Warning: Spoilers for Shadow and Bone season 2.
Netflix's Shadow and Bone season 2 is out and while the ending nicely ties up a number of plot threads, it also leaves a number of questions. Season 2 returned with familiar faces, following Alina and Mal on their quest to find the second amplifier, Kaz Brekker and his Crows on their next heist, and Nina's attempts to spring Matthias from Hellgate prison. It also follows the still very much alive General Kirigan, a.k.a. the Darkling, as he continues his quest to claim all of Ravka to put under his control.
There were also a number of new characters introduced this season, including Nikolai Lantsov, the bastard prince of Ravka, his loyal bodyguards and friends, the twins Tamar and Tolya, and the Crows' new demolitions expert, Wylan. Each of them brought new storylines and backstories to Shadow and Bone season 2, some setting up clear narratives for season 3, should it happen. Still, there are some unanswered questions by Shadow and Bone season 2's ending.
Alina's Shadow Powers Explained
Shadow and Bone season 2 ended on a surprising note. During Nikolai's coronation, a strange Fjerdan Grisha attacks the guests and Alina springs to defend the new king. Instead of a blade of light flying from her, however, the Cut she throws is one of shadow - just like the Darkling. It's a disturbing moment, but also a confusing one. With the Darkling officially dead, it shouldn't be possible for Alina to summon his shadow powers.
However, Shadow and Bone season 2 has taken some extreme liberties from the books, moving certain plot points around. In the books, the connection between Alina and the Darkling that David reveals isn't just one of dreams and visions. Alina discovers that just as the Darkling can pull her powers of light from her, she can turn their connection against him and wield his powers of shadow. Alina being able to use his powers in Shadow and Bone suggests that the Darkling may not be dead after all - or at least, some part of him remains on earth, if not within Alina herself. It also potentially suggests that, similar to how the nichevo'ya shadow monsters erupted to protect the Darkling in times of danger, the Darkling, if he still exists on some level, is now manifesting to protect Alina.
Jurda Parem Drug Explained
The sudden appearance of the Grisha assassin at Nikolai's coronation was surprising and horrifying. Her powers were terrifying beyond those of a normal Heartrender, with her mentally crushing the bodies of the guests until blood flew from their mouths and noses. The reason is that the Heartrender was on the drug jurda parem. The exact origin in the show is unclear, but in the books, it's accidentally created by a Shu chemist to hide the Grisha powers of himself and his son. Instead, it does the opposite and amplifies a Grisha's power to terrifying levels; for non-Grisha, it's lethal. The drug is highly addictive, however, and the tremendous power comes at a price as it rapidly weakens Grisha who use it - hence the Heartrender assassin appearing to be so sick. Jurda parem is truly, as Kaz explains it, a drug that could end the world if it spreads.
What's Wrong With Nikolai?
Shadow and Bone season 2 finds Nikolai Lantsov and his friends being attacked by the Darkling's nichevo'ya. During their fight, Nikolai is caught by one of the shadow monsters and stabbed in the shoulder, causing a deep wound. Even after the Darkling dies, however, the wound still bothers him. It's not healing, but appears to be spreading a black infection across his shoulder blade. Worse, when Nikolai looks in the mirror, he doesn't see himself, but the reflection of a nichevo'ya.
As Baghra warned Alina, there is always a price for using merzost. While Nikolai never used it, the Darkling has; nichevo'ya are creatures of merzost. Essentially, the bite infected Nikolai with this same dark magic. In the books, it turns Nikolai into a demonic gargoyle-type creature with black eyes and wings and fangs. In the Shadow and Bone series, it appears to infect him with the same dark, draining power that the Darkling had. It's also possible that instead of randomly transforming into the winged monster of the books, Nikolai may find himself occasionally turning into a shadow monster in season 3.
What Happens To Matthias In Hellgate Prison
The story of Matthias is the murkiest in Shadow and Bone season 2. Stuck in Hellgate prison, he's not given much to do; to be frank, his time in Hellgate was quickly glossed over in the books and not much detail was given about his time there. The second season finds his love for Nina warring with his hatred stemming from his belief that she betrayed him. While most of the season find him trying to maintain his dignity, by the end, he's given into his feral nature and darkness within, desperate to feel something other than that love-hate war going on inside him. Interestingly, there is a moment that signals it may not be the end for him and Nina. The very last scene with Matthias shows him locking eyes with Nina screaming his name as both are dragged away - the look on his face, however, isn't one of hate, but of surprise and a bit of wonder.
The wolves also look to factor into Matthias' story moving forward. He has a connection with them, and it seems to come out of nowhere for those who haven't read the books. Though he's no longer one of them, Matthias grew up as a Fjerdan drüskelle, and every drüskelle chooses a wolf companion when they come of age. In the book, Matthias chooses a slightly older wolf in a cage rather than a pup. In Shadow and Bone season 2, this is changed, with Matthias befriending two of the wolves caged up in Hellgate. Whether it was Matthias' kindness, his dominance, or his connection to his god, Djel, the wolves bond with Matthias and protect him from the guards. Shadow and Bone season 3 will almost certainly find Matthias getting sprung from Hellgate early on. If he does, expect the wolves to accompany him and become part of his story moving forward.
Mal & Inej's New Mission For Shadow & Bone Season 3
At the end of Shadow and Bone season 2, the characters are all split up. Mal, Tamar and Tolya, Nadia and Inej take off on Nikolai's ship, with Mal serving as the new Sturmhond. The very end shows Inej with a telescope in the crow's nest, pointing at a ship ahead. The moment ties back to the name that Kaz gave her just before they parted, which was a lead to start searching for her brother. Throughout the show, Inej has shown a strong aversion to slavers and human traffickers, having fallen prey to them herself. While Inej is finally free from her nightmarish indenture, she doesn't know what happened to her brother after they were separated. By the ending of season 2, while she's on a mission to find her brother, the crew has also taken it upon themselves to track and disrupt slaver ships.
Shadow & Bone Season 3 Story Setup: Ravka vs Fjerda
In the transition between power from one ruler to the next, enemy countries and kingdoms will always use the opportunity to test the new incoming regime. Such is the case with Ravka and Fjerda. With the Fold now gone, this presents a problem for Fjerda: Ravka was always weakened as long as the Fold tore the country in two, which worked out to Fjerda's advantage as Ravka's neighbor to the north. Now that Ravka is free of the Fold and the young king Nikolai is looking to reunite his country, however, it will be a problem for Fjerda. The stoic Northerners in no way want Ravka regaining its power, especially not with the help of the Grisha the Fjerdans so fear. While Ravkans see an advantage in the Grisha and the First Army working together, the Fjerdans see it as a potential threat. To add insult to injury, Nikolai decides to hold his coronation on the same day as one of Fjerda's most important holidays, which the traditionalist Fjerdans will surely see as a slight. Potential war is brewing and Shadow and Bone season 3 will certainly see Fjerda test the resilience of the young king and healing nation.
How Many Seasons Of Shadow & Bone Will There Be?
At this point, it's unclear how long Shadow and Bone will run on Netflix. Shadow and Bone season 2 was structured so that if the show isn't renewed for a third season, the overarching story of taking down the Darkling and destroying the Fold has been wrapped up. However, season 2 also set up a number of other stories from other books in the series. The jurda parem storyline is from the Crows' own books, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. The struggles Nikolai has with hiding the darkness of merzost within him is a story told in his duology, King of Scars and Rule of Wolves. It's conceivable that there will be at least one more season of Shadow and Bone. However, season 2 showed a willingness to take dramatic liberties from the books. In that case, it could run for a few seasons more, expending the story of the books into a full Shadow and Bone universe.