Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Shadow and Bone.
Netflix's Shadow and Bone series saw Alina Starkov experience several painful betrayals, including one by Genya Safin — but here's why she ultimately seemed to forgive her deception. Played by Jessie Mei Li, Alina was plucked from mapmaking obscurity after unleashing a dormant power. Conjuring immense light in order to save herself and Mal (Archie Renaux) from the monstrous creatures of the Shadow Fold, she was soon determined to be a Sun Summoner. As a result, Alina was thrust into the lavish world of "magic" users known as Grisha, overseen by General Kirigan, a.k.a. the Darkling (Ben Barnes).
Armed with the power that could finally bring down the Fold, Kirigan himself took a vested interest in guiding Alina's mastery of her gifts and even took her into his confidence. Between that and being the stuff of centuries-long legend, Alina was met with equal parts awe and disdain during her time at the Little Palace. Amid all the fawning reverence and bitter jealousy, however, Alina managed to make a handful of more grounded and genuine friendships. Principal among them was Genya Safin (Daisy Head), a rare breed of Corporalki known as a Tailor. Unfortunately, along with the twist that Kirigan was actually Shadow and Bone's true villain, it was revealed that Genya was in cahoots with him. As well as spying on Alina and preventing her from communicating with Mal, it was conveyed that Genya had personally poisoned the king in order to benefit The Darkling's plans for Ravka and the world.
Upon learning the truth, Alina was understandably hurt and appalled. Despite that, she quickly seemed to understand and even forgive Genya. The main reason for this was because Alina's life experience afforded a significant degree of empathy for Genya's motivations. As an orphan, Alina knew all too well what it was like to have no parents and how powerful a feeling it was to want to belong. Equally, being half-Shu in the Shadow and Bone adaptation, Alina understood how it felt to be treated as lesser than, as Genya was by both Grisha and the royal court. Though of high status as a servant, Genya was still viewed with derision due to the open secret of the king regularly forcing himself upon her - raping her. As such, Alina could relate to Genya's desperation and bitterness that emerged as a result of such treatment. While she, justifiably, couldn't entirely excuse Genya's decisions and actions, Alina could understand the reasoning and afford her some absolution.
Alina knew how easy it was to latch onto an emotional rock in one's struggle to belong. Fortunately for her, she found a "True North" in Mal when she was a child and that connection was maintained throughout Shadow and Bone's timeline of events. Alina was keenly aware that the closest Genya had to such a figure was the Darkling. With centuries to master his manipulative skills, Kirigan operated very much like a cult leader. Alina herself had fallen under his sway. Where Alina had people to liberate her, though, Genya, from a young age, had no such protectors. Her actions weren't necessarily right, but completely sympathetic.
Adding to things was the fact that Genya likely hadn't expected to form a bond with Alina. Alina acknowledged to Genya's credit that the Tailor had subtly tried to warn her away from the Darkling's control. The move to forgive Genya also served to further highlight Alina as the direct antithesis of the Darkling. While she recognized that the king deserved to suffer for his vile crimes, vengeance was not something Alina would let herself be consumed by. Where Kirigan had spent centuries being twisted by such things, Alina, as befitting a prophesized living saint, viewed things through a more compassionate lens. Forgiveness or not, fans will have to wait for Shadow and Bone season 2 to see the next part of Alina and Genya's respective journeys — and whether their friendship and trust can ever be fully repaired.