Tenebre e ossa

I was very pleasantly surprised so much so I binge watched the whole 8 episodes.

The story is quite unique that in itself is a bonus as I am so bored of the numerous pathetic attempts of supernatural based sci-fi that don't try to be different This is different in a very good way I am not familiar with most of the cast but found the acting very good So a good start and I hope season 2 is of the same quality.

I actually enjoyed Shadow and Bone more than I thought I would. It's definitely one of the better fantasy shows to come out in the last few years. While it's not the best, it's up there! I never read any of the books so I didn't know what to expect but have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It has a little of something for everyone...fantasy, humor, action, drama, romance, etc. While it does take a few episodes to really get going, stay with it because it's worth it! I just finished season two and thought it was good enough to warrant another season. Especially with that cliffhanger at the end. If you like fantasy then give this show a chance, you won't be disappointed!

Well that was annoying.

I really enjoyed the first season, but half way through the second season it all went wrong.

So season 1 had solid screenplay, writing, acting, effects and felt like a great dark fantasy adventure.

Little bits of wit and humour woven in here and there resulted in a well balanced introduction into the backstory, characters and entire premise of the world.

Then along comes season 2.

It's continues pretty much as good as the first and all is good, but... about halfway through the season there's a really weird but clear shift.

All of a sudden it becomes incredibly cheesy, poorly acted, over theatrical, effects somehow get noticeably poorer and overall results in it becoming not very interesting at all.

It's almost as if someone else took over but with half the budget.

By the end of it, I had zero interest in the plot or the characters and just wanted it to hurry up and end.

Season 1 gets a solid 7, but season 2 drags it down to a 5.

Not so much because of a tight plot that always made sense, but because the casting was really done, with engaging characters, with even some character development. This is the first Netflix fantasy in a long while I've found worth watching- most have been somewhere between horrid and utterly ridiculous. This YA offering does lapse into predictabllity at times, but the actors save it, with very fine direction. Don't look for deep and profound here- just sit back and enjoy, mostly, the ride.

The show is an iteration of the oldest story in the book, which is nice, it's worth retelling. The worldbuilding is phenomenal, the characters are fleshed out and well acted. I don't quite get the romancing of tsarian russia, but it's as good a basis for fiction as any other, I suppose. I understand the show's based on a book trilogy; the season finale doesn't conclude the story and is a clear setup for another season, hopefully we'll get it.