Jace (John Medland/Freeform)
With everyone back in their respective bodies, “Those of Demon Blood” returned the show to the after-effects of Valentine’s fatal attack on the Institute. The execution wasn’t the strongest we’ve seen of Season 2B, but the story provided a bit of fun and some welcome hard truths in its revelations of the Shadow World’s greater historical issues.
Across New York, the grisly discovery of dead Shadowhunters with their runes cut out prompted the Clave to forfeit the basic freedom of every Downworlder in the city by attempting to implant them with GPS tracking devices in order to hunt down the perpetrator, because apparently, it’s easier than actually doing their actual jobs. New nana’s boy and golden child Jace Herondale found his first duties as the newly-appointed Head of the Institute testing the alliances he’s made with those around him. When Luke offered his DNA to clear his name after being outrageously accused by the Inquisitor – a result of attitude problems in the past week, are you serious – Alec and Clary set out to clear the names of their loved ones. Their intentions were good, but Simon’s refusal and Magnus’ anger at Alec’s inability to trust his own morality – and his failure to empathize with Magnus when he needs it the most – gave Clary and Alec some heavy lessons to consider about the kind of people they want to be.
Jace’s activation of the Soul Sword had the seelie Kaelie exacting revenge for her fallen brother by attempting to fuel an uprising using the same horrific methods Shadowhunters used on Downworlders in the old days. In a bid to stop her and the rising discord between the Clave and the demon-blooded inhabitants of the Shadow World – and to rescue an errant Max Lightwood, who felt very much tossed into the story for unknown reasons – Isabelle, Raphael, and Meliorn worked together in taking her down.
Meanwhile, Simon’s Daylighter status earned him some stalker fans, and Magnus distracted himself from his underlying issues and his fallout with Alec by drinking and dancing the night away in the company of his centuries-old friend – and apparent former lover – Dot. The torn expression on Magnus’ face as he eventually pushed her advances away was far too mixed for my liking. I don’t doubt that he’s a “one soul at a time” guy, but familiar comforts look tempting when the world flips upside down, and it’s a big sign of how damaged he’s currently feeling that he took that long to turn her down. I appreciated seeing the subtle hints of Magnus’ current state of mind and how he’s not dealing all that well beneath the sparkles and sass, but cheating drama – fulfilled or not – always feels like a cop-out way to inject conflict into relationships. And knowing that Alec was elsewhere, learning from his mistakes and working to do better, made it feel worse. I get it was a plot device and a concept Magnus would have encountered sooner or later with how adrift he is, but now I will never unsee it, or stop side-eyeing Dot as a person. Is he going to tell Alec about this? Or is this going to fester? Good Lord, I hope not. Use your words, boys. Talk it out.
Imogen and Luke (John Medland/Freeform)
This episode felt very Monster of the Week, which is a fitting way to pass time on a show with a larger ongoing plot. Also, a decent amount of time seems to have passed between this episode and the last – at least a week, if I’m not mistaken – which is a little relieving. The overall timeline of the books was one of its bigger drawbacks, and the show adhering to that tends to make the progress of its important relationships and character development woefully unrealistic.
Most prominent this hour was the Shadowhunters’ lack of respect in dealing with Downworlders. They waltzed around like police officers, unable to empathize, considered any reluctance “over-dramatic” without even realizing how truly douchey of a statement that is, and it made the Shadowhunters every bit the arrogant jerks the Downworld knows. I’m glad they’re beginning to see the many errors of their ways because their ignorance to the scars their dark history has left behind on everyone except them hasn’t really been addressed yet. Jace, Alec, and Isabelle, in particular, are a newer generation with more open views, but getting romantically entangled with Downworlders doesn’t automatically erase their upbringings, and in identifying their deeply embedded racist tones and working to improve, they can help bring about positive change. This is what I’m here for.
Another good sign was the necessary commentary from our prominent Downworld characters. Simon’s story of his grandmother’s experience during the Holocaust painted a very real, terrifying picture of the warning signs that segregation has led to in the past, and the irreparable damages it causes to the generations that follow. Maia’s comment of how her skin color relegates her to racial profiling reflects not only what we are seeing in the real world around us today but parallels how her Downworlder blood is stereotyped by the Clave – troublesome, muddied, inferior. Raphael’s history lesson on the revolting pastimes of Shadowhunters prior to the installation of the Accords defined the sordid, grumbling underbelly of the Clave’s past, and why the prejudice that remains today is so painful. All of these relevant, shocking statements worked a good deal in opening our eyes to the way Shadowhunter society works. I think it’s yet to make a true impact on our Shadowhunter friends, but it’s a solid start.
Isabelle, Jace, and Alec (John Medland/Freeform)
Jace handing his position as Head of the Institute to Alec was both enjoyable and awfully unsatisfying. Alec is the most qualified person for the job, but the Inquisitor promptly discarded him in favor of her shiny new grandson. Her bias is understandable given her joy at finding Jace – and her prejudiced ass – but the Clave’s quick dismissal of Jace’s prior involvement with the enemy when Alec remains a blight on society simply for being in love with a Downworlder man reaffirms a little of why he denied his truth for so long. Jace loves Alec and knows he’s the best, but it was troubling in the same way a carefree prince may offer gold to a hard-working peasant. Alec has a difficult climb ahead of him in earning the respect of his superiors, and this episode proved how tough – or impossible – that might be to achieve. But I’m of the opinion that if Alec is going to be a black sheep, he may as well be the fiercest, most badass black sheep there is. And now that he’s listening to his gut again, and is in a position of greater authority, it’s going to be interesting to see just how badass he gets.
As for the show’s relationships, Clary and Simon are stronger than ever, though their days of incessant hand-holding are numbered. Isabelle and Raphael warmed back up to each other, which I still don’t get. And Magnus and Alec hit a snag in how their opposing worlds – and differing experiences – prevent them from seeing eye to eye. It’s a necessary road-bump for them as a couple, though it was stabbed at with a cliché temptation plot and was resolved with a slap-dash apology that felt very much tacked on as an afterthought. It was also wedged awkwardly between the introduction of a random hookup between Jace and Maia. I called this pairing months ago, and the dynamic is interesting because the chemistry between Dom Sherwood and Alisha Wainwright is strong and fun. But Magnus and Alec’s brief post-fight intimacy was overtaken with the beginnings of another heterosexual sex scene. It’s becoming an unnerving pattern.
I know that the showing of Malec’s bedroom intimacy hasn’t fit into the story yet, for whatever reason, but seeing another of their intimate moments get wedged between scenes of a throwaway heterosexual hookup makes it increasingly harder to justify why. I get that it’s just one chapter in a larger story and infinite patience seems to be the theme here (and that this episode was written prior to the negative audience reaction to Malec’s invisible, dubious first time). But it looks a lot like censorship.
I don’t think the show is intentionally trying to censor its LGBTQ+ characters. But the scale remains tipped considerably towards the heterosexual relationships of the show, both in sexual intimacy and general affection. Clary and Simon can barely keep their hands to themselves, whether in bed or not (which Maia correctly observes as ‘constant’) and Jace has done more with his hands in two random hookups than Malec have all series long. One can guess they’re piling it on because neither plot is due to last, but when Magnus and Alec’s established, committed love gets a few kisses and some chest patting while they stand half a meter apart, what are we supposed to think?
As someone who is on the spectrum, I’m not feeling all that represented. I’m feeling stifled. Or like I’m not allowed to touch the person I love to the full extent I would on an any given day because apparently I’m only allowed the equivalent of a chaperoned garden walk. I’m not pointing the finger at this episode specifically, but it’s unfortunate that it happens to highlight, yet again, the stark difference in romantic representation on-screen; and that it continues to be an ongoing issue. It’s tiresome, it’s confusing, and it feels a little soul-destroying. Feel free to fix it any time now, show. I still have my fingers crossed that you’ll do better. And you are. Just…stop dragging your goddamn feet already and make them smoosh.
Jace and Maia (John Medland/Freeform)
The performances this episode were all on par – no one really stood out, good or bad, which is a sign that everyone is rather comfy right now. Though, kudos to the return of Harry Shum Jr.’s complexities. Every character this week was honest about who they are, except for Magnus, and it’s clear he’s hurting and hiding, and while it sucks to see him suffer, I do love seeing his layers. Alberto Rosende’s little rock star moment was neat, and I had Simon’s song in my head for a solid couple of days. Alisha Wainwright’s Maia and her constant fight response to everything has had me rolling my eyes in previous episodes, but seeing her attitude in context finally had me ready to fight with her. And I like a character who can right a wrong with an offer of free beer.
Writer Zac Hug brought a wonderful conversational tone to the episode, which ranged from hilariously awkward dad talks between Luke and Simon to cute sibling banter with Isabelle and Max to Alec’s fierce refusal to back down against the Inquisitor. Its heavier moments were given the right amount of gravitas to allow both characters and the audience to sit with the implications. I felt the full weight of Simon’s tentative explanation of his Bubbie’s experience in Poland. Maia’s blunt acknowledgment of the racial profiling and police brutality prominent in the U.S. right now hit hard. It was a nicely balanced episode, even if at times it felt a teeny bit overstuffed.
Director Michael Goi’s choice of technique for several key scenes was as subtle as a gun – the 360° track employed for Simon’s scene with his new vampire groupies was almost nauseating in its dizziness, and the Dutch angles used for the Institute’s corpse chats were too much, less about creating tension and more about sliding you awkwardly right out of your seat. The transitions between the episode’s final montage-esque moments didn’t quite flow and made the scenes appear sliced in odd places. I wasn’t a fan, and it missed the bar this series has already set. A little bit too heavy-handed for me.
All in all, it was an enjoyable hour with an important message. How that message gets actioned – if it gets actioned – remains to be seen. “Those of Demon Blood” left me with a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers. For the first time all season, I have no idea what’s next. And with seven episodes left until the finale, I’m not quite sure how to feel about that. Can’t wait to find out though.
Shadowhunters airs Mondays 8/7c on Freeform and Tuesdays internationally on Netflix.
