Ben Barnes & Jessie Mei Li talk about the end of Shadow and Bone & Darklina

During Empire Conventions' #asocas3, Ben Barnes & Jessie Mei Li has talked about the end of #shadowandbone & the Darkling and Alina's relationship, Darklina.
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FrConventions is a media about French fan events.

[aboutnici]

I agree with Ben Barnes and Jessie Mei Li about the development of their characters and their relationship, how they wanted to add more scenes, but the writers disappointed them, I would love for them to star in a rom-com together!

[ullamorozova]

IF THEY HAD DONE DARKLINA WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A S3!!!! The enemies to lovers angst is what made the s&b side interesting in the first place!! The ending of her choosing mercy for him with the knife was pivotal. It wasn’t emotionless or hate filled, it was a beautiful tragedy.

[MegaQuistis]

If we got Darklina and more scenes in season 2, season 3 would be guaranteed. Their relationship was beautiful and we knew from the beginning that it was toxic, but as Jessie herself admitted, people want to watch it, they understand it and they are interested in it. And Ben wanting Darklina endgame? And in such a beautiful way? It's a dream come true and what ordinary viewers wanted.

[moonreverie]

once again mourning what s2 could have been

[Gojooveerrrrererere]

you know what, Ben's version/changes for his charachter about the Darkling gaining light powers and Alina having to navigate her shadow powers is actually GREAT- we could get a darklina endgame throught it when Alina gets to understand the darkling's perspective and the influences his powers had on his disposition and decision-making and perhaps grow softer towards him? (needless to say his powers weren't the only source of his sinister bearings- his circumstances also played a role its developement so it can't completely undone without major intervetions like idk therapy and redemption arc but nothing is perfect so ? ) and the darkling could finally disassociate from the melancholy hold of his powers on him as well as help Alina elude the dark hold and lean into the powers according to her inclinations ? THERE'S SOMETHING THERE

[heyfelixxxheyyyigottheimpo]

It's amazing to see more of these interactions, I'd love to see more videos of this event! Thank you so much for posting these

[lost]

Both leads being disappointed by the turn their stories took... yeah the show being cancelled isn't a surprise at all. the writers completely fucked it up.

[bbria]

I would have died for Darklina!! Their relationship was toxic true but it was also honest and raw. Hell they could have taken out some of the worst things and given the Darkling a redemption arc. Like damn its your adaption! Adapt that shit!

[clementinebreeden]

jessie is the only person beside my mom who i’ve seen bite their knuckles like that😭😭 i think it’s so funny

[Tuberiascaesar]

Speaking only for my own fanfic head cannon, if I'd been writing the show I'd have wanted to see them do a game of thrones thing where they discover you can bond with the amplifier rather than having to kill it, like Alina was starting to do with the stag. Also, whether it was through flashbacks or pulling a soap opera way to bring them back from the dead, I'd have foudn a way to weave morozova and his unnamed wife so I could do a kaz brekker style punishment on them and same with several other awful people in the story. Lastly I'd have developed more of the save the world subplot from the last two books to make it more epic, while also including other things from companion books to make it an epic ride, without going too fast.

[Gojooveerrrrererere]

this is them AFTER the cancellation news ?

[Irenator]

The cancelation of Shadow and Bone was and is UNFAIR. Please, everyone, SAVE SHADOW AND BONE, we NEED the 3rd season and the Six of Crows spin off 💪🏻🍀

[benjamindominish]

Toxic relationships in fiction are a difficult write.

If they aren't done well, they glamorize. That's a false hope. A tacked on redemption arc is kinda sick. A guy (usually) doing horrible things, then being "nice" and getting away with "sorry baby for the torture, now let's make love..."

The audiences sometimes like toxic relationships because of their own experiences of 1) not working and a fantasy of working out 2) an odd couple that had a rocky start wanting to see a narrative of relatablity.