User Reviews

Awesome episode as the three storylines clash in unexpected ways. Loved the costuming and storyline. While the big reveal was predictable, it was still awesome.

So much better than the first two. Now we are getting somewhere.

"Shadow and Bone" Season 1, Episode 5, earns a perfect 10/10 for its intricate dance of deception, emotional revelations, and the unraveling of a mother's hidden agenda. The Winter Fete at the Little Palace sets the stage for a riveting showdown as plans to showcase Alina as the Sun Summoner unfold. Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and Arken's infiltration brings a heist of epic proportions, seamlessly blending tension and camaraderie.

Simultaneously, Mal's journey to the Little Palace with news of the Stag intensifies, with unexpected twists as he demands to see Alina before revealing the location. The plot thickens as kisses are interrupted, decoys are attacked, and Baghra's cryptic warnings to Alina add layers of mystery.

The episode brilliantly balances action, emotion, and the complexities of relationships. Alina's attempt to escape the Little Palace and the revelation of Baghra's true identity as Kirigan's mother deepen the intrigue. The narrative brilliantly weaves together individual character arcs, leaving us on the edge of our seats.

Episode 5 is a masterclass in storytelling, offering a perfect blend of suspense, emotion, and unexpected turns, solidifying "Shadow and Bone" as a must-watch fantasy series.

I absolutely loved this episode. Things started to finally pick up and it just amazed me how well it was executed.

For a book to film adaptation and not a direct retelling of the Books on this episode was my favorite of the series. Do wish the heist and infiltration as well as the adventure was more front and center. Some of the romance and character development. Feels a bit forced but that seems to be the case for the whole season. Sadly the adventure, drama and political intrigue felt rushed and did not get enough screen time despite being one of the things the show could have exceled at. I hope there is a change of tone if there is a second season to really move away from the reluctant hero love triangle sort of thing and show off more of the interesting world. A good enough start overall.

As someone who never read the books, I didn't see a lot of these twists coming and they were enthralling in my opinion. This is terrific acting, storytelling and visual effects that basically forced me to binge the remaining episodes. One thing that really stood out is the pacing of dialogue, progressing the story and dramatic/comedic timing - these were noticeably great from all sides in this episode.

By the way, those complaining about "wokeness" are honestly just revealing their outdated discomfort with same sex scenes - Jesper's mid heist romp like a felt natural step for his character and introduced a lusty, reckless dimension, much in the same way we saw a surprisingly pious side of Inej with the summoner and multiple folds in Baghra's intentions this episode. Alina is great here, and Kirrigan struck the perfect balance of intrigue and darkness (no pun intended) as usual.

Dorian Gray's Portrait still looks fine:)

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It was a bad idea from the start to mix the second two books with the first three. But here it cluminates to a big pile of sh$%.

The story how Kaz and his crew easily moved though the Palace and Little Palace is ridiculous.

Deviding the screentime between the characters of both plotlines means that there is a lack of depth to all characters. Very dissapointing.

There are a few popular quotes in the series, specifically the first book. This episode should have contained a very popular quote but it didn't.

The visual effects were underwhelming.

Dividing the screen time didn't allow for some key character connection.

So it appears that after a brief amount of training, they are prepared to Show off Alina's powers to the 'world'.

Oh dear, Gunslinger has a man crush. That's useless, -1 Star.

The story advanced a bit. Nothing impressive. 4/10.