Shadow and Bone is a show that builds to multiple conclusions, often providing multiple thrilling climaxes in a single episode. As the second season draws to a close, it prepares to deliver the largest final battle of the series thus far. The drama is at its peak and the stakes have never been higher as this conclusion proves too big for just one episode.
Episode 7: "Meet You in the Meadow" along with the series finale was directed by Marizee Almas, who previously directed, perhaps the best episode of The Sandman. Her work began with Smallville and has since included much of the best genre entertainment on TV.
At long last, the plot lines fully converge. The final episodes of Shadow and Bone will depict the great battle between Ravka's armies and the Grisha tainted by The Darkling. Before the battle can start, however, Alina has an impossible choice to make. Mal's true lineage has been revealed, and the consequences are dire. Mal can give Alina the power boost she needs to finally destroy the Fold and defeat General Kirigan, but it'll come at the cost of his own life. Unfortunately, Kirigan knows Mal's secret as well. Just as the debate seems to come down to who will murder Mal, the heroes come up with a plan that might be just crazy enough to work.
The lion's share of this episode is devoted to the human forces of Ravka battling the dangerous amplified Grisha who serve the Darkling. It's a large-scale conflict with a variety of magical abilities flying around. Some characters get to pull off huge displays of magic, while others are able to hold their own with pure physicality. It's less focused than some of the series' previous strongest action scenes, but it's a great showcase for what can be done in this universe with this cast of characters. Narratively, the battle allows a variety of major and minor figures to reach a cathartic arc and achieve some new heights. Much like the first season, the trick that the show pulls off is balancing. It doesn't weaken under the new weight of all these characters in the same place. It's always been juggling that weight and the only new challenge is figuring out the chemistry each well-established character might have. In and out of combat, the show has no trouble bringing its storylines together.
Fans of the novels are divided on this season of Shadow and Bone. The adaptation isn't entirely faithful, but most of its changes are for the best. The most controversial choice in adaptation is the decision to combine two novels of the Grishaverse series into one season of TV. This does force the writers of the series to pick up the pace and move past some things, but it also ensures that there is almost no filler. Though there is almost always too much going on, all of it remains important on one level or another. If it isn't character development, it's pushing the plot forward. If it isn't moving the narrative, it's an action scene. Most examples pull off two or three of those tasks at once. Even something as simple as a duel between Jesper and a Grisha demonstrates how much he's grown since his introduction. Though the storylines have come together in this final episode, it does still manage to pull them apart again.
There is still a lot to take in as Shadow and Bone nears its finale. This series will likely benefit from a rewatch or two in the coming weeks. It's tough to spoil because to have something ruined, one would have to understand everything else in context. This show, perhaps more than any other, demonstrates the weaknesses of the binge model. If Shadow and Bone had dropped weekly, it'd be a great candidate for social media word-of-mouth growth. As it stands, the show is best enjoyed piecemeal. The battles between powerful forces feel genuinely huge, partially thanks to the audience having some connection to almost every face on the field. This is an interesting accomplishment for the series. There aren't as many faceless goons as one would expect for a show like this because most of the characters are notable.
Shadow and Bone is right on track for another excellent finale. It's been packed with action, romance, intrigue, and even some effective comedy throughout, and it intends to pay all of that off. The series is clever enough in its presentation that its overstuffed nature is more of a feature than a bug. Sure, there's a never-ending supply of new names to learn and new character interactions to obsess over, but they're all well-established. It's not a perfect show, and it hasn't reinvented the genre, but Shadow and Bone belongs among the upper echelon of YA fantasy material.