‘And he was my monster too’

Kaz still pays for Inej, huh? She isn't free. That makes the ship in the show very sour.

Of course we had to whitewash Mal. In the book he didn't sneek into Zoya's tent for food but for some pussy.

Mal: "Grisha women scare me". Mal in the books: "Guess who's gonna fuck a Grisha tonight, Alina!".

I hate how they call him "General Kirigan". Mainly because his title "the Darkling" is important for his character and how he's viewed. His book title separates him from the rest of the world as something unnatural and frightening. Furthermore, he might had chosen it himself to gain a fearful reputation as a way to protect his army. And let's not forget that it made his human moments even more significant. A Grisha with a scary name showing to Alina that he can be polite, laugh or get annoyed because of his mother. It made the name revealing scene or even his death so human which contrasts his title and reputation. By calling himself "General Kirigan" it just makes him like everybody else. Yes, a leader of the Grisha. But that's it. It just grounds him too much from the very beginning of the story.

She did not just burn the most important maps of that journey so they could take her with them. She put to danger her whole team (and they actually died afterwards) without a care. And literally for what?? To protect Mal against the volcra?? The moment she heard them she hid 😭

The person that lit the lantern and caused the carnage was part of the cartography team. The team that Alina dragged with her. So Alina was responsible for that slaughter in the show (I don't make the rules here. It's the truth 🙂).

The directing style is so cringe. I feel like I'm watching a B-movie. Why do they use slow motion scenes every five minutes?

Episode 2 (We're All Someone's Monster):

God, I wish the Darkling's quarters were more book accurate. I loved how his tent was portrayed in the books: big with Grisha sitting or playing chess, playing and listening to music and the luxurious appearance of it all.

Show!Darkling is not his book counterpart. I just don't like the former and Ben for me is nothing like the real Darkling. Actually, casting Ben is a fan service which happens a lot lately in cinema and I generally hate (*cough*putting Timothée Chalamet everywhere *cough*)

I was imagining Alina's light to literally look like the sunlight and to brighten the tent like there was a sun inside it. But in the show it was...cheap.

Not the slow motion scenes again. The director needs directing lessons. You never overuse that.

Wow they really aged everyone up. Even Ivan. What was the point of that?

Mal in the show: *runs after Alina* Mal in the books: *does nothing*

Zoya to Mal after Alina gets taken away: "She is one (Grisha) now!". Zoya, is that you? Since when was she supportive of Alina?

Sometimes I feel like they put the Crows in this show only as a comic relief. Like literally Jesper is only for the laughs.

There's no way Inej would walk inside the Menagerie without having triggering moments. I remember someone once said that in the books she even avoids walking around this place. And talking to Heleen with ease? The writers' already threw the books out.

"I've survived long enough without your protection. Thank you". Alina, who do you think fights these wars and keeps your country safe?? 😭

The hostility the Grisha have to endure is unbelievable.

They did Jessie dirty with her slow motion reaction to the Darkling's cut. What was even that? 💀

Why is she shouting in the Darkling's face about her fate? Girl, it's not like he can choose who the Sun Summoner is. You're the Sun Summoner so he have to settle with you. Why are you yelling like he's at fault for you being a Grisha? 😭

Mal: "Alone with one man?" Well hello book!Mal, I was wondering when you'd show up.

Mal needs some basic military lessons because why does he think that the First Army would go and "save" Alina from the Second Army. It's not like they're two different units or something. 🤦‍♀️

Inej (a girl that was sold as a child) gets enraged by the Conductor for selling children but seems fine with the prospect of kidnapping Alina and selling her to a stranger. *Me chuckling nervously* Yeah...

Why are there First Army soldiers guarding the inside of the Little Palace? Does it further suggest how closely the Grisha are monitored by the Crown?

Episode 3 (The Making at the Heart of the World):

Daisy Head is one of the very few actors in this show that gave a very good performance with such cringe material and direction. She deserves more attention and kudos.

Alina when Genya tours her around the Little Palace and explains to her that the Darkling built it so that the Grisha can thrive and that the King doesn't care about the First Army or the battles: "Has a Grisha ever escaped?". Yup! She didn't understand shit!

Leigh Bardugo what are you doing here?? (I forgot she had a cameo and she gave me a jumpscare)

West Ravka's desire to gain independence isn't an entirely mad idea. They have their own ports, their own resources and they don't want to lose more people by constantly crossing the Fold to send provisions to the East. It's actually strange how they didn't want this sooner. This gives an entirely new perspective and understanding to Aleksander's desire to unite the country. They will not only starve if he doesn't succeed but they will also perish by the Fjerdans and the Shu since they lack forces.

Sooo.... Every time you cross the Fold, you get a scar on your hand? That doesn't make any sense.

Alina is so overconfident. She has been in the Little Palace for two days and she's already arrogant. She herself chooses Zoya to fight her and she's sure that she's gonna win against her just because Mal showed her how to stand when she's fighting. Girl, you just got here 😭

Alina in the books: *so injured that she needed to go to the infirmary*. In the show: *shakes it off like nothing*.

They brought the character of the Apparat for 2-3 episodes just to never use him again.

Nah, Ilya Morozova didn't originally create the amplifiers to give the persecuted Grisha strength but because he was simply an arrogant man. And he surely wasn't called the "Bonesmith" because he sacrificed his fingers to create them.

So they couldn't build a hut for Baghra? They have her living in a cave?

The Crows crossing through the Fold had me rolling my eyes. Giving a goat to Jesper as a comfort pet? Really?

Episode 4 (Otkazat'sya):

It's here, guys. The "Please, call me Aleksander" scene. Bye bye name reveal scene. You were too iconic and they didn't deserve you. 💐🪦 But seriously, what in the shit??

Again, how is Alina so confident with everyone? She has never been to the Little Palace, Aleksander is the leader of the Grisha and she seems okay. I'm not saying that confidence is bad. But Alina in this book was shy, timid and only occasionally let her impulse get the better of her while staying in the Little Palace.

They reduced the Crows into a group for comic relief for the audience after all. 😔

Jesper: "It's time for heist!". Honestly it reminded me of "It's morbin' time!". 😭 This thing to explicitly say what the characters will do to evoke excitement to the readers who recognize the reference is....cringe.

Milo is cute and all but again this whole thing is cringe. Why do you have to make the Crows look cute when they're a bunch of traumatized teenagers-adults? They had so much nuance in the books. Here? None.

Why is the Darkling cleaning the branches around the spring? LMAO 😭😭

The books were really bad but this show made it worse. We have Dubrov collecting the White Stag's shit so he can sell it and arguing with his friend whether they're dry or not. Top television 💯

NGL! The actors that play Matthias and Nina have a really good chemistry.

Just so you know, Alina here is no different than the one in the books. She is all about Mal, Mal and Mal. She wants to go back to the First Army with Mal. And she repressed her powers for Mal. Nothing is changed here.

How did Alina manage to sneak into the Darkling's bedroom? Doesn't he have any guards?

(also Ben Barnes, in this role, has this constant look in his eyes like he's near-sighted)

Ah shit. His habit of looking like he's about to cry starts from this scene. He would never make himself look vulnerable and weak to anyone UNLESS he wants to manipulate the other person. But in this case Aleksander is just a sentimental, whiny character in comparison to his book counterpart who is controlling with his emotions, composed and serious.

That scene in general (where Aleksander is standing on the table talking about his problems to Alina and Alina touches his hand and everything becomes bright) is cringe again. And feels extremely forced.

The release of Alina's powers in the show is sooo underwhelming. She just conjured a slightly bigger ball of light in comparison to her previous, failed efforts. In the book she lit the whole hat and it was a powerful, significant moment for her.

The flashbacks of Mal and Alina are A LOT. It's like they try so hard to show how bonded they are, how close, how loved etc. etc. They even gave them matching scars on their palms, something that Mal didn't have in the book.

Episode 5 (Show Me Who You Are):

Alina seems to get very well with Nadia and Marie. A far cry from her relationship with them in the books.

Alina to Genya: "Mal always told me that he would retire to a farm. I never really liked farms". So they don't have the same aspirations in the show and they don't have the same goals. So how do they still want each other so much when they have so little in common?

What the fuck did they do to David in the show?? 😭😭

And he gave Alina some cheap-ass gloves. Where are the little mirrors that she had in the books?

And she didn't even keep them. She only said to David "I think I'll be alright on my own". Lol okay.

Show!Jesper pisses me off so much. He smirks like an idiot the whole time he's on screen, he sleeps around (making his ship with Wylan unlikable) and he jeopardizes his mission by doing other things. Either by gambling or flirting.

Alina gives zero fucks about her personal safety. By going out with Genya a few hours before the fete she risks her own life. And she didn't even disguise her herself. 😀

Unpopular opinion perhaps but seeing show!Aleksander behaving like a lovesick boy makes me sick. Book!Aleksander did his best to hide his feelings.

The Grisha seem way too comfortable in the Little Palace during the fete. They're property of the Crown and soldiers and right now surrounded by the royal family and Ravka's nobility. But they act like there's no superstition against them.

Oh wait. The General of West Ravka is actually an ally with the Fjerdans. Not good.

The Crows' plan to kidnap Alina is so stupid. How can they take one of the most guarded people in Ravka with them? The show just made everyone around them look and act dumb to make the Crows look smart.

How is Alina so confident early in the story?? You have to see the way she walks and behaves. Yes, in the books her confidence grew after her powers were released but even in the fete she was kind, shy and somewhat apprehensive of others. Not like *this*.

Oh and Alina's black and gold kefta is horrible All this budget for what?

Save me from this awkward romance 😭 (aka. Darklina). The way they deliver their lines also doesn't help.

"You look like you needed saving" = CRINGE

Kaz's actor hasn't changed expression for the whole five episodes.

Literally whose idea was to make Alina's glowing, blinding light that is like the sun (according to the books) look like two balls of light? 🥲

Her display was so disappointing and underwhelming in comparison to the book. Aleksander participated too!

It's funny how Inej is captivated by Alina during her display but is still willing to kidnap her and sell her afterwards.

Even though the Apparat looks nothing like his book counterpart, he is still creepy. Wish they used him more.

Mal's and Aleksander's interaction is completely ridiculous.

Also, by cutting off completely the whole toxic dialogue between Mal and Alina is only showing that the writers knew how fucked up it really was. In fact, they haven't made interact at all here.

R.I.P Marie. You died for nothing in the show.

Not the blue irises 😭

Everybody say "thank you Baghra for attempting to kill Mal". Although to he honest he's not a douchebag like in the books. But very, very boring.

Not gonna comment on the famous Darklina scene were they make up on the table, except that it was anticlimactic for me because their interactions were so awkward.

Oh please, why have we made Baghra tear up while narrating how the volcra of the Fold were once men when we know that she cares for none of them. She sees them like dust in the wind. And I know that this wasn't a trick to make Alina feel pity since the showrunners want to make Baghra a good character.

Aleksander's painting needs to be thrown out of the window. 💀

Ivan in the show remains one of the best characters. We won!!

Those cowards of showrunners didn't let Aleksander punish his mother.

Okay so, they made the Crows dumb by making Alina simply jump to their carriage. They didn't have to do anything. And I remember how people back then were impressed by this.

Episode 6 (The Heart Is an Arrow):

That thing where the Fold gives you a scar on your wrist every time you cross it is show!canon and only written to make the Conductor recognizable to the Darkling. After that, it's never mentioned again. Not even in Season 2.

I like how they show the Darkling to be livid after finding out what the Conductor does to his Grisha. He's protective of them but all this is forgotten in the second season.

The Darkling: "I had a spy. Nina Zenik." Actually, she's supposed to be only a child at this time but okay.

Barnes' acting is too much. Like he's trying too hard and it shows.

Inej letting Alina escape is more canon of her than selling her for money.

Fyodor is letting Aleksander know that Nina has been abducted by Matthias Helvar specifically. And that he's a famous witchhunter blah blah. But why is he famous? What makes him so special?

Zoya is far too comfortable in the presence of the Darkling. She's talking to him as if he's an old friend not as a General.

Zoya's sexual relationship with Aleksander in the show makes me want to write an entire essay of why it's wrong but since I'm not in the mood I'll only say that it's completely out of character for the latter. Book!Aleksander didn't allow anyone to come near him unless he wanted to seduce someone that was useful to him. Emotionally he was detached and as far as we know he kept only a professional relationship with his Grisha.

Zoya being mad for getting rejected. Girl please, what did you think?

Every single interaction Alina has outside the Little Palace is being bullied for being a Shu 😀

Calahan's (Matthias) accent is awful and the actor is meh. He wasn't even given much to expand his character. We only see him hate and fear the Grisha like the rest of his people but we haven't seen his past, his upbringing, his training to gain more insight. So his character is flat like the rest of them.

Matthias' and Nina's relationship had so much potential. R.i.p to that.

Mal's and Alina's reunion was..... underwhelming.

So, Inej let Alina go only because she could see that she was "a living Saint". Based on what she said to Kaz to excuse herself, if Alina was a con then she would allow them to sell her. Girl, what is this show? 💀

Mal: "Of course I'm not (scared of Alina's powers). Why would you think that?". THIS is not Mal. The bloody hypocrites. They made Mal kinder and Aleksander crueler in the show just to push the Malina agenda.

I hate Jesper so much holy shit! And they made him beat Ivan. They did my powerful boy dirty.

The writers have completely robbed Inej's empathy and kindness. She killed a Grisha and when his sister wants to take revenge, she takes her out with complete apathy. Her only strong characteristic is her blind devotion to her faith.

Okay! The confrontation between Aleksander and Kaz is really trash and makes no sense. A near immortal and powerful Grisha defeated by a man with a cane and a little bomb (?).

David, they nerfed you so bad...

Mal to Alina: "You really developed an appetite, didn’t you? That’s new. Not bad, I’m just saying it looks good on you." See what I mean when I say they erased every single toxic trait of him?

Alina revealing Aleksander's name to Mal as if it's nothing. Meanwhile, in the books, she's still keeping it a secret respecting his wishes.

Episode 7 (The Unsea):

Alright, the episode starts with the known flashback of how Aleksander created the Fold. First off, Ben Barnes' wig needs to be thrown out of the window.

The otkazat'sya soldiers call him "the Darkling" even though in the books he got that name after the creation of the Fold.

How can Luda heal others from a distance? In the books, Healers need to be close to the person they want to heal.

Baghra here sounds very much with her book counterpart.

Contrary to RoW where it's stated that Aleksander used merzost to create his own amplifiers like his grandfather, in the show he did it to protect his people. Now that wouldn't bother me much if they didn't show Aleksander doing it after studying for 5 seconds and then attempting it. It takes years to try such a thing.

It would be okay to show Aleksander being ambitious while trying to learn about merzost and how to use it. Honestly I don't think even the writers know what to do with this character. The one minute they want us to sympathise with him and the next to hate him. You can do both (which is called "nuance") but they only did the same thing Bardugo did. Swaying back and forth with him.

Alina: "Kirigan never wanted me to kill the Stag". Of course he did! What else are you supposed to do with it? Bring it to your back yard? I swear some changes make absolutely no sense.

The usual same shit about Aleksander being a murderer for finishing off the Stag. Not gonna comment anything on here again.

The Crows' mission to kidnap Alina utterly failed and now they return to Ketterdam so the only reason they were put in season 1 was because they wanted to please their fans lmao (and to show that the Darkling was fooled by a limping man).

If you find Alina annoying in the books, don't watch the show. She's completely unbearable, thinks she's smart and shows no compassion for Aleksander. "I know things". Girl you were in the Little Palace for three months 😭

The ugly ass bone that David put on Aleksander's hand man..... What the hell? Why is it even needed when he killed the Stag himself and gifted it to Alina? Doesn't that make them already connected?

Oh the acting is bad. Like really bad. That moment when the Darkling touches Alina to use her power for the first time in the tent? It's really, really bad.

The way the antlers have become one with Alina's skin and bones is so body horror and I appreciate it.

Let's talk about Genya's and Alina's discussion in the tent. It's as bad as in the books. The moment Alina realizes that Genya spied for the Darkling she looks at her with a judgemental, cruel look. Do you know what he said to her? Look:

Alina: "“Be careful of powerful men”? You should have included devious women." = So kind of you, Alina.

Alina: "The King’s illness, we can assume you had both the inclination and the proximity to make that happen?" = Of course she had the inclination! That man was a rapist!

Alina: "My letters to Mal, you never sent them."

Genya: "I had no choice."

Alina: "Except that you did. And you chose to betray our friendship." = Girl please, what friendship?

Genya: "I was a whipping girl for the Queen and a Grisha without a color. I… Choosing friendship over survival was not a luxury I could afford."

Alina: "I know what it means to be an outsider struggling to survive. And it’s no excuse." = she really said that to a woman that has been raped for a few years now.

Anyway after that they didn't say much and I could include it here but I won't 'cause I want to get over this episode and this series and then go on with my life. Genya stormed off angered after their conversation (same girl).

The Crows have now decided to rescue Alina because she's the Sun Summoner and they pity her fate (aka. they butchered these characters. Couldn't they give them some material from their books to bring to life?)

"If you keep me alive, I will hunt you down and I will claim the bounty the old King put on your head." I love your confidence, Mal.

This cringe ass addition to the show that is called Milo. Yeah, he's still alive.

Alina: "You spun all this guilt around your burden, the sins of your father [the Black Heretic]. There was no father. You created the Fold. You killed my friends. My parents." I'm confused. So in the show it's supposed to be the Darkling's father that created the Fold? His father was the Black Heretic? And they did that for what? To also blame Aleksander for the death of Alina's parents while in the books it was the wars that caused it? What in the shit? Also in the show how old is Aleksander? 100? Lmaooo

Alina: "And what about conspiring with the Apparat to poison the King and usurp the throne?" Hooray to that actually!

Aleksander: "Continuing to serve such a king would make me a traitor to my country. And my conscience." The only thing show!Aleksander has said that I completely agree on.

Ben stop tearing up -> challenge failed

Episode 8 (No Mourners):

Jesper says nothing substantial. Either he explains the plot to the viewers or says jokes.

Nina's and Matthias' relationship has moved so fast. You feel like you skipped a couple of episodes. The last time we saw them he rescued her from falling off a cliff, they were still kinda uncertain of each other and now they make plans about where to live together.

The Darkling expanding the Fold makes more sense here. Zlatan wanted to kill everyone on the skiff, Aleksander could have already found out about their plans and wanted to put an end to their plans of independence. But how on Earth could Zlatan believe that he could kill all the Grisha in the skiff? Especially Aleksander and Alina who are the most powerful.

The rest is the battle atop of the skiff which is nonsense 'cause I don't know how Inej took out a Heartrender or how one of her knives pierced Aleksander's uniform? Isn't it designed to stop bullets and knives? Also why are there only two Heartrenders and one Squaller on the skiff?

Ivan is dead nooo!! Fuck off Jesper.

Zoya and Alina are now besties which is completely illogical 'cause it happened in like three minutes.

Haven't written much about this episode since I really wanted to get over with this. It was the usual nonsense: the Crows making jokes, Alina and Mal loving each other and Matthias and Nina being back to square one.

In conclusion:

The Darkling: Show!Darkling needs to be shot at the back yard. They revealed his true name like it's nothing and now Alina has said it to Mal. The writers have given him a name "Kirigan" which is awful. Why would they even do that. In the books, Leigh wanted to keep this aura of mystery about him, to make him distant and terrifying and only revealed his name to ground him in the last book. To show to the readers that he's still a human being. In the show this build up just doesn't exist. Also, Ben Barnes is one of the worst castings they did here. It was fan service and he was nothing like his book counterpart (both in appearance and in character). As an actor, Ben is average. He was either tearing up, looking blankly at someone or in space or saying his lines with too much passion.

Alina Starkov: As a character, the same as with the books. But she was really, really stupid here. Jessie Mei Li is not a good actress in my opinion. She is overacting, tries too hard. Her acting is not natural at all but cringe.

Mal Oretsev: They erased every single toxic thing that he had from the books. He's not afraid of Alina's powers, he never really argued with her, he's quiet and respectful but he's incredibly boring. Archie Renaux was nothing spectacular as well but average at best.

Kaz Brekker: What a disappointment. Freddy Carter has only one expression in the whole eight episodes. I'm not kidding! Book!Kaz has his own kind of humor, he gets angry, he feels things. Here? Nothing. Blank. The character is still paying for Inej (I don't know why they changed that) and the writers wanted to please his fans by "outsmarting" Aleksander. That was so dumb.

Inej Ghafa: Her character here is basically a woman that is overly religious. Whatever she does is driven by that. Also, she had no problem selling someone for money (I'm sorry book!Inej. They did you so dirty). Amita Suman was okayish....

Jesper Fahey: I hated his guts. He's either joking, admiring himself, joking, boasting and screwing missions because he's flirting. Oh! And he loved Milo. That's it. I didn't care about Kit Young. In fact I don't know if he's a good actor or not because I was too busy hating the character he was portraying. He was meh, I guess.

Zoya Nazyalensky: The same arrogance that was portrayed in the books it is also portrayed here. She thinks she is someone because she was the Darkling's lover. And she became friends with Alina in ten minutes? The actress was okayish.

Genya Safin: The star of the show! The actress was amazing and the only one whose acting stood out. She was a natural. The character is the same as in the books, as in incredible.

The show, in general, was anti-Grisha. They treat them like they are arrogant assholes. The Crows were used only as comic relief and to please their fans by adding them. The writers didn't know what to label the Darkling and whitewashed Mal's characterization.

Anyway it was trash. The kind of show 14 year old kids love. It's not in any way good, neither the screenplay nor the acting.