Last week’s near-flawless episode of Freeform’s Shadowhunters featured a brand-new werewolf, lots of stabbing, the best musical score this show has had yet, and Malec’s epic, epic love story. You can read our full review here, but below are some bite-sized bests from episode 2×18!
1: Stand-Out Performance:
Maia opens up about the wolf who bit her.
Tragic backstory unlocked! Maia’s recounting of the night she was turned – by someone so close and dear to her as well – was devastatingly raw and beautifully understated. Alisha always manages to blow us away in scenes like these. She may have been speaking about her abusive ex-turned-werewolf, but as always, her performance was rich with honesty and humility (an important element to keep sight of in a supernatural drama). We couldn’t be more pleased that Alisha was promoted to series regular, and we can’t wait to see what Stand-Out Performances she delivers in Season 3!
2: Mad Respect:
Luke delivers justice, his way.
You come into Luke’s territory and start turning adorable mundanes and leaving them for dead? Nah. Russell really should have stayed in Philly, far away from Luke and his people. On the plus side, we did get to see Luke give the rogue wolf an ass-kicking with a side of mercy. Seeing Luke deliver some pack justice without compromising his personal morals earned him our deepest respect. Add to that the inspiring sight of all those new wolves bowing down and we can say that it was definitely a good day for Luke and the New York Pack.
3: Best Newcomer:
Bartholomew “Please call me Bat” Velasquez.
Anyone who has the presence of mind to say his name is Bartholomew-but-his-friends-call-him-Bat WHILE HIS CHEST IS IN SHREDS is an instant fave. This kid was seriously chill throughout an incredibly traumatic injury, not to mention what looked like a terrifying transformation. If he’s that charming under pressure, we can’t wait to see him when he’s fully recovered! Welcome to the Downworld, Bat!
4: Most Romantic Shit We’ve Ever Seen:
The morning after Malec’s first time.
Let’s talk about the color gold. Gold, like the sun shining on Magnus and Alec’s skin. Gold, like the Shadowhunters’ color for marriage. Gold, like the medal we want to give everyone involved with this scene. Everything about this flashback was bright and beautiful: Alec joking and Magnus joking back, both of them being open and vulnerable with each other, and that breathtakingly dreamy music that brought this already gorgeous scene to life. It was, quite frankly, the Most Romantic Shit We’ve Ever Seen. We aren’t going to go on and on about how epic and perfect Malec is (we already did that earlier this week), but it was such a treat to be able to see a slice of their unique love story that we hadn’t previously been privy to. To whom it may concern, we want so much more of this!
5: Badass Moment:
Clary is both clever and stabby under pressure.
This was a good week for Clary, who demonstrated her quick, creative thinking and scrappy, competent fighting skills (no doubt aided by her pure angel blood). After having the clever idea to flesh out Johnathan using the electrum from Izzy’s whip that would react to his demon blood, there was no hesitation from Clary as soon as she realized that Sebastian has been her brother, Jonathan, all along. No hesitation, just stabbing. Even while being choked, Clary still managed to skewer her evil brother in the neck and snatch up the Mortal Mirror with smooth skill. Well done, Clary, congrats on earning this episode’s most Badass Moment.
6: Episode MVP:
Malec’s Love.
While there were many plots in play this week, the real Episode MVP was the story of Malec’s love. This episode tied Magnus and Alec’s relationship together from their very guarded beginnings to their joyous discovery of one another, and finally to their current (temporary, THIS IS TEMPORARY) heartbreak. Even though Magnus ultimately made the devastating decision to end things out of a sense of duty for his people, their love for each other remains unwavering. And if this episode showed us anything at all, it’s that Malec’s love is made of the forever stuff.
Shadowhunters airs Mondays 8/7c on Freeform and Tuesdays internationally on Netflix.
