Shadow and Bone

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 23, 2021
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
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Critic Reviews

  1. Radio Times
    Reviewed by: Huw Fullerton
    Dec 2, 2021
    60
    The action and characterisation feels less convincing than it did in the simpler, less sprawling book story, almost like the rush to expand the story left it contracted in the ways that really matter.
  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travis
    Sep 20, 2021
    60
    Some elements are overly familiar and others overly confusing, but Shadow And Bone will draw you into the Fold with its absorbing world-building and engaging lead duo.
  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Kathryn VanArendonk
    Apr 21, 2021
    60
    For every line intended to clarify how it all works, Shadow and Bone seems to accidentally do the opposite. ... Eventually, when all, or at least most, of the characters come together in various formations late in the series, Shadow and Bone’s design does make some sense. ... Shadow and Bone is at its best when it is small and fun, which is what does eventually happen with the Kaz story, or when it’s big and clear.
  5. The Independent
    Reviewed by: Ed Cumming
    Apr 21, 2021
    60
    Overall, Shadow and Bone leaves you with the unusual impression that the weaknesses in the TV version might be more to do with the source material than the treatment. Between the silly names and mythology, this is a thorough, detailed production, with crisp special effects and likeable lead performances from a diverse bunch. We get glimpses of several interesting characters, but on the whole, they are relegated in favour of the main tale.
  6. The Detroit News
    Reviewed by: Tom Long
    Apr 26, 2021
    58
    Complications ensue, super powers are wielded, all as you’d expect. Actors keep straight faces despite the silliness (possibly a real superpower) and the show maintains a young adult sheen. It flows by, which is all it intends to do.
  7. CNN
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Apr 23, 2021
    55
    Add Shadow and Bone to the long list of efforts to establish new fantasy series in the post-"Game of Thrones" era, in this case with a fairly generic tale of a war-riven world and a young woman who learns she has spectacular powers and an epic destiny. As constructed it makes for a moderately watchable binge once you've committed, but no great loss if you don't.
  8. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Steven Scaife
    Apr 26, 2021
    50
    In the end, the show feels even less ambitious than The Witcher, but like that other Netflix fantasy series, it at least progresses at a fairly brisk pace.
  9. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Daniel Fienberg
    Apr 21, 2021
    50
    The eight-episode first season definitely feels like it's a smushing of two not-particularly-synchronous books, resulting in some desired Game of Thrones epic scope at the expense of one story's full emotional momentum and the other's sense of fun.
  10. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Brian Tallerico
    Apr 21, 2021
    42
    After a reasonably strong start, “Shadow and Bone” gets weighed down by so many Netflix Original fantasy show clichés that it sinks into the Fold itself.
  11. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Aja Romano and Constance Grady
    Apr 26, 2021
    40
    Shadow and Bone fails to deliver any of the charm and emotional engagement of a Game of Thrones (when that show was at its best), or even a Winx Saga (which is objectively terrible, but in an enjoyably ridiculous way). Again and again, Shadow and Bone forces unearned story beats and melodrama. Its character-building is lackluster; its worldbuilding is mostly incoherent, and its script careens from one-liner to one-liner without much substance in between — all while the weak writing torpedos the efforts of its talented cast.

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Most Discussed TV Season of 2021

User Reviews

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User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 84
  3. Negative: 16 out of 84
  1. r0mer0
    Apr 25, 2021
    3
    Nice costumes and overall pleasing art direction, predictable story, unconvincing characters and character motivation. Horrible soundNice costumes and overall pleasing art direction, predictable story, unconvincing characters and character motivation. Horrible sound balancing, be prepared to adjust the volume a lot. The two rivaling forces of magic in this show are Grisha-magic and plot armor, and plot armor always wins.… Full Review »
  2. CyclicRhetoric
    Apr 24, 2021
    1
    Garbage screen writing and direction, not helped by the offensive amount of exposition.
  3. Kubishime
    Apr 25, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. A great cast with great acting spoiled by piss poor writing, inexplicable character choices, and an offensive reliance on exposition. Most of the characters are written to have a troubled past but come across as whiny, insufferable wimps who make idiotic decisions. There is more justified decision making and reasoning in low-budget horror movie characters. Every action is winged, but has an outcome as if it were meticulously planned, like every single character expects a Deus Ex Machina.

    Alina does nothing but whine and pine for Mal for the first 7 episodes. Her character is so enveloped with feelings for him, she's portrayed as empty and shallow without them. We know literally nothing about her other than she was an orphan, they grew up and went through hardships (some bullying, and -very- vague racism). That's it. That's the entire composition of the main character. When she obtains her powers, she doesn't care at all about using them to destroy the rift. The presumably hundreds of thousands of soldiers and people in the country who died because of the wars aren't incentive enough - all she cares about is Mal. There is nothing else to her character. She's 'The One' but a sulking, woman-child who seems not to have been toughened at all by her upbringing. She's a porcelain shell of a character.

    Inej carries 30 knives but inexplicably seems never to have killed anyone before, judging by her reaction to killing a single Grisha to defend her friend. Why would a thief and implied assassin have never killed anyone and have such a bitter reaction? This is made even more confusing when two episodes later, she knows exactly how to bleed a Grisha to death without batting an eyelash.

    The Grisha are supposed to be worth 10-50 regular soldiers (depending on who you ask) but are instantaneously overwhelmed and slaughtered - every - single - time - they get into combat. Doubly so when they encounter the trio of miscreants (with plot armour) who we're barely told anything about - the speed that they're to dispatch the Grisha at is laughable. What's the point in being trained as what is essentially a battle mage from puberty to adulthood when all it takes is a handful conveniently placed barbarians to render you entirely impotent.

    Then there's the blatant shoehorning in of current year social commentary. It's apparently easier to get laid in Ravka as a gay man than a straight one, you can just pick a random stable boy you like the look of, and voila - luckily he's gay and eager. This could have been used to flesh out Jesper's character instead of "hurr durr, he gay, gay people get insta-sex". I'm almost angry that writers are so utterly incapable of making a fleshed out gay character.

    Ravka, a nation that's been isolated through hundreds of years of wars and infighting, has more diversity than London, but people are still apparently racist. The reliance of generations of being bred to defend the nation has done literally nothing for comradery, apparently.

    Then there's obviously the misogynistic Fjerdians who must be chastised verbally for 3 straight minutes because they aren't lewd or let their women fight in the war. I mean, it's basically barbaric how they treat their women so it must be worth mentioning, right, current year audience?

    With the budget this series had, it could have been a better Game of Thrones. It's not. The story as written in the books is rich and beautiful but the writers chose instead to do away with all of that in order to make sure 'current year' hot topics are smattered about, be inexplicably vague about every single characters' backstory when they have such rich ones.

    Genuinely struggled to sit through all 8 episodes.    … Full Review »
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