"No Mourners"
The finale at last! Where all story threads and characters come together for one big showdown bringing to light where everyone's true allegiances shall lie. The episode brings together a mix of characters to one fight where everyone's strengths are on display more than ever before all splitting apart and following the paths that have been set for the future. It's a great finale that stays true to the source material but still provides something new to look forward to and keep the anticipation high.
The episode begins soon after where the previous one left off - with everyone aboard the skiff well into another crossing of the Shadow Fold. While the Crows hide below deck preparing themselves for whatever fight coming for them and Zoya begins to question the General's intentions, Matthias and Nina find their way out of the cold and into the warmth of an inn after being absent from the screen for the last episode. It seems now they've started to fall for one another, they don't want to part but they also know if they leave Fjerda and Ravka they'd be branded traitors to their people, something neither wants. While Nina searches the pub to make sure it's safe for them to go and eat, an interesting bit of information is heard from a man at the bar, talking about quitting life as a merchant and hunting slavers as it pays more. Information that seems to only be heard when it's important later.
But while they enjoy waffles at Nina's suggestion, Matthias is knocked out clearly by the hand of a Heartrender which turns out to be the sweet Fedyor. Though she is trained as a spy, Nina doesn't lie to Fedyor and the Grisha that wait close behind him. The hate between Fjerdans and Ravka is so strong that Fedyor cannot believe a druskelle could change even if someone he trusts claims so. Rather than go back home and let Fedyor take Matthias as a prisoner, that conversation at the bar of the man who hunts slavers comes in useful as she claims the druskelle is a slaver trying to sell her to save him from the fate they may face in Ravka. 20,000 kruge is more than enough incentive to stand up to a group of Grisha soldiers. And so Nina and Matthias path to Ketterdam is set.
Back on the skiff in the Shadow Fold, everyone waits in fear looking up hoping the volcra don't attack them. When Alina tries to do something, Kirigan shows how he controls her by channeling her power to make a protective tunnel made of her light as a path. While the Crows try to figure out Kirigan's plan to decide what they all do, they come across Mal also hiding below deck waiting for his chance to save Alina. In a manner, Mal becomes an honourary Crow for this as their plans align. As the skiff makes its way through the Fold, they make their way past stone statues and stairs which will be familiar from the beginning of episode 7 as the location where Alexander made the Fold; it is at this moment Alina finds out that Kirigan sees the Fold as a weapon not to be destroyed.
Zoya reveals an attachment of her own to Novokribirsk on the other side of the Fold as she drives the skiff - an aunt she sees every time she crosses - where General Zlatan and other West Ravkans await. Kirigan's plan is finally revealed as he uses the opportunity right before reaching Novokribirsk to expand the Fold as a demonstration of his power and what others should fear, even stopping Alina from expanding the protection of the sun to those being attacked. Zoya at last sees Kirigan for who he truly is and in that moment her loyalty to him is gone. As Kirigan finishes his speech, Mal really sticks by his statement of not being smart as he goes in guns blazing shooting at Kirigan without a plan. Why do they never shoot for the head? And that does not exclusively apply to Mal as Jesper decides to join the former and Inej in the fight aboard the skiff.
This is when it begins to show how valuable of a character Zoya is as her first instinct is to start driving the skiff again, something the Heartrender Feliks almost stops her doing until Inej shows up. The little speech Mal's superior gave in earlier episodes about how many men a single Grisha was worth in a fight did not apply to Inej at all. Seeing her fight Grisha single-handedly is something to see in itself, fortunately she's only caught a second too slow momentarily before Zoya saves her and they continue to try and save everyone from Kirigan. They are two pivotal characters in this moment as Inej protects Zoya while she drives the skiff, as well as Jesper who narrowly misses being sliced by the Cut thanks to Kaz. Though Inej's knife lands in Kirigan, it seems that it is no longer a Healer hiding and helping him through wounds as Luda once did but rather the merzost that he has become so accustomed to using. In retaliation, he draws the light away from their half of the skiff, exposing Zoya and the Crows to the volcra.
Alina seems to finally have a moment of clarity where she sees the Stag seeming to finally understand the significance of its power being bonded with her. She frees herself from Kirigan's control finally understanding that the Stag chose her to use its power no matter who killed it. She seems to absorb the bones into her collar properly, no longer an uncomfortable brace on her neck, in a great display of her power. It's interesting that the amplifiers are not crafted into something the Grisha wear like a pendant around their neck or wrist like in the books, I like the idea that the pieces have to be welded to their body. Mal proves to be a bit of an idiot again by trying to take on Kirigan by himself though it might have been a good idea in the end as he ends up at the mercy of the creatures he created. This leaves Alina to Ivan's mercy before he faces round 2 with Jesper. Though the sharpshooter misses the face again.
Once they get out of the Fold, an interesting set of characters are the sole survivors left gathered around a fire together - Alina, Mal, Zoya, Inej, Jesper and Kaz. The conversation between Alina and Inej is quite touching. Inej's belief in her Saints has never wavered and she is in awe of being by one of them at that very moment. Something from the books that plays into this is that Inej believes that as she has killed, her Saints may have turned from her but here is a living Saint telling her that her hands best serve people with a blade in it. It's a blessing from a Saint for the life she now leads. And we can guarantee that the dagger Alina gives her will be the one named Sankta Alina.
As the Crows are no longer planning to kidnap Alina, there is the matter of the money they are now losing out on and therefore all the collateral Kaz traded for it. The jewels that were in her hair have been worn by Ravkan royalty, therefore quite valuable, and Alina can see that Kaz is the most reluctant to give up on the plan to kidnap her. She uses it as payment for them to keep quiet about who and where she is - those jewels could easily cover what the Crows have lost. Something I missed the first time watching it is how happy Inej seems looking at Kaz after he accepts that deal.
This turns into the moment that these characters all part from one another. Zoya intends to go back to Novokribirsk to find out what happened to her family; Kaz's advice against looking for the dead hints at his own past. She also intends to make her way back to Os Alta to remove the Apparat from whatever seat of power he has now claimed. Before leaving, she gives Alina some well-meaning words as a warning to be careful while she hides before returning - "Saints become martyrs before they get to be heroes". New allies to seek out teases some great characters to come in season 2, a certain Ravkan prince and Shu Han twins to be precise.
In the brig of a ship, we see that Matthias has returned to his former dislike and distrust of Nina due to his false imprisonment as a slave hunter. Though she begs for his forgiveness and promises to drop the charges, Matthias is still condemned to his future in Hellgate as a prisoner until his trial is heard. As she leaves the prisoners, the Crows board the same ship she is aboard where she hears an interesting conversation where she could be of use - they need a Heartrender not known in Ketterdam only loyal to them. And Nina's path to becoming a Crow is set. On that very same ship, Mal and Alina board amongst rumours that the Sun Saint is dead, all hope of the Fold being destroyed lost. I wonder if this is the last time we'll see these particular Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows characters on screen together.
And then we cut to a little tease that things are even more hopeless than originally thought. Alina's last words to Mal voiced as a final narration state that the Darkling is dead but low and behold he is seen coming out of the Fold all torn up and scarred by his own creatures. As he walks away, a new development of his power comes to light as he commands soldiers made of shadows.
Reasons to Recommend:
- Conclusive finale with small teases of what's to come
- Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows characters come together for a final fight
- Every plot thread planted throughout the season comes to a head
- Every key characters' path set out for them by the end
Comments
Post a Comment