'Shadow and Bone' Fans Desperately Trying to Save Show From Cancellation

By Michael Hein

Shadow and Bone seems to be on the chopping block at Netflix, but some fans are hoping to change that. The fantasy series just aired its second season in March, and many fans were disheartened by the low viewership numbers and low hope for a renewal. Some of the most active voices in the fandom spoke to Rolling Stone about their online quest for Shadow and Bone Season 3, which involves fans playing the show on a loop, all the way through, over and over again.

"We had to come up with something to keep the fandom and the energy alive," Twitter user flawlqes said. "Netflix is such an unstable streaming service. You never know if your favorite show is gonna get renewed or it's gonna get canceled, and we always had that doubt. So from day one, we just did our best." Of course, fan campaigns are nothing new and have grown in popularity in recent years. One thing that sets this one apart is the nature of Shadow and Bone itself, as fans are clamoring for a spinoff – or two.

Shadow and Bone is based on several novels by author Leigh Bardugo, but they're not what you might typically call a "series." Bardugo created a fictional world called the "Grishaverse" in her Shadow and Bone trilogy, which told a complete and finished story. She then wrote a separate series in the same universe set several years after the first trilogy called the Six of Crows duology. Bardugo then wrote two more books in the Grishaverse set after that, and all three of these chunks stand on their own.

By contrast, Netflix's adaptation jumped into the deep end by adding the Six of Crows characters to the show from the beginning. This changed the timeline and forced some major remixing to the plot itself, but at first fans felt it was worth it if it got their favorite character on screen. Now, many grumble that the show should have taken its time so that each story could get the time and attention it deserves.

The most die-hard fans still hope they will. Many anticipate a full-on Six of Crows spinoff – possibly with newly-written material to tie up loose ends left over from the books. They also want to see Bardugo's two more recent novels adapted. The fandom is extremely active with thriving communities on Twitter, TikTok and Reddit, yet that won't necessarily translate to the viewership metrics Netflix uses to decide on renewals.

Shadow and Bone Season 1 and 2 are streaming now on Netflix. The company has not announced whether it will be renewed or canceled just yet. Bardugo's books are available in print, digital and audiobook formats.

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