In the second episode of the second season of Shadow and Bone, “Rusalye,” Alina, Mal, and Sturmhond’s crew head out in search of the sea whip, the Darkling recovers and bides his time, and the Crows embark on their latest heist.
A new alliance
Alina shows Sturmhond that she’s indeed the Sun Summoner and proceeds to threaten him to let her and Mal go as her powers glow in her hands. However, it’s not necessarily the Fjerdans that he intends to hand her over to, but he certainly is looking for a payout from somewhere. Frustrated that people continue to think she’s working with the Darkling, she explains that she intends to tear down the Fold, not expand it further. But in order to do so, she needs another amplifier — Morozova’s sea whip, Rusalye. At the promise of adventure, danger, and money, Sturmhond changes his turn, introducing Alina (and Mal, sort of) to the ship’s inhabitants. That night, Alina dreams of Kirigan again, and he taunts her relationship with Mal.
You live in a single moment. I live in a thousand.
– The Darkling
The next morning, Alina notes how Sturmhond has both Grisha and otkazat’sya (non-Grisha) working as equals in his crew. No First and Second Army separation like in Ravka. Mal heads off with Sturmhond to meet the navigators, and Alina meets the rest of the crew, including two Heartrenders (Tolya and Tamar). They discuss the amplifiers and her goal to destroy the Fold.
Later, Alina visits Sturmhond below deck, where he implores her that she needs to trust him in order for this to work. He goes on to explain that she’s not only fancy cargo because she’s going to destroy the Fold — she’s a symbol, hope for the future.
Tracking the sea whip
When they begin to near the supposed location of the sea whip (thanks to Mal’s tracking abilities), Alina says that she thinks she can get the amplifier without killing it. The crew leaves the ship and makes their way through the caves of a foreboding-looking island, and the creature begins to attack them. Alina has no choice but to kill it.
After paying their respects to the fallen members of the crew, Alina absorbs the scales, thus taking on her second amplifier. The Sun Summoner radiates with power, so much that it seems she’s losing control, until Mal hugs her and brings her back.
Some scars don’t heal
Genya, still shaken by the return of the Darkling, visits him in his quarters, where he tells her that if David is alive, he will find him for her. She tries to heal the scars on his face, though she’s only able to do so much. He begins coughing and asks her to assess the rest of the damage to his body, but this causes his nichevo’ya to manifest beside him menacingly, terrifying Genya.
The price of merzost
The Darkling goes to speak with one of the Grisha now taking refuge with him, Vladim Gulav, an Alkemi. He asks him if he can help with his pain, but Vladim thinks it’s a consequence of the shadow monsters because merzost is an abomination.
The Darkling meets with a woman, Fruszi, in the woods, and he retrieves a journal. We then see that he’s been keeping Baghra trapped underneath a waterfall for weeks.
Meanwhile, in Ketterdam …
Kaz spies on Pekka Rollins, and then he finds himself lost in a memory of his brother. Jordie brings him to the front door of a mansion with the promise that he’s met a mercher who can help them make money. The man goes by Jacob Hertzoon, but when he answers the door, we see that it’s Pekka. Kaz goes to the Dregs Club and meets with Per Haskell, telling him that he’s looking for a business partner. However, despite the wad of kruge that he’s waving at him, Haskell’s not interested in being associated with Kaz Brekker.
Inej meets up with Jesper, informing him that their supposed rap sheet continues to get worse — now they’ve apparently killed a constable as well. Given the fact that Kaz was willing to blow up the Crow Club, they wonder what else he’s willing to destroy. Kaz, Wylan, and Nina arrive, and the latter begins to question what bone they have to pick with Pekka Rollins. Better question, why hasn’t Kaz asked her to take him out? Or Jesper? Inej? But for Kaz, this is personal, and simply killing him isn’t enough. Jesper and Inej look at him, concerned by the tone of his voice, and Kaz quickly clarifies that Pekka needs to be alive so they can pin the crimes back on him instead. Their first order of business is getting to Pekka’s accountant.
Another heist for the Crows
As they stand on a rooftop before the heist, Inej demands to know what happened with Pekka, but he refuses to tell her. Nina, meanwhile, tries to flirt her way into the building, but she ultimately has to use her powers to get past the man guarding the door. Kaz sneaks in through a window, and Jesper and Wylan make their way through the streets with a horse and carriage.
Unfortunately, it appears that Pekka was prepared because he catches Kaz once he makes it into the office. Inej has her hands full up on the roof, and Jesper and Wylan end up caught in a trap. However, Pekka doesn’t account for Nina. She dispatches the Dime Lions, getting shot in the process. With the help of Wylan’s bombs, Kaz gets what he needs, and the five reconvene at Black Veil.
Hellgate
Food arrives, and Matthias’ cellmate warns him that the lobster they’re feeding them is no good. The bread, meanwhile, is as hard as the Ice Court’s wall. Matthias is surprised to realize that he’s Fjerdan as well, but they must speak Kerch. His cellmate tells him that the justice system there isn’t like Fjerda’s. With his head slumped against the wall, the drüskelle is shaken as he remembers his sins — sleeping with Nina, a Grisha.
Shadow and Bone season 2 is now streaming on Netflix. Make sure to follow along with all of our episodic recaps!
