This article contains spoilers for Shadow and Bone season 2.Shadow and Bone season 2 had many fans of Leigh Bardugo's book series shocked and confused because of its intertwining timelines, however, the showrunners have a good reason behind these major changes. Shadow and Bone is a Netflix series based on the Grishaverse, a fantasy world created by Leigh Bardugo. So far, the show has included plots from two different book series, "Shadow and Bone" and "Six of Crows," along with adding totally new storylines.
Many readers who watched Shadow and Bone season 2 had complaints about the way the series merged storylines and rearranged the order of events. Some new characters in Shadow and Bone season 2 had starring roles that should have come later in the series, whereas others were given minimal screen time when viewers hoped they'd appear more. As a result, the season has become somewhat controversial among fans, though hopes for a season 3 are still high. All in all, the showrunners' choice to regroup the timelines of the book series actually does have a valid reason attached to it that could pay off in the future.
Netflix's Shadow & Bone Timeline Changes Avoid A Predictable Adaptation
The decision to rearrange timelines in Netflix's Shadow and Bone was to throw off fans of Bardugo's books and create a television series that was new and not predictable. If the show had followed the original plot of the book series, showrunners feared that they would lose audience who had read the books and already knew what was coming. Therefore, they decided to create a whole new timeline in which characters could continue on past their given plot and new relationships or dynamics could form. In this way, they hoped that viewers who read Bardugo's books would be more engaged with the content and remain with the show to see what happens next.
Bardugo ultimately agreed with this point and wrote in a note to fans, per Deadline, that they would be surprised by the ways in which Shadow and Bone's Grishaverse mashes together in Shadow and Bone season 2. She said that the choice "actually was a great pleasure for me because I got to be surprised by my own stories." Bardugo also mentioned having trust in the showrunners to make beneficial and exciting choices for the series. Although fans may not be too keen on the changes as they first appeared, upon reflection, the new timeline makes sense for an adaptation that never wanted to be an exact book retelling.
How Much Did Shadow & Bone Season 2 Change The Book Timeline?
From the start, Shadow and Bone merged storylines to include the casts of both "Shadow and Bone" and "Six of Crows," however the timelines became even more intertwined in season 2. The most significant example comes when Alina and Mal tear down the Fold and kill the Darkling, and the Crows appear with the Neshyenyer blade to help. Originally, the Crows had nothing to do with Ravka's fight against the Darkling, and in the books, the Neshyenyer blade doesn't even exist. Other big changes include the showdown between Pekka Rollins and Kaz, Alina and Mal's separation at the end of the series, and Inej leaving the Crows to find her brother.
Overall, Shadow and Bone is not afraid to make major changes in order to create content that is entirely new to readers. It's unclear whether these differences will pay off, but the hope is that Shadow and Bone will return for a third season and a rumored "Six of Crows" spinoff will come to fruition. If this happens, viewers will likely have to follow Leigh Bardugo's advice and put their trust in the showrunners.
Sources: Deadline, Entertainment Weekly