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Thursday, May 27, 2021
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ARTS

‘Shadow and Bone’ is the fantasy show we’ve been waiting for

Courtesy of ‘Shadow and Bone’

There’s something so delightful 

about the fantasy genre when it’s 
done right. Maybe it’s the inner 
child in all of us that appreciates 
the mysticism and imagination 
that fuels every fantasy story, 
or perhaps it’s the adult in us 
that needs to fully escape our 
responsibilities for an hour or 
two. Regardless of the reason, the 
fantasy genre has cemented itself 
as a mainstay of popular culture 
over the years, which should come 
as no surprise. Fantasy excites 
our imaginations like no other 
genre through its characteristic 
immersive 
worldbuilding 
and 

vibrant characters. A feature of this 
immersiveness is fantasy’s ability 
to make us question the conflicts 
and norms of our own world. 
Because media within the fantasy 
genre must build a reality from the 
ground up, oftentimes designing an 
entirely different social paradigm as 
well, thoughtfully created fantasy 
stories serve as the perfect stage for 
social commentary. Enter “Shadow 
and Bone,” Netflix’s latest fantasy 
series based on the Grishaverse, the 
universe developed by author Leigh 
Bardugo in her Shadow and Bone 
trilogy and Six of Crows duology. 

“Shadow and Bone” combines 

the narratives from the two book 

series, resulting in a thoroughly 
varied set of plots that culminates 
into a single, compelling story 
set in a fascinating universe. The 
Grishaverse includes a variety of 
ethnic and tribal divisions based 
upon regional distinctions, but the 
primary division in the universe 
is the one between Grisha, or 
individuals born with magical 
abilities, and non-Grisha in the 
country of Ravka. Non-Grisha view 
Grisha as witches and sorcerers 
meant to spread evil and abuse 
their power, while Grisha view 
non-Grisha as an oppressive enemy 
that seeks to exterminate them. 
Ravka is divided by the Fold, a mass 
of darkness and monsters which 
makes it nearly impossible to travel 
between the separated regions. 

This setup does a number of 

things. First, it establishes a division 
between distinct groups of people 
who have no control over how they 
are born. In addition, the existence 
of The Fold provides a concrete 
obstacle to overcome, as a literal 
embodiment of division. The story’s 
primary protagonist is Alina (Jessie 
Mei Li, “All About Eve”), who was 
orphaned at a young age when her 
parents were killed attempting to 
cross The Fold. Alina is a nobody, 
orphaned and ostracized for her 
Shu ancestry, which is seen as a 
national enemy to Ravka. Alina’s 
predicament sets the tone for 
the 
series, 
wherein 
seemingly 

powerless individuals are required 
to tackle systemic structures and 
obstacles in order to preserve 
their world’s wellbeing. During 
this process, Alina transforms 
from a somewhat naive, self-
doubting character to one capable 
of recognizing manipulation and 
abuse. Eventually, Alina learns 
to stand up for herself, driven by 
her increasing confidence in her 
abilities and moral discernment. 

On 
top 
of 
its 
character 

development, one of the best 
parts of the series is how it plays 
around with the concept of love, 
going against our understanding 
of the divisions between familial, 
romantic, 
and 
platonic 
love, 

opting instead for an ambiguous 
depiction. The heart of the show is 
the relationship between Alina and 
Mal (Archie Renaux, “Morbius”), 
who share a bond from their 
beginnings in the same orphanage. 
Through the letters they write to 
each other when they are separated 
for the first time, we come to 
understand everything the two 
have left unspoken during their 
relationship. It becomes clear that 
they are devoted to each other in 
a way that goes beyond traditional 
relationship definitions. 

Similarly, 
the 
relationship 

between characters Kaz (Freddy 
Carter, “Pennyworth”) and Inej 
(Amita Suman, “Doctor Who”) 
is also profoundly supportive in 

a way that goes beyond a defined 
relationship, 
as 
they 
protect 

each other unconditionally. Kaz 
is a hustler of sorts who owns 
a gambling club, while Inej is a 
woman talented in combat who 
was sold into servitude as a child. 
Not quite a romance, but not quite 
friendship either, their relationship 
begins with an alliance meant to 
benefit both of them. This develops 
into Kaz helping Inej fight for her 
freedom from slavery, no matter 
the cost. Ultimately, the motivation 
behind their support of one another 
isn’t for any personal profit, but 
simply because it seems inherently 
right. It’s powerful, it’s human and 
it reads as love in the rawest form. 

It should also be noted that the 

relationship between Kaz and Inej 
is from the Six of Crows duology, 
while the relationship between 
Alina and Mal is from the Shadow 
and Bone trilogy. The combination 
of sources creates a strong narrative 
parallel we otherwise wouldn’t 
have gotten from the books alone.

Much in the same way the 

show benefits from its multitude 
of compelling relationships, the 
series also benefits from its diverse 
casting and welcome inclusion of 
people of color. Many series destroy 
nuance by featuring a single 
character of a given race because, 
consciously or not, the series asserts 
that character as a representative 
of their race, preventing them 

from fully acting as an individual. 
“Shadow and Bone” isn’t perfect 
by any means, but in casting a 
multitude of racial backgrounds 
and lending its diverse characters 
genuine personality and strengths, 
the show achieves true realism and 
nuance.

Given all of this, why is “Shadow 

and Bone” a series that we need 
opposed to just another series 
we might enjoy? It boils down to 
the complexity of characters and 
storytelling the series manages to 
fit within a followable framework. 
Season 1 has eight 1-hour episodes 
— a totally manageable amount 
of content to consume — and yet 
it tackles so many interesting 
concepts 
and 
side 
plots 
and 

emotions. The major prerogative 
of 
dismantling 
division 
and 

quelling conflict is clear, and yet 
the series makes sure to highlight 
how complicated and unwieldy 
asserting widespread change really 
is. Currently, we’re in a world 
that is more tuned into injustice, 
inequity and political strife than 
ever, and it’s tough to find oneself 
as an individual amidst so many 
daunting problems. But does that 
mean we shouldn’t try? If we are 
anything like Alina, or the other 
characters in “Shadow and Bone,” 
the answer is a resounding no, 
which is ultimately why “Shadow 
and Bone” is absolutely worth the 
watch.

SARAH RAHMAN 

Daily Arts Writer

