About:
Shadowhunter of the Week: Max
Previously: Clary finds out that Jace isn’t her brother; Jace finds out that he’s a Herondale; Magnus’ body swap with Valentine unearths bad memories; and Raphael and his vampires find out that Simon is a Daylighter.
What Happened
A string of brutal Shadowhunter murders leads to growing concern of a Downworld uprising. The Clave is cracking down, and the reception of their new policies is varying wildly among our Shadowhunters’ demon friends: Luke compiles, feeling like he has nothing to hide and eager to clear his name; Magnus, still shaken up from the body swapping affair, is mad that Alec’s back to following Clave orders to a tee instead of trusting his gut (and his bf); Simon refuses due to his family’s painful history in the Holocaust; and Maia literally fights against it. Turns out, the killings were orchestrated by a single Seelie named Kaelie, but the damage to the already precarious Shadow World-Downworld relations won’t be able to be undone so easily.
In lighter news, Clary books Simon a music gig, which receives a healthy turnout from vampires curious about the new Daylighter; Magnus and Dot reminisce on old times; and Jace and Maia give into their enemistry with a session of hate-sex.
Shadowhighlights
- Maia’s #JudgingYou face at Clary and Simon. MAIA, I HAVE MISSED YOU.
- Jace on having three different last names over the course of a summer. He and Clary on their own could probably keep the entire Shadow World name change office employed.
- It’s such a clichéd scene, but I still snortled heartily when Luke was giving Simon the safe sex bloodlust talk.
- OMG RANDO SHADOWHUNTER DUNCAN IS FROM DEGRASSI. Between him and Raj, I’ve convinced myself that all Degrassi alums graduate to the Institute. (Ergo, Drake is a Shadowhunter!) MAKE THIS CANON, SHOW.
- Dot and Magnus’ friendship, obviously! Which revealed juicy gossip like Dot’s fling with Mark Twain, and Magnus’ with Freddie Mercury.
- DOT AND MAGNUS DANCING. But omgggg why are the camera angles so shitty?! JUST SHOW THEM DANCING, FFS.
Shadowlowlights
- Imogen, these pants are A LOT.
• OMG THE BAD GRAPHICS RETURN. Honestly, so embarrassing.
- Even though it wasn’t the worst (it was even kind of Ed Sheeran-y?), I was DREADDDDDING Simon’s musical performance because I am SO NOT into music showcases for aspiring multihyphenates. Freeform’s Disney Channel connections might be showing through.
- OK, the gesture of Maia buying Clary a drink is a highlight. (Yay, Luke’s daughters getting along! For now, anyway, until the inevitable Jace fallout.) But Clary’s underage and Maia previously made a big stink about Simon the ageless vampire being a minor, so WTF?!
Shadowhunter of the Week
Ugh, this kid. Our main Shadowhunters might break rules all the time, but they’re also all adults who can defend themselves. Max, on the other hand, follows along when told not to, and then he gets abducted by a serial killer right away. Can you just listen for change, buddy?! (YES OK I’M DRAGGING A FICTIONAL CHILD.)
Say What?
Honestly, so many gems between Dot and Magnus alone:
Magnus: “Well. I wouldn’t want to be overdramatic.”
About to break his word in 3, 2, 1…
Magnus: “I’ll drink to that. Oops, I suppose I already am.”
… there it is.
Dot: “Talk. Or not. Either way, you shouldn’t drink alone.”
Dot is a good friend.
Magnus: “I fall in love with the soul before the sex.”
To no one’s surprise, Magnus is an equal opportunity lovah.
Dot: “It’s hard to find a warlock who’s super hot and lives in this realm. And who’s also a good dancer.”
Well, how depressing that the Downworld dating scene is just as dire as the one for mundanes.
Dot: “My life would be a boring tragedy without you.”
Magnus: “It would, indeed.”
Dot and Magnus, BFFs 4EVA.
And now for everybody else (i.e., mostly Maia and Jace):
Maia: “Clave business? Do I curtsy?”
Treating the Clave with the solemnity that it deserves, tbh.
Simon: “But I’ve realized that being a Daylighter is like totally overrated. I should have got something cool. Like heat vision or invisibility.”
Jace: “If only you were invisible.”
Simon just sets himself up to be teased.
Jace: “I should probably let you cool out down here for the right hook that you landed.”
Maia: “You deserved it.”
Omg JUST MAKE OUT ALREADY. (Oh, wait.)
Jace: “I’ll always be a soldier, but you’re a leader, Alec.”
TRUFAX.
Clary: “Go get ’em, tiger.”
Is Clary throwing her hat in the ring to be the new Mary Jane Watson?
Maia [in response to Jace removing her tracking implant]: “I’m not saying thank you.”
Never change, Maia.
Swimfan Says
Here’s Shadowhunter Chronicles expert and co-host of The Parabatai Podcast, Meredith (@legallyblonde), with her thoughts!
- I love that they’re starting to address how some Shadowhunters lineages are more important than others, since that is a huge factor in the books. I also love Izzy’s comment that the Lightwoods are the Kennedys because I had made this same association before the episode.
- This episode also went a long way in showing how deep the Clave’s prejudices against Downworlders run, in a very hard-hitting way. While all of our main Downworlders reacted in different fashions, they all had the same basic distrust and objections to the Clave’s plan. Simon’s family history and Raphael’s Shadow World history lesson made for an interesting juxtaposition between the mundane and supernatural governments.
- The scenes between Dot and Magnus did a great job in showing their longstanding friendship (which was more than friends at one point), the complications of Shadowhunter/Downworlder relationships in the current upheaval of the Shadow World, and that sometimes you just need a friend to drink and dance with when you’re having relationship drama. (I’m so glad you’ve made up, Magnus and Alec.)
Burning Questions
- Where tf is Sebastian? I know he isn’t too keen on joining the New York Institute, but there was a Shadowhunter killer on the loose. Yet no one bothered to give him a heads up? (Still not assuaging my paranoia that Sebastian’s somehow masterminding everything For Reasons.)
- Jace and Maia: what say y’all? I know it’s only momentary, but INTO IT. (Way more than Clary/Simon, that’s for dang sure.)
