While I personally feel it’s a little late in the game to be producing filler episodes, “Love Is a Devil” was hella entertaining, surprisingly gripping in places, and it gave our grand High Warlock, Magnus freakin’ Bane, his long-deserved platform to unleash a can of whoop-ass. For this, I was a fan. My god, I was a fan.
Valentine’s next move in his evil plan to destroy the Downworld requires Magnus’ book of counterspells. We don’t know why yet, but his plan had him recruiting warlock Iris Rouse to infiltrate Magnus’ apartment to steal it. Magnus’ soft spot for stray cats got her a ticket inside, and the remainder of the story played out in the bulk of the episode.
Iris’ spell work had Clary envisioning her new beau, Simon, cheating on her; Jace was left literally dodging Maryse’s murderous hatred of him; and poor Alec’s continued guilt over Jocelyn’s death had him jumping off the balcony ledge to his death. That he got so far as to require Magnus’ magic to physically pull him out of the air was shocking. That he didn’t even hesitate made it obvious his actions were spell-induced. But just a few episodes ago, Alec was training himself bloody and refusing to heal himself in an effort to compartmentalize his inner pain. The dude has some very real issues. If anyone in the squad is the closest to jumping off a ledge, it’s him. I wonder if there will be any residual effects of this.
All of this was less of a ploy by our villain and more of a positioning of our characters for the next story phase. Clary revealed the secret of her rune-making abilities, and everyone learned they are a symptom of a rare blood connection to Ithuriel. Having pure angel blood also explains why Valentine wants her unharmed: Clary’s blood makes her capable of activating the Soul Sword and obliterating the entire Downworld. While the show seems to be struggling with an overabundance of characters and a limited window to explore them all (Luke Garroway, anyone? He still exists, right?), it’s doing a fine job of weaving new mythology and making the characters we do have a little more useful. Clary being written as a weapon? Sign me up.
Raphael and Izzy (John Medland/Freeform)
Isabelle’s drug addiction storyline took a turn, with her getting her venom fix from Raphael. He is well-versed in keeping his kind out of anything that could land them in the Clave’s ill favor, so it’s not a surprise to see him come to the rescue. What is surprising is how quickly I’ve noped out of this particular storyline. I was initially intrigued at seeing yin fen introduced and explored in a way it hadn’t been before, but now I’d like to move on, please. Isabelle forcing Raphael to bite her against his will, after he’d explicitly said no, was a rape allegory if I’ve ever seen one. It also opens him up to his own addiction plot. Their exchange squicked me out in too many ways to count, and when it slithered into romantic turf, I felt furious. As a member of the audience, I wasn’t okay watching any of this – but isn’t that the whole point? Drug addiction isn’t glamorous; it’s not likable. It’s supposed to make you feel uncomfortable. Well, show, achievement unlocked.
We weren’t privy to how Magnus and Alec’s first night together went, nor were we treated to anything beyond vague workarounds whenever the topic came up. For now, whatever went down between them, which, disappointment at unequal screen treatment aside, makes it feel important. What we did get is a confirmation that Alec and Magnus are in a committed relationship, as both men spent a great deal of the episode proving their feelings in different ways. Magnus, in the dedication he showed in organizing the party for Alec’s youngest sibling, and in the way he clarified his intentions when Jace tried to give him the Talk. And Alec, in the way he firmly demanded that his family respect and accept Magnus as his partner. They feel different now; settled, domestic. But I’m waiting impatiently for the day we actually see it in action.
Matthew Daddario was lovely to watch in Alec’s beautiful, new confidence, and Harry Shum Jr. got to dance in Magnus’ own badass way, reminding us all why he was the best choice for this role. He absolutely killed it. This episode was a fine example of everything I love about Magnus Bane.
Simon finally confessed to Clary and was accepted with open arms. It was all terribly cute, and it felt natural if you overlook the suddenness of Clary’s willingness to throw herself into it. We’ve spent a season and a half getting acquainted with Simon’s unrequited feelings, but Clary’s only really been offering a brief glance here and there since the potential of her relationship with Jace was wiped from the table. The episode’s wayward spell picked at Clary’s fear of losing Simon’s affections, which is one of the only indications we’ve had that this has been weighing on her, or that she’s even been aware of his affections in the first place. It all felt a little fast on Clary’s part, but Kat McNamara and Alberto Rosende’s adorable, authentic chemistry easily overshadowed this.
It should be said that while this is one relationship fandom doesn’t really want to endure, I do appreciate how it’s been written. Clary is giving it a decent shot with an open heart and open mind, and Simon isn’t being treated as a consolation prize. They feel like a team, and those are the kinds of relationships I’m into. I’m also hugely impressed with how Jace is factoring into this. He seems genuinely pleased for them both, while quietly accepting that his feelings for Clary are there to deal with on his own. Nothing is feeling skeevy. Surprisingly, it seems to be growing a bond between Jace and Simon. Didn’t see that coming!
Magnus, Max, and Alec (John Medland/Freeform)
This show seems to give me little things I’ve always wanted from the books, but it presents them in a way that leaves me feeling like I’ve settled for second best. I’ve always wanted Magnus to meet Max. I’ve always wanted to see how Max reacts to the knowledge that his big brother is gay, and I’ve always wanted to see the first time Alec saw Magnus’ cat eyes. But seeing Max brush off a deeply important part of Alec with little more than rude indifference, and then revolt at Magnus’ cat eyes when the guy offers them in an attempt to build a bond, suuucks. Yes, it’s everything I’ve always wanted. But I feel so cheated. I don’t know whether to laugh at the naturally evil ways of writers or sob quietly in a corner with my shattered dreams.
And yet, in this hour of the show, it couldn’t be faulted. Max, it seems, has been a lone witness to the deterioration of his parents’ relationship and was acting out accordingly. His foundation is shattered, and as anyone who is the child of divorce knows, that forces you to grow up fast. It’s also this warped behavior, and Jace’s magically amplified fear of abandonment, that had Maryse taking a long, hard look at the way she’s been conducting herself, which, in turn, stems from her own unhappiness. Everyone here is a victim in their own way.
Dominic Sherwood made a beautiful return to form as he showed us a young man suddenly remade a little boy with no one to call home. Nicola Correia-Damude brought a devastating grace to Maryse, dropping her walls and showing Jace how loved he really is and how she’s been struggling behind the burdensome position of the Lightwood matriarch. I was wondering whether they’d bring Robert’s infidelity plot into the show, and the way it’s been twisted to have Maryse bearing the brunt of Isabelle’s anger out of a need to protect the love she has for her father is so realistic that it hurts.
Director Catriona McKenzie was at the helm this time around, and what she presented was an array of intimate snapshots. I thoroughly appreciated her willingness to draw the camera back and allow us the full scope of our cast’s performances. Too often these episodes have been tightly framed, which works for the more emotional beats, but tends to alienate us from the visual chemistry of body language. The highlight of the episode – Magnus’ skilled, furious display of battle magic – was presented in a succession of tense cuts, and the amount of time given to it had me reeling with glee. When Magnus had shoved Iris through that portal to Idris, I was lost for words. Badass Magnus Bane renders fabulous results, show. Please, please, tell me there’s more where that came from. I’m ready.
Clary and Jace (John Medland/Freeform)
Writer Y. Shireen Razack, who previously wrote Season 1’s alternative dimension shenanigans and this season’s Magnus-and-Simon-take-Agra episode, seems to keep being handed filler episodes. “Love Is a Devil” was designed purely to line our players up for the next phase. The entire episode was about a party, a party that had to be thrown not for Max, but to get everyone to a point where the show’s previously burning secrets could come out. Even if I’m still lamenting all the double-edged ways my wishes came true, the conversations felt real. Even if some things felt a little out of left-field, the likability of most characters this hour made up for it. This was, without a doubt, Y. Shireen’s strongest, most pleasing script to date. I’m looking forward to more from her.
All in all, this was an enjoyable episode. I like the idea of filler episodes using unusual methods to nudge the story along, because it feels delightfully self-serving, like fanfiction. What will happen next? An episode showcasing all the ways Luke Garroway helps others on a daily basis? A typical Friday in the life of Magnus Bane? The Institute being stuck in a time loop and only Maryse knows what’s going on? These episodes make it seem like anything is possible, and as this hour proved, the results can be wildly entertaining.
Shadowhunters airs Mondays 8/7c on Freeform, and Tuesdays internationally on Netflix.
