Shadow and Bone

[lucymonster]

On Tuesday night, my best friend came over and brought tidings of a new TV show I supposedly had to watch. 'There's a villain called the Darkling,' she explained, 'and the way he treats the heroine is textbook abuse. You'll probably ship them.' (She and I live at opposite ends of Reylo Discourse Street and she has my standing permission to rib me about it.)

I spent the first six episodes feeling smug about my indifference to the Darkling. That'll teach my friend, thought I, to label me as predictable! Just because he has a black cape and a goofy Ebony Dark'ness nickname and an evil plan motivated by deep inner pain doesn't mean I have to fall for him! Then today, episode seven gave me a flashback to his tragic villain origin story and I had to tuck my tail between my legs and text my triumphant friend the news. Just like that, I'm gone on him.

My friend isn't the only person I've seen compare the Darkling to Kylo Ren in the five-odd minutes I've been in this fandom. They've all missed one small but critical nuance. The Darkling isn't Kylo Ren - he's Kylo Ren's Mary Sue self-insert in the thinly veiled Reylo fanfic he wrote to vent his feelings about the TLJ breakup. He's the cold, self-collected, effortlessly imposing dark magic user Kylo Ren desperately wants to be. He's charming and seductive, and loses his beloved not because he can't stop throwing tantrums in front of her but solely because his mother interfered. I love the Darkling and I love Kylo Ren, but other than the wardrobes they are very different people.

Tied for the number one spot against the Darkling is Inej, who is my other predictable type of favourite character: badass black-clad woman with lots of knives. I mean, just look at her. She's, and bear with me on this, a child acrobat turned sex trafficking victim turned spy for a crew of eccentric gangsters whose exploits make up the most enjoyable parts of the show. Despite surviving among humanity's scum, she has deep moral and religious convictions that the plot stretches to their absolute breaking point. She's not allowed to kill, but killing is the only way to save the people she loves from certain death. The target she's contracted to help kidnap is a living saint, but if she goes home empty-handed, she'll be sent back to the brothel. She's all the things that are tough and sexy and impressive about characters like Black Widow, but without ever slipping into two-dimensional femme fatale stereotypes. She has so much heart you guys, and - wait for the shock of your lives - very little f/f fic about her on ao3 once you filter out the WIPs, modern AUs and cameo appearances in larger juggernauts. So like. I have some work to do.

Not right now, though. Right now the feelings are too fresh to write about - I can't even write a proper show review, I'm just rambling my guts out here. It always takes me a bit of time to settle when a brand new fandom grabs me by the throat. What I really need to do next is read the books, because I've already inhaled all the major spoilers for the rest of the series on the fan wiki, but it's not enough I need more.

Comments

[pauraque]

The Darkling isn't Kylo Ren - he's Kylo Ren's Mary Sue self-insert in the thinly veiled Reylo fanfic he wrote to vent his feelings about the TLJ breakup.

LOL! Personally, I've often thought (and I say this with all love and affection for HP fandom) that Fanon Snape is how Canon Snape would write himself.

[lucymonster]

Omg that's so true. :'D I say that with great affection for Snape myself. I have a weak spot for unpleasant, dysfunctional fictional men who want to be Dark Fuck Princes but can't for the life of themselves stick the landing.

[walgesang]

See, I watched the trailer and was kind of eeeehhhhhh but now your description has gotten me interested (ladies! with knives! :D).

[lucymonster]

Honestly, Inej - and several of the other ladies, this show has a fantastic cast of female characters - are what kept me captivated through the first few episodes before I even gave a damn about the Alina/Darkling main plot. I can't lie to you, there's a frustrating amount of screentime devoted to a fairly bog standard good-boy-vs-bad-boy YA love triangle, but (at least in my opinion) the ladies are 100% worth it. Inej has many, MANY knives. :DDD

[walgesang]

I've watched the first four episodes! I love the heist gang and although I can't find myself to care about the whole Alina/Mal thing, I am totally all up in whatever Alina/Genya and the other students at Hogwarts, er, the castle. I also immediately perked up with the thought of potential Bagrah/Alina kink fic. :D :D

Also I am so enamored with all the clothing! I love how practical they are and hot damn, just good looking.