Let’s talk television. Often there are shows that blow up, ones you hear about everywhere that have everyone talking – whether it’s about the professionals attached, the size of its fanbase, or even the show’s relationships. Well, if you’ve been on social media recently, you may have seen one romantic relationship in particular – comprised of one glittery and extremely fashionable man, and another who is particularly monochromatic in wardrobe and fond of heartfelt declarations. Well, yes, hello – they’re with us.
Shadowhunters has all of us hooked, and we have a feeling you could be, too. Who wouldn’t want to watch a show about half-angel warriors that protect the human world from the demon world? Where all the legends are true and powerful warlocks, sexy vampires, mysterious seelies, and loyal werewolves add to the story each week? Don’t worry, all of this – and more – is waiting for you. And we’re here to give you the proper tools to watch and truly immerse yourself in the joy that is Shadowhunters.
Please note: should you do endeavor to take on this most committed of quests, be prepared to lose yourself. You will get sucked in. You will fall in love. And you will not regret a single moment of it.
First Things First
Chances are you’ve read The Mortal Instruments series of books (you may have also seen its film adaption) and discovered there’s a television version you thought you’d check out. Well, Shadowhunters still has Clary Fray; resident best friend, Simon; and golden Nephilim trio, Jace, Alec, and Isabelle; as well as High Warlock, Magnus Bane; and lovable dad figure, Luke Garroway. It still has big bad villain, Valentine Morgenstern; its very own ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ Jocelyn Fairchild; and a world at odds with what lies beyond the shadows. And we, of course, still have a story driven by the unstoppable force that is an unassuming teen girl, who is willing to do anything to save her mother with the help of the Shadowhunters and Downworlders she meets along the way. However, it is an adaption – and no adaption is a word-for-word replication.
So, TIP #1: Go in with an open mind. The show is based on the general synopsis of the books, though it does not follow the storyline directly. But trust us – if you’re familiar with the story, the new deviations help make it new and exciting all over again. You won’t know what’s coming next and that will leave you on edge after every episode. Go in expecting epic romances, gut-wrenching revelations, intense fight sequences, and almost everything in between – just like the Shadow World, expect the unexpected.
Second Things Second
In keeping with the fantasy genre, Shadowhunters comes with its very own terminology – and to really understand the show, getting familiar with this terminology is essential. Since Clary learns all about the Shadow World in the show’s opening season, as an audience member, we do, too – so TIP #2: Don’t skip Season 1. The show’s debut season will be your building blocks to getting your head around words like ‘Parabatai,’ ‘runes,’ and the ‘Clave.’
In the meantime, here’s some helpful Shadowhunters vocabulary to help ease you into it:
Shadowhunters (also known as Nephilim) are a half-human, half-angel race of beings. Their angelic blood endows them with special abilities that allow them to achieve feats beyond what’s humanly possible through the application of angelically-powered runes. Their mandate is to keep the peace in the Shadow World and keep it hidden from the mundane world while protecting the inhabitants of both from demons.
Downworlders are powerful supernatural beings and hybrid-blooded creatures who inhabit the Shadow World. ‘Downworlder’ is the widely used term to refer to beings that are said to be part human and part demon. They include werewolves, vampires, warlocks, and Fair Folk, known as seelies.
Mundanes are regular humans. Occasionally there are mundanes who have ‘The Sight,’ but most are oblivious to the existence of the Shadow World and its inhabitants due to the magical glamors that hide them. Mundanes can be infected with what are considered to be demonic diseases, such as lycanthropy and vampirism; they can be turned into werewolves when bitten, and vampires when killed with vampire blood in their system. They can also become ‘Forsaken’ when powerful runes are marked or applied on their skin, which can cause them to go insane as their body cannot handle them.
The Clave is the collective name for the political body made up of all active Shadowhunters over a certain age. The Clave upholds and interprets the law, and makes decisions about the guidance of its Nephilim throughout history as it unfolds, as well as deciding on important matters that affect the survival of their race.
Parabatai is a pair of Shadowhunter warriors who fight together as lifelong partners, bound together by oath, regardless of their gender. Their bond is not only reflected in their closeness and willingness to lay down their lives for one another, but also in ceremony – one performed in front of the Council.
Runes (also known as marks) are symbols that grant beings various supernatural abilities, with both angelic and demonic runes known to exist. For Shadowhunters, runes are a complex runic language given to them by the Angel Raziel, which grants them powers beyond those of mundanes. Runes are burned into a Shadowhunters’ skin using a stele and are their most common tool in their fight against demons.
The Mortal Cup is one of the three Mortal Instruments bestowed by the Angel Raziel to Jonathan Shadowhunter, the first of the Nephilim. Because of its mysterious transformative properties, drinking from the Cup turns mundanes into Shadowhunters. It is presumed that it became sacred and magical after Raziel used it as the vessel for his blood, imbuing it with his vast angelic power. The Cup can also provide some protection from demons and wields some authority over them.
Third Things Third
As far as new shows go, the first season of Shadowhunters was simply charming, and with action, romance, and heartbreak thrown from every angle at any given moment, the world’s scope expanded rapidly. But like many shows, Shadowhunters wasn’t immune to the early growing pains of a supernatural series. With the lightsaber-esque seraph blades and formless, blue magic, a whimsical Season 1 eventually gives way to the harsher blades, scarier demons, and expanded, in-depth storylines Season 2 provides. These drastic improvements moved Shadowhunters leaps and bounds ahead of its tumultuous freshman year and with what is essentially a ‘reboot’ of Season 1, its Season 2 does not disappoint in stepping up this world and grounding it as a thriving cinematic series.
The big hurdle for many is getting through the first season – with its younger mix of drama, teen antics, and a show trying to find its way as it barrels on ahead, Season 1 is exactly what it says: just the beginning. But also, like many shows, it eventually finds its rhythm and grows into something more. So, TIP #3: Give it a chance. It evolves – like everything must – into a grittier, cemented version of itself. The seasons just keep getting better and even more unpredictable, and joining now might just give you a chance to be prepared for what’s to come.
Last Things Last
Shadowhunters is an unsung hero of television, bending around the laws of reality and in amongst the layers of the fantasy genre. It lends itself to complacent watchers and avid fans, all of whom will inevitably fall in love with it. One of the wonderful things the show provides is the chance to watch the episodes periodically. Each episode is a ‘chapter’ in the story that is Shadowhunters and has its own events and storyline that means it can be watched singularly. However, with some, you won’t want to wait! Which is good because Shadowhunters is also great to binge-watch. Something we would recommend when certain couples are caught up in a war of hearts. So, TIP #4: Go all in. Commit. Fall in love with the show. It will be worth it, we promise.
So, grab yourself some popcorn, get your Netflix or Hulu synced up, and get comfortable because you have 33 episodes to enjoy, seven lead characters that will inevitably find a place in your heart, plenty of relationships to root for, and maybe an epic fight scene or two to get that adrenaline pumping. Welcome to the Shadowhunters family. We’re glad you’re here.
Shadowhunters is available for streaming via Freeform for U.S. residents and internationally on Netflix. Shadowhunters returns with Season 3 in early 2018.
