We can’t believe we’re at the penultimate episode of the season…but here we are. As you know, every day, we will analyze an aspect of each episode. Thus, we will fully delve into what is behind the story that we see. Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow” is the episode where David shows the unbreakable Genya Safin all the love he always felt for her. Ready?
Here we go!
Past Beyond Painful in Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow”
In Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow” we see how David sacrifices himself for the unbreakable Genya Safin. And she loses everything that matters to her again… although, as always, she finds the strength to get up and move on. Unbreakable, indeed.
Genya was forced to separate from her family at a very young age. She arrived at the Little Palace and Aleksander sold her to the queen. Since then, she endured the King’s abuse day after day… until she took matters into her own hands and made him pay. But all she knew was abuse and fear.
In the middle of it, was David. Genya never thought that she could feel something for someone or that there would be some man who didn’t want to use her, who didn’t see her as just a body. But when he looked at her, David didn’t see her body, he saw her eyes, her heart, and David sees her. And that’s crystal clear in Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow.”
Although they both lived under Aleksander’s yoke, they fell in love sincerely, though neither dared to do much while they were in the Little Palace. Kirigan’s shadow loomed too large.
Changes from the Original Material that Convince us
In Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow” and in the season in general, the story of David and Genya changes from the book. The circumstances in which they find and how they meet again change. But what doesn’t change is what they feel for each other.
When they find Kirigan again, they both know they must escape and stand by Alina’s side, on the right side of the war. But everything goes wrong and David must walk away from Genya, leaving her behind, knowing that Kirigan will probably kill her. It breaks his heart to do so, but to stay would be damning them both, and Alina has to be warned.
The next time they meet, it’s just before Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow” and Genya has her face disfigured due to the punishment Kirigan inflicted on her. David can hardly believe that she is there, alive and with him. But she doesn’t want David to see her.
A part of her is hurt that David left her at the mercy of Kirigan. Although Genya rationally understands that David did what she asked and it was for the best, she can’t help but feel that way. Feeling like David abandoned her at the hands of Kirigan.
And another part of her, the bigger one, is embarrassed by her appearance. She doesn’t want David to see her like this, disfigured and ugly. But David never saw just her outside beauty, he always looked at her heart. So he doesn’t care what her face looks like because her heart hasn’t changed.
Unbreakable Genya Safin in Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow”
Those scars show her bravery, her strength, and her fight, they show the type of woman she is — and we love that this scene is just like in the book. Genya is as beautiful as an emerald and as hard as a ruby. Unbreakable, despite everything.
And Genya finally feels that she is all of those things. It’s the first time she’s not ashamed of herself and she can see herself the way David always saw her. And she loves him even more for it. So Genya understands that he never cared how she looked, he only cared about who she was.
How was David not going to sacrifice himself for Genya in Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow” if he loved her from the first time he saw her? David was always willing to give everything for her. So he didn’t hesitate to make sure she would be safe, that she would see a new day and remain as strong and unbreakable as she always was. Even though he won’t get to witness it.
Thus, in Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow” Genya loses everything dear to her again. She has to rebuild herself from scratch. And it’s not fair. Genya and David deserved to be happy… and we hope they still have the chance to be.
We don’t see David die in Shadow and Bone 2×07 “Meet You in the Meadow” and nobody finds his body later. And, considering what happens in the book — no spoilers, we’ll just say they have a very different ending — we think it’s very likely that Genya and David didn’t truly lose each other.
We would be the happiest if we are right. They deserve much more than ending up like this, they deserve happiness. And we want to believe they will have it.
Shadow and Bone season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
