Shadowhunters Post-Finale Roundtable
Now that Shadowhunters The Final Hunt is over and the tears are (mostly) dry, we sat down with a few fans for a Shadowhunters Post-Finale Roundstable discussion. We talked about our highs and lows, surprises and disappointments of 3B and the 2-part finale.
First up, introductions:
Clare: I’m Clare, I work here at FANdemonium Network and have been the previewer for Shadowhunters for the last few years.
Karen: I’m Karen and I am a part-time home support worker and author.
Midnight, it’s what I prefer. Freelance writer/photographer, fan of the Shadowworld since..approx 2011 when the book “Clockwork Angel” was published in the UK
H: This person asked for their identity to remain a secret.
Taking just season 3B, what was your favourite storyline and why?
Karen: I enjoyed the #TeamEvil story, I just wish there was more of it. I loved how Jonathan was so jealous of Jace. Especially when it came to Clary. Though, I did enjoy the Clace reuniting in Paris.
Clare: I wish we had gotten more of Team Evil than the scant episode we got. Those brief moments we got of Jace and Jonathan at each others throats (literally) were absolute gold!
Midnight: Jonathan, he was my whole reason for 3b. I wish we’d seen more of him, his development, his powers. But what we got was amazing, he really embodied the split between wanting to be a good brother and having no idea what that meant. Also of-course, anything including the Seelies is always a bonus for me
H: Definitely wish there was more team evil. There was a big hype of this happening before the season started, or at least teasing about it. I loved Jonathan and Clary moments. Especially near the end when Clary realizes that she has known him her whole life, except in her dreams (those moments were heartbreaking and major kudos to Kat and Luke). There was so much vulnerability in those two and how much of a bond they’ve had their whole lives.
I would have LOVED to see more of Jonathan. Luke Baines did such an INCREDIBLE job with the many layers of Jonathan and understanding how he is the way he is.
And your least favourite?
Karen: OMG, where do I start? When we were told that 3B was going to be Clace’s moment, it was everything but.
Clare: I thought the wolves felt totally side-lined this season. Like they didn’t know what to do with them so they just killed them all off. That conflict between the Vamps and Wolves could have brewed all through 3B, giving Maia her big arc to step up properly as Alpha, rather than how it actually played out.
Midnight: That’s a split. Between what they did to Raphael, and how they handled Heavenly Fire, I’m not saying the clave are saints in the books, but..it was just forced. Also, there was way too much focus on Magnus and Alec and it seemed the show had been unfairly geared to them and taken away from the main story.
H: How absolutely rushed Sizzy was. It did not do them justice to have one episode, mind you, it’s the series finale when they finally act on their feelings. I know it wasn’t by choice, there were many “almost,” moments before but I didn’t like how little was spent with them.
The Heavenly Fire storyline and how Luke took the downworlder cure at the end. That made absolutely no sense to me.
What was your biggest shock moment?
Clare: It had to be Clary being punished by the angels at the end. That felt so wrong, to see everything she had worked to become over the last 3 seasons erased.
Karen: When it was Clary who had lost everything in the end. I was so disappointed by that. After everything she went through in those months of being a Shadowhunter, to having it all taken from her. I really hated that.
Midnight: The fact they turned Raphael Human..and he liked it. Not the vampire I love. Not at all, it seemed they wanted his story over so they didn’t have to think about him.
Also. Clary being ‘punished’ by Raziel, is a total distance from the way he’d acted previously, and the fact they didn’t give her the option to join the Academy like Simon does in the books.
H: In agreeance with both of these answers, but how Clary was stripped of her runes. It was unnecessary and wrong. She didn’t deserve it and I didn’t like how the angels had Jocelyn came to see her, and used her to send Clary a message. It was not the proper “punishment,” and to be frank, felt really out of character. She has angelic blood in her, she does not create runes to hurt people, she is pure. But choosing to take her life away from her and leave her with nothing? No family, and just tossed back into the mundane world.
Biggest disappointment?
Clare: Maia’s storyline. The trailer teased her getting this badass story, becoming Alpha in a dramatic fashion. Instead we got her becoming Alpha of a pack of literally 2 because everyone else is dead. Also Clace’s “ending”. Every other couple got their happy ending but Clace fans were told to “imagine” what happens next. Seriously?!
Karen: Maia’s story. Sizzy should’ve had more time to build up to their relationship. More Bat and Raphael.
Midnight: See above. Plus. they way they twisted the Law. Alec becoming Inquisitor, Magnus the “High Warlock of Alicante.” no. just..no.
Meliorn in a suit was creepy too, but that’s more a personal thing.
H: Lack of Team Evil, taking Clary’s memories away. I know I may get flack for this but every couple gets some sort of a happy ending, and Clace’s ending was a big disappointment to me. She shouldn’t have lost all her memories, Jace has to watch from the sidelines as she lives her life for a full YEAR, and can’t be with her. Too heartbreaking for me to watch.
Were you satisfied with the resolution we got?
Clare: Honestly, no, it felt rushed, they tried to cram two and a half books worth of content into an hour and 40 minutes. Given the sweeping changes they made from the book plots anyway, I feel like they could have found a better way to wrap things up.
Karen: Hardly. It was all over the place, felt too rushed. It was a mess.
Midnight: Frankly. No. same as Clare plus they yet again geared it all to “Malec.”
H: No, I am bitter. It felt rushed, and did not tie up everything nicely in a bow as some said it would. Not enough focus on your other core couples. Sizzy was meant to sign this season, and Clace deserved their happy ending as well. Again, a lot of emphasis on “Malec.”
If you could change one thing that happened this season what would you change, and how?
Clare: I wouldn’t have had the angels punish Clary for using the powers they gave her, for using them to save the entire world.
Midnight: I’m a writer and a fan.. I wouldn’t have done any of it.
Karen: I would have had the angel take Clary’s powers to make runes, not to basically exile her and make her forget just for saving the whole damn planet from her evil brother. That didn’t need to happen. A proper happy ending for Clary and Jace would have been nice.
H: In agreeance with Clare, I would not have had the angels punish Clary. That was one of my biggest mistakes from this season.
What score would you give the 2-part finale out of 10?
Karen: That’s so hard to answer. I’d have to give it a 5 tbh. We had some really lovely moments, but it was the ending that done it for me.
Midnight: I want to be loyal, I love the writers and cast and everyone involved for what they did with what they had but.. Frankly.. 4
H: In all honesty, I agree with the score of a 4. It was a disappointment to me. I loved a few of the moments in the finale but that majority of the scenes left me really upset and honestly annoyed at how cheesy they were.
Clare: Yeah, I’m with you guys. While it had some nice moments, overall it just didn’t gel for me, so I’m going to give it a 5.
So that’s it.
I want to thank everyone who took part in this Shadowhunters Post-Finale Discussion. It’s been a pleasure previewing Shadowhunters for FANdemonium Network these last few years and I’ll miss the excitement of screeners appearing on Fridays. I hope that perhaps those of you who enjoyed our Shadowhunters content here will look around and perhaps find another show we cover that you are passionate about. We definitely don’t want to lose you, so if there’s a show you guys love that we aren’t covering, let us know and we will see what we can do.
