The volcra and shadow monsters are still causing chaos in the Fold, more so when the Darkling is too weak to control them now.

Alina? Yeah… she’s a little busy crying over Mal right now to respond to Inej and Zoya’s call for help.

The Darkling gets up, Alina comes over and they talk. At one point, he tries to keep a shadow monster from attacking Alina but it’s clear that he has no control over them anymore.

For one second, he thinks back to their first kiss and Alina uses this chance to stab him with the legendary sword they borrowed from the Shu lady. Hmm… yes, an ancient sorcerer loses to a barely trained 20-year-old because he is busy daydreaming about their first kiss. On one hand, I guess the show wants to say that he has some humanity, which is… good (?). On the other… really? This is how Alina wins?

The Darkling’s last wish is to be burned so that no one can use his bones to amplify themselves and do crazy stuff. He is not trying to maintain word peace here, to be clear, he’s just saying that power amplified by the bones of Morozova’s descendants can be uncontrollable.

Nina tries to revive Mal, but he is too far gone. Remember when Baghra warns that merzost, aka dark magic, extracts a terrible price from anyone who attempts it? Yeah, so Alina goes ahead and uses merzost to bring Mal back.

We see a scene of Mal lying on their childhood meadow, ready to be at peace when he is suddenly dragged back by Alina’s magic. I don’t think even Mal is going to be happy about this.

Nina knows what happens and she seems wary of Alina now.

By the way, no resurrection, please. Let the Darkling stay dead. Although, Zoya is assigned the task of watching over the Darkling’s body while the group report back to Nikolai, so… who knows what will happen. Zoya looks more than willing to mess with the dark arts, even if it’s only for fun.

Everyone goes back to the fortress.

Kaz stares at Inej for a long time. Then they talk. Kaz finally confesses. But Inej points out that they can’t date if Kaz doesn’t open up to her. Plus, she is still confused about the gloves and thick layers of clothes he wears all the time like an armour. To be fair, there are still plenty of things you can do with gloves on.

It is implied that David is dead but they find no body, so we can be sure that he isn’t dead. These shows have a tendency to bring characters back even when bodies are found.

Mal is alive and healthy but there is a big problem. He feels like his old self has died in the Fold and his attachment to Alina along with it. He is beginning to wonder who he is.

Good gracious… I’m not hearing this wrong, am I? Mal finally admits that he needs a life outside of Alina? Well then, go! Go and live your life, you nicest boy in the world. You deserve that much.

In the end, with Nikolai’s support, Mal takes over Sturmhond’s ship and goes on a new mission with Tamar, Toya, and Inej. At one point, we see Tolya subtly checking out Inej. I don’t know how safe that is, Kaz’s cane might look like it was made by Party City, but it has damaged a volcra once. So you might want to hide all those looks away, Tolya, or it might just be your kneecaps next.

Alina chooses to stay and support Nikolai’s new plan for Ravka. She asks Zoya and Genya to help too. Alina also wants no more ranks among the Grisha and no more color-coded coats. OK… I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, Alina, but hierarchy in an army is not an indication of inequality, it is about management.

How are you going to manage a school and then an army of Grisha without orders and classification? Memorize every single student’s profile?

Please, somebody, take this girl away from Nikolai before she dooms him too.

By the way, I think the dress the queen prepared for Alina in an early episode looks better than this.

During Nikolai’s coronation, a Grisha — who has been drugged — lashes out and kills almost everybody present. Alina summons the Cut and slashes her. But the Cut is shadow this time, not light.

At Ketterdam, Kaz briefly explains to the Crows their next assignment, which involves this drug that so many Grisha are being forced to consume. Ohhh, well now it gets interesting.

Oops, sorry, that’s the end of the episode and this season.