#inej's trauma was overlooked too much

[jazzkrebber]

my thoughts on season two

SPOILERS!!

while yes, it's obvious that it was rushed, and they included crooked kingdom rather than giving the crows a new plot line. however, overall, I enjoyed this season immensely. once you accept the fact that the show and the books are their own stories, you learn to enjoy them each in their own way. there are things that they could have handled better, like Inej's trauma and the ways they wrapped everything up in episode 8, but you can't let the few aspects that they should have improved on change your opinion of the entire season. there were so many amazing parts. some really good representation, WONDERFUL fight scenes, and beautiful relationships. of course everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but i hope you appreciate the hard work everyone put into this season, and acknowledge the fact that things are going to be different from the books, that's simply how it goes.

[biherbalwitch]

Unsurprisingly, I'm not done talking about s&b s2, let's discuss the rage over "ignoring" inej's trauma (spoiler: it wasn't actually ignored) and why exploring it in the poison scene would've been a terrible idea

Inej’s story was hinted at several times (which is more than we've got with other characters in 2 seasons *cough* jesper *cough* matthias)

They did it in bits & pieces as much as they could, in s1 Inej almost willing to kill just so she doesn’t go back to the menagerie, in her telling jesper she learned to suture her own wounds there. In s2, we see those pieces hammered in a bit more, Inej’s scared when she says pekka owns everything the menagerie owns. The most difficult scene to watch being the one on the roof with the taxidermist. The second he puts her on the ground and gets on top of her she is frozen. She looks TERRIFIED. And I'm gonna quote amita here, we know inej's capable of getting out of his hold easily but the shock of being in that position with a man violating her space & body again, telling her he'll take her back to the menagerie and "take a piece" is enough to have her body lock up and she's almost helpless in the face of her ptsd (paralleling to Kaz’s reaction in shu han)

If the writers had used the poison hallucinations to go further into her backstory, it would've simply been too rushed and an insult to the depths of torture she went through. Think of the length of that entire scene & think of the length each of their visions got. I can't see how they could've delved deeper with her, put her in those silks, without coming up short or without completely ruining her mental state that it would've been difficult to move on with the current plot at hand. There's a reason the spinoff script has a whole episode dedicated to each crow, where they can comfortably explore the heavier themes of each of their lives with respect & what it means for the characters' journey.

Lastly I'd like to say the actual hallucination we got MADE SENSE. After their moment changing her wound and Kaz pushing her away, she would dream of this. She desires intimacy with Kaz. In her dream, he makes an effort. In her dream, he asks for her consent. In her dream, they are BOTH vulnerable, both without their armour.

Despite the trauma she still desires and that's an important part of her that shouldn't be overlooked. She's making an effort and wants him to make an effort, if only just to find out what it would be like to be touched without it feeling like a stab. If only to find out if she can handle it.

[eliza1911o1]

Show!Inej is lowkey a mess. Terrible mess. Like fire alarm sounded, complete panic, pushing people down the stairs mess. The writing and acting for her is spot on, yet her progression is probably the largest divergence from the books. In the novels, Inej is tied to Ketterdam by her contract (to Tante Heleen in the show and Per Haskell, really Kaz, in the books) as well as this connection she has to Kaz, but there is also the fact of her incredible trauma from being a young women stolen from her family and sold into prostitution. When Inej decides to hunt slavers, this isn’t simply out of the good of her heart; she has made the decision that her and Kaz need to heal themselves before they can be together, that she will not be serving someone else and can not sit by to aid him (which he does more than respect by literally gifting her a vessel to sail away on), and decides that she wants to save girls like her from ever having to go through what she experienced.

This comes after almost dying multiple times and literally having to question why she’s living. After continuously facing a relationship that may never happen and having few examples of care at all. After repeatedly and willingly facing her past and triggers and making peace with them. (Stealing from Tante Heleen? You can’t tell me that isn’t one of the best examples of a full-circle moment)

Inej’s decision to leave Ketterdam is tied to a certain hopeless towards he relationship towards Kaz, but is more so driven by being stronger than her trauma. Inej faces extreme trauma from her time at the Menagerie; past the fact she faced emotional and physical abuse, she was also forced to exist as a “thing,” sold again and again to act for others’s whims. Getting a ship to captain isn’t about running away or not wanting to owe the Dregs or Kaz, it’s about finally being free to make her own decision and that decision being to never allow someone to feel as lost as she did. Much of Inej’s character arc is tied to overcoming being shackled by her trauma, feeling afraid she’ll see past customers or freezing upon seeing captors. It is an incredibly powerful narrative.

I don’t have too many qualms with the show, but the decision to have Inej just leave on Sturmhond’s ship just feels so wrong. At this point, she hasn’t faced her past, it hasn’t even mentioned, and I will not forgive the show runners for withholding her trauma and not giving it proper breadth. It’s literally a central point in her character and she’s one of the strongest because she’s one of the only to directly confront her trauma

Also, the significance of her dream and Kaz can’t be overlooked. The show makes it feel like Kaz is her only tie to Ketterdam and her leaving is acknowledging they aren’t able to be together. This just… it misses the mark, so very far off. Yes, he is part of it, but book!Inej had so much more tethering her to the city that she cut away when she left. Furthermore, when she made her decision, Kaz only respected it and was even spurred to change for her out of desperation. Kaz tries to touch her, he tries to tell her his feelings, and after he does a very horrible job of all that, he gives her the best ship he can and finds her parents so that even if he’s not with her, she’ll still be safe. Inej acknowledges this. When Inej leaves she’s choosing to be her own person and she’s not giving up on Kaz; there’s an unspoken promise she will return and he will always attempt to meet her.

I just think this is such a beautiful example of their relationship and the show completely scrapping it breaks my heart

[sukibenders]

The fact that Amita is the one to point out that Inej's issue with having a man on top of her, and how she freezes in that moment, almost makes it feel like that was a choice she made that she wanted in the stunt choreography. Inej's trauma is so overlooked, and I hate it so much because she's just as fucked up as all the other Crows.

As for Zoya, Sujaya has talked about Zoya's story in the books too. I think that Zoya should have had more scenes to just explore the stories of other Grisha who end up in the Little Palace. We need to see why they fight, and why so many of them live and die for the Grisha cause (and also how fucked the Darkling is for manipulating them given this). Zoya's story is a perfect example, and gives her so much more depth. But now the show has made Alina a queen or whatever, and Zoya is probably just going to be an extremely supporting character like she has been the last two seasons.

I'm just glad the horror of Genya's story has been played out on screen so well by Daisy Head, who deserves all the props for everything she did this season.

I saw the same interview and, while I was happy to hear her say that, it's sad that she seems like the only one who cares enough to talk about Inej's trauma.

And I agree with Zoya and the other Grisha wholeheartedly. Because the show really put emphasis on the Darkling (from being a hot swagger man to the shadow man himself- or a version of it bc he was scarier in the books for sure!) but not enough on the Grisha themselves. In s1, they did a lot more of tell rather than show, in big ways, and then in s2, while you expect the Grisha to obviously be in danger the scene where some were held captive still felt sudden. Like include some book scenes about the Grisha, how they work, and why they are discriminated against so harshly. I felt like, with showing that more, than they could have dived into their complex relationship with the Darkling, who a lot of them still followed because he did offer them a place where they could be safe.

And, with Genya, I'm really happy they gave and handled her storyline pretty well, but I also feel like (bc they rushed things) she was simply just the punching bag this season. Like damn, she could not catch a break.

[desertgremlin]

In the books, Mal is basically a fuckboy at the beginning. He literally has sex with any girl interested and Alina is like quietly pining over him. Like there is something about him that attarcts people and everyone always talks about how good looking he is. Dont wanna spoil it, but there is a reason why. Its like Jason from True Blood 😂😂😂. At least, that's how I interpreted it. So when he says, "I see you now," it's because he was fucking other people while she just looked on and had to accept the boy she loved was overlooking her. So I get why people don't like him (theres other cringy stuff too lol), but he definitely changes. By the end, he is a bit more like the Mal in the show. So I'm glad they just made him like that right off the bat. I liked that they made him loyal and that he was hurt when he thought Alina forgot about him and was with the Darkling. Like he didn't realize he loved Alina like that and that caused the tension versus it being that he just literally ignored her and did not care lol.

I would say Sturmhond is similar to the show version. Comes across as charming, handsome, adventurous, etc. I personally just don't vibe with people like that, I'm very suspicious of them so when he showed up I was like 🤨🤨🤨🤨. What I did like was his story arc. Like the shit he goes through is so wild and traumatic. I have yet to read King of Scars, but I'm sure it goes into it more since the story is focused on him.

I know that Matthias changes and his story is...not the best. Like I get he was indoctrinated and lived in a culture that was racist, misogynistic, etc. And also literally went to a life or death jail. But it takes him a long ass time to come around and even start respecting Nina and by the time it happens, it's too late. I want to have sympathy for him but he makes it really hard for me. Maybe when I watch the show I will open up to him more.

I will say the Six of Crows duology was written much better than the Shadow and Bone trilogy. It's much more thorough and complex and just overall improved writing.

Like when they talk about Kaz's back story and his phobia and trauma. So wild. And Inej! God. Love her, but the shit she went through was disgusting. I also loved learning about Jesper and I think his character really shines in the show. Like people liked him already, but the actor made him even better, which is great.

I hope they eventually get to the Crow's story and the heist from the books because it was really well written and fun. It's a bit more mature and high stakes and I think would make for great writing. And I would loved to see the rest of the characters l!

Ohhh yep I definitely wouldn't have vibed with Mal in the books if he was like that at the start hahah. I love loyal Mal. I'm definitely gonna check the books out or at least like.. skim through it just to get more of that kind of context.

I totally get being suss of people like that, especially when they're overly charming, putting it on a bit much. I guess cos I skipped over SaB I didn't get that who tf is this guy moment 😂 I found King of Scars really interesting! You definitely get to know him more as a character. I also liked getting into Zoya's character, too. Another badass girlie.

I wonder if the show will make you open up to Matthias more or if it'll solidify your opinion. Seeing his prejudice portrayed on screen makes me vibe more with your current opinion of him, which is why I want to see how the show writers turn it around. I didn't dwell too much on those bits when I read the books probably just to give him the benefit of the doubt and see where his arc went but you can't really ignore it on screen.

Oh the trio <3 I am so fond of them. Their dynamic is just soo good. And I agree, Kit Young brings Jesper alive and I love it. Also Wylan <3 Beloved. I think they also cast him well! Essentially, this is just a well-cast show in my books, haha.

YES I want to see the heist 👏 so 👏 bad. I was hooked reading Six of Crows, I really hope we see it play out.

[thatfantasynerd10]

Hey you guys, this isn't like my usual posts,bear with me:)

I kinda want to talk about redemption arcs and bad boys/characters. More specifically- what makes us like dark romantic interests, and what makes us hate certain other dark, mean, manipulative characters? I promise this isn't cringy (for the most part)

Pretty much every fandom has conflicting opinions on it's bad boy characters- be it Edward Cullen, The Darkling, Rhysand, Cardan Greenbriar, Rowan or Jace Herondale- people either say "this ship's so toxic I love it" or "yikes y'all stop simping over abusers" or "respect their trauma". The line between a dark character that makes everyone's heart melt, and just dark character is usually a redemption arc. The problem here? Most of them don't have one. The actions we think of as 'redemption arcs' are 90% of the time them being warm and cuddly and possessive towards the protagonist. This is tricky because when we read a book from the protagonist's perspective, we feel everything they feel. So if the bad boy is rude and cold to them, we feel the same bitterness that they do. And when the character shows them the slightest bit of affection after all that mean-ness, we go "oh well I knew they were gonna be love interests so this is amazing awwww". For example "your hair is clean" Is creepy and NOT a cute compliment. But when Tamlin said it, we thought of it as romantic because We Knew that Feyre would at some point be with him. Most of us ignored him being abusive towards Feyre till Rhys came around and went "he locked you up" and THEN WE REALISED omg Tamlin you manipulative freak😤 and then we were the "I can't see" meme when Rhysand repeatedly abused Feyre under the mountain, with the bright side being "the tattoos are for me to make sure no one touched you!! I never touched you below your waist!!"

See the pattern?!!?! We see what we want to through the protagonist's eyes (and usually this is a CONTRAST between a DEVILISH guy and a bad guy); and ignore the horrible actions of the bad boy love interests as long as they flirt with the mc.

Similarly with the Darkling, most of us ship Darklina and wanted Alina to become bad and for them to be on the same side. As long as he was good to Alina, we were fine with him killing everyone else. That's cute. But then he hurt Genya and killed Ana Kuya and ALINA WAS HEARTBROKEN. and then some of us went😐. Because as long as the protagonist is okay, we're okay with anything the bad boy does.

Another interesting thing is how when an author wants us to like one love interest, they immediately start making the other one do shitty stuff,, so remember the Darklina after-ball scene??? Remember how before that we were told that Mal wasn't writing to Alina??? And so our minds went "Damn girl dump him!! The Darkling is way hotter anyways🙄" but then but then... In the end, when it was obvious that Mal was gonna be the UlTiMaTe lover, all of a sudden the Darkling kills everyone Alina ever loved???

Kaz Brekker, however, is an amazingly written bad boy- because he's got the tragic past, the cold hearted murderer, the sly thief, the guy who seems too have no connections- but he actually cares about Inej, Jesper and the other crows. He's not an abuser, not manipulative, not possessive-

"Our hopes rest with you, Mister Brekker. If you fail, all the world will suffer for it." "Oh, it's worse than that, Van Eck. If I fail, I don't get paid." But also- "She belongs to know one". That's the perfect contrast that we all love.

Cardan however, is a different character.. Because he quite literally is the 'cruel' prince that turns out to be an emo kid with a crush. My point is redemption arcs don't usually work with COMPETELY bad characters who turn COMPLETELY perfect. There has to be some back story, some good parts that are revealed later for us to sympathise with them. Like how we learnt how Cardan was basically hated by his entire family, and then he turned cruel because that's the only way that he felt anything like a prince at all, and how Nicasia betrayed him and how he saved mortal servants from Balekin. It's easy to sympathise with characters who're struggling with their morality, who've been through shit. That's a good redemption arc. Again, it depends on how forgiving the reader is, but certain abusive and manipulative actions of characters cannot be overlooked.

Sooo, let's not be those annoying&stubborn fans. Accept the problems that these books( and many many others) have- be it lack of representation or presenting abuse an an okay thing. It's okay to like these books and comfort characters. These are after all, fantasies. But let's not let these problems become 'normal' in our minds, coz that's when we start extending the same mentality towards society and REAL issues.

[kitty-the-cat]

I'd like to just say something for the record:

If someone were to ask me who my favourite grishaverse female was, I wouldn't say zoya or inej or nina (I do love them with all my heart but for argument sake), or even just any character at all, it's not nikolai or the darkling or jesper or kaz....its genya safin-kostyk!

Genya went through so. Much. Like this is crow level suffering! Genya is so brave, and strong when she had every right to just curl up into a ball and weep, but she didn't, she had every right to tell alina to grow up and stop feeling sorry for herself (I am by no means saying alina didn't go through anything! Just that at times in Sab she lacked a bit of sympathy for genya) but she didn't, she was alina's closest confidante at the little palace.

and outside of her suffering she was sassy, and witty, and she walked so that nina zenik could run!

Genya safin-kostyk was gifted to the ravkan royal family at 11 years old, she had no say in the matter, the darkling thrust her into an abusive 'home', with the intention for her to be abused, raped, gaslit, then he did some more of it himself, had her spy on the Lantsovs, and have her fester all alone in her rage and suffering, AND THEN made her a mock kefta, it was SO insulting, and she held her head up, took matters into her own hand and really said "if you won't help me I'll help myself" and she did! She pushed the boundaries of grisha magic, she created poisons to hurt those who had hurt her.

Yes, she didn't send alina's letters, yes, she followed orders from her manipulative general, who gaslit her. Yet on that whaler she saved alina's life, at the price of her eye and her beauty, the one thing she felt she could claim as hers to use as she wished, her one weapon, and she lost it to the monsters of one of her multiple abusers.

And then, best of all, she looked her rapist and abuser, the tsar of ravka, right in the eye, and took control, she humiliated him, she took years away from him for all the years he took from her, she damned him in the most vengeful, badass way possible, she was being dragged through the mud "razrusha'ya" "the ruined one" and she went "if I go down your sorry ass goes down with me and I will laugh as you bleed!" She taunted this man, she bested him, she embraced the way she was and all she had gone through and still found a way to love, she still found a way to have girlish crushes, to love the look on the mean girls face when she barges into her room, higher in the darklings favour than them, genya is an absolute queen!

And furthermore personality wise, she really was like a preliminary nina and also inej, aspect ts of genya life on, exadurated in these 2 girls who have bested the world, nina was tutored by genya, nina embodies all of genya charms and sass and wit and humour and even her grisha abilities, nina and genya are like no other corporalnik. Nina and genya also both lost the loves of their lives too soon, genya was still in her kokoshnik for saints sake!

And inej, she and genya share horrible trauma, but they both rise above their suffering, dont let it define them, despite the marks its left on them, genya was ruination so inej could become the wraith!

Genya is sweet and kind and strong and an absolute baddass, the darklings victim as much as alina, who people always overlook when defending the darkling, so if you do love this man, blame alina for running or not listening, remember what happened to genya, the girl who did listen, who didnt run, who didnt resist until it was too late,,the girl who bagrah didnt save the girl who lost her husband, where alina didnt, where zoya didnt, where tamar, nadia, and to a weird extent inej didn't

Genya is so slept on and I will love her until the day I die!