We could also be getting a Six of Crows spin-off. It's confirmed that they've already written the script and are waiting for Netflix to give their approval.
I hope we do-they need to make a 3rd season that makes it worth surviving through those first 4 episodes of season 2.😅😅 I feel like They owe me. 😁 (🤣) Simply improving for the second half was not enough to make that up to me, for me. Lmfao 😆
this season got a lot of hate, but as a book fan i was there for the chaos and especially the later part of the season was so wild i was incredibly entertained through it all lmao
I actually hated the second half of this season. I felt like it just kept getting campier and campier with each episode. Besides Kaz's fight scene with the Dregs and Baghra's last stand with Aleksander, all of the fights were so campy I thought I had accidently switched over to watching Supergirl re-runs.
oh Netflix has DELIVERED on the behind the scenes content with the cast. We have reactions of the cast to their own bloopers! For that reason alone, I hope we get at least one more season.
I find the Mal getting knocked out to get tried under a military tribunal to be the funniest part of this show. They don't even bother showing how he got out. The literally just removed him from some episodes and then he returns like "yeah I got kidnapped but I'm back now" lol. They must have ran out of budget or smth.
NO LIKE LITERALLY. I rlly wish they showed more of like the hate kaz has for pekka instead of just going straight in in s2. they need to do soc before crooked kingdom otherwise its too fast and doesn't make sense
@@caricanread omg I’m just finishing the video now lol agree w all ur thoughts!! dying for more crows and I just wish the shadow and bone sections were better written, parts of it were great but the whole had me boreeeddddddd
The bee on Zoya must be foreshadowing for Sankta Elisaveta (or however tf you spell it), especially since it's when the Darkling is being burned. I generally hated the ending because it's pushing Zoya out of the narrative in favour of Alina, so I can just feel all of Zoya's plots being taken to try to make Alina an interesting character. Especially because they really didn't develop Zoya enough to justify switching the main narrative of the Ravka portion of the story to her (alongside Nikolai ofc). I also hated that they just...killed off David for some annoying girl-power Triumvarate when David/Genya was so so so cute and we only got a tiny taste of it. Plus I always thought one of the actually cool things about Alina was that she turned down any formal role, and she was a heroine who didn't want the heroine lifestyle. She just wanted to go home and chill, which I feel like we never see with "Chosen One" tropes. She also had no interest in military strategy or governance, while Zoya was the one whose whole life was the Second Army, her identity was as a solider of the Second Army, and it was her family when her family had treated her so poorly. In fact, the bee might just give me a little hope that Zoya will get at least some of her storylines.
Honestly i was only invested in nina and matthias and they had like two scenes 🥺💔 like I remember the season ending i just felt so sad like let them be happy!!
Rewatching season 1, it had a better rhythm, direction, script. Even the scale of things was better. This season felt like everything was happening so fast and distances between places were nonexistent. But it was still a good season overall.
same. i appreciate s2 being more action packed and having more vitality to the story, but it was just too chaotic and loose and fast. season 1 feels cohesive, although a bit “mundane” at times, but still feels consistent and high quality. season 2 was just rlly rushed. exciting for sure, but wayyyy too much energy
I’m glad you did this! I do have to say, the Crows and Nikolai, CARRIED THIS SHOW! I liked the Shadow and Bone books, but I loved Six of Crows. And they did a wonderful job with them. Kaz was perfection ❤
I love the crows parts, but I honestly couldn't care less about the shadow and bone portion of the series. I'm afraid that by separating inej from the group it will make the next season worse because the screen time will have to be more divided and by consequence, it will be less crows scenes. I just wish they would give us what we really want and start working on a crows spin-off.
@Billygajilly Honesty, what Netflix is doing to Inej's character makes me not want a season 3 or a spin-off. I have a sickening feeling Netflix is going to make an attempt at a love triangle arc between Tolya, Inej, and Kaz, with Inej having to choose between the two, which doesn't make any sense whatsoever for any of the characters and Inej deserves so much more than a Bella Swan 101 arc. I could barely finish the second half of this season as it was, but that last episode made me so livid I actually got indigestion. I didn't think I could be more disappointed in a season than season 2 of The Witcher, but Netflix really likes to one-up themselves when it comes to destroying an amazing story, with each new adaptation they come out with. I'm not even going to give the ATLA adaptation a chance at this point.
@@rationalcynic8416 I don't think there will be a love triangle between them. One of the writers said that people were looking way too much into the look Toyla gives Inej. Amita Suman also responded to this saying that Inej's heart is set on Kaz. Also, if this helps you feel at least a little optimistic, we know that there will be an entire episode focused on Inej and that Amita Suman, who loves/understands Inej's character and has said that she wants her trauma to be explored, really loved the spin-off's script. I'm also sad that they didn't explore her character more, but at the same time, I feel like if they had tried to do that this season, they wouldn't have been able to do her justice because of all the things they were already trying to fit into this season. Sorry for the long comment.
@@billygajilly6366 Your comment is very informative. I definitely trust Amita's word over Netflix's though, but this does help me feel a little more optimistic regardless. That look Tolya gave Inej gave me Vampire Diaries and Twilight flashbacks. Love triangles always seem to be the default storyline, slow burn romance or not.
@@rationalcynic8416 I also hate love triangles and twilight. 😂 I was SO glad to hear that that's probably not what they're going to do from the writers AND amita.
Hadn't read the books, and while watching S2 it felt very rushed. Then I found out they had been cramming two books into one season, plus weaving in all those SoC characters that weren't meant to be involved at all. Absolute madness. We needed way more time with this. Most egregious example for me was when Mal was captured by the soldiers for deserting, and then just shows up again later with no screentime for his actual escape from military custody...?
I’m totally with you on this. Like the cast is so amazing!! I could not get enough of all the interviews and funny bts stuff they did. Side note: wylan is such a cutie patootie 😂 i just wanna hug him
I'm with you. This season felt looong and cringe. I loved the crows scenes but I put all the shadow and bones scenes on 1.5 speed...Honestly, I don't know if I'm that excited for the third season. I would have much preferred to just end Alina's storyline like the books and just have a crows series going forward. I know they couldn't do that, but a girl can dream.
You can really tell that whoever is in charge prefers the Crows to Alina's storyline. I wish they would have tried harder with the Shadow and Bone trilogy, especially Alina's character.
Not gonna lie, episode 4 just about killed me because imo they rushed through/ruined/spoiled the high points of crooked kingdom! The end of that book is so intricately woven with the character arcs and the emotion and the twists, ugh it’s so good, I just don’t think they did it justice. The crows are all about the slow burn and the build up which they did not do. The casting is still 🔥🔥🔥 though
Agreed, they included so many moments from SOC and Ck, but without any of the build-up. Also, I can not stand what they are doing with Inej's character, and the looks between her and Toya made me so angry. They completely ignored Inej's trauma for the majority of both seasons and have only focused on Kaz's trauma, making it seem like Kaz has too much baggage for Inej to even bother building a relationship with him, when she has just as much trauma as him in the books. It makes Kaz look desperate and hopeless, and Inej a bit heartless. The fact that she seems so unbothered by sudden intimate contact and looks from men is the exact opposite of how she was in the books. In the books, Inej and Kaz were "twin soldiers" but in the show, Kaz is a desperate, broken man pining after a girl he could never hope to be good enough for.
i'm a fan of the books and honestly i really want a season 3 especially because i love the cast so much, they are just perfect for each of their own characters! not to mention i really want, not just want but WE NEED a crows spin off!!! nina and matthias are my favorites, the actors are killing us with the chemistry. and ofc....ben barnes....lol
As someone who knew nothing about the books before watching the show, season 1 was so great. I have friends who are hardcore high/epic fantasy fans who enjoyed the show as well, and then season 2 was… so bad. Without knowing the books, the story feels like a frankenstein mish-mash of multiple separate plots and rushed character developments. I saw on twitter that it seemed like what they’re trying to do with this season was fit as much of the grishaverse books as sort of a pitch for future seasons and spin-offs, and while that may ~possibly~ work for book fans, for those of us who just watch the show it was so bad. Like I rewatch clips from season 1 and it felt like a different show all together. If the show gets renewed I hope they do better with integrating the plots, though with how s2 was I’m not super excited, and last year I was yelling at my friends to watch s2.
Despite not being a redhead, Wylans actor is👌. I think he even composed the piano music. I wish we had the look-alike part mostly for that kiss scene. Side note, I want Pacari Sweat now 🥺...
Okay but you CANNOT cast ben barnes as the darkling and expect me to not bawl my eyes out. Like i see the red flags but i choose to be colorblind for this man ❤
I really liked this season, up until the last episode :) (extremely chaotic, some CHOICES were made, but most importantly a certain character's end was so anticlimactic). I didn't like how little of an actual threat the Darkling posed, compared to the books. My boy just had covid for 8 episodes, they did him so dirty... I loved anything that had to do with Nikolai and the Crows though (episode 6 was mind-blowing). I really really hope we get more seasons :)
I feel like they rushed through a lot in case Netflix canceled the show after season two. Which they are known to do. But I also agree with every single one of your opinions.
I totally agree with you on Alina’s character. It felt like she couldn’t make up her mind and kept flipping back and forth between personalities. The crows on the other hand- were amazing. Their dynamic was exactly as I pictured it and they were so funny even in serious scenes.
I´m honestly just so upset that we got those heartfelt, amazing book scenes of the Crows without any of the heart or emotional context. They fell super flat. I want their spinoff but I don´t know what their character arcs would be about at this point
THIS. The Six of Crows duology is a a better set of books than the Shadow and Bone series in every conceivable way -- better characters, better plot, etc. They should have been their own show from the get-go and I truly don't understand why they weren't. Were the Shadow and Bones books more popular/made more money? Why did the Money-Driven Deciders at Netflix decide to do Shadow and Bone instead of just doing the obviously-superior crows books? questions that will plague me forever, probably...
Idk how I feel about them taking stuff from the end of crooked kingdom and putting it in front of the ice court heist, like yes, I loved the stay with me scene but I also felt like it was a little too early😅 Also idk why they had to introduce wylan in a way that he already had a (sexual) backstory with jesper bc it felt a little too established to make it possible to still have the awkward flirting and kuwei/jesper/wylan scene from crooked kingdom :/ but I still loved the crows, the twins and Nikolai soooo much, they were definitely the best parts of this season which is kinda sad bc I liked Alina and the darkling (not together necessarily) so much in season 1
I watched a movie review channel for a non-book lover POV and he mentioned Alina and Mal just feel like a brother and sister and I just can’t unsee that now. (Movies and Munchies is the name of the channel, he’s awesome.) Also I kinda hate that the Darkling was made out to be so weak throughout the whole season. He was sick/consumptive and unfocused around Alina…it made the stakes just seem a lot lower. Also Freddie Carter and the actress who portrays Genya…😮OMFG they were sooo good. Love love love them!
I feel like they did not put in the effort for the Shadow and Bone side of the plot, and it shows by how boring it was in comparison to the Crows plot. Like, the stakes were not high enough, there wasn't enough travesty and complicated politics. They left out so many juicey details from the books. It makes the whole plot and the characters feel very one dimensional. Everything just happened too fast, I think. The emotional toll in the books was so much more intense, like I felt zero grief for any of the injured/killed characters in the show because we didn't get a chance to know them.
My favorite bits were the Crows (as always) and I also really liked Nikolai and his crew (the twins)! I haven’t read the King of scars books so I didn’t have too strong feelings about Nikolai, but now I freaking love him! However, over all I did feel like the whole season was really rushed… like even for the crows they had so many missions within one season that could have been their own whole season (for example the Pekka Rollins dethroning felt really quick). And even though I was rolling with happiness whenever Wylan and Jesper were on the screen, I did feel like that was rushed also.. in the books I looooved the antagonizing slow burn. At the moment Alina and Mal are my least favorite part, they are just soooo boring together. I even ship Alina and Nikolai together more 😂😂 maybe Zoya and Mal would make a nice pair 👀
cari did you realize that nikolai’s “sidekick” is actually his childhood best friend (dominik) from king of scars who died right in front of him when they were kids😭😭
Finally your reaction is here!! 😭♥️ I was SO unsure about this season, but you reacted nearly the same as I did - I‘m so relieved! 😂 Even though this season wasn‘t too great, I love the cast and I think that saved it for me. I mean Wylan and Jesper… AAAH! ❤😂
Honestly the crows are truly the highlight of the season…a lot of ppl didn’t like this season that much but I resllyyyy hope for a crows spin off because even tho I like the shadow and bone books the crows are just truly so amazing and so well cast I need more of them
I just think that season 2 suffered from second book syndrome but in tv form. As in, it felt like the writers room was just trying to burn through the shadow and bone plot lines because they know it is the weaker set of books compared to Six of Crows and King of Scars so they can move on to the plot points people are really excited to see (ice court and Nikolai) and to revamped storylines (Alina villain arc and Darkling redemption/see I told you so arc). Basically season 2 was there to set up a strong and more balanced season 3. Which makes sense seeing as a healthy majority of people only care about SAB as a means to get to SoC and KoS. This season reflects that. I am sure it would have been better if they were allotted another couple of episodes but Netflix is gonna Netflix.
Season 2 really proves what the passion project was. What I liked in shadow and bone section: The twins Genya Nikolai and Alina shipper now Aldrick and his sister Crows: Every single character of the main cast Fight scenes The writing Storytelling The ships (all of them: kaz/inej, jesper/wylan, nina/Matthias The halluciation scene The back stories This list confirms the six if crows books and show is better in every way.
Except they ignored Inej's trauma and rewrote her and Kaz's relationship to mean something completely different, rushed through Jesper and Wylan's (chemistryless) relationship, and there wasn't really any point to Matthias being in the season because nothing at all happens at Hellgate that makes any sense. I don't believe the writers had any passion for any of the original stories.
my main issue is timelines. like why if u wanna be different from the books then be different. don’t just throw in misplaced scenes. like david dies in the LAST book. why kill him now?
nikolai bromances, the crows, wesper, the " i buried him six feet under", and anything with nina and matthias or the twins were the best parts of the show. The showrunners said they really wanted more episodes ( specifically 20) but Netflix wouldn't give it to them 🥲it rly did feel pretty rushed with all the storylines they tried to do but im hopeful we can get a six of crows spin off that way inej's trauma can be acknowledged and we can get the ice court heist!!! if they dont get green lit im going to cry for months because the scripts for six of crows are already written 😭i also rly hope that lil look with inej and tolya didnt mean anything bc he's our aroace king and kanej doesnt need anymore drama!! also 100% agree that alina is a confusing character. I feel like she didn't have much development and the only reason I like her is that I love jessie. also the malina scenes just felt sooooo cringe, they look up so much screen time just kissing and being horndogs LMFAO Thank you sm for this reaction video!!!! Genuinely cracked up multiple times at your reactions and my jaw dropped when you guessed mals ending! ☺️💓💓💓
Same about Alina (and Nikolai, and the Crows, and Wesper and Helnik and the twins tbh) but yeah back to Alina, same. It's like girl let's sit down five min and lemme try to get you before you go rushing into something and then out back screaming at everyone but Mal. But to be fair I had that same reaction to her in the books. Just not... not getting her.
I LOVED season 1. I actually stumbled upon it by accident and it’s what got me into reading the whole series. Season 1 was so well done and I might have even liked it better than the book 👀. But season 2 just felt so rushed and cringey and seriously lacking emotionally 😬. Like I felt nothing while watching it other than during Kaz’s storyline. It was still entertaining and enjoyable and really fun to watch but definitely on a whole different level quality wise from season 1 lol.
43:50 I think I do remember them sleeping together the night before she has to kill him, hahahaha that's accurate at least?? You recoiling every time they kiss ended me tho 😂😂 Tbh, I didn't like this season as much as the previous one and if they do end up getting a season 3, I'm really curious what they're going to do cause I feel like they shot themselves in the foot with this one... We got some important Crooked Kingdom scenes (which put without context at all in the show felt cheap imo), Tante Heleen is dead without Inej getting the closure she deserved, we know Wylan is dyslexic which is THE plot twist of book 1, Inej already has a ship, Kaz got his revenge on Pekka, Jesper and Wylan are already a couple. I don't mind changes from the book necessarily but the changes they made made me feel like they just don't *get* it. The cast is perfect and made it work as much as they could but the writing decisions left me confused. But this is just me rambling into the emptiness hahaha
I just finished my second binge-watch through all of Cari's crescent city and acotar videos literally minutes ago, so this upload is an absolute joy 💖 the binge party continues
Given that they are not guaranteed a next season I understand why they did things the way they did. However, I really just wish that things were different and the show could’ve had the opportunity to take it’s time and really build the relationships, develop the characters, and take moments to let the watcher take in the beautiful world. Because the characters really were wonderfully cast and the sets were such a great depiction of the books, but the way tv shows are being made right now does not allow the time to take things slow, they have to shove everything into the season they are making so that if they don’t get another season the show will have an ending but at the same time leave room for an additional plot line in case they do get another season. I’m just sad about what the show could’ve been, but I do not think it was bad
I would go feral if they do a great corruption arc for Alina and have Aleksander help her in it. But that's the beauty of waiting, i guess! So many things are possible! ❤
@@itsjackson91 right??? The darkling at least deserve that heartbreaking parting like in the books. They could have at least shown Alina being a little heartbroken over his death
@@ccm7319 I hated how much they changed it from the books. His death was much more heartbreaking and tragic in the book. Especially if you've read the demon in the wood 😭
This season is actually what made me get the audiobook for Six of Crows. I absolutely love the series despite not having read Shadow and Bone. I’m about 4 hours into the SOC audiobook and I freaking L O V E it
I understand the cringe between Alina and Mal. Also somehow they make the Kaz defeating Pekka Rollins part become less intense, cuz maybe in the book it is such big deal. I kinda hate the ending lol like why 💀
yeah, I did not enjoy myself (and I was so excited for it!!!!) it just felt all so rushed (they did stuff 2.5 books in 8 hours of tv, after all), and I agree with you that a lot of moments didn't have room to breathe. for some reason, I was annoyed that we didn't see Jesper and Wylan meeting for the first time, and yeah, the last two episodes also felt like they had too much breathing room! And bromantic Nikolai was my favorite part in the end - did not see that coming. I wanted a bit more with the twins. And if you look at how the writers worked on this one, it all makes sense. Creator Eric Heisserer was actually working on a Six of Crows separate season (w the ice court heist, presumably), and they brought in another writer to run Shadow & Bone and they conferred. And that honestly feels very shitty. Why do Shadow & Bone at all if you're gonna treat it like the poor cousin? I quite loved season 1 of this show, the Shadow and Bone part really worked for me and everything, but it feels like they didn't care for it that much this time around. It was a very sad and deflating experience and everything was happening so fast and I couldn't linger on any of it.
omg an hour video?? tyyy ms cari! cant wait for ur reaction. personally have to say i was a bit disappointed with this season especially in comparison to season 1 but i definitely tried not to compare it too much to the books and looked at it as its own show
"THE ANSWER TO THE RIDDLE IS LOVEEE~" , 'practicing mental shields' and the acotar war flashbacks-😭😭 The massverse involuntarily makes it into my everyday life too, Cari
The directors told Freddy to take five and he heard “change lives” I almost got to the point where I was skipping the S&B sections but I think my undying love for the crows may have impacted that
Alina and Mal kiss at any given time Cari: Ewww! Me: Same girl! Same! 😂 I really wish they had ended their story like in the book so we can just get our crows…
Loved your reactions especially to wesper scenes ❤❤❤ I think you confused whose body double we'd get because its Kuwei that shall be twinning, as Wylan would be tailored as him 😂
I won't lie, I was mostly excited for the Crows parts AND Nikolai's 🥰 as a non book reader (something on my things to do this year!) I fell in love with the guy aha ! Also, I loved how Wesper delivered by bringing positive energy, as the only happy romance in there~ I'd love to see what the series will do next. So I hope we'll get a season 3 and a Crows' spin-off 🥺 because I, too, love the cast so much!! The BTS contents are so interesting to watch, they all have such a good chemistry with each others ❤
I remember almost nothing from the S&B trilogy, so when I watched the show, I was mostly confused about that plotline. it felt really rushed, they killed that serpent like it was nothing, while in the books I believe it was a major plot point. and the journey on the ship felt a lot longer in the books. and Mal was especially annoying, but now it's Alina. and them being together now? didn't she have something for Nikolai or am I making that up? honestly, I could care less about that whole part of the show. BUT DAVID? like, I remember bawling my eyes out when he died in the books, and in the show I was mostly shocked (still cried) because I wondered how had I attached to a minor character so quickly, in less than 2 books. I then googled his death, and I was relieved to find out that I hadn't lost my mind and did in fact remember a bit about the books. why would they do this? I needed at least another 1 or 2 seasons of him and his brilliant mind. and don't get me started on their love story because it was so extraordinary and so pure... I think that the S&B and SOC parts were written by different screenwriters, and it really shows. on another note, I'm interested to see what they'll come up with after the Ice Court.
I like theyre taking creative liberties, but i’m a bit worried about the crows’ development, since a lot of the pivotal moments have now already happened, but often in a context that makes the moments not as impactful as they were in the books
Wylan and Jesper and just the Six of Crows storyline was SO good. Everything Mal and Alina was boring. I did really like Nikolai and the Twins. Overall way too much coughing up of blood 🤢 (also I was sad that we didn't get more Matthias)
Watched the new season tonight bc I knew you were dropping this video now. I’ll admit I skipped most of the scenes with Alina and the whole romancy building heavy breathing pining scenes which shortened it considerably. Shirtless Nicolas was worth it in the end.
I got the sense that they were trying to brute force Mal+Alina's chemistry since they basically got no time in the first book together but they also didn't want the will they/won't they stuff for some reason, so they just tried to make you watch them kiss until it seemed normal. That said, I think ultimately the pacing is the biggest issue and leads to most of the issues with Mal/Alina as well as most of the other problems (the biggest problem I had was The Darkling this season, he's got no nuance because they don't have time for it.) As good as the Crows are, I think their inclusion into the story is the reason why the pacing is so poor. They know that the Crows side of things has a lot more substance and a lot better cast so they really lean into it, leaving scraps for the main-arc.
15:13 you are right, it did! it also kinda bothered me how much of the second book it wasn't there or if it was they changed most of it, at least until half the book. like in the boat the darkling was with them the entire time only after so many chapters they finally escape with nikolai, they changed completely so i was actually pretty damn confused at first but anyways
After rewatching season 2, I noticed a scene where Zoya brushes off a bee from her kefta. In the books, roses and bees are connected to Sankta Elizabeta. In "King of Scars," Elizabeta is revealed to be a partner of the Darkling. Although the book's narrative was stronger, I appreciate Netflix's adaptation for its stunning visuals and effects. I hope there will be additional seasons of this show.
As someone who enjoyed the first book but couldn't finish the second, I think the series is an improvement over the source material. I agree the crows are running LAPS around the shadow and bone storyline. And Nicolaiis fantastic (though he will always be the bad boy from The OA to me 😂)
i appreciate that tv mal has more emotional intelligence and maturity but unfortunately it makes the shadow and bone plot boringggggg 😭 gimme the constant tension between inej and kaz!
The cast is so perfect, I could care less about the plot, lol. I just want to watch the cast do their thing! I'm hoping we get a season 3 and the crows spinoff, but I've heard it's likely getting canceled.
Yessss! This was so much fun to watch, thank you for sharing! Ngl, one of my favourite video of yours was your reaction to Crash Landing on You - I think this might have equalled it! I ended up really enjoying S2 of Shadow and Bone - I've watched it twice through now, and enjoyed it more the second time I think because I knew what I was getting. (And also possibly because I've spent far too many hours consuming the behind the scenes content!) Agree with you though that the second half of the last episode was just...off. Too much hurried setting up of future plotlines! But I'm gonna need that S3 AND the Crows spinoff....Netflix are you listening?!
hiii cari, okay so i didn't read any leigh bardugo so i had no idea about this world before starting the show, so i'd like to write my opinions! maybe you'll find them interesting. i only watched 4 episodes of season 2 btw. - my favorite character of s1 was alina, i had thought her feelings weren't shown well but still i could connect to her the best. i had also really liked alina and mal together, mal was very dependable. but this season... yeah i feel you. they see refugees escaping the fold and the next thing they go to their room to uh- have fun, i suppose? i just think if it were me i'd be _sleeping_ at the library until i found out how to get to the sea whip. i agree with what you said about them. - i had expected the sea whip to be like a giant majestic serpent with silver scales and a big showdown, and alina proving herself by getting its approval or something, but well, it was kind of muddy? i really wish they had given the s&b story line some more screen time. - i think that's why you feel like the darkling is a bad villain too. it's not him being against the whole world, often times heroes and villains are, it's that they don't give him enough time to show his strength and development and convince us. i think he has so much potential to be a good villain, i mean come on he's ANCIENT! also BEN BARNES. - i hadn't liked the crows much in s1, i had thought they were unnecessary to the plot and they hadn't really done anything? idk i hadn't cared about them, the only thing i could care about was kaz's obvious love for inej but i hadn't liked inej that much either so... yeah. i think they rocked this season. i love kaz so much and it's not entirely because of freddy carter anymore haha. i like inej too. i actually cared about them and their storyline this time, although their heist stories still feel out of place in this epic fantasy. - i had loved nina and matthias, they are actually my favorite couple (second is genya and david), i wish we had gotten more of them. :( i was hoping we would in the last 4 eps but i see we won't. i _need_ matthias to be out of there with his wolves and cellmate RIGHT NOW. - i had thought zoya had some real potential for a good redemption arc, i think i might love her because she still hasn't apologized but i think we will get there, i just wish we saw that more. - my favorite character this season has been nikolai. THIS MAN I SWEAR AJGHSHSGHFJ HE'S SO GOOD. he's so charming and funny and competent and he actually cares about his people and wants to do good and he is an INVENTOR WHAT and a privateer and then it turns out he is a PRINCE? he's perfect and i will take him if alina doesn't want him... i actually will take him even if alina wants him too idc.i also think that he has so much more under this facade he keeps up as an always charming guy because we saw glimpses of it and I WISH HE WERE A MAIN CHARACTER UGH ihope he doesn't have feelings for alina bc he will get heatbroken. I ALSO LOVED EVERYONE ON THEIR CREW THE TWINS TOO, i used to think i didn't like pirate stories, but i read tress and i loved it, and now i'm wishing we had a story of nikolai and his crew, so i suppose i do like them! - i had always liked the worldbuilding and the magic system but it got much better this season with going to the new countries and such. - i love alby he's so cute and i want to hug him and i want to adopt him. if i were in this show out of all the roles i could take, i think i'd choose to be there when his father gets arrested to take him with me and raise him hahaha someone needs to stop kaz's childhood from repeating.
BIG OLD SPOILER, but my personal crack theory is that, since we didn't see David's body, he's going to replace Yuri as the vessel when we go into King of Scars. Maybe i'm delusional but I will REMAIN delusional until proven wrong
There must be something really wrong with me if I hated S1 and could barely finish it (but people seemed to love it) and now I was able to enjoy S2 and now I hear people weren't happy with it 😂 lord help me But also same, this cast is amazing and it is what kept me going throughout... I keep imagining I become a billionaire and I'm able to bank a true-to-the-books adaptation 😂 what a dream P.S - I do believe SoC 3 is coming (Leigh Bardugo recently said in an insta story that she doesn't plan on doing it quite yet, but 😍)
I agree with you on this one, Cari! The Crows parts were SO much stronger. I struggle with this series because the casting is so damn perfect, but weaving the two series together just doesn’t work for me. And I really hate that they rushed so many plot points from the crows side, to the point where their impact just isn’t as strong for me. Also, I really felt like they didn’t let Nikolai shine as much as he should have. I enjoyed it, but I just spent the whole series wishing we had a stand alone Six of Crows series! Also!! That 2nd fight scene Inej has with that creepy guy Pekka throws at her was so epic I screamed when I watched it.
I have not read the series but the ending makes me excited if we get a next season but it is very interesting seeing people who have read the books on their thoughts and feelings of the ending of S2
I binged the first half of season 2 with my two best friends and the three of us booed every time Mal and Alina kissed lol. We really only cared about the Crows and Nikolai (also the bee on Zoya's shoulder was a clever reference to King of Scars, with Sankta Elizaveta and the bees.)
The funniest thing about the beginning of S2 (with how rushed the whole season feels)- it WAS that quick in the beginning of book 2, like, they were almost immediately captured by Darkling (instead of joining Nikolai) and found Sea Whip 😂😭😅
Hey Cari, always a pleasure watching your videos! You know when you said you missed something in the pire scene? Maybe you noticed the insect that was flying to Zoya... remember from King of Scars what happens in that spot? Not gonna give a spoiler but yeah, nice to see they will try to give us more Zoya❤.
![Lil Uzi Vert - Chill Bae [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D7F42F_JM3U/mqdefault.jpg)
what do you think? are we getting a season 3?
UGH I hope so, I may shrivel up and die without it
We could also be getting a Six of Crows spin-off. It's confirmed that they've already written the script and are waiting for Netflix to give their approval.
Please, we need the sustenance. Season 3 is all we need.
Thank you for the video!
I really hope so, but tbh I‘m scared they won‘t. 🥹
I hope we do-they need to make a 3rd season that makes it worth surviving through those first 4 episodes of season 2.😅😅 I feel like They owe me. 😁 (🤣) Simply improving for the second half was not enough to make that up to me, for me. Lmfao 😆
Literally 8 episodes of the darkling violently coughing and stalking alina 😭
his coughing had be laughing by the end hahaha
He had the fantasy consumption!
Honestly for me the crows and also Nikolai were the total highlight of this season lmao
Exactly! I loved the crows and anything related to them. And I’m absolutely hooked on Matthias/Nina, and Inej/Kas!
Also Tolya and Tamar! The two of them and Nikolai are such a good trio
Yeah, the crows are the best, I love Inej, and I enjoyed pretty much every Nikolai scene 😊
Hard agree
this season got a lot of hate, but as a book fan i was there for the chaos and especially the later part of the season was so wild i was incredibly entertained through it all lmao
yeah once they all got on the same pace it was exciting but that beginning bit with SB moving so slow and the Crows going fast was hard to watch haha
I actually hated the second half of this season. I felt like it just kept getting campier and campier with each episode. Besides Kaz's fight scene with the Dregs and Baghra's last stand with Aleksander, all of the fights were so campy I thought I had accidently switched over to watching Supergirl re-runs.
oh Netflix has DELIVERED on the behind the scenes content with the cast. We have reactions of the cast to their own bloopers! For that reason alone, I hope we get at least one more season.
YES omg it was so hard not to watch in case of spoilers hahha now i can!
I find the Mal getting knocked out to get tried under a military tribunal to be the funniest part of this show. They don't even bother showing how he got out. The literally just removed him from some episodes and then he returns like "yeah I got kidnapped but I'm back now" lol. They must have ran out of budget or smth.
😂😂😂
How are they going to do Crooked Kingdom BEFORE Six of Crows like that?!😂
right?! lol
that made me so on edge. I want the Crow series and here are they already using too much of the books.
THIS
Yeah that was so... THAT'S MY SON'S MOTIVATION OKAY HE NEEDS TO ACHIEVE PEKKA'S DESTRUCTION AT THE END NOT THE BEGINNING
NO LIKE LITERALLY. I rlly wish they showed more of like the hate kaz has for pekka instead of just going straight in in s2. they need to do soc before crooked kingdom otherwise its too fast and doesn't make sense
the loving the cast is so real like I am too old to be loving a show cast this hard anymore but they do it to me
RIGHT
@@caricanread omg I’m just finishing the video now lol agree w all ur thoughts!! dying for more crows and I just wish the shadow and bone sections were better written, parts of it were great but the whole had me boreeeddddddd
The bee on Zoya must be foreshadowing for Sankta Elisaveta (or however tf you spell it), especially since it's when the Darkling is being burned.
I generally hated the ending because it's pushing Zoya out of the narrative in favour of Alina, so I can just feel all of Zoya's plots being taken to try to make Alina an interesting character. Especially because they really didn't develop Zoya enough to justify switching the main narrative of the Ravka portion of the story to her (alongside Nikolai ofc). I also hated that they just...killed off David for some annoying girl-power Triumvarate when David/Genya was so so so cute and we only got a tiny taste of it. Plus I always thought one of the actually cool things about Alina was that she turned down any formal role, and she was a heroine who didn't want the heroine lifestyle. She just wanted to go home and chill, which I feel like we never see with "Chosen One" tropes. She also had no interest in military strategy or governance, while Zoya was the one whose whole life was the Second Army, her identity was as a solider of the Second Army, and it was her family when her family had treated her so poorly.
In fact, the bee might just give me a little hope that Zoya will get at least some of her storylines.
I only want a Crows spin off. Also, Kit Young and Amita Suman are knocking it out of the park.
Cari's objection to Genya being in the dumbwaiter without David gave me very Titanic/raft vibes😂
Honestly i was only invested in nina and matthias and they had like two scenes 🥺💔 like I remember the season ending i just felt so sad like let them be happy!!
RIGHT, season 3 better be exclusively wesper and nina/matthais lol
Same. I love the actress playing Nina.
Rewatching season 1, it had a better rhythm, direction, script. Even the scale of things was better. This season felt like everything was happening so fast and distances between places were nonexistent. But it was still a good season overall.
same. i appreciate s2 being more action packed and having more vitality to the story, but it was just too chaotic and loose and fast. season 1 feels cohesive, although a bit “mundane” at times, but still feels consistent and high quality. season 2 was just rlly rushed. exciting for sure, but wayyyy too much energy
I still can’t believe how good the crow cast is. They are exactly how I imagined them reading the books
I’m glad you did this!
I do have to say, the Crows and Nikolai, CARRIED THIS SHOW!
I liked the Shadow and Bone books, but I loved Six of Crows. And they did a wonderful job with them.
Kaz was perfection ❤
I love the crows parts, but I honestly couldn't care less about the shadow and bone portion of the series. I'm afraid that by separating inej from the group it will make the next season worse because the screen time will have to be more divided and by consequence, it will be less crows scenes.
I just wish they would give us what we really want and start working on a crows spin-off.
I think the writer said that Inej would return not too far into the spin-off for the ice court heist.
@Billygajilly Honesty, what Netflix is doing to Inej's character makes me not want a season 3 or a spin-off. I have a sickening feeling Netflix is going to make an attempt at a love triangle arc between Tolya, Inej, and Kaz, with Inej having to choose between the two, which doesn't make any sense whatsoever for any of the characters and Inej deserves so much more than a Bella Swan 101 arc. I could barely finish the second half of this season as it was, but that last episode made me so livid I actually got indigestion. I didn't think I could be more disappointed in a season than season 2 of The Witcher, but Netflix really likes to one-up themselves when it comes to destroying an amazing story, with each new adaptation they come out with. I'm not even going to give the ATLA adaptation a chance at this point.
@@rationalcynic8416 I don't think there will be a love triangle between them. One of the writers said that people were looking way too much into the look Toyla gives Inej. Amita Suman also responded to this saying that Inej's heart is set on Kaz. Also, if this helps you feel at least a little optimistic, we know that there will be an entire episode focused on Inej and that Amita Suman, who loves/understands Inej's character and has said that she wants her trauma to be explored, really loved the spin-off's script. I'm also sad that they didn't explore her character more, but at the same time, I feel like if they had tried to do that this season, they wouldn't have been able to do her justice because of all the things they were already trying to fit into this season. Sorry for the long comment.
@@billygajilly6366 Your comment is very informative. I definitely trust Amita's word over Netflix's though, but this does help me feel a little more optimistic regardless. That look Tolya gave Inej gave me Vampire Diaries and Twilight flashbacks. Love triangles always seem to be the default storyline, slow burn romance or not.
@@rationalcynic8416 I also hate love triangles and twilight. 😂 I was SO glad to hear that that's probably not what they're going to do from the writers AND amita.
OMG I THOUGHT WE WOULDNT HAVE A SEASON 2 REACTION THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS
WAHHH ITS HEREEEEE!
“Feminism is equality, you can shoot girls I guess” 😂😂😂 this was too funny
Hadn't read the books, and while watching S2 it felt very rushed. Then I found out they had been cramming two books into one season, plus weaving in all those SoC characters that weren't meant to be involved at all. Absolute madness. We needed way more time with this. Most egregious example for me was when Mal was captured by the soldiers for deserting, and then just shows up again later with no screentime for his actual escape from military custody...?
I’m totally with you on this. Like the cast is so amazing!! I could not get enough of all the interviews and funny bts stuff they did. Side note: wylan is such a cutie patootie 😂 i just wanna hug him
I'm with you. This season felt looong and cringe. I loved the crows scenes but I put all the shadow and bones scenes on 1.5 speed...Honestly, I don't know if I'm that excited for the third season. I would have much preferred to just end Alina's storyline like the books and just have a crows series going forward. I know they couldn't do that, but a girl can dream.
i feel you on the 1.5x speed HAHA
I couldn't even finish it
Zoe Wanamaker as Baghra is just brilliant!
You can really tell that whoever is in charge prefers the Crows to Alina's storyline. I wish they would have tried harder with the Shadow and Bone trilogy, especially Alina's character.
Same. I’m not for SOC. It’s alright. I read it bc of Nikolai honestly lol
we ALL prefer the crows to alina's storyline and they know it. That's why they included the crows in the first place
@user-be3iu9vz4s No, we don't. SoC isn't even that famous among the general audience. Many people only clicked on S&B S1 because of BB
Not gonna lie, episode 4 just about killed me because imo they rushed through/ruined/spoiled the high points of crooked kingdom! The end of that book is so intricately woven with the character arcs and the emotion and the twists, ugh it’s so good, I just don’t think they did it justice. The crows are all about the slow burn and the build up which they did not do. The casting is still 🔥🔥🔥 though
Agreed, they included so many moments from SOC and Ck, but without any of the build-up. Also, I can not stand what they are doing with Inej's character, and the looks between her and Toya made me so angry. They completely ignored Inej's trauma for the majority of both seasons and have only focused on Kaz's trauma, making it seem like Kaz has too much baggage for Inej to even bother building a relationship with him, when she has just as much trauma as him in the books. It makes Kaz look desperate and hopeless, and Inej a bit heartless. The fact that she seems so unbothered by sudden intimate contact and looks from men is the exact opposite of how she was in the books. In the books, Inej and Kaz were "twin soldiers" but in the show, Kaz is a desperate, broken man pining after a girl he could never hope to be good enough for.
ugh yes!!!! I was screaming at those parts.
i'm a fan of the books and honestly i really want a season 3 especially because i love the cast so much, they are just perfect for each of their own characters! not to mention i really want, not just want but WE NEED a crows spin off!!! nina and matthias are my favorites, the actors are killing us with the chemistry. and ofc....ben barnes....lol
I didn’t think it was possible but this season made me love Nina and Inej even more
As someone who knew nothing about the books before watching the show, season 1 was so great. I have friends who are hardcore high/epic fantasy fans who enjoyed the show as well, and then season 2 was… so bad. Without knowing the books, the story feels like a frankenstein mish-mash of multiple separate plots and rushed character developments. I saw on twitter that it seemed like what they’re trying to do with this season was fit as much of the grishaverse books as sort of a pitch for future seasons and spin-offs, and while that may ~possibly~ work for book fans, for those of us who just watch the show it was so bad. Like I rewatch clips from season 1 and it felt like a different show all together. If the show gets renewed I hope they do better with integrating the plots, though with how s2 was I’m not super excited, and last year I was yelling at my friends to watch s2.
Despite not being a redhead, Wylans actor is👌. I think he even composed the piano music. I wish we had the look-alike part mostly for that kiss scene. Side note, I want Pacari Sweat now 🥺...
Ahhhh!!! I’m so excited to see your reaction on this😆 Wylan Van Sunshine is my favourite part of S2💗
yes omg!! jack's acting was SO good!
Okay but you CANNOT cast ben barnes as the darkling and expect me to not bawl my eyes out. Like i see the red flags but i choose to be colorblind for this man ❤
lol!
@@sanxxxx thanks ㅜㅜ
😂 not colorblind. Girl, open your damn eyes and see some color 😭
@@nenyeo6090 The colour is black with a hint of morally gray😭😭😭😭
@@jhanvitiwari944 you’re a whole clown 😂😂 i srsly can’t-
Wylan and jesper makes me so happy
they were the best part of the show hahaha
I really liked this season, up until the last episode :) (extremely chaotic, some CHOICES were made, but most importantly a certain character's end was so anticlimactic). I didn't like how little of an actual threat the Darkling posed, compared to the books. My boy just had covid for 8 episodes, they did him so dirty... I loved anything that had to do with Nikolai and the Crows though (episode 6 was mind-blowing). I really really hope we get more seasons :)
I feel like they rushed through a lot in case Netflix canceled the show after season two. Which they are known to do. But I also agree with every single one of your opinions.
I totally agree with you on Alina’s character. It felt like she couldn’t make up her mind and kept flipping back and forth between personalities. The crows on the other hand- were amazing. Their dynamic was exactly as I pictured it and they were so funny even in serious scenes.
I´m honestly just so upset that we got those heartfelt, amazing book scenes of the Crows without any of the heart or emotional context. They fell super flat. I want their spinoff but I don´t know what their character arcs would be about at this point
EXACTLY THAT
THIS. The Six of Crows duology is a a better set of books than the Shadow and Bone series in every conceivable way -- better characters, better plot, etc. They should have been their own show from the get-go and I truly don't understand why they weren't. Were the Shadow and Bones books more popular/made more money? Why did the Money-Driven Deciders at Netflix decide to do Shadow and Bone instead of just doing the obviously-superior crows books? questions that will plague me forever, probably...
Idk how I feel about them taking stuff from the end of crooked kingdom and putting it in front of the ice court heist, like yes, I loved the stay with me scene but I also felt like it was a little too early😅
Also idk why they had to introduce wylan in a way that he already had a (sexual) backstory with jesper bc it felt a little too established to make it possible to still have the awkward flirting and kuwei/jesper/wylan scene from crooked kingdom :/ but I still loved the crows, the twins and Nikolai soooo much, they were definitely the best parts of this season which is kinda sad bc I liked Alina and the darkling (not together necessarily) so much in season 1
I watched a movie review channel for a non-book lover POV and he mentioned Alina and Mal just feel like a brother and sister and I just can’t unsee that now. (Movies and Munchies is the name of the channel, he’s awesome.)
Also I kinda hate that the Darkling was made out to be so weak throughout the whole season. He was sick/consumptive and unfocused around Alina…it made the stakes just seem a lot lower.
Also Freddie Carter and the actress who portrays Genya…😮OMFG they were sooo good. Love love love them!
I feel like they did not put in the effort for the Shadow and Bone side of the plot, and it shows by how boring it was in comparison to the Crows plot. Like, the stakes were not high enough, there wasn't enough travesty and complicated politics. They left out so many juicey details from the books. It makes the whole plot and the characters feel very one dimensional. Everything just happened too fast, I think. The emotional toll in the books was so much more intense, like I felt zero grief for any of the injured/killed characters in the show because we didn't get a chance to know them.
My favorite bits were the Crows (as always) and I also really liked Nikolai and his crew (the twins)! I haven’t read the King of scars books so I didn’t have too strong feelings about Nikolai, but now I freaking love him!
However, over all I did feel like the whole season was really rushed… like even for the crows they had so many missions within one season that could have been their own whole season (for example the Pekka Rollins dethroning felt really quick). And even though I was rolling with happiness whenever Wylan and Jesper were on the screen, I did feel like that was rushed also.. in the books I looooved the antagonizing slow burn. At the moment Alina and Mal are my least favorite part, they are just soooo boring together. I even ship Alina and Nikolai together more 😂😂 maybe Zoya and Mal would make a nice pair 👀
cari did you realize that nikolai’s “sidekick” is actually his childhood best friend (dominik) from king of scars who died right in front of him when they were kids😭😭
the bee that zoya brushed off was foreshadowing for king of scars
Finally your reaction is here!! 😭♥️ I was SO unsure about this season, but you reacted nearly the same as I did - I‘m so relieved! 😂 Even though this season wasn‘t too great, I love the cast and I think that saved it for me. I mean Wylan and Jesper… AAAH! ❤😂
Honestly the crows are truly the highlight of the season…a lot of ppl didn’t like this season that much but I resllyyyy hope for a crows spin off because even tho I like the shadow and bone books the crows are just truly so amazing and so well cast I need more of them
I just think that season 2 suffered from second book syndrome but in tv form. As in, it felt like the writers room was just trying to burn through the shadow and bone plot lines because they know it is the weaker set of books compared to Six of Crows and King of Scars so they can move on to the plot points people are really excited to see (ice court and Nikolai) and to revamped storylines (Alina villain arc and Darkling redemption/see I told you so arc). Basically season 2 was there to set up a strong and more balanced season 3. Which makes sense seeing as a healthy majority of people only care about SAB as a means to get to SoC and KoS. This season reflects that. I am sure it would have been better if they were allotted another couple of episodes but Netflix is gonna Netflix.
Season 2 really proves what the passion project was.
What I liked in shadow and bone section:
The twins
Genya
Nikolai and Alina shipper now
Aldrick and his sister
Crows:
Every single character of the main cast
Fight scenes
The writing
Storytelling
The ships (all of them: kaz/inej, jesper/wylan, nina/Matthias
The halluciation scene
The back stories
This list confirms the six if crows books and show is better in every way.
Except they ignored Inej's trauma and rewrote her and Kaz's relationship to mean something completely different, rushed through Jesper and Wylan's (chemistryless) relationship, and there wasn't really any point to Matthias being in the season because nothing at all happens at Hellgate that makes any sense. I don't believe the writers had any passion for any of the original stories.
@@bookswithike3256 ok. Man I need to reread it. I can’t believe how much I forgot.
my main issue is timelines. like why if u wanna be different from the books then be different. don’t just throw in misplaced scenes. like david dies in the LAST book. why kill him now?
nikolai bromances, the crows, wesper, the " i buried him six feet under", and anything with nina and matthias or the twins were the best parts of the show. The showrunners said they really wanted more episodes ( specifically 20) but Netflix wouldn't give it to them 🥲it rly did feel pretty rushed with all the storylines they tried to do but im hopeful we can get a six of crows spin off that way inej's trauma can be acknowledged and we can get the ice court heist!!! if they dont get green lit im going to cry for months because the scripts for six of crows are already written 😭i also rly hope that lil look with inej and tolya didnt mean anything bc he's our aroace king and kanej doesnt need anymore drama!!
also 100% agree that alina is a confusing character. I feel like she didn't have much development and the only reason I like her is that I love jessie. also the malina scenes just felt sooooo cringe, they look up so much screen time just kissing and being horndogs LMFAO
Thank you sm for this reaction video!!!! Genuinely cracked up multiple times at your reactions and my jaw dropped when you guessed mals ending! ☺️💓💓💓
Same about Alina (and Nikolai, and the Crows, and Wesper and Helnik and the twins tbh) but yeah back to Alina, same. It's like girl let's sit down five min and lemme try to get you before you go rushing into something and then out back screaming at everyone but Mal. But to be fair I had that same reaction to her in the books. Just not... not getting her.
"Ugh...shoes on the bed!" Literally me!!!!!!!! I truly laughed out loud when you said it!
I LOVED season 1. I actually stumbled upon it by accident and it’s what got me into reading the whole series. Season 1 was so well done and I might have even liked it better than the book 👀. But season 2 just felt so rushed and cringey and seriously lacking emotionally 😬. Like I felt nothing while watching it other than during Kaz’s storyline. It was still entertaining and enjoyable and really fun to watch but definitely on a whole different level quality wise from season 1 lol.
43:50 I think I do remember them sleeping together the night before she has to kill him, hahahaha that's accurate at least?? You recoiling every time they kiss ended me tho 😂😂
Tbh, I didn't like this season as much as the previous one and if they do end up getting a season 3, I'm really curious what they're going to do cause I feel like they shot themselves in the foot with this one... We got some important Crooked Kingdom scenes (which put without context at all in the show felt cheap imo), Tante Heleen is dead without Inej getting the closure she deserved, we know Wylan is dyslexic which is THE plot twist of book 1, Inej already has a ship, Kaz got his revenge on Pekka, Jesper and Wylan are already a couple. I don't mind changes from the book necessarily but the changes they made made me feel like they just don't *get* it. The cast is perfect and made it work as much as they could but the writing decisions left me confused. But this is just me rambling into the emptiness hahaha
I just finished my second binge-watch through all of Cari's crescent city and acotar videos literally minutes ago, so this upload is an absolute joy 💖 the binge party continues
LOL!
oh those are my comfort videos
Given that they are not guaranteed a next season I understand why they did things the way they did. However, I really just wish that things were different and the show could’ve had the opportunity to take it’s time and really build the relationships, develop the characters, and take moments to let the watcher take in the beautiful world. Because the characters really were wonderfully cast and the sets were such a great depiction of the books, but the way tv shows are being made right now does not allow the time to take things slow, they have to shove everything into the season they are making so that if they don’t get another season the show will have an ending but at the same time leave room for an additional plot line in case they do get another season.
I’m just sad about what the show could’ve been, but I do not think it was bad
I would go feral if they do a great corruption arc for Alina and have Aleksander help her in it. But that's the beauty of waiting, i guess! So many things are possible! ❤
Yes! This is exactly what I would like. A S3 without him would be so boring. They did his character such a disservice this season. 😩
@@itsjackson91 right??? The darkling at least deserve that heartbreaking parting like in the books. They could have at least shown Alina being a little heartbroken over his death
@@ccm7319 I hated how much they changed it from the books. His death was much more heartbreaking and tragic in the book. Especially if you've read the demon in the wood 😭
the beginning!! i honestly enjoyed watching the cast interact more than the actual show itself :,)
When I binged the show the only thing I was thinking was "omg How would Cari react to this" 🤭
hahahha omg :'''')
14:29 Cari "aww Wylan cares about his crew, he's one of them now"
My brain instantly, "part of the ship, part of the crew"
THE ANSWER TO THE RIDDLE IS LOVE
lmao i love u
This season is actually what made me get the audiobook for Six of Crows. I absolutely love the series despite not having read Shadow and Bone. I’m about 4 hours into the SOC audiobook and I freaking L O V E it
I understand the cringe between Alina and Mal. Also somehow they make the Kaz defeating Pekka Rollins part become less intense, cuz maybe in the book it is such big deal. I kinda hate the ending lol like why 💀
yeah, I did not enjoy myself (and I was so excited for it!!!!) it just felt all so rushed (they did stuff 2.5 books in 8 hours of tv, after all), and I agree with you that a lot of moments didn't have room to breathe. for some reason, I was annoyed that we didn't see Jesper and Wylan meeting for the first time, and yeah, the last two episodes also felt like they had too much breathing room! And bromantic Nikolai was my favorite part in the end - did not see that coming. I wanted a bit more with the twins.
And if you look at how the writers worked on this one, it all makes sense. Creator Eric Heisserer was actually working on a Six of Crows separate season (w the ice court heist, presumably), and they brought in another writer to run Shadow & Bone and they conferred. And that honestly feels very shitty. Why do Shadow & Bone at all if you're gonna treat it like the poor cousin? I quite loved season 1 of this show, the Shadow and Bone part really worked for me and everything, but it feels like they didn't care for it that much this time around. It was a very sad and deflating experience and everything was happening so fast and I couldn't linger on any of it.
omg an hour video?? tyyy ms cari! cant wait for ur reaction. personally have to say i was a bit disappointed with this season especially in comparison to season 1 but i definitely tried not to compare it too much to the books and looked at it as its own show
it definitely got better in the second half but what a rocky start :/
"THE ANSWER TO THE RIDDLE IS LOVEEE~" , 'practicing mental shields' and the acotar war flashbacks-😭😭
The massverse involuntarily makes it into my everyday life too, Cari
The directors told Freddy to take five and he heard “change lives”
I almost got to the point where I was skipping the S&B sections but I think my undying love for the crows may have impacted that
So excited about the bee that flew onto Zoya’s shoulder- we’re finally going to get our King of Scars Sankta Lizabeta plot!
oh thats RIGHT ok i knew it had to be symbolism but i totally forgot the saints!!
What is King of Scars??? I’ve seen it mentioned a few times. Am I missing a book somewhere?
@@gisel9473 it’s the first part of the Nikolai Lantsov duology.
I don’t care if people don’t like the show but I lovedddd how they blended the two stories together. I need more content 😢
yes thank you!!! the women in this show are so gorgeous😭😭
the best :')
Alina and Mal kiss at any given time
Cari: Ewww!
Me: Same girl! Same! 😂
I really wish they had ended their story like in the book so we can just get our crows…
Loved your reactions especially to wesper scenes ❤❤❤ I think you confused whose body double we'd get because its Kuwei that shall be twinning, as Wylan would be tailored as him 😂
I won't lie, I was mostly excited for the Crows parts AND Nikolai's 🥰 as a non book reader (something on my things to do this year!) I fell in love with the guy aha ! Also, I loved how Wesper delivered by bringing positive energy, as the only happy romance in there~
I'd love to see what the series will do next. So I hope we'll get a season 3 and a Crows' spin-off 🥺 because I, too, love the cast so much!! The BTS contents are so interesting to watch, they all have such a good chemistry with each others ❤
I remember almost nothing from the S&B trilogy, so when I watched the show, I was mostly confused about that plotline. it felt really rushed, they killed that serpent like it was nothing, while in the books I believe it was a major plot point. and the journey on the ship felt a lot longer in the books. and Mal was especially annoying, but now it's Alina. and them being together now? didn't she have something for Nikolai or am I making that up? honestly, I could care less about that whole part of the show. BUT DAVID? like, I remember bawling my eyes out when he died in the books, and in the show I was mostly shocked (still cried) because I wondered how had I attached to a minor character so quickly, in less than 2 books. I then googled his death, and I was relieved to find out that I hadn't lost my mind and did in fact remember a bit about the books. why would they do this? I needed at least another 1 or 2 seasons of him and his brilliant mind. and don't get me started on their love story because it was so extraordinary and so pure... I think that the S&B and SOC parts were written by different screenwriters, and it really shows. on another note, I'm interested to see what they'll come up with after the Ice Court.
4:23 you side-eyeing Mal and Alina is literally me the whole series 😂😂
I like theyre taking creative liberties, but i’m a bit worried about the crows’ development, since a lot of the pivotal moments have now already happened, but often in a context that makes the moments not as impactful as they were in the books
Hooray! I was wondering if you’ll post a reaction and I’m really glad you did! Loved your season 1 reaction
bahahah im glad people asked! i wasnt sure if this was something people wanted haha
Wylan and Jesper and just the Six of Crows storyline was SO good. Everything Mal and Alina was boring. I did really like Nikolai and the Twins. Overall way too much coughing up of blood 🤢 (also I was sad that we didn't get more Matthias)
This is my first time watching one of your reactions. I love it and I also love your dedication to hydration throughout the video.
Watched the new season tonight bc I knew you were dropping this video now. I’ll admit I skipped most of the scenes with Alina and the whole romancy building heavy breathing pining scenes which shortened it considerably. Shirtless Nicolas was worth it in the end.
I got the sense that they were trying to brute force Mal+Alina's chemistry since they basically got no time in the first book together but they also didn't want the will they/won't they stuff for some reason, so they just tried to make you watch them kiss until it seemed normal. That said, I think ultimately the pacing is the biggest issue and leads to most of the issues with Mal/Alina as well as most of the other problems (the biggest problem I had was The Darkling this season, he's got no nuance because they don't have time for it.) As good as the Crows are, I think their inclusion into the story is the reason why the pacing is so poor. They know that the Crows side of things has a lot more substance and a lot better cast so they really lean into it, leaving scraps for the main-arc.
15:13 you are right, it did! it also kinda bothered me how much of the second book it wasn't there or if it was they changed most of it, at least until half the book. like in the boat the darkling was with them the entire time only after so many chapters they finally escape with nikolai, they changed completely so i was actually pretty damn confused at first but anyways
After rewatching season 2, I noticed a scene where Zoya brushes off a bee from her kefta. In the books, roses and bees are connected to Sankta Elizabeta. In "King of Scars," Elizabeta is revealed to be a partner of the Darkling. Although the book's narrative was stronger, I appreciate Netflix's adaptation for its stunning visuals and effects. I hope there will be additional seasons of this show.
As someone who enjoyed the first book but couldn't finish the second, I think the series is an improvement over the source material. I agree the crows are running LAPS around the shadow and bone storyline.
And Nicolaiis fantastic (though he will always be the bad boy from The OA to me 😂)
i appreciate that tv mal has more emotional intelligence and maturity but unfortunately it makes the shadow and bone plot boringggggg 😭 gimme the constant tension between inej and kaz!
The cast is so perfect, I could care less about the plot, lol. I just want to watch the cast do their thing! I'm hoping we get a season 3 and the crows spinoff, but I've heard it's likely getting canceled.
Yessss! This was so much fun to watch, thank you for sharing! Ngl, one of my favourite video of yours was your reaction to Crash Landing on You - I think this might have equalled it!
I ended up really enjoying S2 of Shadow and Bone - I've watched it twice through now, and enjoyed it more the second time I think because I knew what I was getting. (And also possibly because I've spent far too many hours consuming the behind the scenes content!) Agree with you though that the second half of the last episode was just...off. Too much hurried setting up of future plotlines! But I'm gonna need that S3 AND the Crows spinoff....Netflix are you listening?!
hiii cari, okay so i didn't read any leigh bardugo so i had no idea about this world before starting the show, so i'd like to write my opinions! maybe you'll find them interesting. i only watched 4 episodes of season 2 btw.
- my favorite character of s1 was alina, i had thought her feelings weren't shown well but still i could connect to her the best. i had also really liked alina and mal together, mal was very dependable. but this season... yeah i feel you. they see refugees escaping the fold and the next thing they go to their room to uh- have fun, i suppose? i just think if it were me i'd be _sleeping_ at the library until i found out how to get to the sea whip. i agree with what you said about them.
- i had expected the sea whip to be like a giant majestic serpent with silver scales and a big showdown, and alina proving herself by getting its approval or something, but well, it was kind of muddy? i really wish they had given the s&b story line some more screen time.
- i think that's why you feel like the darkling is a bad villain too. it's not him being against the whole world, often times heroes and villains are, it's that they don't give him enough time to show his strength and development and convince us. i think he has so much potential to be a good villain, i mean come on he's ANCIENT! also BEN BARNES.
- i hadn't liked the crows much in s1, i had thought they were unnecessary to the plot and they hadn't really done anything? idk i hadn't cared about them, the only thing i could care about was kaz's obvious love for inej but i hadn't liked inej that much either so... yeah. i think they rocked this season. i love kaz so much and it's not entirely because of freddy carter anymore haha. i like inej too. i actually cared about them and their storyline this time, although their heist stories still feel out of place in this epic fantasy.
- i had loved nina and matthias, they are actually my favorite couple (second is genya and david), i wish we had gotten more of them. :( i was hoping we would in the last 4 eps but i see we won't. i _need_ matthias to be out of there with his wolves and cellmate RIGHT NOW.
- i had thought zoya had some real potential for a good redemption arc, i think i might love her because she still hasn't apologized but i think we will get there, i just wish we saw that more.
- my favorite character this season has been nikolai. THIS MAN I SWEAR AJGHSHSGHFJ HE'S SO GOOD. he's so charming and funny and competent and he actually cares about his people and wants to do good and he is an INVENTOR WHAT and a privateer and then it turns out he is a PRINCE? he's perfect and i will take him if alina doesn't want him... i actually will take him even if alina wants him too idc.i also think that he has so much more under this facade he keeps up as an always charming guy because we saw glimpses of it and I WISH HE WERE A MAIN CHARACTER UGH ihope he doesn't have feelings for alina bc he will get heatbroken. I ALSO LOVED EVERYONE ON THEIR CREW THE TWINS TOO, i used to think i didn't like pirate stories, but i read tress and i loved it, and now i'm wishing we had a story of nikolai and his crew, so i suppose i do like them!
- i had always liked the worldbuilding and the magic system but it got much better this season with going to the new countries and such.
- i love alby he's so cute and i want to hug him and i want to adopt him. if i were in this show out of all the roles i could take, i think i'd choose to be there when his father gets arrested to take him with me and raise him hahaha someone needs to stop kaz's childhood from repeating.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who loved the crows and was so bored during shadow and bone!
BIG OLD SPOILER, but my personal crack theory is that, since we didn't see David's body, he's going to replace Yuri as the vessel when we go into King of Scars. Maybe i'm delusional but I will REMAIN delusional until proven wrong
the way cari and my reaction to their casting of nikolai was EXACTLY the same
There must be something really wrong with me if I hated S1 and could barely finish it (but people seemed to love it) and now I was able to enjoy S2 and now I hear people weren't happy with it 😂 lord help me
But also same, this cast is amazing and it is what kept me going throughout... I keep imagining I become a billionaire and I'm able to bank a true-to-the-books adaptation 😂 what a dream
P.S - I do believe SoC 3 is coming (Leigh Bardugo recently said in an insta story that she doesn't plan on doing it quite yet, but 😍)
I agree with you on this one, Cari! The Crows parts were SO much stronger. I struggle with this series because the casting is so damn perfect, but weaving the two series together just doesn’t work for me. And I really hate that they rushed so many plot points from the crows side, to the point where their impact just isn’t as strong for me. Also, I really felt like they didn’t let Nikolai shine as much as he should have. I enjoyed it, but I just spent the whole series wishing we had a stand alone Six of Crows series! Also!! That 2nd fight scene Inej has with that creepy guy Pekka throws at her was so epic I screamed when I watched it.
“I apreciated that Nikolai had a bromance with every bro” - SAME girl, same. He had bromance with everyone, he’s just so damn loveable.
I have not read the series but the ending makes me excited if we get a next season but it is very interesting seeing people who have read the books on their thoughts and feelings of the ending of S2
"I just want the crows" -- Everyone/All of us
Kind of wished I couldn't remember plots like you, Cari. I may have enjoyed Season 2 more. Though it was still quite good! YES! The cast are AMAZING!
Apparently I’m too early I want to read comments about this 😭
LOL
I binged the first half of season 2 with my two best friends and the three of us booed every time Mal and Alina kissed lol. We really only cared about the Crows and Nikolai
(also the bee on Zoya's shoulder was a clever reference to King of Scars, with Sankta Elizaveta and the bees.)
“Do it now! Eat his finger!” The funniest reaction moment I’ve ever seen 😂
Have you heard Netflix have cancelled Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows 😭
The funniest thing about the beginning of S2 (with how rushed the whole season feels)- it WAS that quick in the beginning of book 2, like, they were almost immediately captured by Darkling (instead of joining Nikolai) and found Sea Whip 😂😭😅
"What is that on the wall? Is that like a manatee?" -- I love your almost deadpan voice there. Your commentary is gold.
Hey Cari, always a pleasure watching your videos! You know when you said you missed something in the pire scene? Maybe you noticed the insect that was flying to Zoya... remember from King of Scars what happens in that spot? Not gonna give a spoiler but yeah, nice to see they will try to give us more Zoya❤.