Rewatch 113: Morning Star
Just a passing thought but how come nobody comments on how Valentine shares his family name with Lucifer? I’d expect Simon to make a quip like “dude’s last name is the same as the devil, no wonder he’s messed up.”
Anyway, last episode of season 1!
Teaser
I’m glad Clary doesn’t spiral down with Jace when he starts to have a meltdown. The choice of making Jace throw angry hissy fits whenever things get messy has been present all season long and, although it’s not my favorite trope, it’s consistent and makes sense for a character indoctrinated to push down his emotions.
I still don’t get how Alec, the Act Head of the New York Institute, is supposed to know nothing about the current High Warlock of Brooklyn. I get Magnus not knowing about Alec since Alec was just holding the position while his parents were gone, but the notion that Alec had zero info on Magnus or his reputation is ludicrous to me.
Hearing Magnus say “don’t underestimate a parent’s love” breaks my heart.
Enough with the praising of Lydia for not standing in the way when Alec backed down from the arranged marriage. I get Alec doing so because he’s a shadowhunter and therefore dumb, but Magnus? Nope. Magnus knows better than to follow this medieval logic that Lydia did anything more than being a decent person.
Act One
Because of the lack of tension in Hodge’s betrayal in the last episode, I’m not invested in this reveal. I also never saw the Lightwoods treating him like family: at most I saw Hodge clear favoritism with Alec. Once again, there’s no build-up, so there’s no pay off here.
Oooh, that’s why Hodge summoned Valentine in the middle of the training room. So the shadowhunter foursome could figure out why he betrayed them. Or, rather, so Clary could figure things out. Izzy, Jace, and Alec are all wrong at some point in this conversation. Anyway, good use of the footage to speed-up Valentine removing the Circle Rune from Hodge. I don’t get how he did it, but he did it and that’s what matters.
Why are they repeating the exposition? The audience has been told again and again what Valentine wants to do with the Cup. We know he wants to create a shadowhunter army. We know the process kills mundanes. We know this is bad. Just because Clary didn’t care about it for the most part of the season, doesn’t mean we forgot.
Valentine ascending 40-something years old will never not be funny to me. Where did these mundanes come from? Why do they want to risk their lives like this? But, anyway, it’s a good thing they develop this into him going for young and fit mundanes in the next season.
Clary giving Jace the “the world doesn’t revolve around you” lecture falls so flat. Nothing in her journey taught her that lesson: she was able to use the Cup to get her mother back and then save Izzy from exile. Simon forgave her for turning him into a vamp. Clary herself is now a praised and trained member of the shadowhunters. Not even indirect consequences happened: Alec didn’t have to marry against his will after all. Clary had her cake and ate it too. If anything, her journey confirms that she can only think of what she wants because the consequences will solve themselves around her.
This doesn’t count as Luke using the pack for the benefit of the shadowhunters because it’s in the interest of the werewolves to keep the Cup away from Valentine.
Hodge’s tone when he asks about Jace and Clary is interesting. Does that mean he cares about them?
This conversation between Clary, Izzy, Simon, and Raphael is all over the place. Why does Raphael think Camille would make things worse if Valentine has the Cup? Why does Clary say they are supposed to be allies?
The amount of overacting in this Jace vs Hodge confrontation is astonishing. Also, I want to know if the Lightwoods really pinned their crimes on Hodge or not. We had zero interactions between Hodge, Maryse, or Robert. The only time they were even in a scene together was at Alec’s wedding and there was no indication of any animosity.
Jace going for the kill is a nice touch in his descent to darkness. I’m also glad to see how Alec deals with Jace fits of anger: he speaks rationally and tells Jace to calm down. Oh, one more thing. In the score of “stopping you from doing something you’d regret” is now tied.
WAIT A SECOND. I don’t remember “Michael” calling Jace by “Jonathan”. That was Valentine all along. Why would he start to do it now? Only because now the audience knows Jace is short for Jonathan Christopher?
Act Two
“We’re not so different, you and I.” Valentine has read and written every book on being a supervillain in an action show.
The fact that there is only talk about Jace eventually killing innocent people and not Valentine tricking him into killing an innocent person is disappointing. I know villains tricking or forcing Jace to kill innocents will be a trend in 2a and 3a, but the fact that it doesn’t happen here should prove to Jace that he and Valentine are not the same.
Yeah. Where are Clary and Simon? How did Izzy end up alone with Raphael at all? There is a missing scene that would explain how Clary, Izzy, and Simon managed to create this scenario.
And, with that, Izzy made the first attack. As of now, Clary, Izzy, and Simon have officially crossed the line and attacked the vampires.
What similar thing? Did Valentine struggle with the knowledge that his father was a sociopath who traumatized him on purpose? Didn’t know that.
OMG. THIS SHOW AND ITS NON-LOGIC. Awaking up Jocelyn doesn’t stop Hodge from giving Valentine the Cup. It doesn’t even give them any new information on Valentine’s plans because they already know his plans. There is no connection between these two things. Stop forcing one.
Act Three
I wish we’ve gotten more on the bond between Camille and Simon. She expected Simon to come and save her, but Simon wouldn’t have if Clary didn’t need to talk to Camille. And we know there is a bond because Camille wins the argument. Why don’t they, you know, make it into the plot?
I love how Camille is written. She has her own motivations, her own goals. She doesn’t feel like a character put there just to help or foil Clary, she feels like she would have her own story if Clary was there or not. Every relatively prominent character should feel like that.
How awkward it is to know that Dot was Camille’s favorite costumer now that we know their respective stories with Magnus?
So, if Camille told Clary and Simon where debukofdewyt is, why don’t they just tie her up again and leave? One of the vampires has to know where her “Upper East Side apartment” is.
Still not buying Jace’s motivations.
The whole Izzy vs Raphael confrontation bores me to death. The amount of coincidences that had to happen for this to work: Raphael let Izzy alone after he figured out the betrayal, Izzy found exactly which wall to burst through and the exact time to do it, the fact that there are no other paths that Raphael can take to get to them or vamps in the hotel. In the words of a wise old warlock: Yawn.
Act Four
A Writ of Transmutation? It’s a cool world-building concept the show is going to forget they introduced this season. Cleaning up her name for killing and turning mundanes? Yeah, Camille won’t care about that in the next episode. She’ll be too busy making vampire dens all over town.
Again, they don’t need Camille’s help. She already told them where the books is. They are not even trying to get the apartment’s exact address through other sources. Magnus is right there. Ask him if he knows it.
Okay, now the connection between waking up Jocelyn and defeating Valentine makes sense. They should’ve gone with that.
As good as this scene debate between Magnus and Camille is – and it’s great; in the last episode we were told Camille doesn’t believe in love and now we see her stating that -, my favorite part is how Camille is willing to go the extra mile of villainous and assault Magnus right when she knew his newest boyfriend would see them. Camille doesn’t want a relationship with Magnus but she also doesn’t want him to have a relationship with anyone else.
Magnus is so confused and scared in this scene. My heart is breaking. Someone hug him. Someone tell him it’s not his fault Camille is a monster.
Note to self: Simon says “take us to the apartment, bring us the book. Then, I’ll sign.”
The overacting continues. Also, Valentine is smarter than Jace – especially when Jace is in a crisis. I wonder who could’ve predicted that? Oh yes, not Clary or Alec or Simon. They just figured it’d be fine to let Jace ran lose in the city.
Act Five
Guys! Guys! We got a scene where we see the heroes being followed! They are building up the tension!! I’m so happy right now.
Note to self: Simon signed before Camille gave them the book. And with Clary’s blessing. They are so stupid.
Okay, so Jace warns Clary that the Circle is on their way and she… ignores it? It’s not the book is going anywhere. Valentine doesn’t know why they went to Camille’s. They can leave and wait out until the Circle Members are gone.
Act Six
Not to be dark, but there is no reason for the Circle Members to keep either Simon or Izzy alive. Or Magnus, for that matter. Alec gets a pass because if he dies, Jace gets… incapacitated? Though Valentine lost his Parabatai bond and he’s fine. Maybe killing Alec is exactly what Valentine should want to do, to make Jace feel even closer to him.
… They are free and they outnumber Valentine and the Circle Members. In fact, that’s four shadowhunters, one vampire, one warlock against five shadowhunters. And that’s before all the minions leave and Valentine turns his back at them. Why wouldn’t Alec put an arrow at the back of Valentine’s head? Why wouldn’t Izzy throw a dagger? Or why can’t Magnus knock Valentine down with magic?
Alec saves Clary’s life. Just wanted to point that out.
I like this conversation between Clary and Simon, though I’m confused about what Clary’s expression mean by the end of it. She seems conflicted, but is it because she’s worried about Jace or because she just told Simon she loves him? It could be either one.
Love that the takeaway of Camille’s manipulations is Alec getting worried about hurting Magnus once he dies. Also love that Magnus gets to say that, just because logic says he’ll outlive Alec, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t date.
The whole scene of Magnus waking up Jocelyn is gorgeous and an excellent pay-off to the entire season. From episode one we follow Clary in her journey to get her mom back. She finally does. That is satisfying even if the whole journey wasn’t. In structure terms, this is the last scene of the season and it accomplishes its structural goals perfectly.
The scene with Valentine and Jace at the boat is an add-on, a cliffhanger for the next season. Well done and somewhat exciting, but an extra. Particularly, I could go without it, but it’s a good set up for what season 2a will be all about.
