#sh analysis

spoiler warning: Scarlet Hollow (Episodes 3 and 4)

Reese Kelly's condition is, to me, very reminiscent of the analytical psychology concept of the ego-dystonic complex or shadow archetype. When in the basement with him in Episode Four, he becomes more confident and bold, more expressive, and more protective (or possessive, depending on specific dialogue choices and how you interpret his behavior). Part of these changes are due to a combination of shock, betrayal, fear, and the anger and adrenaline that results from those feelings. However, narration available to players with the Mystic trait will recognize fundamental changes to his personality as he shakes off the effects of the medication his mother has been giving him.

In my opinion both versions of him that we meet -- the kind, helpful, and somewhat sad young man on Wednesday and early Thursday afternoon, and the angry mom-eating monster that we meet on Thursday night -- are equally him and not him.

In Jungian psychology, the Shadow is one of many aspects of our personalities, representing repressed thoughts, feelings, and impulses, as well as negative traits, fears, and weaknesses. These are the negative aspects of the Shadow, though it has a positive side as well. It is a source of creativity, for example, and assertiveness. Oftentimes, it is the part of ourselves that we reject, because when not kept in check, it causes us to become isolated from others due to its more destructive tendencies.

How does this apply to Reese? Well, it's notable that Reese is extremely unassertive. There are several points on Wednesday afternoon where you can insult him or his art, and he will never be the one to confront you. Instead, either Dr. Kelly or Kaneeka will call you out. However, Reese is not unaffected by these comments. Behind the scenes, he will view you as more adversarial. When asked about Tabitha, he is diplomatic, noting politely that Tabitha didn't seem to like him in school -- even laughing about this -- and suggesting that she may have become nicer since he knew her. We can also see this with Reese's art. He puts everything negative inside him into his art and then hides it so that he doesn't have to look at it. Joan might be using ricin to keep him weak enough that he can't get worked up enough to transform and is forced to stay home, but I think this is likely what's holding the beast at bay -- Reese is doing what his mother taught him by example and suppressing his shadow. Stella and Kaneeka suggest that it's like "art therapy" but it's really not. He expresses the emotions, but he never actually processes them. His shadow is like a coke bottle that he keeps shaking until it eventually blows.

Failure to integrate the Shadow into your overall personality can lead to self-destructive tendencies as your Shadow tries to impose its will on the outside world, as well as self-hatred and shame. That's why Reese seems to have two personalities -- his two "sides" are at war with one another. He can no longer suppress his Shadow, and he won't be able to until he does the work to integrate his monstrous side with the rest of him.

While I agree with the power of SH2's ambiguity, that this is the reason SH2 had the biggest or loudest subgroup in the fandom and got the first remake, bc people keep discussing James and the others, I don't think James would have acted on any sexual desire of his while he was married to a terminally ill Mary, and that's one of the reasons he snaps (and this is no excuse for that, that is just what I think happens) and kills Mary. If he was sexually abusive or had extra marital sex, I highly doubt he would be in such a bad space/as depressed as he was (like he wouldn't care to kill mary) to actually feel very guilt after killing his wife (and wouldn't feel a thing about killing her/just a want to get away with it.) Like while intimate loyalty is not the end all of morality, it is a potential sign of a tendency, a tendency to care (or not) about others and their feelings.

Context: John saw Emilico fell out of a window so he snuck outside to see more then he saw Kate running by. Then the rest is "Love at first sight" sequence

John is so wholesome and adorable,he can be show-off,annoying,brash,not very attentive,don't listen to others,quirky and noisy but he's a really good guy and he's respectful and he respect others' boundaries including the living dolls too

Also I think he's the "quirky character" trope done right,bc I heard there are some of those quirky characters who are flat out abominations and annoying shits who think they're funny but they're not and also zero likeable traits

John is your best boi,he maybe too overly energetic and noisy but he's a good boi. Plus it's absolutely normal for kids his age to act like him,many people don't seem to like his archetype of characterization and just put him as "Kate's simp",like is he really just that one note? The boi is willing to protect his crush as well as his friends too, I don't think being a simp is the only "worth" of his

Oh how I love those tiny flashback snippets! It is incredibly adorable~

For the whole thing, yes, I agree with you! On the surface, he's usually just seen as 'that one boy who has a massive crush on Kate'. A loud, strong, but air-headed Shadow. Although he may be annoying, he never has ill intention and understands boundary. John is a precious character who never disregards anyone blatantly, nor does he hold grudge against someone for so long.

I know there are some discussion on Magnus’s behaviour in 2x19 right now so let me point out a few things.

A lot of people in the fandom agrees that Magnus has been written very well throughout all the seasons. However, some seem to think that if a person makes a mistake then it means she/he’s suddenly out of character or badly written, but it’s not always like that. Magnus is IN character throughout the episode, but his behaviour is not as perfect as always. Powerful warlock or not, he’s still human. He hurts, reacts, lashes out and makes mistake like ANY human being. There are reasons for that:

This is not the same sad and depressed Magnus of the previous episodes. Through his behaviour, you can clearly understand he’s bitter and still angry. His actions mirror what he was doing at the beginning of 1x12, right before they find Ragnor and the whole wedding happens: he was avoiding the situation because he was bitter about it all. He’s doing the same exact thing. He’s hurt and sad, as you can clearly see on his face when he looks at the pictures of him and Alec; however, the line “Seelies can’t lie” and his expression show how his bitterness and subtle anger, right now, are overshadowing his hurt and love. It’s a phase, it’s a moment. It will pass as soon as someone (or something) is going to force him to notice how his behaviour is endangering them all.

By being bitter and angry, it’s like his mentality flips completely. He tried to be understanding; he tried to hide his problems; he tried to open up his heart and put down his walls; he tried to be supportive. And in the end, what happened? The circumstances divided him from his lover, who chose to hide important things from him as if he couldn’t trust him (that’s Magnus’s perspective, not mine, mind you). So of course, since everything that he did in the past didn’t work, now he tries to do the exact opposite: he stops caring. He immerses himself COMPLETELY into his High Warlock job (which he kinda neglected if you notice) to forget his personal drama and he does the one thing that ensures he doesn’t have to think about things: he gives the power to make decisions to another person. By agreeing with everything the Seelie Queen says, he’s running away from his duty, that same duty that RUINED his relationship with Alec. He doesn’t want to think about the war, his relationship or anything at all. For once, he follows and in doing that he also guarantees safety to his people (safety that was NOT secure with the Clave’s behaviour, by the way). That’s what is important to him right now.

The fact that he’s running away is proved by three scenes:

The beautiful scene at the beginning of the episode with Luke and Raphael. The whole “We know you can’t face Alec sober” comment by Luke shows how Magnus is still sad and how he tries to hide his concerns. He’s not ready to face his relationship problems. He can’t face Alec at all.

Throughout the council meeting he hardly makes eye contact with others. He clearly can’t look at Alec; he looks his way when the other man is not looking, but the moment Alec tries to make eye contact with him, Magnus looks somewhere else. He knows that the moment he does and he sees Alec’s love reflected in his eyes his own bitterness and anger will melt way and for once he doesn’t want to. He’s not ready. He’s still too hurt.

As soon as the meeting is over, HE BOLTS. He follows the Queen, not to make a statement, but to FLEE from Alec.

It was the last episode of the season, and I can say I’m utterly satisfied. I was prepared for the worst, thinking they wouldn’t have the time to solve everything, but they did and they did it perfectly. I’m so proud.

There are tons of people who are analyzing this episode better than I could so I’m not going to bore you with how good it was. But I am venting out about TWO of my ultimate favourite aspects of it:

The hurt!Magnus moment

People who know me by now are fully aware I love this trope in fanfiction. Sometimes, I just need Magnus to have some kind of problem and Alec being there to help and reassure him (for the positivity of going through things together). THAT trio scene, with Magnus closing the rift and collapsing to the ground, with Alec rushing towards him, was the epitome of all I ever wanted. It was so well done, not too dramatic but not immediately dismissed either. It even managed to pull them closer, emotionally AND physically. It was fantastic.

Vulnerable!Magnus (I know, I know, my biasness is showing)

I am sorry if some people didn’t understand Magnus’s behaviour in the previous episodes, or why he reacts in certain ways when Alec confesses his love. To me, Harry Shum Jr. only demonstrates, every single time, how he completely understands every single aspects of Magnus Bane. It’s amazing the journey this character has gone through during a SINGLE episode. It starts with him avoiding the Maia issue, still trying somehow to keep the alliance with the Seelies together, because otherwise it would mean go back to the Shadowhunters (and ultimately, to Alec). It continues with the saltiness we love during that “door” scene with Alec, where he tries, AGAIN, to push him away to avoid getting hurt one more time. When he enters the Institute, if you look closely, he clearly avoids looking at Alec when ALEC looks his way. It seems he’s still not ready to face him and his feelings; Magnus is still hiding behind his “angry” façade. Then, when he understands how dangerous the situation is, he changes and he goes full business with the “What have you got” line. It’s like he finally gets he needs to put his private matters aside and just concentrate on solving the situation.

From that moment on, Magnus slowly goes back to his “old” season 2A self, mainly because working with Alec and being in direct contact with him for an extensive amount of time help him realize how the “fights” (Alec’s words, look at Magnus’s face when he says it) were taking a toll on him as well (hence, the “Don’t apologize” answer). Worrying about each other was the perfect plotline to solve things between them.

That whole party scene before their “talk” was even more amazing. Look at the details. Magnus is away from everyone (again, ALONE) drinking to heal his soul. The moment Alec finds him he keeps on rambling and babbling about everything he did but, more importantly, about nothing serious (look at Alec’s face though, how he’s pleased to hear the other man talking about everything he loves. Matt did an amazing job: it was like Alec missed Magnus’s soft voice so much, talking to HIM about all sort of things). Magnus was clearly avoiding the “talk”. When Alec suggests they need to discuss, Magnus’s eyes literally change (how the hell can you do that though, Harry) and he goes in full whisper “Yes”. That is scared Magnus talking. Let’s face it, he was scared. He was scared of facing Alec and breaking up for good, of facing his own feelings and facing Alec’s as well.

When they are in the alley, his body language says it all: he’s stiff and puts his arms around himself to protect him. If you look closely again (details, details), when Alec is in front of him, giving his back, Magnus looks around to gather his thoughts and takes a huge breath. The moment Alec turns around and looks at him, Magnus straights his back and puts his “everything is okay” mask on. He can’t start the conversation, however, and he’s not the one leading it: it’s Alec. Magnus his sure of what he feels for the other man and he knows where he stands in their relationship. Throughout the episode he manages to understand Alec’s position and feelings as well, to finally understand that Alec has apologized enough and there’s no need for more (”Don’t apologize”) and that everything about the Soul Sword was “in the past”. Magnus should have continued the talk from there on but he can’t and he waits for Alec to go on. Because, once again, he’s scared of what is going on and he needs Alec to tell him clearly. And Alec does it. He goes full confession time. Again, look at Magnus’s face when Alec says he can’t live without him, the way his eyes immediately search for Alec’s face. He’s surprised. That is the same surprise he showed during 2x10 when Alec said he loved him. It’s because none of his lovers were so straightforward with their feelings, nor the depth of their love was as big as Alec’s. Magnus had many heartbreaks and hurt moments in the past, never forget. But we know Alec always manages to surprise Magnus, and it is a good thing, because Magnus deserves all the pure love he can get.

Everyone is having a “great” time, enjoying the beautiful flashbacks, how Malec is going so far in such a short time, how their love is pure even if circumstances are terrible, but I am probably the only one feeling very scarred and terribly sad. Absolutely no criticism to the show, because the episode was FANTASTIC. I’m really talking about the emotional journey it put me through so, let me vent it out a bit, because as many as you, I’m a mess. I’m sorry it’s going to sound terribly sad.

The situation

As I said in my previous commentary on episode 2x17, the problems between them were “healthy angst” kind of issues, that would help them see the differences between them, face it all and be better for each other. I was expecting things to get even more meaningful because of the teasers and spoilers we had so I thought I was prepared, but I wasn’t.

The flashbacks

The flashbacks were extremely important. However, let me tell you something most people won’t agree with: I was a bit wary of them (but I was still open to them, mind you, and I’d never judge before seeing them). I was one of the few people who enjoyed 2x07 IMMENSELY; I thought it was a beautiful, well done episode that came in full circle. To understand it, we have to sit through it and grab all the tiny details that the writers put out, so that the end would make even more sense. I never saw the problem with consent, since I absolutely understood what Magnus was saying, how afraid he was that Alec would “go” the morning after and thus that he was “using” him for experience. Nonetheless, I ABSOLUTELY understand people who didn’t enjoy it as much as I did, and their arguments and point of view make sense. I respect their opinions. Still, 2x07 includes all my favourite Malec moments: the date, the Omamori (my favourite moment ever), the smooch attacks, their first time. After saying that, however, I am infinitely grateful for these flashback. I’m so glad they created them and put them in this episode, in THIS way, because they fit perfectly and made us understand so much more, so I was scared for nothing. I ALWAYS wanted to know what happened during that “infamous” night between 1x06 and 1x07: what did they talk about? How was Alec behaving? And Magnus? How did they feel after talking about everything and nothing, after drinking and being in each other’s company for so many hours? And here I have it, that tiny little moment in the morning after. I don’t know if you notice, but it was such a wink to the “Bane Chronicles”: Alec sleeping on the couch after a “mission”, waking up to Magnus making coffee (note: in the “Bane Chronicles” he would do that many times, and it’s Magnus who would wake up with the smell of coffee in the air and Alec being busy in his kitchen). I loved it. I loved seeing the difference between season 1!Alec and season 2!Alec, how insecure he was, how everything was new, how he was still ashamed of what he felt and what he was doing, how he almost smiled and was genuinely surprised by Magnus when he stopped thinking about all those insecurities and how he would crash all his emotions the moment he started overthinking. I loved how Magnus was tiptoeing around him as well, trying to make Alec feel comfortable but still trying to flirt as well; the surprise he showed everytime Alec said something he didn’t expect. Season 1 gifted us of so many feelings.

And then the night between 2x07 and 2x08 happened. Everything was so well done but what I am immensely thankful for is that they didn’t change the “tone” of 2x07. It wasn’t presented as “here, we fixed what you didn’t like it”, it was a natural following of everything the built in that episode: them entering their room with their lips locked, both being extremely greedy of each others’ touches, the bed gloriousness, Magnus “losing” control. THAT scene, above it all, was so well done. Magnus continued to being completely immersed in his feelings and it showed through his confused way of speaking (it was the SAME in 2x07 when he tried to explain to Alec he was afraid of losing him). It was so important for him to be accepted by Alec after seeing his warlock’s marks during such an intimate moment, even more after we saw what happened with his family.

Magnus

Here I am, being terrible. I know the WHOLE episode was beautiful and I know it was absolutely well done but it destroyed me seeing Magnus like this. It was so sad. The PURPOSE of the flashbacks was to remind Magnus what he had, and what he could lose if he accepted the Seelie Queen’s offer. And throughout the episode, what we see is Magnus putting back the walls around his heart. It was REALLY painful to watch, as a Magnus fan. It was AMAZINGLY well done and Harry Shum Jr. remains a BLESSING for this fandom, for me as a huge Magnus fan and for everyone in this show. It’s unbelievable how he can deliever so much without speaking. You can see him hardening his heart in those tiny little moments before and after the flashbacks: there, on that couch where Alec stayed with him after all the mess in 2x12; there, when he holds the Omamori (I’m gonna meta the hell out of it one day) and looks out at that rainy sky; there, at the Institute, holding Alec’s hand; there, when he goes out from the infirmary, looking at that cursed flower again, missing Alec and having to go through everything alone. Yes, alone. That’s one of the things that made me EXTREMELY sad. He was ALONE throughout the episode. Not even Max nor Bat, who were physically wounded, were alone. He was the only one; everyone else had someone by their sides. He was alone at home, and NO ONE checked on him but Alec (who needed him both physically and emotionally for the terrible Max’s situation); he was alone at the institute as well, even if surrounded by the Lightwoods, because NO ONE but ALEC talked to him. He was alone going through his memories and his emotions, no one to talk to, no one there to ask him if he was okay, as if everyone was expecting him to BE okay, since he’s immortal, powerful and the High Warlock of Brooklyn (yes, those are the things EVERYONE and Alec included, at first, thought about him). And that’s another terrible aspects of it all. He’s so conflicted about the whole situation with the Seelie Queen because his emotional life doesn’t get along with what the Downworlders and the Shadow World expect him to do. People expect him to be a leader, to protect the warlocks and the Downworlders in general, to destroy the possible menace, to bring peace. And Alec is RIGHT, they can work together to make them get along, to make it possible, but I think he feels the pressure of it all, and seeing how the misunderstandings between him and Alec and the problems the Clave is causing make Magnus vulnerable to be nudged towards duty. He’s doing what season 1!Alec was doing, and it’s understandable, even more if you think about how afraid he was and is. At this point, after 7 weeks of knowing each other and falling in love, he probably knows Alec is THE ONE. And we know how scary it is for Magnus, after all the lovers he lost, after all the people who just used him and left him alone. Remember who Magnus Bane is, and how he was shaped to be like that. After 400 years of experiencing loss, starting from his own mother and family, to all those lovers, who would either judge him, leave him for someone else, continue their lives, die on him, saying he wasn’t enough, saying he was too much; after what he went through with the torture in Valentine’s body; after finding someone who loves him and he can trust, it’s really easy to see why he’s trying to hide his true self, and put those walls around his heart again.

Alec

I have no words to express how proud I am of Alec. During this episode he has shown once again how brave and passionate he is. He’s the perfect person for Magnus, from the way he holds him and touches him, to the things he says to him. He’s brave also for saying sorry every time he understands he made a mistake; for the way he ALWAYS tries to make it work, TOGETHER, and being stronger than before. I love him and Malec forever.

neither of these details were in the books, so this is my show interpretation;

You don’t need a portal shard to make a Portal. The one in the show was only used to “reactivate” a Portal from the alternate dimension. Portals are created by warlocks, so either she asked one in Idris, or she just took a permanent Portal, I’m sure there are some there.

Alec’s bow and quiver turn invisible whenever he wants them too. I guess it’s not a regular mundane weapon, that’s why the idea of giving it up to Magnus was hard for him^^

At the beginning of Ep 7 Jace is still at Magnus’s lair, so in the end of Ep 6, while Clary was with Luke and Alec with Magnus, he must have been somewhere in the appartment.

My headcanon is that he wanted to give Clary some time alone with Luke, and even though he was in another room, I feel like he was aware that Alec and Magnus were together and that they spent quite some time in the same room, because this is Jace’s face when Alec awkwardly refuses to ask Magnus for help in Ep 7:

The name he called her is “dear friend” is a special name, because  he knows that she’s having to fought all her life and even when she is weak, he has sense to comfort her. He’s never seen Abbie in that condition before and it aches him that he was not there to protect her. That’s why you see how determined he was after left her, to go kill the Tooth Fairy.

Ichabod’s talk with Joe was really about Abbie. He might be overthinking his view of his partnership with Abbie, because on his view, he views Abbie as “more than an partner and friend”, but he’s insecure to began showing his real feelings, since Abbie has been showing hers in a non-verbal way. (The jealous glances of Zoe’s texts)