Nikolai!

Nikolai!

I reread king of scars recently and I decided something that establishes nikolai as among my top 5 grishaverse characters, beyond his general amazingness, is that he joined the first army.

Like, went into battle and hung out with the commoners and all that shit that most noble boys bought their way out of. Idk I just feel like it really helps establish that he’s a ruler who actually cares about his people and earning respect, not just expecting it.

Live laugh love nikolai lantsov. That is all.

Shadow and bone season 2

Contains spoilers.

 Shadow and Bone was never going to be a perfect adaptation of the books; we knew that from the start, when they put together the S&B and SOC storylines/characters. LB herself has said that it’s basically high-budget fanfiction. Let’s stop expecting 100% book accuracy. Thank you.

Also, I haven’t actually read the S&B trilogy, only SOC and KOS. So I can’t speak for those characters.

Let’s start with the cons and end on a positive note.

Purely from a writing standpoint, shadow and bone season 2 was way too rushed. There’s very little time to sit with things as they are; you just have to kind of go with it. There’s no suspense, because you know you’re just going to be rushed on to the next thing. I know we were all expecting them to go with the Siege and Storm storyline, but I know they defeat Darkles at the end of RUIN AND RISING. So they just threw two books together and it’s...rushed.

As for the Crows...no.

Listen, the actors are all the literal embodiment of their characters. Freddy Carter this season? AWARD-WORTHY. BOOK!KAZ IN FULL FORCE. But these moments hit so hard in the books because of their build up! We had two books to learn about these characters, their backstories, their motivations, etc. To build up their relationships with each other, Ketterdam, the world around them, Grisha powers, their pasts, etc. We had two books of seeing why Kaz and Inej want each other, why Nina and Matthias want each other, why Jesper and Wylan want each other. Why Kaz wants revenge on Pekka Rollins. In the show, we don’t even really know who the hell Per Haskell is. Why should anybody cheer for Kaz taking the Dregs the way we did in the books? In the books, Kaz gave everything to the Dregs (for his own gain, but still), and they turned their backs on him until he showed up to take them back by force. “I recommend a cane” SLAPS partly because we’ve seen people sneer at Kaz for his disability--including members of the very gang that profits so greatly from his reputation, which includes his limp and cane. They should’ve either given them the season to build up to the Pekka Rollins stand-off, or waited for the crows’ spin-off.

Also, why is Tante Heleen dead? That revenge belongs to Inej. Wtf.

Matthias’ storyline is boring. Could’ve used less of it.

And another thing--when Nikolai is announcing his and Alina’s engagement and Alina announces that she’ll take command of the Second Army and Zoya’s like “wtf?” and everyone else’s like “SO YOU WON’T FOLLOW HER, THEN? >:( like...I wouldn’t! Alina was a MAPMAKER in the FIRST ARMY. Sure, she watched the Second Army from afar, being jealous of their grape bowls. She doesn’t know how to lead an army!

She definitely should’ve talked to Zoya after the feast and been like “hey, yo, want to help me out?” Zoya was the Darkling’s, what, second-in-command, for YEARS. She’s been in charge of at least parts of the Second Army for way longer than Alina’s even known she’s a Grisha for. She’s a commander and General in KOS. She has actual military experience and knowledge of the Second Army, not to mention having actually fought and lived alongside the people within it. It would have been a great way to further utilize Zoya’s character, and provide some bonding between her and Alina. And for the shippers, we could’ve gotten some zoyalai crumbs if they ever needed to discuss strategy and shit. The point is, I would’ve had Zoya’s reaction, too, if I’d been in her shoes.

Oh, and also, why is Kaz’s trauma always what’s being focused on? I know the fandom tends to hyperfixate on it, but Jesper’s ADHD? Wylan’s dyslexia? INEJ’S PAST IS SO IMPORTANT IN THE BOOKS AND HERE IT’S JUST LIKE, “Oh, that sucked for her, anyways” LIKE GIVE THEIR STRUGGLES THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE. MATTHIAS AND NINA TRYING TO UNLEARN THE NATIONALISM THEY’VE BEEN FORCE-FED THEIR WHOLE LIVES?

AS FOR THE GOOD STUFF:

As I said before, FREDDY CARTER AS BOOK! KAZ. RENT WAS DUE. HOLY SHIT.

“Please. I’m begging you.”

“Are you?”

I HAD TO TAKE A BREAK. HOLY F*CKING SHIT.

Also, the scene with Jesper and his mom? I don’t usually cry at movies and shows, but when she called him “little rabbit,” I BAWLED.

Personally, I thought the flashbacks to Kaz’s past could’ve been done less in-your-face, let’s-talk-about-his-trauma, but the transitions were top-notch and the casting was, as usual, amazing.

ALL the casting was amazing, actually. They ARE the characters. We couldn’t have gotten anyone else. We had our reservations about Patrick Gibson, but he NAILED Nikolai. Flawless performance on everyone’s parts.

I know Wesper wasn’t for everyone, but I thought it was a nice, fanfic-y take on a more adult relationship between them. Also, they were cuties, and still seemed to have some emotional depth. Good.

“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.” Good

Nina sneaking into Hellgate to see Matthias. Good.

Also, the part where we’re led to believe that Nina handed Kaz in to Pekka Rollins, but then we get a flashback to them plotting it out because no way in hell was Kaz Brekker going to be fooled that easily, which is what I was screaming at my scene when I thought he’d just...gotten captured like that? The man who talked himself out of being shot with a loaded gun pressed to his chest?

Yeah, that was great. Really made him feel more like the mastermind he is in the books.

I also loved that they kept Pekka’s son, and Kaz’s bluff about burying him alive, and Wylan’s “you can’t kill him for who his father is.” I LOVED IT ALL.

I also loved Jesper casually referring to Alina by her first name, and Mal casually talking about the Crows like they’re all buddies. We love to see it!

Overall, while this season did have some flaws, it was overall a fun and enjoyable watch, and I hope we do get a season 3 and a Crows spin-off, and that the writers will listen to the fans’ criticism and improve the main problems (which are honestly mostly a result of trying to cram like, 2-3 books into an 8-episode season. If they let themselves slow down the plot just a bit, I really think the quality would go up by like, 90%).

Any other thoughts?

I watched the Greatest Showman and have been singing “rewrite the stars” for four days straight.

(but seriously, why did I not know P.T. Barnum’s actual story until like...this year??? It’s fucked up).

I was rewatching LOK and just loving how Toph’s parents did everything they could to shove her into a box and prevent her from doing what she loved--earthbending--but then Toph invented metalbending by literally escaping a box she was put in by the bounty hunters her parents sent after her, and then her kids and grandkids made the Beifong name basically synonymous with metalbending and innovation.

One thing I’d change about TDP season 4

One thing about me is I can’t be trusted to make a solid opinion about something the first time I watch/read it. I have to watch it a second time to really make up my mind and think critically...so here’s my official solid thought on the one thing I’d change the most about The Dragon Prince season 4.

Two, technically. I’d rather make the time jump a matter of months instead of two years. It doesn’t feel like two years, y’know? It feels like people are just getting back to “normal” after a lot of crazy shit happening. I’d keep the makeovers and stuff, but...a little less of a time jump.

Anyways, my second is that I’d want more Amaya having HER OWN conflicts! I mean, I get they wanted to explore sunfire culture and give Janai development--which I still loved! I loved Janai when she was introduced and I love her now and I love her as queen. But--as a post I just reposted says--we needed more for Amaya to grapple with. You can’t tell me that staying in Xadia long-term, away from her nephews she loves so much and her home, AND being in the same land that killed her sister, was easy. And as that same posts mentions, the whole “two cakes” scene, where Janai is saying that she doesn’t feel like she can have both the life with Amaya she wants and the crown? Should’ve gone to Amaya. And I completely agree!

Furthermore, how are they adjusting to each other’s cultures? Has Amaya told Janai about Sarai? Have they gone to Khessa or Sarai’s graves? If they’re getting married, Janai’s definitely spent time with Callum and Ezran, right? Amaya can’t be both General of Katolis and the Queen Consort of the Sunfire Elves. How’s that going over with her troops? And the people? Who’ll replace her? Does Ezran ever write to her for advice? Does she visit him? Does she have friends with the elves? Do they respect her? Has Janai even been to Katolis? These little things about their relationship.

And a lot of these don’t have to be big things! Amaya struggling a bit with calming down the human troops that would’ve listened to her without question before season 4. Janai mentioning that Ezran or Callum wrote them a letter and that’s what she’s reading. Janai helping Amaya with the transition/choices she has to make. We all saw the sunfire influence on Amaya’s new armor, but it would’ve been nice for Janai to have a necklace or something with the design that the Katolis royal crowns and Amaya’s shield have. Small things like that.

Anyone else read Folk of the Air and immediately get the urge to become ridiculously powerful and get a hot enemies-to-lovers boyfriend and rule a country and prove everyone who ever doubted you wrong and help cover up your sister’s murder of your manipulative ex and