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A Netflix fantasy that remarkably hasn’t been canceled yet embraces the dark arts to reach #1 in 36 nations

One of the very few exceptions that proves the rule.

Shadow and Bone. (L to R) Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev, Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, Lewis Tan as Tolya in episode 202 of Shadow and Bone.
Image via Netflix

One of the great philosophical questions of the streaming age is whether or not there’s any point becoming too attached to a Netflix fantasy series when the chances of cancellation are always looming in the background. There are several notable exceptions to the rule, though, with Shadow and Bone one of the most prominent.

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Not only did the adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels get renewed for a second season not long after the first run of episodes debuted, but rumors of at least one spinoff continue to bubble just under the surface. Based on how the sophomore batch of episodes have fared right out of the gate, the chances of the mythology continuing to expand are looking pretty good.

Shadow and Bone. Ben Barnes as The Darkling in episode 201 of Shadow and Bone.
Cr. D‡vid Luk‡cs/Netflix © 2023

Per FlixPatrol, Shadow and Bone has returned with a vengeance to immediately cement itself as one of the Top 10 most-watched shows in a mammoth 86 countries around the world. Seizing the number one spot in 36 of them is an even more impressive achievement, but it’s reasonable to expect that number to increase over the weekend as fans clear time in their schedule for some good old-fashioned bingeing.

Upping the stakes, ante, world-building, and action quotient substantially, the magically-powered epic has returned stronger than ever, even if history has shown that raising your hopes too high for another renewal could prove to be a fool’s errand. The engagement and immersion is already in place, and surely there’s no chance that Netflix will opt to pull the plug on yet another widely-adored fantastical project. Then again, the evidence is there to suggest those fingers should remain crossed for a while.