Shadow and Bone returns in another action-packed episode. From Nina and Matthias bonding to Alina on the run, we cover everything that happens in this episode!
*Spoilers for episode 6 below!*
This episode picks up after Alina has escaped. Kirigan, who is the Black Heretic or the Darkling, is interrogating Arken. Kirigan reveals that Nina Zenik was his spy and that he knows that Arken has been smuggling Grisha across The Fold. Arken also confirms that he was working with General Zlatan. Once Kirigan gets his information, he kills Arken.
Alina, who is stuck in the chest on the carriage, uses her powers to escape. The Crows are waiting for her, but Alina uses her light to blind them and makes a run for it.
Meanwhile, Kirigan knows that Nina was abducted by Druskelle, who are crawling all over West Ravka thanks to Zlatan. He wants Matthias brought back for interrogation.
Speaking of Matthias, he and Nina survived the ship sinking. He’s passed out on driftwood, and Nina uses her powers to wake him up. They realize they have to work together to survive, and Nina uses her powers to warm him up, while he uses his strength to swim them to shore.
In Ravka, Kirigan is making plans to find Alina. He has Ivan, Zoya, David, and an Inferni sister go with him. Zoya tries to tell him Alina maybe ran away, and she offers to help relax Kirigan by sleeping with him, but he refuses. All he wants is Alina now.
We’re back with Nina and Matthias who have made it to land. They don’t know if they’re in Fjerda or Ravka. What side of the border they’re on determines who is the prisoner. In the distance, they see a cabin and make their way to it.
We cut back to Alina who has a run-in with soldiers that are cruel. She defends herself and is chased into the woods. And in a twist, Mal finds her!
Meanwhile, Nina and Matthias are in a hut, where Nina strips out of her wet clothes to avoid freezing. She coaxes Matthias to do the same, and they share a bed where she uses her powers to warm him.
Back in the Ravkan wilderness, Mal and Alina have a tense conversation that’s long overdue. They both were sending letters that the other didn’t receive, and after gentle confessions about how they don’t want to get split up, they hug and begin to search for shelter.
In a bar in East Ravka, Kaz and Inej argue. She essentially lets Alina go because of her faith, and he cannot understand it. He tells her that Heleen will get the Crow Club if they don’t return, which adds some serious stakes.
We’re back with Mal and Alina as they camp out. They can’t light a fire, so Alina uses her light to help warm the two of them up. She doesn’t want him to be scared, which he denies. But he tells her that he’s sorry it took him this long to see her, but he sees her now.
At the little cabin, Nina and Matthias wake up spooning. She teases him and they argue about gender roles in their countries. But their argument ends in a lot of laughter, helping break the tension between them.
Meanwhile, Kirigan and the group of Grisha are searching for Alina. Instead, they run into the Crows, and after a few face-offs (Jesper vs. Ivan, Zoya and Kirigan vs, Kaz, and Inej vs. the Inferni whose twin she killed), the Crows are able to beat their opponents or escape.
Back in the woods, Alina and Mal need to get moving. She treats his wound while he tells her what happened when searching for the stag. Alina explains the importance of the stag and how she thinks she can use it to destroy The Fold.
We’re back with Nina and Matthias who are lost in the snowy wilderness. After some teasing, Matthias confesses he likes Nina, but doesn’t want to because she’s loud and lewd. He also doesn’t know if she’s using her powers on him. The pair end up joking, and in a cute moment, Nina runs around laughing about how she’s beguiling him. The ice suddenly breaks beneath her, leaving her dangling over an empty cavern. Matthias reacts quickly holding her, but for a second it seems like he may let her drop. But he pulls her up, and they finally introduce themselves to each other, and Matthias gives her his cloak.
After their respective fights, the Crows reunite, knock David out, and steal the Grisha carriage. Kirigan and his remaining Grisha find David, who tells them that he can track Alina within a certain radius because of the ring Genya gave her at the palace.
While Kirigan and his Grisha regroup, Mal and Alina begin the trek to Fjerda. Mal says that she looks healthier and that power is good for her. She realizes that using his powers is how Kirigan has lived so long. She begins to confess to Mal about their brief affair, but he tells her she doesn’t owe him an explanation. He just wants to keep her safe.
Kirigan and his Grisha talk to the soldiers. They tell him a tracker, Mal, was trying to find her earlier. Kirigan now knows that she’s in the woods, and that she’s going after the stag.
As in the previous episodes, this one was dense. I absolutely adore David. He seems so out of place with Kirigan, but has his uses. He mentions that Genya gave Alina the ring that he can track, which makes me wonder if Genya knew, or if he possibly lied to Genya.
The Alina and Mal reunion was everything I wanted! They argued but reconciled in a way that felt organic, and it’s obvious that they care deeply for each other. In episode 4, Mal mentioned he was using the letters to rehearse what he was going to tell Alina, which makes me wonder if he’s planning on dropping some more confessions on her in the next few episodes. I also loved that he didn’t make her feel guilty about her relationship with Kirigan!
The Crows had a crazy episode! From Kaz and Inej arguing to their fights with Grisha, it was all very intense. Also, Ivan said, “You’re a…” to Jesper before getting knocked out, which absolutely sparked my curiosity. I have so many questions that I hope get answered.
I, for one, am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next. I can’t wait to find out who gets to the stag first, and where the Crows go next.
You can stream Shadow and Bone now on Netflix!
