Everything looked like it was coming up roses on Shadowhunters Season 1 Episode 11, until Michael Wayland spoiled the mood and dropped a major bomb. And what a bomb it was, I mean right?
So it wasn’t too much of a surprise to find out that Michael Wayland was Valentine in disguise. I mean you guys did guess it right?
It was kinda obvious that Clary was suspicious from the beginning, but why didn’t she share her suspicions earlier is anyones guess? I get that her lovey dovey teenage hormones and feelings overwhelmed her common sense when she saw Jace was okay after the blood transfusion, but why wouldn’t she have at least brought it up to Luke at some point?
And let’s talk about Luke. Shouldn’t he have recognized the “off-ness” of the whole situation, the minute Michael Wayland came into the Jade Wolf. I mean, couldn’t he at least have smelled the demon blood flowing through Valentine, because he was injecting himself with demon blood, right? I get the drama building on the show, but they kinda contradicted themselves and the storyline, right?
So, if werewolves can smell vampires a mile away, it makes no sense he wouldn’t have been able to sense something wasn’t right about this guy.
Putting all that aside, just the idea that a guy who was supposedly killed 10 years ago is found alive and well (and in pretty great condition) in a locker of a madman’s lair should have been enough to raise the warning bells. I guess Jace, really needed it to be his and needed it to be true. Love is blind right?
I really liked Michael Wayland better as Valentine than Valentine as Valentine. Wayland’s creepiness factor was a solid 10+. The way he got into Jace’s head was especially cruel, and is exactly the kind of thing a big bad guy should be doing.
When he asked for The Mortal Cup right away, was a little disappointing and obvious (but the hour long show was nearing an end and they needed to speed it up I guess). It was like he put a big, flashing sign over his head that screamed, “Hey, I’m really Valentine,” because it made absolutely no sense that he would have a different effect on the demons than Clary did.
Of course Clary being Clary, was going to hand it over to him, because she knew the truth. It was pretty clever of her to make a glamour of it to give to him instead, but she could have just called him out. After all, she found her mom, and she had the real Cup, so she could have opened the doors and had the demons take Valentine down.
And all would have been well in the Shadow World. But what fun would that have been?
And while it was super ridiculous, it was kinda funny when she told the demons to “knock it off” like she was talking to a bunch of puppies. And they listened! Who knew Clary could do comedy?!?
The entire scene seemed flat and a little rushed. I mean if you read the books, you knew what was coming next and the hour was almost up. They could have skipped a little of the Simon parts, or trimmed the trial out for another episode. We needed more time with Valentine/Wayland drama. It was supposed to be a drama filled moment.
Even Valentine dropping the bomb about Jace and Clary being brother and sister should have been more shocking, but it wasn’t. It was just very blah. And Valentine, dropping that bomb, and then just jumping through the portal!?!? Oh Come on, he needed more flare!
But, the way all the events of the day(or was it days) affected Jace was extremely significant. His devastation at the end of the episode was palatable. This poor guy’s life was just turned upside down. Valentine got into his head big time, which we have been waiting for. Valentine is a baddy and he needed to show us all how bad and wicked he can be.
While all the Jace/Clary/Valentine drama was going on, there a different kind of drama happening at the Institute: Izzy went on trial for high treason.
While the trial tried to be very dramatic, it too fell flat(I am sticking with my time constraints with it being an hour long show and lots going on). Lydia’s speech about truth and justice wasn’t even halfway convincing, and it was no surprise that Izzy was going to be freed. I mean it’s Izzy, she can’t be exiled.
About the only interesting thing happening there was Magnus telling Alec he was making a mistake marrying Lydia. I like that Magnus isn’t giving up on Alec. It makes you believe there is hope for Malec.
Some thoughts to ponder:
- Luke giving Simon downworlder lessons was cool. Luke telling Simon Clary and Jace were brother and sister was not cool, but that was kinda the best drama of the episode. Seeing Simon’s face light up was kinda awesome. Why is Luke playing matchmaker? And wouldn’t Luke know about Jace being Valentine’s son considering him and Valentine were parabatai? How could that kind of news not be known to him?
- I loved when Magnus told Alec he would do him pro bono. I squealed at my TV and giggled manically. I mean it was awesome, a little corny maybe, but it was completely Magnus.
- The jury is still out on Lydia. There’s something off about her. She’s too...something.
What did you think of this episode FANdemaniacs? Did you love it as much as I did? Let us know in the comments below.
