#shadowhunters commentary

So…Jonathan is suddenly as powerful as Lilith?? The actual queen of hell?? Good to know I guess??? Does demon blood usually give you the powers to relocate your apartment to a far away country?? Because that would be NEAT.

We put the Eiffeltower there for you people to recognize this as Paris!!

Did….Jonathan just compare Clary to big artists like van Gogh??? I mean…yeah, she can draw but…what???

I mean…you really do kind of owe him a chance but I have the feeling you’re lying to get out of the apartment.

Okay so…I love Sizzy. But Izzy scared of rats and hiding behind/clinging to Simon is such a teenage-romance-movie thing and it’s seriously getting old. By now they have big best friends energy and I’m actually curious how they’re gonna make them into a couple.

OH WOW okay that was a jumpscare LOL hi, Cain!!

I deeply relate to Alec’s grumpy face at being woken up.

“Why are you dressed?” he says “Why am I not getting my morning cuddles?” he means

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Alec wanted a longer and deeper kiss than that peck, poor baby is getting denied his boyfriend time

And also, Magnus is so adorable for a centuries old guy. Let me put him in my pocket and keep him as a comfort warlock.

“Morning exercise” he says “morning s*x” he means

So you’re really going to give us the training scene RIGHT AFTER THIS??? You’re really gonna be like that???? I enjoy it.

I don’t really have much to say about this scene except asjijwiuhfjoidjahfkdjkdj we actually got a whole scene of bantering boyfriends training together and showing their competitive sides, we got Alec’s “brew me a bottle” voice, Magnus teasing, Alec bodily pushing his boyfriend against a pillar and making out with him in the middle of the institute. Such a power move. I’m impressed. Please give me more.

Btw I yelled when Magnus danced away from Alec he is SO EXTRA and I’m HERE for it. Also, “black belt in name-dropping” hwauihdisahdhwaiudjwaiujd I both hate and love them.

Magnus acting all unbothered and then skipping after Alec to his bedroom is the best thing that ever happened.

Conversations that start with “we need to talk” usually don’t end well

I’m always here for interactions between Luke and the boys, no matter who

Hello again, Cain!!!

It’s so convenient that Lilith left some clothes there and that they’re conveniently Clary’s size.

Oh boy we’re really doing the inc*st plot, huh? Again??? What is it with these books and their love for inc*st.

Wow, glamouring does really terrible wigs

Could you PLEASE stop writing Jonathan and Clary all flirty?? They are siblings. And I know that the whole mistaking platonic love for romantic love stuff is important for Jonathan’s character arc but you don’t have to make Clary be flirty back. That just makes me terribly uncomfortable.

So, I’m a huge nerd for the whole Cain-Abel-Lilith etc biblical stuff and I am SO THERE for new versions of that story.

Wow, now I gotta add Cain to the list of people I wanna protect and give a hug to, huh? What a twist.

Okay it’s a bit unrealistic to me that Cain who’s been suffering from this mark for several centuries would be too scared to die to attempt the removal?? I mean…the chances must still be pretty good for him to survive and live a more or less normal life, right?

OH WOW OKAY I WAS NOT READY FOR THAT

ALEC STOP BEING SO SMUG

But also, keep going.

Wow, Magnus, I thought you were more of a gentleman than getting out of bed like 5 seconds after. Give your boyfriend his cuddles, damn it.

On another note, I know that this is a deeper issue and I really hope they won’t just brush it away like they did with every mental issue Magnus had/has

This tells me that Magnus has a Twitter account. I find that exhilarating.

I know that they’re being deep and sweet but they’re both still a little sweaty and my mind is going places

I love them so much you have no idea

Well, at least THEY’RE dressed for the weather.

How convenient that some of her hair got stuck on that tree

Well, tbh, Paris isn’t /that/ pretty

“the most beautiful boy” well, you can’t tell me that Jonathan isn’t at least a little bit bi

Alec reminding Magnus to cherish the moments they have is such a sweet scene and…Malec casually dropping wedding vows once again. They are adorable. I just wish they gave us another angle and more light on that kiss.

Also, Jace cockblocking even from another country!! That’s some talent right there.

I can’t believe they spent all this money on filming in Paris for a little bit of scenery.

It’s still amazing to me how easily Shadowhunters are robbed of essential things like knifes and Steles. And also, how convenient that a random Shadowhunter walks past in just that second

Call me crazy but I have a feeling that Simon-Izzy-Meliorn is a thing that could actually work lol

“I’m not one to name-drop” HE IS SO PETTY AND I LOVE IT

I’m sorry but the whole Clary-Jonathan plot this episode is so boring I would really like to skip this scene

Jonathan, you gotta make a little small-talk before asking someone to show you their sword

God all these fake French accents are annoying the hell out of me

And also, convenient Shadowhunter is convenient

Jonathan, that KILLS people!!!

I love how everyone is just watching like it happens every day that a Daylighter does a possibly deadly ritual to get his mark off

So, they’re really gonna make Izzy risk getting back on her addiction and make it a romantic sacrifice? I see you, writers, and this is bullsh*t.

No, it’s not okay. I hate this.

How is Clary still shocked about Jonathan killing people?

Oh look, it’s the Eiffeltower!!! Are we in Paris????

Wow, we don’t call our sister a little b*tch, Jonathan!!!

That scene is so stupid and anti-climatic I can’t even bear watching it

Where are Luke and Alec? Are they just…kinda there watching? I mean…Clary IS Luke’s basically-adopted-daughter and he’s just standing there like “oh nice, she’s not dead! Cool!” and all of that just because they didn’t want to spend the extra money to bring Isaiah and Matt to Paris. All of this is so, so stupid.

“Make sure to get this shot of them kissing in front of the Eiffeltower, Marty, we paid a lot of money for this!”

as a fan who started watching SH because of malec, in S2 i’ve solidly reframed my expectations to this reality: there may be seven main cast members, but clary is the main character. therefore, the characters who are involved in scenes with or about her (primarily simon and jace right now) get the most screentime. internalizing this has made watching the show...easier.

easier, but no less frustrating.

the writers understand malec in terms of overall story arc, and the producers acknowledge the importance of magnus and alec via social media, but there’s a bias in how malec is portrayed in terms of screentime set aside for intimacy (casual, conversational, and sexual), and the way intimate malec scenes are shot (direct shots that focus on chest and above vs full body shots that can showcase affection outside of a kiss).

unlike every other “couple” on the show (with the notable exception of lucelyn #RIP), malec hasn’t been given much time--or space on the screen--to simply linger and be.

harry and matt can (and do) give everything portraying these characters, but the final product is reliant on what camera angles are used and the choices in the editing room, especially when dialogue is limited.

i hope that the production and editing teams will be open to listening, and perhaps become more aware of how subtly bias can filter into art--even when we have the best of intentions.

the show has, overall, improved drastically since the first season. they’re not shying away from the malec relationship, but there’s still a hesitancy in the final cut of malec scenes that speaks of people who are unsure how to frame queer intimacy, and are, possibly, uncomfortable.

this is why diversity in production and editing teams (not just writing and acting) matters.

it would’ve been life changing for me to see characters like alec and magnus on my screen when i was younger. it’s life affirming now to see the evolution of their relationship.

malec isn’t portrayed perfectly, but there is time and opportunity for the production staff to learn and grow. there may even be a shift in the episodes left to air. we have to wait to see.

i expect for malec to have less screentime because they are a side story in clary’s journey. to give malec “equal” time is unrealistic in a show that’s not centered around them.

however, equality and equity are two different things. seeing malec portrayed through the same lens as clary’s relationships and other het relationships would be equitable even if malec won’t have equal time. 

I love the beginning of this episode it’s so chill and domestic even with everything going on, the song fits the mood perfectly

Alec, you’re pretty bad at lying

So…the Institute has a head chef who’s capable of better food than pancakes?

I’m sorry but the ring is so UGLY but that also fits perfectly because it’s the Lightwoods and it was family tradition to be boring until Alec and Izzy were born

I probably shouldn’t giggle at Jonathan in that muffler thingy

@ the writers: could you please stop throwing epic but heartless clace lines at us without ever giving us any kind of development of their relationship?? Like…are they even dating at the moment??? Because you’ve never given us anything that looks like a relationship except cliché lines that all account to ‘we were meant to be’

I don’t know if it’s on purpose but since they threw the incest stuff at us I see everything Jonathan says to Clary as flirty and se*xed-up and that makes me highly uncomfortable

Jonathan falls for the oldest trick in the world. But then again, he probably didn’t get to watch that many movies in Edom

Oh yay flashbacks

I actually really like this Edom set but I kind of think that Asmodeus would fit the décor better lol

Okay so…how exactly did it happen that Jonathan was so burned he looked like demonic burned lasagna man??? Because that’s only like…half of his face. Or was he burned when he came to earth?

Exposition Lilith

Izzy doesn’t have a second

I don’t know why but that whole “I’d do anything for Clary” thing Simon has going on is getting pretty old

Alec is A BIG MOOD

This still is not a plan. It’s the beginning of the plan, it’s around 30% of a plan. But they still go through with it and funnily so it kind of works out in the end.

Clave prisons are…charming.

HI HELEN!!!

Oh yay, muffled screams coming from a menacing door this is great

Exposition guard man

Still would have enjoyed Raphael’s character a lot more without the addiction plot with Izzy that the writers and showrunners just can’t let go of

I thought these were telepathy rings?!?! Why are they suddenly talking out loud??! Especially Izzy??? Wtf???

This is such a stupid way of hinting at Aline’s, Alec’s and Izzy’s friendship, that comparison doesn’t work

Now THAT’s how you do a good parabatai scene.

“THIS IS NOT JUST A PHASE, MOM!!!”

And again…exposition Lilith!! Ya know, if you’re only going to use her to tell the viewers random information they need without it making any sense you can just as well not have her on the show

I knew we didn’t see the last of this Aldertree asshole

I really enjoy Helen in this

I want to puke as soon as I see his face and now Izzy has to be nice to him to keep him distracted. Ew.

How exactly was she able to save these sketchbooks after her whole flat burned down in season 1? And in such good condition, no less.

Okay now I’m really confused. So. How much older than Clary is Jonathan?? Because he was grown in the flashbacks and she’s talking about a dream she had of him when she was younger. And okay, maybe his demon blood keeps him from aging further but I also don’t think that there was such a big gap between Jocelyn’s first and second child??

And now Simon will proceed to freely walk around the whole Gard and make a lot of noise and have nobody come to get him because suddenly all the guards are gone and there are also no surveillance cameras or anything

This little thing with Magnus and the grey hair is so unbelievably cliché

“Don’t let him out of your sight” WELL….

Of COURSE Iris is there

Am I the only one who thinks that this whole “taking away their demon blood and their powers” thing the Clave does to downworlders is…really lazy writing? Because exactly the same has happened to Magnus already…twice I might add. Like. Couldn’t you have thought of some different kind of torture or whatever?? Or given Magnus a different plot?? I feel like all we’ve been dealing with concerning the Downworld is downworlders losing their powers in some kind of way. It gets boring after a while. And also kind of plays down the repercussions of Magnus losing his magic because he’s not the only one it happened to?

Victor Aldertree is both the worst and best villain this show ever made

I REALLY love Helen

Bye Iris I guess

This whole plot is so anticlimactic. Like. They solved the whole thing in one episode. Everything went way too smoothly. That’s what happens when you focus the time of the episodes on things that don’t bring the plot forward and then realize you have to solve everything in one episode. This is a mess. The Clave plot was there for a few episodes but all that ever happened were 20 seconds of talking about the new thing Izzy found out and that’s it.

YES KNOCK HIM OUT HE DESERVES IT LOCK HIM UP

*giggles obnoxiously about the Heline scene*

But…especially in the case of vampires, if they wanted to be a vampire again they could just be turned again, right? For them it’s pretty easy to get their demon blood back if they wanted to

Jace’s little grin when Alec excuses himself is like “YEAH MAN YOU GO MAN :DDD”

Sizzy is cute but pretty far from ‘We’re totally in love’ so…how they’re gonna do that is still a mystery to me.

How does Luke Baines always manage to make me feel sorry for Jonathan, he’s honestly just a little boy who was thrown around, left alone, and tortured all his life. Of course he’d latch onto the little hope for love he has with Clary.

Oh boy…Magnus is late…that can’t mean something good.

Oh Magnus…

Magnus Bane shading every Shadowhunters writer who ever was

I really do enjoy seeing them in the field

That’s a really cool fight sequence but also…axes?? They must be so unhandy

Oh THERE’S his sword

This whole series is so dark I’d actually think it was a black screen if there weren’t noises

Why did it take them so long to go after him??? This is ridiculous

Jace feeling guilty for something and being (self-)destructive in the process this is a completely new thing we’ve never seen before

Okay say what you want but this montage of them grieving clary with THAT song in the background actually almost made me cry, it’s so emotional and so well-done by everyone involved

yOu mEaN sHe’S nOt dEaD????? Colour me shocked

ADORE Luke Baines as Jonathan

And also I actually feel really bad for him, I mean…he was brought up by Valentine, sent away by his father to literal hell, was tortured by Lilith when he was just a little boy. It’s only natural that he has no idea what family, love or anything means. He’s basically a boy in the body of a grown man who’s never had someone genuinely love him without using him for their own profit. And yeah, he did a lot of messed up sh*t but…can you blame him?? Nobody ever taught him about morals or whatever. I mean…he definitely has to be stopped but pushing him away and showing him that everyone thinks he’s a monster probably isn’t the way to go.

Okay now, Clary running away is just plain STUPID. I mean…she doesn’t even know where exactly she is, just somewhere in Siberia which is…not exactly a town. And of course Lilith wouldn’t send them near the next bigger city in the country, she’ll have them land somewhere in the middle of nowhere. So all Clary is achieving here is getting frostbite and probably dying. She is not that stupid. Stop writing her like that for dramatic purposes.

Everyone shut up my boys are back.

Magnus not knowing how to put on eyeliner manually is just bullsh*t. I bet he sometimes did his hair and makeup by hand, just like he sometimes takes a shower instead of using magic.

I am L I V I N G for domestic malec. Alec back at it again with casually dropping wedding vows, leaning down to get his well-deserved cheek kiss, babysitting Madzie. I LOVE IT

Couldn’t you have given us at least 20 seconds of Cat-Magnus one-on-one?? Please??? I bet with you, they actually filmed one but cut it out bc it looks like Cat’s about to say something.

Someone give Simon a tight, long hug please

Annnnnd round one of people shaming Maia for needing time away after suddenly seeing her abuser again!!!!!

Wow, Clary’s hair and eye makeup look pretty amazing for running around in the cold for who knows how long!!

The Clave??? Torture??? Breaking the Accords??? Unheard of!!

Okay I actually like the sibling scene between Jace and Izzy but did you HAVE to throw that comment about not having someone she loves as much as he loves Clary?? Like…that’s wrong on so many levels. a) Izzys storylines are ALWAYS linked to boys. Can you NOT??? b) platonic love is just as important as romantic love, if not more. Izzy clearly loves Clary and I’ve seen more sincere, loving scenes between those two than between Cl*ce. So stop.

Now THAT’s an “I’m gonna marry this man” look right here. And also, Alec reading to Madzie? Too cute.

I LOVE bantering boyfriends!!! And also Alec’s face practically spells out “oh, how WE get, huh?”

And once again people keep us from having our cute scenes of Malec cuddling

Man do I HATE Iris

This looks like they filmed it in a ski resort. Like. No snowy mountain has such a wide field of suddenly tree-less ground with perfectly arranged snow.

I mean, I already guessed that Magnus’ wards would have stopped working but…in THIS time nobody thinks of putting new wards around Magnus’ apartment (like…Catarina??) AND the institute which is also unprotected at the moment??? I mean…I hope they at least had someone renew the wards around the institute tbh…

Taking Jace off duty is a good call. Alec is head of the institute and he has to make the decisions that are best for everyone and in this case Jace is a liability and a danger to others and himself

And they’re back at it again with the big parabatai quotes without ever giving us scenes where we actually SEE this great bond they’re supposed to have

Round two of shaming Maia!!! I really, really hate this scene and Izzy is absolutely out of line. If you’re gonna do Sizzy like this, don’t do it.

Magnus with that sword is GOLD

Well for the fact that they were after Iris and wanted to capture/fight her, they did an awful job of doing that. Even without Magnus there to be kidnapped they wouldn’t have stood a chance which is stupid since they’re supposed to be the best people in the institute.

I still laugh about the fact that she stabs Jonathan with a BUTTER KNIFE.

Luke…. .____. Someone (Maryse) give him a hug too, pls

Oh how I hate Iris

This dialogue is so…flat.

Even without his powers I wouldn’t mess with Magnus tbqh

Well, Raphael’s regret comes a bit late

It’s still kind of stupid that Simon goes to see Raphael just for him to tell him there’s a vampire in New York who can help him, so Simon goes back to New York to look for him

Stop hurting my baby T^T

So you’re trying to tell me Magnus actually thinks that Catarina thinks Madzie would be better off with Iris and they’re going to give Madzie to her??? You’re not serious, are you?

Iris leaving Magnus there unsupervised and walking towards an obviously fake Madzie is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. Combined with her hands up at just the right time for Izzy’s whip to chain her and then her conveniently turning to Alec for him to pin her with an arrow.

I really hope we won’t see more of that b*tch.

Oh Jia is SUCH a GOOD person. Sadly, that only lasts for a second or so.

Alec has lots of fans out there

Pretty sure that Jia isn’t actually lying. The Clave doesn’t do torture. But they’re outsourcing it.

Okay, I like that they had Malec actually talk about things for once but I really hope this wasn’t it. Magnus is clearly still struggling and it’s not just about not being able to do magic anymore.

Alec is right. And also, in love.

Foreeeeeeeshadowing to the Malec training scene!! Even if I’m pretty sure they won’t get much actual training done.

Maia for pack leader 2k19

Saia deserves a better ending.

Time for Clary to stab her brother with a butter knife!!!

WhAt??? They are bOuNd tOgEthEr??? *Phoebe voice* This is totally new information!!!

Luckily Jonathan died slowly enough for him to heal both of them I guess

and yet, here i am. “here” being this nebulous spot between frustrated and understanding the limitations of a show that features seven main characters. all seven of whom of i’ve grown to love in their own unique ways and want to see pieces of each of their stories just as much as the others. 

i can’t deny that i started watching shadowhunters because of magnus and alec, though. and episodes 7 and 8 have given me some of the best moments between them. harry and matt own every scene they’re in together. period. full stop.

so how did i end up “here?”

their first time together and magnus revealing his eyes to alec are two major events that were missing from show!canon. i had hope that both would be treated well by writers who have, so far, exceeded my expectations when it comes to magnus and alec. and yet, as i finished last night’s episode i couldn’t help but be disappointed by the writing. 

it wasn’t the lack of a morning after scene at the beginning of episode 8 that finally tipped me over the edge–it was the situation in which alec saw magnus’ cat eyes.

with one two-minute scene we could have seen magnus and alec in a pre-sex or morning after setup where magnus decides to let down the glamour for alec, and alec alone. no on-screen “sex” needed. that would’ve been even more intimate and personal than any sex scene. i can’t help but wish that, in this case, harry and matt had been given the material to show us those two events through alec and magnus’ experiences. instead we got fade-to-black, a conversation with jace, and magnus revealing those eyes in front of a woman he detests....

*sigh*

i can’t sugercoat it. in a show that has treated malec with such care until now, these two “firsts” were a complete and utter misfire. those are opportunities for show!canon that we’ll never get back.

i’m not pissed. im just beyond disappointed.

so. 

here i am. 

and if you know anything from following me, it’s that i’m cynical and sarcastic, but i also have a lot of gratitude and hope.

those misfires don’t dampen my enthusiasm to see what comes next. harry and matt consistently deliver portrayals of magnus and alec that are on point, emotional, and include details that make every second matter. i’ll still be in front of my tv next monday at 8pm excited about what comes next.

and until then...

in the iconic words of ruelle, where do we go from here? well, there's nothing in show!canon that says (yet) that was actually the first time alec saw magnus’ eyes. and there’s nearly nothing to go on for their first time together. so, as for me, i’m going to be writing. and i hope you are too.

‘cause this is what fandom is for.

we develop new worlds. branch off into alternate timelines. we fix shit. 

i finished reading tmi hating jace. i was ambivalent about jace in the movie. i ended season one annoyed with him.

in only three episodes of the second season, i have fallen in love with jace.

that has everything to do with the story/dialogue/motivations the sh writers have given him....

and dom fucking sherwood.

fuck.

IM NOT SUPPOSED TO LIKE JACE WAYLAND, DOM SHERWOOD. DO YOU HEAR ME? THiS WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.

fuck you for making me cringe each time jace is beaten.

fuck you for making me smirk when jace snarks off.

fuck you for making me scream at the tv because i have an overwhelming need for jace to be safe, and happy, and protected--with the people he loves.

fuck you for making me believe that jace feels that parabatai bond just as strongly as alec does.

fuck you for making me cry.

and most of all, fuck you for giving us a jace wayland that is just as loyal as he is conflicted. just as broken as he is strong. 

fuck you for being the best fucking version of jace to exist ever.

i’m aware, anon :) magnus is meticulous with keeping hints of his demonic blood layered behind his physical appearance, though. he’s been deeply scarred by people who were terrified of him because of those elements that identified him as not human. he doesn’t hide his cat eyes because they don’t match his shirt, he hides his eyes because he has been, and still is, a victim of violence and prejudice because of his demonic blood.

since we haven’t been told in this universe what color magnus’ magic naturally is (if it is, in fact, only one color at all), it’s still possible that the unglamoured color of his magic is red. or, yes, it’s possible it changes color with his emotions when he’s overwhelmed.

magnus was overwhelmed, but he didn’t lose control. he was frustrated, yes, then baited by raj, but still in control. he made a statement, an angry one for sure, but merely a hint of what he is capable of doing. and with every other aspect of his posture and his words reflected in that scene, i find it hard to believe that when he went after raj, he wasn’t choosing for his magic to be red as well. whether that was his natural magic color coming through or a physical manifestation of his mental state is what we don’t know.

but the key here is that blue is a serene color. it speaks to healing and comfort. red is a color of blood and anger. the color red would remind someone very quickly who and what he is.