Welcome to the fourth edition of our weekly Shadowhunters Debriefs, a collaboration between Basic Stuff Magazine and ShumDario News that features interviews with the writers and crew. So far, we have talked to the show’s make-up crew, VFX team, and writer of last week’s episode, Zoe Broad. This week, we spoke to Peter Binswanger, the longest-serving writer on the show, famously known for the Malec-centric 3A adventure, 3×02 “The Powers That Be.” Most recently, he penned the political and moral minefield of 3×15 “To the Night Children.” Peter was gracious enough to walk us through the script-writing process and share some behind-the-scenes insights into the latest episode, as well as some memories from his time working on Shadowhunters.
What is the process of writing a script for TV?
It is different on every show, but on Shadowhunters the process was always super collaborative. We usually began by having the whole writing staff come up with a rough outline of the season. Basically, we’d plot out all of the big character moments on a whiteboard and sorta see where they’d land. You ask yourself what events and character pairings might make an exciting episode.
Then comes one of my favorite parts…
Each episode gets a nickname. I don’t remember all of them off the top of my head, but episode 3×02 was ‘Magnus P.I.’ because we knew that we wanted an A-story where Magnus and Alec get to do some detective work.
Once you have the basic idea of each episode in place, the room starts to create a beat sheet. This is a document that has a short description and location of every scene in a specific episode. Something like:
After that’s finished, the episode is assigned to a specific writer by [Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer]. The writer will then take that beat sheet and flesh it out into an outline. Each beat is transformed into something like:
So, the next step is writing the script itself. This is the point where you add the dialogue and our scene becomes:
Yay! Finally we have a script, but now we have to shoot it. This step involves a ton of meetings with the production team and, as a writer, you have to be constantly updating the script to reflect any changes. Maybe the director and stunt team come up with a cool action sequence? You have to write that in. Maybe you find a location, but it doesn’t have curtains? You get to write a version where Magnus hides behind a couch. Plus, with each one of these steps, there’s always a notes process in which everyone (writers, network, studio, production team) gets to weigh in with their suggestions on how the script can be improved. It sounds like a lot of work (and it is), but it’s also a lot of fun, and the scripts always end up better because of it.
Anyway, that’s probably way more than you wanted to know, but that’s how it’s done!
How did you guys decide which ideas were going to make it into the script and which would get cut?
The biggest reason that stuff gets cut is for time. Unfortunately, each episode is only so long. Trying to figure out what stays and what goes is never easy, but usually if something gets cut, it’s for a good reason. Sometimes it can be tempting to cut down a character scene in favor of a scene that’s more plot heavy because it might seem less essential to telling the story. But a lot of times those plot-light character scenes are the best ones. Luckily, Todd and Darren were masters at avoiding that trap. And if a good idea does get cut, very rarely does it go to waste.
As an example, originally there was going to be a scene in 2×03 [‘Parabatai Lost’] where Izzy teaches Clary how to use the tracking rune by handing her a pigeon egg and having her track it back to the pigeon that laid it. The scene got cut for time, but we liked the idea, so we wrote a similar scene [between Izzy and Max] in 2×17 [‘A Dark Reflection’].
Peter, front, at the Shadowhunters 3B premiere party. (Peter Binswanger)
Which type of scenes are your favorite ones to write in general?
My favorite scenes are always the ones where you get a mix of different emotions. I have a hard time writing anything that’s completely humorless, so I’m always trying to sneak in little bits of comedy where I can. Like when Simon and Clary are on top of the Panda van in 2×09 [‘Bound by Blood’]. It’s supposed to be a super emotional scene. Simon is terrified that Clary is dying, and yet, there’s this goofy run of dialogue where Simon inaccurately describes the plot of a movie that he never saw. He just makes it up. Anytime you can cry and laugh in the same scene, that’s the best.
Which part of the writing process is your favorite?
For me, it’s the feeling you get when you finish the first draft of a script. It always feels good to finish something. Realistically, you’ve still got a ton of work left to do, but at least from that point on, you’ve got something to go off of. Nothing is more intimidating than staring at a blank computer screen.
What kind of stories and experiences are you inspired by?
Honestly, I draw most of my inspiration from movies. When we’re breaking episodes, I’m always the guy that pitches an idea from an obscure samurai movie or video game or something.
Favorite movies include but are not limited to: Jaws, The Thing, Die Hard, Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, Blade Runner, RoboCop, Harakiri, Yojimbo, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Drunken Master II, Enter the Dragon, 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Lethal Weapon, most Ray Harryhausen movies, Princess Mononoke, Akira, Terminator II, Alien, Back to the Future… basically a lot of ‘80s/’90s genre movies.
Was there any scene that you remember being particularly difficult on Shadowhunters? If so, why?
War room scenes were always the least fun to write. In some cases, there’d be up to six people standing around a table, not moving, and the dialogue was always a bunch of complicated exposition. Unfortunately, they’re a necessary evil because somebody has to explain what’s going on, but how do you make that exciting?
Going back to 3×02, we had that scene where Alec needed to explain how he was going to fix all of the corrupted ley lines. Admittedly, his plan was a bit complicated. I was struggling to come up with a concise way for him to explain it because trying to write a coherent sentence involving the specifics of corrupted ley lines, demonic energy, and an angelic power core is basically impossible. I must have rewritten it at least three or four times before I added Clary’s line about ‘Divine Drano.’ It was a fun line, but more importantly, it gave you a very clear idea of what Alec was trying to do.
Peter and Harry Shum Jr. discover the writers’ room’s “spy cam” during a table read. (Taylor Mallory)
Is there a particular story you would have loved to tell or scene you would have wanted to write, if the show had continued?
‘Java Jace II: 28 Days Latte.’
The Shadowhunters cast are known to have improvised some of the scenes. Is that something that was encouraged, and if so, can you think of any notable examples?
Any time Isaiah [Mustafa] was in a scene, there’d always be some good off-camera dialogue. You know those moments where a scene opens on Luke and he’s just finishing a conversation with a police officer or pack member but you can’t hear exactly what he’s saying? I think there was a scene where he kept accusing an officer of taking pencils out of his desk or something like that? Every take was different. It was really funny.
But as far as specific lines? I can only speak to the episodes I wrote, but during that final Parabatai moment in 2×03 where Jace says, ‘Please don’t leave me, Alec,’ that was never in the script. Dom [Sherwood] just improvised it. When we were filming, the script supervisor leaned over to check if the improvised line was okay, and I remember thinking, ‘Are you kidding? That was amazing!’
Which is your favorite episode (or just favorite moment) from each season up until the 3A finale?
That’s tough. I always really liked the AU episode [1×10 ‘This World Inverted’]. I can’t think of any other show that went that crazy in Season 1.
My favorite episode in Season 2 was probably 2×18 [‘Awake, Arise, or Be Forever Fallen’]. I remember initially being a little hesitant when the idea was floated in the room because I’m not a huge fan of flashbacks and we had already done a flashback-heavy episode in 2×03. But it turned out great. On the Mount Rushmore of Shadowhunters episodes, 2×18 is at least an Abraham Lincoln.
And for 3A, I’m gonna go with 3×10 [‘Erchomai’]. Finale episodes are really hard to write because there’s always a ton of giant, dramatic stuff going on. They can sometimes feel a little scattered. But I thought [Bryan Q. Miller] did a really great job with that one.
Did you have a favorite character whose scenes you enjoyed working on the most?
Any scene with both Simon and Jace. They have that ‘frenemy’ dynamic that was always a lot of fun to write.
Was there a character that challenged you more than others?
The Seelie Queen was a little tricky because she’s always scheming and yet unable to lie. Plus, she’s super sassy. Meliorn, too. A lot of their lines needed to have double meanings. As a writer, you’d have to constantly be double checking to make sure that you didn’t break any rules.
What was your favorite thing about being part of the Shadowhunters writers’ room?
The people. I’ve made a ton of really good friends over the last few years. I’m going to miss seeing them at work every day, but I’m pretty sure that we’ll still find time to hang out, and occasionally text each other dumb Shadowhunters-related jokes.
What do you think was your most important contribution to the Shadowhunters writers’ room? What do you think you brought to the table?
This one’s easy – bringing James (my dog) to work every day was far and away my greatest contribution. He’d spend most of the day either sitting on people’s laps or sleeping under the table. He was sorta the unofficial office mascot.
James, Peter’s dog, hard at work in the writers’ room. (Peter Binswanger)
We seem to recall you mentioning on Twitter that the ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ mug being swapped out for the Mortal Cup in 1×11 ‘Blood Calls to Blood’ was your suggestion. Have there been any bizarre pitches that didn’t make it into an episode? And what have you pitched that did make it into the show that you’re really pleased about?
Out of all the bizarre pitches that didn’t make it into [Season 3B], there was one that was easily my favorite. I can’t remember who pitched it, but I’m pretty sure it was [Bryan Q. Miller]. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what it is because it contains some pretty serious 3B spoilers. Come find me on Twitter after 3×18 airs and I promise to tell you what it was.
Is there a scene or a line that was deleted from 3×15 that you really wish had made the cut?
There was an earlier version of the opening scene in 3×15 where Heidi wasn’t as prepared as she was in the final version. Her whole speech was just stolen Miley Cyrus lyrics: ‘This is our house. These are our rules. And we can’t stop. And we won’t stop. Can’t you see? It’s we who own the night!’ One of the newer vampires tries to call her out on pop music plagiarism, but Heidi denies it like she denies everything. She claims she has no idea what he’s talking about. I liked the joke, but sadly, it didn’t fit in with who Heidi’s character was at that point. We decided that it was better to cut it.
How was 3×15 initially plotted out, and was there anything major that ended up changing from the initial concept to what we saw on our screens?
Originally Jace and Clary’s story was totally different, but there was so much going on in the episode that we just couldn’t fit it all in. With Luke in prison, Clary has a lot of emotions to unpack and we didn’t want those scenes to feel rushed. Instead of cramming in plot, we thought it better to save that story for a later episode.
What was your favorite moment from the episode and why?
I’d say my favorite part of this episode was getting to work with the director, Siluck Saysanasy. Siluck is one of the few people who was on the show for all three seasons, and this was his first episode directing. Over the course of the show, he’s become a good buddy of mine, so it was a lot of fun getting to see him direct. He killed it.
Can you share anything that happened during filming?
One of my favorite scenes in the entire episode was that mess hall scene. Between Izzy stealing Jace’s bacon, Magnus toying with his pancakes, and Clary and Alec’s reactions, there was a lot for the actors to play around with. I was really struggling not to burst out laughing at the monitors. At one point, I literally had to take off my headphones and look away so that I didn’t ruin a take.
How did you guys decide that this was how you were going to take Heidi out? Were there any other possibilities floated around in the room at the time?
There were a couple of different versions of it, but we knew that we wanted a big win for Maia. Ultimately, this just felt like the best story.
As far as killing a character, it’s never an easy decision (even with a character as evil as Heidi). Tessa [Mossey] is a super talented actress, so it’s sad to see her go, but at the same time, you’re excited to see Heidi’s story come to a crescendo. Plus, we’ve seen on this show that death isn’t always permanent. Given a few more seasons, who knows what would have happened.
At the end of the episode, we see Magnus and Alec deciding to move in together. That’s a big contrast from the last time Alec suggested it. What was the thinking behind having Alec put himself out there for a second time rather than Magnus being the one to propose it?
A recurring theme for both Alec and Magnus is balancing their relationship with their responsibilities as leaders. In this episode, Alec realized that having Magnus live at the Institute probably wasn’t going to work out, but at the same time, he’s really enjoyed moving in together. If he was going to tell Magnus to move out, we didn’t want him to do it without coming up with an alternative.
As for Magnus, losing his magic (not to mention his apartment) made him start to see things a little differently. Before, he was worried about their relationship moving too quickly, but now he’s realizing that he needs to savor every minute they have together.
Long story short, we wanted to show how Alec and Magnus have grown as a couple.
If you could have sent the characters from the show into another TV/cinematic world, which one would you have liked to send them to?
I feel like our characters have been through so much over the last three seasons. They’ve definitely earned some time off. Maybe Malec could go on House Hunters International or something? Settle down in a nice place with some good food and an ocean view.
Favorite flavor of La Croix?
‘Pamplemousse.’ Mostly for the name… But, really, it’s ‘Black Cherry’ Polar Water. Polar Water is way better than La Croix.
Thinking back to when you first joined the Shadowhunters writers’ room, what piece of advice would you have given yourself?
You don’t have to order the same salad for lunch every time the office decides to go to Tender Greens or Sweetgreen. At some point, you’re going to burn out. When this happens, let it go. Explore the menu. Variety is the spice of life.
Also, Tender Greens has pretty good fried chicken.
Peter on set for Season 2. (Peter Binswanger)
What was the most important thing you gained from your experience working on Shadowhunters? What are you most proud of?
I realize I’m repeating an answer here, but it’s definitely all the friends I made while working on the show. Not just the writers but also the cast, crew, and fans. We call it the Shadowfam for a reason. I’m really proud that I was able to contribute to that.
What is your favorite memory from working on Shadowhunters?
I can’t pick just one. Here are a few that come to mind in no particular order:
The day I heard the show had been picked up. The moment Ed Decter told me he was going to push for me to be a writer. The Season 1 wrap party where a bunch of people ended up getting angelic power tattoos. Freezing my ass off while filming in weird locations around Ontario. Hanging out with the cast and crew during my weekends in Toronto. That time that two fans asked if they could take a picture with me because they thought I was an actor from Black Mirror. Kat [McNamara’s] amazing baking skills. That time my entire family showed up in the middle of a workday for my 30th birthday. Donut Fridays in the writers’ room. Todd and Darren’s wine and cheese live-tweet [parties]. Arguing about the difference between partial demon blood and full demon blood. The writers’ lunchtime conversations. Post-lunch walks to Philz Coffee. Naif Allmansour’s credit card. The hashtag board.
Honestly, there’s way too many to list them all, and these are just the memories that I can actually talk about. #NeedlessToSay, it’s been a really fun few years.
Read our previous interview with Peter Binswanger, back in Season 1.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform on Mondays at 8pm EST and is available the following day to stream on Hulu and Netflix International.
