Hey everyone! So....it's been a very, VERY, long time since I've posted anything. Since I clearly got behind on reviews, I've decided to do a recap of my thoughts and opinions on the rest of Shadowhunters season 2A.
To start off, I want to say that the first half of Shadowhunters season 2 did not turn out as expected. When the writers nailed storylines and scenes, they really nailed it. Conversely, when something didn't work, it really didn't work. Nevertheless, the show never fails to stir up my emotions, and I've got a lot of them, so let's get started.
Episode 3, Parabatai Lost, picks up where A Door into the Dark left off - Izzy and Magnus desperately try to wake up a comatose Alec, and Jace's return seems to be the only solution to this mess. In his anger and fear, Magnus goes off at Jocelyn, Raj and Victor for their ignorance. He's not the only Downworlder tired of the injustice - this episode is where we're introduced to Maia Roberts, Luke's pack member and Gretel's
Maia, Magnus and Jace were easily the highlights of the episode. With Jace in particular, we get to see Jace's vulnerable side, and the show even hints at his suicidal tendencies. We also get to see through flashback and present-day parallels the strength of the Parabatai bond, and how both Jace and Alec would die for each other. I definitely cried, and enjoyed the episode immensely.
While Jace and Victor are off to the City of Bones in Episode 4, Day of Wrath, Valentine's modified demon manages to break into the Institute, smuggled in through a bloody corpse. The demon feeds off of negative emotions, and nobody is spared - worst of all, Jocelyn. Clary and Alec watch as a possessed Alec literally rips Jocelyn's heart from out of her, his fighting skills enhanced by the demon. The demon also possesses Izzy, who, as a result, suffers a shoulder injury that kicks off the beginning of her downward spiral (but we'll get to that later). A bright side - Jace is deemed not guilty, and finally gets to be reunited with the gang. Another down side - Valentine takes the Soul Sword, which can [redacted]. While Jocelyn has made some questionable decisions, she definitely did not deserve to die, and now Alec has blood on his hands he can't ever erase. (Also, Luke deserved better.)
Meanwhile, Magnus must deal with a painful part of his past when he is forced to summon Camille. Camille is cunning and manipulative, and we see exactly how she successfully abused and played with Magnus during their tumultuous relationship. But she isn't all bad - Camille was the one who saved Magnus as he stood on a bridge centuries ago, suicidal and depressed. Magnus emerges victorious, however, and sends her off to be dealt with the Clave. This was easily one of the best scenes in the entire season, from the acting to the background music, and Harry 'Legend' Shum Jr proves, once again, that he invented acting and emoting with his facial expressions and hand gestures. We also start seeing more of Magnus' vulnerability, which is definitely a plus. Mentally ill bisexual Asian representation all in one character? A miracle, honestly.
Kat's improving acting skills was another one of the most memorable parts of this episode. Clary's grief made her easy to empathize with, something the show has struggled to do, particularly in season 1.
What wasn't easy to empathize with, however, were the bad decisions Clary made in reaction to her grief, but we're getting to that now. Episode 5, Dust and Shadows, plays out how you'd expect a girl who has a history of not reigning in her emotions to react. Despite Magnus warning her about the dangers of magic resurrection, even confessing to Clary and Simon about his mother's suicide (out of shame of her son being half-demon) Clary still goes off to meet Iris Rouse, a warlock with a history of dark magic. She foolishly signs a blood oath (Really????? REALLY, CLARY?!?!?!) and lowkey guilt trips Alec into coming along, fully committed to following through with the resurrection until she realizes the true extent of Iris' power and cruelty. It turns out that Iris runs a warlock babymaking business of sorts, in which demons rape unsuspecting and manipulated women into bearing warlock children. Clary is about to be her next victim, until Clary sees a vision of a brand new rune. Lo and behold, the rune manages to finish off the demon as Jace stands by in shock. (Why is this so shocking, you ask? No living Shadowhunter has ever created their own runes.)
I don't think the show writers ever realized how truly disgusting that storyline is, and I'm bitter. If they can't properly tell a storyline of such magnitude, then it shouldn't have ever been included. Rape is a serious topic, and writing around it in such a trivial way is disrespectful and gross.
Meanwhile, Aldertree prescribes Yin Fen, a powerful relief drug, to Izzy so her shoulder can heal faster. He just conveniently forgets to mention how easy it is to become addicted to it, and Izzy takes it, willing to do anything to get her shoulder back to normal. This episode also gave us some of the best Jace/Izzy scenes, and reminds us that we should not sleep on this BroTP. Alec is the not the one connecting these two; they love each other like siblings with or without Alec.
Another definite perk of this episode was our introduction to Madzie
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Episode 6, Iron Sisters, was easily my favorite episode this season. Not only was it finally Malec-centric, Luke's emotional response to Jocelyn's death and some of his backstory was also revealed. First and foremost, Magnus and Alec finally go on their long-awaited date. It turns out that Alec's kink is Magnus hustling him at pool. Okay, so that may not be explicitly stated in the show, but the turned on look Alec levels at Magnus as his boyfriend smirks back in response? The kink is canon, people. But it's not all fun and games - the two discuss their past relationships, or in Alec's case, lack of relationships. Alec struggles with valid insecurities at the revelation that Magnus has 17,000 exes (Honestly? Goals) and even tries to tell himself it's not worth it. Fortunately, at the last second, he realizes that giving up would be a mistake, and the two agree that they're, as Magnus puts it, "all for effort." They also get cockblocked by Jace, but hey, what's new? Alas, Magnus and Alec's relationship don't get treated as well in the subsequent episodes, but that's for Part 2 to be bitter about.
As Magnus and Alec relax for the first time in...ever, Clary and Izzy travel to the Iron Sisters in the hopes that they can help them defeat Valentine. However, to enter, they must prove their purity. Though Clary is Valentine's daughter, she passes easily. It's Izzy who's unable to pass, due to the Yin Fen coursing through her blood. Yin Fen is vampire venom, and it's got demonic properties. She stays behind while Cleophas, one of the Iron Sisters, admits to Clary that the Soul Sword has a secret secondary purpose (the [redacted] part from earlier): it can destroy anything with demon blood, aka Downworlders. And Valentine has the Soul Sword...see the problem now?
Fun fact: Cleophas is Luke's sister! Another fun fact: Cleophas is secretly a Circle member, because every character of color who isn't helping the white saviors has to be a villain.
Lastly, Simon and Maia bond as they go off to look for Luke, who has been missing for several days. The pack has "long" given up on the search (long being like.... a couple of days, max.) If the show won't acknowledge a problem with this, I will - no pack would ever give up on their leader, especially an alpha like Luke, that easily. Alaric was the most OOC of all - the same Alaric who trusts Luke with his life, who stood by his side,
Simon tells Maia about how his mother caught him chomping on a dead rat after he had run out of blood, and Maia admits to an embarrassing story where she showed up to school naked after transforming. Luke has clearly had a positive, father-figure like impact of the both of them, and we get to see that with Maia-Luke flashbacks after Maia first turns. "I don't have anyone who cares about me," a vulnerable, younger Maia admits. "You do now," Luke assures her. Look at my favorite police captain and wolf daughter go!
Episode 6 brought out some of Isaiah, Alberto and Alisha's best acting, and at the time, I'd hoped to get similar scenes in the future. But then the SH writers ruined my dreams with the next three episodes, some of the worst ones in the entire show's history. But we'll get to that soon. Right now, let's just relive the last good episode of season 2A, at least until episode 10.
Overall, the shining stars of these four episodes are easily Magnus and Simon. Alberto kills it, portraying Simon's struggle between his Mundane life and vampirism (and subsequent discrimination from Nephilim) perfectly. Harry, as always, is an actual angel who can do no wrong. It's a good thing they work out, because their backs must be tired from carrying the show. It's too bad Luke/Isaiah couldn't be included in this list, because he got the least screentime of all the mains (and we all know why).
To be honest, I'm not sure how to end this, but stay tuned for Part 2!
Extras that didn't make it in:
- Luke deserves better. This means more screentime, more of his loved ones not getting killed, more backstory.
- I love Magnus Bane with everything in me. We got to see his desire to take care of Downworlders as his own children, especially since he's infertile. He's so important.
- Isabelle Lightwood does not deserve to be made out as the stereotypical Latina drug addict. Victor Aldertree does not deserve to be made out as the stereotypical black drug dealer.
- I love Maia Roberts and everyone who's villainizing her can choke.
Rating for 2.03: 9
Rating for 2.04: 7.5
Rating for 2.05: 8
Rating for 2.06: 9.3
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