In the words of Captain Raymond Holt, everything is garbage; never love anything. Netflix cancels Shadow and Bone, then blames it on the strikes? Are we even surprised at the low levels the network has succumbed to, canceling everything left and right without ever letting them grow with the dedicated fan bases willing to show up consistently? Nope, not even a little. Are we shocked that they’re blaming the strikes? Still, the Shadow and Bone cancelation hurts like a ton of bricks.
In a show like this, ship wars were always inevitable, and that likely deters how people feel about the cancelation, but it’s also worth addressing how immature it is to see some fans celebrate hundreds of people losing their jobs. This adaptation wasn’t just good; it was genuinely great. It had a perfect cast that many shows can’t say the same for. It was creative and well-written, even if things didn’t go exactly as we wanted them to. And it’s so easy to just not watch something when a character you love is no longer there, but to step on people while they’re upset is a low blow. To laugh at the many stories still up in the air is bizarre and so very unnecessary.
Still, for what we got, we’ll always be grateful for it. Writing about this show for two years has brought me immense, healing joy. Writing about Inej Ghafa’s character especially has meant the world to me. And then having the chance to dive deep into the Kaz and Inej relationship was one of my favorite things ever as a journalist. But God, I wanted so desperately to see all the crows together on their heist — I wanted to see the moment they all realized that they had found a family with each other. The characters, the actors, the crew, Leigh Bardguo…they all deserved so much more.
This is largely why so many people don’t invest in shows on Netflix anymore. Shadow and Bone’s cancelation only makes it worse for the future. Why should people continue to invest in series when this is possible? Fans sat for hours and days rewatching to guarantee this wouldn’t happen, and yet, here we are. But we also live in a world where shows can return from cancelations, and maybe, just maybe, Shadow and Bone can have that same fate. If nothing else, a conclusion, at least. Perhaps even a shorter run just to give every character the arc they deserve to conclude their story.