The show Shadow and Bone, produced by Eric Heisser, came out on Netflix in 2021. It starts out by explaining the context of the situation: there is a dark fold dividing their world in two, which is home to the Dark Heretic. This Dark Heretic is said to be very powerful in his magical influence, and once he felt he had enough power, he abused this and started taking land and destroying people to devour the last bit of hope they once had. The people who survived say that there is a person who can defeat this evil and summon pure light to obtain back power and save their people. That person is Alina Starkov. Alina is an orphan who recognizes her powers after she finds that she is characterized as a “Grisha”, a person who is said to use magic.  Each Grisha holds their own individualized way of using their magic. Ever since Alina was a child she has been wishing to find a way around the darkness of the fold — she wishes to find somewhere that she will be accepted and free. 

Next we see a flashback of a child who has a full heart overflowing with empathy and kindness. However, this boy knows that soon he will become a soldier who must fight in war. But his heart urnes to love, not a fight. The flashback skips to the current day — in the show — and he is now a fighter looking back on his once-jocund childhood. 

The two characters are seemingly close friends who have an undeniable chemistry, which could lead to the question of how close will they become? Will they stay close friends, or will they act upon these feelings? The storyline divides up many different enduring problems that could twist the story in any way at any time. However, one substantial problem of the Dark Heretic still remains. 

The background of the story takes place in some older time periods which are changed to fit the culture of the people in the show. However, the life of a soldier is strongly portrayed throughout the characters’ lives, and even in their childhood there are some elements of militaristic values. Additionally, the most interesting part of this is that the soldiers are not just one gender — all adults become soldiers regardless of gender. This innovative way of incorporating a timeless effect really adds to the new sense of culture and uniqueness. 

Throughout the storyline, we meet more and more ominous characters, which contributes to the suspense of the existing issues. Some of those issues directly affect the main characters and some will catch up to them later on in their future endeavors. The suspense of each and every episode leaves racing thoughts that just seem to add to the excitement of watching the next episode. This show, which is already a fan favorite, seems to be growing in popularity since the release of its most recent season. 

The new season has a very interesting twist. We see an already developed character discover a new power that leads him into a world of danger. This new season has some fear evoking scenes and near-death experiences. The character that the new season focuses on is a military leader who finds himself discovering a new power to manipulate the dark creatures that lay within the dark fold. His indisputable passion for defeating the darkness is great. It has been his lifelong goal to defeat this darkness, and his new power will allow him to do so. However, this power creates an internal conflict. Will he stay moral, or will he abuse his power and manipulate the people he once respected? This everlasting chain of events will continue until someone rises to the challenge, whether that be a positive or a negative change, only time will tell. But the bigger question is, will this power corrupt him? If so, the fate of their world relies on it.