The first season of Shadowhunters has just wrapped up, and despite a few problems, it’s safe to say that, ratings-wise, it was a success. The show has already been renewed for a second, 20 episode long season, and many fans are eager to see how our favourite characters will react to the game-changing twist that played out in the season finale.
Let’s take a look back at some of the highs and lows of the show’s freshman season.
The Highs:
Climon
Simon and Clary’s entire relationship was so true to the books, and so refreshing, especially given the lack of chemistry between most of our main couples. Kat McNamara and Alberto Rosende overcame cringe-worthy dialogue to give us a real, believable friendship between two people who have known each other their entire lives… a relationship that might one day turn into something more.
Simon’s vampire transformation
It may have been a bit too heavily foreshadowed, but Simon’s transformation was emotional, heartbreaking and very true to the books. Any story line involving Alberto Rosende is a good one, and this one did not disappoint. Clary making the decision to bring him back from the dead was touching and relateable, and few scenes were better executed than the one in which Simon clawed his way out of the ground and lashed out at Clary for turning him into a monster. Knowing where this story line goes, we’re very excited to see more of Simon next season.
Malec’s first meeting and first kiss
The stuff in between was a bit rocky, but Malec had us swooning at the beginning and the end of the season. Their chemistry was amazing all throughout the series, and their lines were some of the best in the show. We only wish they could have gotten a little bit more development before jumping into the serious conversations and public kisses. Hopefully, we’ll get lots of cute, swoon-worthy moments in the second season.
The Siblings reveal
Everything about this plot was on point. The reveal played out just like it did in the books, which worked beautifully on screen, and it lead to the emergence of the real Clary and Jace for the first time since the start of the season. While the script largely glossed over the complications of their relationship, the actors did a fantastic job at portraying the awkwardness between the two characters, and we’re hoping Jocelyn will take her time revealing the truth about her children, because we are absolutely loving this dynamic.
That Cliffhanger
The promise of a plot twist not in the books had a lot of fans very nervous, but Shadowhunters managed to pull it off, surprising new and old fans alike while staying true to Jace’s character when they had Jace join his father on the dark side. This opens up lots of possibilities for the show down the line, and we’re confident that Dominic Sherwood will manage to convincingly portray the new, darker version of Jace that we saw in the last few episodes of the season.
The Lows:
Instalove
Good relationships need to be developed slowly, so that we can root for them to get together, and Shadowhunters doesn’t seem to understand that. Clace started making out before they knew anything about each other, and Magnus acted like a clingy, obsessive ex-boyfriend as soon as Alec got engaged to Lydia, despite the fact that they were clearly not in a relationship yet. Not to mention that the main complication in Malec’s relationship arrived before they even went on a date. It’s a good thing Sizzy is taking its time, or we would have very little to look forward to in the romance department.
The Hotel Dumort
Episode three was such a mess that it’s hard to identify one element that spoiled it, but we’re going with the kidnapping plot, which was underwhelming and poorly done. The vampires were cheesy and typical rather than creepy, and Simon’s scenes with Camille were downright uncomfortable to watch. On top of everything, there was no sense of urgency, as the characters took a million detours and didn’t seem particularly worried about getting to Simon on time.
The Alternate Dimension
The journey to an alternate dimension was supposed to be fun, but it ended up being derailed by plotholes, unnecessary advertisements and total irrelevance to the plot. Considering how rushed this season already felt, the decision to take a pointless detour only added to the frustration felt by many fans as the show skipped over vital character development and world building only to expose more holes in their story. Had this episode happened in season two or three, when we already knew the truth about Clary and Jace’s family, it might have at least made sense, but at this point in the story, it was unnecessary and nonsensical.
The Parabatai Breakup
Even more upsetting than Jace and Alec’s constant fighting (which got way out of hand and almost lead to one actually killing the other, which is inexcusable) is the knowledge that the parabatai bond can be broken simply by one person using the bond to track the other. The fact that the information came right after the release of Lady Midnight only added insult to injury. We’re glad they’re back together, but the fact that they fought in the first place undermines the importance of the parabatai bond.
Izzy’s trial
In the words of the great Magnus Bane, the whole trial was irrelevant. The reason the Clave was mad at Isabelle in the first place was never believable, and the fact that she risked having her runes removed simply for sleeping with a downworlder/possibly divulging information that never came into play/releasing a prisoner who was condemned to death for no apparent reason, made no sense at all. Furthermore, the trail itself was unbearably cliché, with Lydia suddenly and dramatically realizing that her actions were wrong and delivering the cheesiest speech she could have possibly come up with.
Shadowhunters returns to Freeform in 2017.
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