Shadow and Bone- 01×02: We're All Someone's Monster
Another example of the writers' complete lack of understanding of basic workings of armies, and obvious determination to portray anyone connected to the Darkling as an idiot.
The man escaping an ambush gets questioned by a random nobody from completely different branch of army. About a high-value target no less. Instead of restraining the weirdo, and dragging him to his own superiors for interrogation, the oprichnik answers all of Malware's questions.
What a load of crap! These were elite soldiers, personally hand-picked by the Darkling. The show's efforts to make his side look like a bunch of drooling halfwits would be admirable, were it not so stupid and offensive to the viewer.
Alina? Is she all right? Who? Are we assuming everyone is on first name basis with the newly discovered Sun Summoner?!
Shadow and Bone- 01×02: We're All Someone's Monster
This was supposed to be an ordinary gifset of five, but it bothers me immensely how instead of a believable fight someone decided to turn it into cool-looking action without much logic, or Saints-forbid! TACTICS!
Duck, before you yell?!
It's not like others aren't on alert due to the trees conveniently fallen over the road.
Aside from that, I'd also like to point out oprichniki are supposed to be wearing corecloth just like Grisha. The fabric that's bulletproof, but in this case somehow NOT arrow-proof...
They've just been clearly ambushed, yet these two Grisha get out of that carriage as if they were a couple of gangstas about to enter a rap battle.
No attempt at cover, they stride straight into the crossfire.
They know which direction did the arrows come from- that's one thing to keep in mind-, but it's also obvious this situation was prepared, therefore they're likely to be SURROUNDED by the enemy.
When we're at it, why didn't the drüskelle aim at the horses?! Ideally shoot one of the front ones drawing the first carriage. It won't be able to move without cutting the horse off and manoeuvring around the corpse, and the others won't be able to go around if the road's narrow enough. Same with turning around. These are NOT cars on a firm road.
I've watched this bit over and over, and... does the Squaller push the Inferni aside?!
What the hell?!
I'd give them a half a point for the use of kefta here, but there wouldn't be this issue, were they trying to stay at least partially covered to begin with.
Plus the movement uncovered her kidneys.
Remembering books, one of a few details we learn about the workings of Second Army is that Etherealki are paired up for work. But not the way here depicted.
“An Etherealnik rarely works alone. Inferni pair up. Squallers often partner with Tidemakers. ...”
Shadow and Bone- Chapter 9
Inferni/Squaller combo? Why?
*mumbles* How convenient this is the only way for an Inferni to summon. Throwing a flame in a wiiiiide arc...
Why is the Squaller* trying to sit up? To make an easier target? Shouldn't he keep low and protect his head? Since the majority of his body is covered by a bulletproof fabric... Thinking of it he was likely just stunned. What killed him is that knife into an open neckline... 🤦♀️
*Is that Tomek? Looks like it. R.I.P., beloved asshole!
First of all- NEVER PULL THE BLADE OUT of the wound, unless it staying there makes the wound larger.
Second? This is just plain stupid.
The Inferni just sits there like a duck, holding her pal's arm, as the enemy advances on them?! She's visibly surprised by the Heartrenders' counterattack, so she didn't expect anyone else to do anything.
And yes, the boys stand in the middle of the road just so. Again.
Another lovely detail- the mounted soldiers are of no use.
One horse is seen rearing on command, the other is dancing in circles after approaching as the rider shoots in the air?! How did cavalry ever achieved anything in history's beyond me.
This looks like they didn't run for a cover to begin with, but simply straight ahead until stopped by an enemy fire.
It takes Fedyor to be shot for someone to ask for cover fire. The someone being his spouse... Now I can see why the Darkling allows couples to serve together.
Regrouping.
Not that's nonsense. We've already discussed how Heartrenders' "need" to see their targets is either superstition, practical prevention of "shooting" one's own in too messy a battle and/or the author's attempt to limit their potential. But here?!
Ivan asks her how many heartbeats can she hears, she does some locating gesture, and stops because she can't see?! Aren't Grisha connected to the Making in a way that makes them more attuned to the world around them? Why would they need sight in order for their other extra sense to work?!
Can you smell the bullshit?! Yeah, it's pretty much tangible.
... and now that she's being smoked out, the Darkling's very own second-in-command suddenly remembers the matter of their assignment.
You had one (1) job!**
** And that was writing a semi-believable skirmish!
the S&B show creators: the show is not going to be like the books
us: you promise?
watches the show me: I kina wish the way they worked in the crows was their heist at the ice court (whats it called again?) so we could see the gas chambers and all that they did against the grisha. then switch straight away to Alina being the obivilous idiot that she is because you know
hope they're going to hammer home that alina gets sick with out using her powers regulary and she becomes more aware to what grisha face
do you remember in a interview when Jesse said that Alina should end up alone? and everyone freaked? I do and I agree with her though my OTP for Alina is backbone and just becomes a better person who cares about the people she is part of.
So far it seems they intend to work with the Plight of Grisha the same was LB did. Drop here, hint there, and now back to fun heists and heroine’s love quadrangle!
When you look at the first season:
Alina doesn’t look as bad as she should in the first episode. Wasting sickness-what?!
Drüskelle are presented as some neanderthals instead of well-oiled Nazi genocidal machine.
Grisha are showed as some privileged show-offs, instead of the hunted minority they are...
I don’t have much hope for this particular plotline, as much as I would love to see them show the full extent of the horrors Grisha have to face. At least a fraction of what did Aleksander have to endure to become who he is today. To show he is, indeed, “defender of people”, not some old creep abusing young girls...
Absolutely agree on Alina endgame. As much as I like Darklina as a concept and I wish the best (”not alone”) for the Darkling, I don’t think Alina’s mature enough to keep up with him yet. She’s young, she wants to see the world, she has some serious issues- her blindness, temper and egocentrism- she should deal with first. As for Sasha, he needs to get over his mother and out of constant fight or flight, before pursuing something serious and I think he deserves time and peace for that.
Why is this show hellbent on making elite guard look like a bunch of incompetent, irresponsible idiots? Oh, wait! I forgot they do the same with most of the Second Army.
Probably setting up for next season, so we know, WHY is the Darkling such a bad leader and we should root for general Starkova.
He went this way!?! The rest can be explained as a reaction to the sound of gunshots, but how would they know which way Visser went- even if they already knew who are they after-, when he just got out of a closed room? If they were following him, and lost him for exactly the right amount of time for him to unlock the secret door, hide and attack Marie, the sentence and their immediate arrival suggests they've seen him head to that corridor, so where have they been up until now?
