Summary
Bringing drama and plenty of worthwhile fantasy action, episode 8 encourages the audience to imagine what’s to come, bringing the gripping story to a suitable checkpoint as the characters embark on their next journey. This is a series that has the leverage to stay around.
This recap of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone season 1, episode 8, “No Mourners” — the ending explained — contains spoilers.
The finale begins where it left the audience in that tense penultimate chapter, with our lead characters entering the Fold on a skiff. Everyone is on edge. Alina wants to tear down the Fold but Kirigan reminds her that he controls her powers. Meanwhile, The Crows are preparing themselves by cleaning their guns. It’s a brilliant opening, with all the characters ready to embark on their final journey in the first instalment of the series.
Dreaming of the impossible
And then the ending of Shadow and Bone season 1 brings us to the enticing subplot that we wish was explored more.
Nina and Matthias have finally reached safety. Nina tells him she isn’t done with him yet, but Matthias explains he cannot leave and return to Fjerda — he will be court-martialed as a deserter. Grisha explains she’d be branded a traitor to her race but thanks him for saving her. The pair has fallen in love, but there is an acceptance between them that they dream of the impossible — due to their associations, it will be difficult for them to be together. As they eat in a pub, Matthias collapses — an acquaintance of Nina named Fedyor knocks him unconscious. He’s been looking for her. Nina tells Fedyor that Matthias is with her. Fedyor tells her that the Druskelle do not change — he gives Nina a chance not to be seen as a traitor.
Nina shouts “Slaver” in the pub and claims Matthias is trying to sell her. She says she will testify in court and wants to be taken to Ketterdam; Fedyor tries telling an interested man nearby that it’s not the case and that Matthias is Fjerdan and Nina is Grisha. But the man sees it as a bounty opportunity and does not care. Suddenly, guns are drawn; Fedyor and his group have to back down. Nina’s diversion worked — she’s saved Matthias, at least for now.
Nina’s personality is intriguing — hopefully, we learn more of this character in season 2.
READ: What books is Shadow and Bone Season 2 based on?
Mal joins The Crow
Kirigan keeps using Alina’s powers as his own to create a tunnel in the Fold — he tells Alina the Fold is the greatest weapon they have got. On the other side of the Fold, General Zlatan wants to kill everyone on the Skiff, sensing the Sun Summoner is a threat to their independence. Meanwhile, The Crows wait patiently to see what Kirigan has planned. Kaz believes the general is consumed with vengeance. Inej finds Mal hidden in the basement with them — Mal says he wants to kill Kirigan and save Alina. Kaz tells Inej to give Mal his gun. The characters on both sides of the main story have finally joined up, creating a formidable team.
Ending all wars
Shadow and Bone season 1, episode 8 sees Kirigan’s plans beginning to take hold as the fate of the characters and their world begins to crumble. This really is a finale.
Kirigan uses his power to expand the Fold towards the town on the other side. He calls it retribution. They can hear people screaming on the other side; Kirigan is slaughtering an entire city. He announces that they can redraw all maps, and with the Sun Summoner, he controls the Fold and can destroy any city. He believes all war with Ravka is over. Mal arrives at the top of the ship and begins shooting, but Kirigan’s men soon overthrow him. Kirigan tells Alina to focus on the light keeping them all safe or her friend dies.
The Crows move to attack. Inej shows her skills, but as she’s about to be killed, Zoya saves her and asks for help to stop Kirigan. And then, just in time, Kaz and Jesper arrive to help. Inej throws a blade into Kirigan. However, Kirigan handles it and tells them to stay in the dark. The volcra attacks the skiff.
The stag chose Alina
We’ve kept wondering what Alina is capable of all series. While season 1 of Shadow and Bone hasn’t given the audience her full capabilities — the ending at least gives us a glimpse of how important she is in a desperate situation.
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Alina has a strange feeling and sees the stag ahead of her. Kirigan offers Alina his hand to form an allegiance, but she tells him she doesn’t need him and uses the dagger to slice the mythical object that bridges their powers out of his hand. In a grandstanding moment, she shows Kirigan who she really is, her powers in full throttle, and states that the stag chose her, regardless of his meddling.
To safety
Mal pushes Kirigan off the skiff, and they fight each other as Jesper saves Alina from one of Kirigan’s men. Mal repeatedly shoots Kirigan, but it has no effect, but then the volcra smashes into Kirigan, and all the characters presume he’s dead. Mal returns to Alina who is unconscious. He begs her to come back, tears filling his eyes as he senses it is all over — she wakes up and uses her powers to bring them to safety and out of the Fold.
Alina’s deal to Kaz
Episode 8 cools down after all the action as it pieces together the next story of Shadow and Bone.
The Crows, Alina, Mal and Zoya regroup around a fire. Jesper tells Alina that they cannot kidnap her after she saved their life. Kaz tells Alina that she’s valuable. She gives him some expensive royal jewellery and asks him to keep quiet about who she is. He agrees to the deal.
Zoya asks Alina to stay alive
Alina stares at the Fold and tells Mal that they are worse off than they were before. She thinks the world will blame her, but Mal promises that she will tear it down one day and he will stay by her side.
Zoya wants to go back into the Fold to get to Novokribirsk to see if her family is okay. Kaz and Inej warn her she will be haunted for days if she looks for the dead. Zoya tells Alina that she cannot stay in Ravka because The Apparat will try to keep his power and blame this on them. She feels the people will turn on Grisha again. Alina needs to find new allies. Zoya explains she doesn’t like her, but she’s grateful for her and asks Alina to stay alive.
Matthias no longer trusts Nina
Nina visits Matthias’s cell and gives him food. He’s furious and grabs her. Nina insists she is trying to save his life and that she’ll drop the charges when they go to court. A man nearby laughs, stating it will take a couple of years to go to court, and they’ll be heading to Hellgate, where they’ll rot in a cell. Nina tells Matthias that she can fix this but he isn’t interested.
The ending
The ship Nina is on docks at Os Kervo, and the next stop is Ketterdam. The Crows, Alina and Mal coincidentally board the same ship.
Inej raises to The Crows that Dreesen and Pekka are waiting for their return, and they will want their heads if they don’t bring the Sun Summoner. Kaz says he has a plan and needs a Heartrender — Nina overhears the conversation. Rumours on the ship are circulating that the Sun Summoner is dead. Mal tells Alina that they need to be ghosts for a while. They are back together again, like old times.
Scenes flit back to the Fold — Kirigan has survived — he asks the Fold to follow him, and then season 1 ends, bringing a sense of what’s to come in the second chapter.
Bringing drama and plenty of worthwhile fantasy action, Shadow and Bone season 1, episode 8 encourages the audience to imagine what’s to come, bringing the gripping story to a suitable checkpoint as the characters embark on their next journey. This is a series that has the leverage to stay around.
Additional points
- Kaz tells Inej that he needs her. Inej wants to see Heleen’s face when they clear the books.
