Shadow and Bone returned to Netflix with a second season in March. We caught up with Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman), who joined forces with Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) in her mission to tear down the Shadow Fold. Speaking to Collider, Suman talked about returning to the role of Inej, a knife-wielding member of the Crows and the right hand of Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter).
“I’ve been very, very blessed because my fandom, I mean, I don’t know what I did to deserve so much love and support, and so much just like love,” Suman said of the Grishaverse fandom. “I mean, I know I’ve already said that, but they really are incredible. They really are passionate.”
As mentioned above, Inej has a special relationship with Kaz, and Suman wanted to get their dynamic right. In season 2, the two finally shared their feelings with each other in a key scene. “I remember reading it and thinking, ‘What a beautiful scene.’ Even though these two are arguing, they’re still trying to connect on an emotional, which they do, but on an intellectual level. And that’s what they really, really struggle with. And I remember filming that scene specifically, just remembering that day at the very beginning, the words, I felt like I just wasn’t doing enough, or I wasn’t giving it enough service, and there was no way I was going to let that happen because the scene meant a lot.”
"That scene was important because Season 1 viewers are questioning, ‘Are they friends?’ Obviously they’re friends, but is there something more? And that’s the way we wanted it to be."
Amita Suman loves working with Freddy Carter on Shadow and Bone
It’s evident that Suman feels supported by costar Freddy Carter in bringing that relationship to life: “Both of us respect our characters so much, and Freddy loves Kaz as equally as much as I love in Inej. So, when two people who work like that come together, it’s all about the work. It’s all about giving service to these characters, to their backstories to the writing, to the moment as well. […] Freddy’s just so, so good this season. […] I love working with him. I think we work really well together.”
Suman also addressed the possibility of a Six of Crows spinoff show. “bviously it’s no lie that the scripts have been written,” she said. “I don’t know what I can tell you, but I’ll say I have read them and I cried, and it’s probably one of the best scripts I’ve been sent for a series.”
"We all really, really, really, really want to do it. These characters are so loved by the fandom, but new viewers as well. And yeah, that’s all I can say."
The Six of Crows spinoff has “one of the best scripts I’ve been sent for a series”
The ending of season 2 of Shadow and Bone leaves the door wide open for a potential spinoff, with Kaz speaking about a huge job that has come their way. Book fans know what he’s hinting at.
But season 2 also ends with Inej temporarily leaving the Crows to search for her brother. “My character’s mindset in that scene was, ‘Okay, you need to find your brother and get going,'” Suman said. “inding her brother, that’s all that matters to me.” This opens up new storyline for Inej in Shadow and Bone season 3 as well as in the Six of Crows spinoff.
When looking back on portraying Inej so far, Suman says that “the biggest takeaway is to always just be grateful. No matter what happens, just to be grateful for that time, grateful for the memories, grateful for the experience, and just forever be open, and just forever be learning. I know that’s a lot, because Season 2 really, it was the best experience of my life. […] I learned that I’m a lot stronger, mentally stronger, than I thought I was. And that’s a good lesson to take away.”
To see Suman in action as Inej, stream Shadow and Bone seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix.
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