Shadowhunters 3×03 Review: “What Lies Beneath”

This week, Shadowhunters’ “What Lies Beneath” pulled at my heartstrings from beginning to end. The episode had an emotional script by Alex Schemmer filled with poignant lines, which were highlighted by director Amanda Michael Row’s talent for bringing out some real and raw performances from the cast. With stand-out performances from David Castro and Nicola Correia-Damude, the themes of family came shining through in heart-wrenching ways.

This Owl Business Is No Hoot, People

Jace continues to have a crappy time, and since “What’s up with Jace?” appears to be a central theme this season, it’s possible we won’t see him get respite from his distress until at least mid-season.

Jace does seem to be onto something here; Resurrected Jonathan for the Owl Demon 2k18? He also has a good point about the certainty of Jonathan’s death. After all, there was no body found and it’s not like death is necessarily permanent in this world (Jace himself is proof of that).

At the center of this week’s episode is my girl Morgan, a mundane who I’d say is the real MVP this episode. Who sees a freaking owl-faced demon coming for their life and remembers to go for the groin and reach for the pepper spray? Freaking hero. Also, she is still throwing a fundraiser for disaster relief even though she was violently attacked the night before – someone get this woman a medal.

Izzy joins Clary on mission with Jace after Clary comes to her and confesses Jace’s suspicions about Jonathan. It’s good to see that Izzy and Clary aren’t dismissing the theory out of hand, but the consensus seems to be that the boy really needs sleep.

Izzy becomes understandably distracted from the mission when Dr. Cutie McCute Pants (a.k.a. Charlie) shows up and charmingly asks for her number. Oh, Dr. Cutie, if only I didn’t have overwhelming suspicions that you are super possessed, you’d be a damn catch. “No, go away please,” is a perfectly acceptable answer, thank you, potentially possessed cutie.

Meanwhile, Jace, who is still Not Okay™, has another run-in with Jonathan who teases his brother of sorts about all those last names (what an identity crisis) before handing him a dagger to engage in battle. What is with these boys handing each other blades to kill each other with?

Alas, between the girls worrying about Jace and Jace worrying about Jonathan, poor mundane Morgan, who just wanted to raise much-needed funds for charity, got possessed. Side note: does anyone else think possessed people run really weird?

Luke “DROP THE BASS IN YOUR VOICE WHEN YOU TALK TO ME” Garroway

This week for Luke is an exercise in letting people out of his protective sphere. We get to see more of he and Ollie’s developing partnership and how well Ollie is taking to all of the wild new information about the Shadow World. A fresh mundane perspective on these cases might actually not be the worst idea if Luke would just listen to Ollie and learn to trust that she can handle the magic and darkness of the world. I also really love that she immediately told her romantic partner, and given the rather drab history of lesbian and bisexual women on supernatural dramas (see trope: bury your gays), I hope Ollie and Sam stay safe!

Back at the Jade Wolf, Russell seems to have forgotten he’s only allowed there by the grace of Luke’s mercy and is being a MAJOR DICK. While it might be understandable that the werewolf pack is unhappy about the vampire slumming it in their shed, the whole thing about Luke “allowing” Simon to “sleep with [THEIR] women” is some truly medieval bullshit. Good on Luke for shutting that crap down, but seriously, why is this asshole even still in the pack after that?

Luke keeps the conflict between his pack and Simon present with him throughout the episode and struggles with the choice he needs to make for the benefit of both Simon and his wolves, but it’s obvious it hurts him to have to turn Simon away to face the darkness of the Shadow World on his own.

Lightwood Family Values

Alec and Izzy bemoan the prospect of a dinner filled with Mama Lightwood focusing all her post-divorce energy on nitpicking her children. Sounds casual.

Once Izzy and Jace bail on dinner in favor of going owl hunting, it’s up to Magnus and Alec to host Maryse on their own and, as usual, their domesticity is so enjoyable. Harry and Matt, directed by Amanda Row, bring some much-needed casual intimacy between Malec this episode. The small touches and hilarious little moments, like Alec chugging his wine and promising he’s okay, were delightful. You’re not okay and we love it, Alec – you nervous beautiful wreck, you.

Magnus is charming as hell and Maryse is properly delighted, but Alec isn’t used to things being so calm and relaxed between them, and the faces that Matt was serving throughout the scene were priceless – an endless bounty of “What the hell is happening?” reaction gifs.

Maryse being “reclassified” as a traitor sounds real convenient for her soon-to-be-ex-husband. Being stripped of one’s runes is not a light punishment, nor is exile. While I’m 100% with Alec on his righteous anger on his mother’s behalf, I’m 1000% for the Lightwoods being honest with and supportive of each other. Maryse taking responsibility for her crimes is important both for herself and her relationship with her family. While it’s understandable that Magnus stepped out to give Alec and his mother some space for that conversation, I’d be really interested in a private conversation between Magnus and Maryse about the times in the past when they’ve been on opposite sides. The fact that they can sit across from each other and laugh over drinks is an enormous testament to how much each of them loves Alec.

The not-so-subtle social commentary in Maryse’s words to Alec (“Our generation nearly destroyed everything in our passion to fix it. Yours will have to be wiser.”) are sobering, and important, and a beautiful thing to hear a mother say to a child that has had to endure so much intolerance from her. It needs to be applauded that even in little ways, this show is approaching this topic.

I truly love the peace and new bond between Maryse and Magnus. “Thank you for loving my boy,” was not only the best-delivered line of the episode (Nicola was bringing it in every minute she was on-screen), it also cemented something honest and good between these two and I hope we see more of it.

It’s the Same Stars

Someone help Raphael Santiago, I’m begging. I have entirely too many feelings about Raphael’s sweet voice and gentleness when he’s with Rosa. He’s her big brother and he loves her so very much and I’m okay – I’m just sobbing hysterically, but I’m okay. David Castro was in fine form this episode, bringing the heartbreaking side of the episode to its heights. Alex Schemmer’s script this week was about family, and while we saw a heartwarming positivity to that in Maryse and Alec (and Magnus), we see it in the sadness of separation between Rosa and Raphael caused at first by his entering into a life of vampirism, then by her cloudy memory, and finally by her (hopefully peaceful) passing.

I love that Izzy is there to support Raphael and it really shows that there is something to their relationship beyond bloodlust and addiction. It’s a friendship at its core and there’s trust, even if there is an understanding that they’re not good together. Here’s hoping that the things that unite them, like their shared value about the importance of family, are stronger than their individual addictions keeping them apart.

Simon arrives to see Raphael at the worst possible time, and I think while this scene could be taken as impertinence from Simon, the actual thing that is being highlighted here is that Raphael downplays his own humanity often enough under a guise of professionalism that makes others forget that he can hurt, too. While Raphael opens up to Izzy, he holds back for the sake of the particular predicament they have with each other. Simon, who is someone that could potentially be a friend to Raphael, usually only sees him as a source of help or information.

Meanwhile, Raphael’s little “experiment” is playing with her food downstairs and I hope nobody was eating while watching this scene. Heidi is a cute girl, but that was so disgusting that it really plays up how the show isn’t holding back in the horror department. The implication that Simon is Heidi’s sire and Raphael is interested in finding out if the Daylighter “condition” can be passed from sire to fledgling (which apparently is not the case) seems like a bit of a corruption of the continued theme of family. Simon and Heidi are separated by Raphael and of course by the fact that Simon has no idea she still exists.

When Are Things Not Awkward for Simon?

Simon is not having a good time right now either (shocking). His conflict with the werewolves is only exacerbated by the side effects of the Mark. It’s not like Luke’s trying to throw Simon out on the streets, since he seems more than ready to offer his own place or some other alternative, and the situation is evidently difficult for both of them. Each understands that it has to be this way, but it goes against Luke’s papa instincts to turn away anyone under the age of 30. Meanwhile, Simon is being turned away, however gently, by the only father figure he’s ever known. It’s just pain all the way. It doesn’t get any easier for Simon when he goes to Raphael for help. To be fair, Simon is not reading the room – Raphael is clearly distressed and it makes sense that Raphael wanted to be a Daylighter so that he could spend more precious time with Rosa. Now thanks to Simon’s peculiar predicament, Raphael has physical wounds to match his internal ones.

Jace…You ARE the Owl!

Oh wow. It’s Jace. I’m so surprised. This is a surprised face. If there was a weakness in this episode, it was the build-up to this final reveal, which didn’t need to be surprising – it wasn’t really – but could have been more poignant instead. However, the implications of what this means for Jace and everyone around him are incredibly appealing. How far will Lilith get with Jace as a sleeper agent before he’s found out? Shadowhunters doesn’t seem to be pulling its punches so far this season, so it’s anyone’s guess how this ends.

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Shadowhunters airs Tuesdays 8/7c on Freeform and Wednesdays internationally on Netflix.