emilyikes’ theories for season 2 of shadow and bone
#1: Fedyor and Ivan plot line
Spoilers for the trilogy, Crooked Kingdom, and S&B S1 below.
If you’re anything like me, these two were one of the highlights of your watch of s1 of Shadow and Bone.
With each little bit of new content from Julian or Simon, I fall in love with them a little more.
But, unfortunately, as all we trilogy readers know.... HOMEBOYS BITE THE DUST IN BOOK 2.
Though Ivan does survive the sand skiff attack at the end of Shadow and Bone, early in Siege and Storm, while the mutiny is happening about the Volkvolny, Tolya (a king I am SO excited to see next season) crushes Ivan’s heart and kills him.
Of course, season 1 of the show leaves Ivan somewhere in the fold, with no protection, after being shot by Jesper. However, he is shot on his bulletproof kefta, not fatally wounded, as Jesper “couldn’t shoot the pretty face”.
Since we don’t see Ivan emerge at the end of season 1, I think the writers will take this one of two ways: either Ivan will have died after the attack via being a volcra happy meal and we find out early in season 2, or he will survive to be later killed on the Volkvolny.
As the reveal of Tolya’s Heartrender powers is pretty important, I don’t think they wouldn’t kill Ivan at this point in the story. Obviously, they could have him survive, and maybe even join the good side, but I think this would be unwise for multiple reasons. Not only would it reveal Tolya’s powers, but it would also be a drive for a certain other Heartrender to fully switch to the good side.
While we love to hate Ivan in the books, in the show, I think we all feel a lot more sympathy towards his character primarily due to his relationship with Fedyor as ~The Heartrender Husbands~.
Though Ivan will likely die early on in the season, I don’t think this means we won’t have any Ivan and Fedyor interactions in season 2 - since we see the story from many point of views, rather than just Alina’s, I think we will see the Darkling gearing up to find Alina, along with what is happening in the Little Palace at the time.
Picture this: Ivan, recovering from the fold at the Little Palace with Fedyor by his side.
I think Ivan needs to survive at least to fully confirm the Fivan relationship - though we all picked up the hints, their physical affection is relatively minimal, along with their verbal affection. I think that the writers not only should, but MUST flesh out their relationship more to make it very clear that they are romantic partners. More development will be easier with a longer season, which I think will be 10 episodes at least.
Also, Siege and Storm is a relatively.... boring uneventful novel, so adding more character development is a smart move, especially with queer characters because you can never have enough!!
The official emilyikes theory is that early in the season, we see Ivan and Fedyor as Fedyor begins to have doubts about the Darkling and his plans to go steal back Alina. Ivan will follow his General, but Fedyor, who we know has a closer bond with Alina and later come back to the Little Palace, deserting from the Darkling’s forces to support her, will resist following Darkles.
I think Ivan will go with the Darkling, and either the Darkling will force Fedyor to stay back (due to suspicions that Fedyor isn't down with the Darkles plan) or he’ll openly resist the General. Either way, I think this perfectly sets up a REALLY CUTE (and also bittersweet/sobworthy) goodbye scene between Fivan.
I think if Ivan dies in the fold or he is killed aboard the Volkvolny, either way Fedyor will hear about it and go into hiding with other Grisha who resist the Darkling until Alina Starkov returns to Ravka. He then will make his way back to the Little Palace when Alina returns, pledge to fight for her and against the Darkling, in Ivan’s honor, and will become one of the two Corporalki on her council.
Since Fedyor was a far more minor character in the books, I am unsure if they’ll still kill him off at the end of season 2, especially since everyone ADORES our boy. His death in the books is relatively minor, albeit heroic.
I think they might keep him around to complete his character arc with Nina as one of the Grisha that goes to Ravka to help the Grisha indentures escape in CK, or he will be one of the leaders in the war of the third book.
Then again, they still might kill him at the end of season 2, and I can picture a very touching scene of his death and thinking of Ivan... and the writers know we eat that shit up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Maybe even dessert.
No matter what, I’m not ready to be done with our Heartrender Husbands, and I don’t think the writers are either.
asked for by: @gins-potter
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