 takes things in a different direction.
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Although Nina is featured as a larger part of the Crows’ story in Shadow and Bone season 2, Matthias is only in a couple of scenes. Their few scenes together don’t do justice to their love story, and they’re among the best couples from the source material. Nina and Matthias’ scenes don’t establish the weight of their relationship, and this is especially bad if the show intends to end Nina and Matthias’ story the same way as the books. Shadow and Bone may have too many storylines to put these two in the spotlight, but a Six of Crows spinoff can give their romance the proper amount of attention.
A Six Of Crows Spinoff Could Finish Nina And Matthias’ Story
Fans of Bardugo’s books have been hoping for a Six of Crows spinoff for a long time. Shadow and Bone creator Eric Heisserer even admitted the show has already been written. Though nothing is confirmed — including Shadow and Bone season 3 — a Six of Crows spinoff could improve a few storylines from the original series. Nina and Matthias’ romance is one of them.
A Six of Crows series would be able to dig into their love story, highlighting the bond between them and giving them enough screen time to leave an impression. While Shadow and Bone is a good start, it just doesn’t have as much time to explore the duo as a dedicated spinoff would.