S02.E01: No Shelter But Me

[AnimeMania]

On the run and plagued by nightmares, Alina finds a moment of peace with Mal. Trouble awaits Kaz, Inej and Jesper upon their return to Ketterdam.

Premiere Date: March 16, 2023       Netflix

[angora]

Color me excited! I get that I'm in a different position now than I was for season 1, since I was coming in brand-new before, plus I read the books between seasons, but to me, this feels like a level-up. Loved the use of the maps as we moved between different countries--was somebody reading our complaints in the season 1 threads?--and I could follow where things were going better than I could back in the pilot.

I actually liked Alina and Mal here. Despite their fugitive status, I liked that they were both excited to see the world outside of Ravka, with Mal recalling how he always felt seeing the maps she drew at the orphanage. And as soon as they got confirmation that Alina's "dreams" about the Fold were real, Mal was right on board with her plan to find the Sea Whip, the second of the mythic amplifiers. I liked seeing Alina chase leads at the library while Mal sought out information down at the docks.

I found it interesting that the Novyi Zem scenes were clearly shot in Budapest--the cobblestone streets and architecture had the same European look to them as Ravka and Ketterdam--and just given different set dressing to differentiate it. This wasn't a Game of Thrones situation, where they shot King's Landing in Croatia, Yunkai in Morocco, etc. It made Novyi Zem feel a little slapdash, which was disappointing, but I did appreciate some of the hints we got of that culture.

As usual, the Crows were my favorite part. I absolutely loved Inej pulling her disappearing act when they were SURROUNDED by police. Yes, the show cheated a little with camera angles, but 1) if anyone could do it, it'd be Inej, and 2) I loved Jesper drawling, "She does that." I also liked seeing Kaz's distress in the police transport, the self-impressed little look Jesper gave when he seemingly got the transport to stop, and the reveal that Kaz already knew that Jesper was Grisha. Looking forward to seeing how the new additions mesh with the established trio.

Speaking of new additions, Sturmhond was a favorite of mine in the books, and I enjoyed his intro here. I loved his disappointment that Kaz and Jesper didn't recognize him, flashing his profile to try and give them a hint. And our first look at Tamar and Tolya made me smile; both of them look great, and their dynamic together feels right.

Kirigan is back in action! I really liked his reaction to seeing the Grisha in cages, "This again?" As someone who's lived long enough to remember when his people were actively captured and killed by their own country, I can understand his ruthless militancy, even if he's still a bad guy.

[MissLucas]

Horray for maps!!!

Solid start into the season. I thought it a bit odd that Kaz would not know who Sturmhond is but that's a minor quibble. Impressed how they managed to already hint at his trauma. Inej's disappearing act was impressive but I thoroughly enjoyed her return which Kaz somehow could sense while she gave Jasper a good fright, he! Poor Mal though, first Alina gets him hot and bothered then sends him on his merry way without giving him a moment to -ahem- recover.

Oh, hello Tamar and Tolya! 

[festivus]

Good ep. As usual I love the Crows, the casting for them is just spot on. 

Don't know as much about Alania and Mal because I didn't read those books but I did love those citizens standing up for them. So that means I don't know Tamar and Tolya, but they look fun.

[Hanahope]

do they have to do the maps in an unreadable language?  I mean is that really necessary?  its not like this is a story from a different language/culture on earth and they want to stay faithful to it.  

i had to think hard to remember Nina's story.  

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by Hanahope

[QuantumMechanic]

Well, I see just like last year the Crows stuff is infinitely more interesting than anything involving Alina and the Boyfriend of Blandness.

[Haleth]

I may end up FFing through all the Alina stuff and just watch the Crows.  But I don't want to miss Ben Barnes, even though I keep waiting for him to ask about her internet service.

Was Nina recast?  I thought she was a redhead last season.  Love that she joined our favorite band of thieves.  It will be fun watching them break into the prison so she can find Matthias.  

[absnow54]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:05 AM, Haleth said:

Was Nina recast?  I thought she was a redhead last season.  Love that she joined our favorite band of thieves.  It will be fun watching them break into the prison so she can find Matthias.  

It's the same actress. I think she lost some weight, or her face thinned out a bit.

[tennisgurl]

So glad that I finally have time to watch the new season! I thought this was a great start, I don't know if its because I'm more familiar with the world now or because they don't need to drop so much exposition, but it feels like the show has had a real bump in quality, and I really liked the first season. The use of maps to show where we are was especially well done, it helped make the distance being traveled feel more real and gave a real sense of place. 

Alina and Mal were actually a lot better than I remember them being last season, I found their excitement about seeing the world outside of Ravka, despite the less than great circumstances, very endearing. They really seemed to be on the same page, working together, and I could feel their connection a lot more than I did when they were always separate or angsting about each other. I also liked when the people all stood in front of them when they were almost arrested.

Much like last season, the stuff with the crows were the best part of the episode. Inej disappearing like Batman, even surrounded by people, was awesome. I am glad that she reconnected with Kaz and Jesper quickly though, the three of them have such great chemistry, it will be interesting to see how this new kid and Nina fit into their dynamic. Looks like we will be getting some backstory for Kaz this season, it must be pretty rough if he froze up like that. Interesting reveal that Jesper has powers but if course Kaz figured it out. Love that Nina has joined the gang and that she's moving forward to save Matthias, I really like them and hopefully they can move past these slight...complications. 

Kirigan is back and even edgier than ever! Things are pretty bad back in Ravka and it seems like its only going to get worse.