Shadow and Bone Season 2 has been a truly new experience for those who have read Leigh Bardugo's books as it featured numerous changes to the storyline. So why change so many things about Alina Starkov's journey? Showrunner Eric Heisserer pointed out that most of the divergences were due to Jessie Mei Li's impressive performance as the Sun Summoner.
Eric Heisserer recently spoke to Mashable where he explained the several changes that were made in Shadow and Bone Season 2. For instance, the books saw the Darkling force Alina and Mal to find the Sea Whip but in the series, the pair search for it after forging an alliance with Prince Nikolai. According to Heisserer, they had chosen to go with the change because of the way Jessie Mei Li handled her character.
"We got a good demonstration of Jessie's charisma and her leadership capabilities toward the end of Season 1 and realized that we wanted her to grow as a character into Season 2, and not necessarily take a step back into a space where she is under the thumb of somebody else," Heisserer said.
"The books were great, this was just something that we had to consider once we had actors who could demonstrate a new aspect of a character for us," he continued.
It certainly makes sense considering that Jessie Mei Li has turned in a powerful performance as Alina. With that in mind, it's great to see that the Sun Summoner is her own woman who can finally control her own fate.
Eric Heisserer also teased a possible romantic reunion for Alina and Mal Oretsev in the future seasons of Shadow and Bone. "The both really are still pining for each other. They want to return to each other at a time when they feel confident in their own identities," he said.
All eight episodes of Shadow and Bone Season 2 are now streaming on Netflix.
Related: Shadow and Bone Showrunner Teases Alina and Mal's Romantic Reunion After Season 2
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