Tamal Kundu
‘Shadow and Bone’ is a Netflix series based on the popular gunpowder fantasy adventure books, the ‘Grisha’ trilogy and ‘Six of Crows’ duology, by Israeli-American author Leigh Bardugo. Eric Heisserer, who previously wrote scripts of films like ‘Arrival’ and ‘Bird Box,’ developed the story. It is set in a world that resembles parts of 19th century Europe and Asia. Several centuries earlier, the powerful Kingdom of Ravka was split in half when a narrow stretch of pure darkness manifested. Since then, East and West Ravka have maintained a very strenuous connection.
This starts to change with the appearance of the Sun Summoner, who has the ability to destroy the Fold. In episode 6, titled ‘The Heart Is an Arrow,’ Arken (Howard Charles) tells everything to General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), who embarks on a journey to get Alina back with Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta), David (Luke Pasqualino), Ivan (Simon Sears), and an Inferni whose brother Inej (Amita Suman) killed when she was at the Little Palace. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of episode 6. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Shadow and Bone Season 1 Episode 6 Recap
It is revealed that Arken wasn’t working with General Zlatan for any ideological convergence. Zlatan was simply paying him the same amount of money he was supposed to split with Kaz (Freddy Carter) and his crew. Arken offers Kirigan Zlatan’s head for half the price. Kirigan declines and kills him. Later, Fedyor (Julian Kostov) brings Kirigan the news about what has happened to Nina and is sent to Fjerda to retrieve her and any other Grisha he might find.
When Alina gets out of her hiding spot in a town called Ryevast, Kaj, Inej, and Jesper (Kit Young) are waiting for her. She manages to disorientate Kaz and Jesper, and Inej doesn’t stop her from leaving. Chased by the townsfolk for her Shu features, Alina runs into Mal (Archie Renaux) in the woods, and they decide to find the Stag together. From their confrontation with the Grisha, Kaz’s crew emerges triumphant.
They even escape with Kirigan’s carriage. David tells Kirigan that he can find Alina with his Durast abilities if he is within a mile’s radius from her through the iridium ring that Genya (Daisy Head) gave the girl. Meanwhile, shipwrecked and then lost in the permafrost, Matthias (Calahan Skogman) and Nina (Danielle Galligan) realize that if they want to survive, they have to rely on each other.
Shadow and Bone Season 1 Episode 6 Ending: Is Mal Also a Grisha?
He might be. Like Alina, Mal has never been tested, so he doesn’t really know if he has any abilities. But as Kirigan observes in this episode, Mal has extraordinary tracking skills. Before he found Morozova’s Stag, it was believed to be a myth by most people. And yet, he locates it in the hopes of getting to see Alina again.
After Alina escapes from the Little Palace, Mal finds his way to her. After some hostilities, as each believes that the other was ignoring their letters, the childhood friends fall back into their familiar patterns of trust and understanding. Mal’s observation about the positive changes in her appetite and health makes Alina realize how Kirigan has lived for centuries.
Who Was Intercepting Mal’s and Alina’s Letters?
After they unite, Mal and Alina have to wade through some mutual anger and disappointment. They accuse each other of not answering their letters before realizing that they were not getting them. This can only be possible if someone was intercepting their correspondence to each other. The most obvious suspect of this is Kirigan. He seems to have known about Mal before meeting him and has gone through Alina’s belongings. So, it is possible that he came to know about the close bond Alina and Mal shared and wanted to sever it.
Another possible suspect is Zoya, whose sexual advances Mal politely declines before their fateful travel through the Fold. After Alina comes to the Little Palace, Zoya becomes downright hostile toward her. This is likely because Zoya felt that she was being replaced in the Grisha hierarchy and in Kirigan’s life. So, if she intercepted the letters, it is probably out of spite.
Why Does Inej Let Alina Escape?
Unlike her cynical comrades Kaz and Jesper, Inej is deeply religious. Her faith considers Alina to be a saint because of her sun summoning abilities. During the confrontation, she chooses her faith over loyalty, not knowing what Kaz has put on the line so that she can be at his side. It seems that the show is gradually breaking her devotion to her faith.
Murder is an abhorrent sin according to her religion. And yet, since she has embarked on this mission with Kaz and Jesper, she has killed two people. As she now knows that Kaz has placed the Crow club as collateral with Heleen (Deirdre Mullins) for her, Inej might earnestly attempt to capture Alina the next time their paths cross.
Why Do the Drüskelle Hunt the Grisha?
As it is revealed in a conversation between Matthias and Nina, the Fjerdans seem to have a very archaic society where the roles of men and women are clearly defined. And this puritanical view has been extended to the Grisha, whom the Fjerdans regard as witches. The Grisha are abducted by the Drüskelle and taken to the Ice Court in Fjerda. There, they face sham trials. After they are found guilty, the Grisha are often burned alive.
Read More: Where is Shadow and Bone Filmed?
