The series “Shadow and Bone” really did a disservice to the books it was based on by cramming them all together in one season. It managed to tell the story but failed to establish an emotional connection with its audience, which it would have done if it had given each plot and character the time to develop on screen. We often hear “Shadow and Bone” being called a brilliant adaptation of the books by Leigh Bardugo. We have to clarify that it only applies to the first season. The second season was a letdown, especially if you are a book fan. But there is something that came to our attention while watching it.
Spoilers Ahead
The story arc of “Six of Crows” was far more engaging and sharp than the one about Alina Starkov. This happened because the crows kept up with their adventures and their developing relationships, the exact things that Alina Starkov and her entourage were denied when the writers combined the story of “Siege and Storm” and “Ruin and Rising” into eight episodes. But now that the bulk of Alina’s story has ended, we know that “Shadow and Bone” Season 3 will be adapted from the “King of Scars” duology and the actual “Six of Crows” book, where the motley group goes on the hunt to stop “Jurda Parem” from hitting the market.
In the second book of the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy, “Siege and Storm”, a plant named Jurda was briefly mentioned, as Alina was working with it while hiding under a false identity to escape from the Darkling. She said that the plant used to stain her hands orange after a whole day of packing it. However, in Season 2 of “Shadow and Bone”, the Jurda Parem is mentioned in the final few minutes. It is a highly addictive drug that can temporarily enhance Grisha’s abilities a hundred times over. In the wrong hands, this could spell disaster. Therefore, the crows must find and stop the production of the drug in the interest of all humanity and for the sake of a few million Kruge. This is how we think Season 3 might play out through the crows’ quest for Jurda Parem.
What Is The ‘Jurda Parem’ Drug?
Jurda is grown in Jesper Fahey’s homeland, Novyi Zen. The Jurda Parem is a drug created by a Shu chemist, Bo Yul Bayur, and based on the plant. Since it is a drug, it is addictive, and the way it multiplies the power of the Grisha is bound to have an impact on them. Grisha are masters of small science, where they manipulate the matter around them to do their bidding. But the multiplication of their power without the use of an amplifier or a drug can be catastrophic. An amplifier lends aid or its own power to the Grisha, whereas the Jurda Parem boosts their power by affecting their bodies directly. We saw in the Season 2 finale that a woman in red was able to attack the hearts of an entire gathering instead of just one or two people like ordinary Grisha can do. The last time someone had that kind of unchecked power, they ended up creating the Shadow Fold, affecting centuries of Grisha history. But rest assured, we do not have another Morozova or Kirigan on our hands. The creation of Jurda Parem was an accident that happened when Bo Yul Bayur was trying to make something that would suppress Grisha powers. The crows will definitely have to trace him down if they hope to find an antidote to the Jurda Parem and completely annihilate the formula to stop further production. This might bring them in contact with Alina Starkov once again since the Jurda Parem seems to have reached Ravka and is being used to attack them once again.
The New Adventure Of ‘Six Of Crows’
What we can expect before the crows set off on their new adventure is that they will all be reunited. Inej Ghafa has left them to find her own way. She has her freedom, she is on the new Sturmhond’s ship, and it looks like she might be reunited with her brother as well. Or she might find a clue that leads her back to Ketterdam and inadvertently, to the crows. As for Nina, she might need Kaz’s help to free Matthias from prison, and she has to join them on their mission. It is also possible that she successfully frees Matthias, and he goes along with them to destroy Jurda Parem, as he is an ex-druskelle, and he would want to destroy anything that gives Grisha such unimaginable power. This hints at a lot of romantic tension between Nina and Matthias and even between Kaz, Inej, and Tolya, who seems to have taken a shine to our wraith. Maybe that jealousy will prompt Kaz out of his insecurities and reluctance, and he will confess his love for Inej.
Alina Starkov and Nikolai Lantsov
There is a brief arc in the books where Alina loses her powers temporarily. At the end of Season 2 of “Shadow and Bone”, we suspect that Merzost must have crept into Alina’s powers after she brought Mal back to life. We also think that she might have to face a resurrected Darkling again when she tries to deal with Nikolai’s Nichevo’ya problem. Facing the Darkling requires her to be at her most powerful. Alina has started enjoying her power, as we saw in the end when she smiles after she uses the Cut on the Heartrender. But Alina, due to some unforeseen circumstances, might feel the need for more power. Since Mal has lost his amplifier abilities, she might turn towards some Jurda Parem for herself. If not Alina, the Darkling might use the Jurda Parem for some enhanced abilities in whichever body he occupies, be it Nikolai Lantsov or anybody else’s. We haven’t yet seen the back of General Aleksander Kirigan, and Season 3 of “Shadow and Bone” will raise the stakes higher than before, with characters having nothing and everything to lose and the Jurda Parem thrown into the mix.
