Shadowhunters – Those of Demon Blood Recap/Review
You may have already read our spoiler free take on this week’s episode but now it’s time for our full Shadowhunters – Those of Demon Blood Recap/Review. Hold on to your hats!
Before the “Previously” segment this week we get a little intro voiced by Clary (Kat McNamara) emphasising the diverse make-up of the core cast of characters. This is important in the context of the episode. I don’t know whether this will be a permanent thing now, will have to wait till next week to find out.
Once the recap is out of the way we find ourselves in the Hunter’s Moon. Clary and Simon (Alberto Rosende) are on a sort of date and she tells him that she has booked a gig for Rock Solid Panda to play at the bar. Simon freaks out because Rock Solid Panda is just him now and he isn’t sure he can handle it. At the bar, Jace (Dominic Sherwood) and Maia (Alisha Wainwright) bond over their repulsion as Clary and Simon share a kiss. Jace buys two shots of tequila, one for Kaelie, the Seelie he had a fling with a little while ago. Kaelie accepts the drink, then pours it in Jace’s lap. OUCH! Jace catches Clary staring at him and then she grabs Simon and they exit.
Outside the bar Simon smells blood. They find a trail of bloody slabs of skin with runes on and follow it to the corpse of a Shadowhunter. The body has claw and teeth marks, signs it was killed by a werewolf.
At the Institute Izzy (Emeraude Toubia) is looking much healthier and happier. And with good reason. Max is coming to stay at the Institute and she is in charge of his training. She and Alec are chatting when the Institute finds out about the dead Shadowhunter.
At the boat basin, Simon hears noise and thinks once again that it’s Raphael harrassing him. He calls out and other vamps appear. He asks if Raphael sent them but they tell him they have come on their own. They want to be in his “clan” now he’s a daylighter. Simon is pretty flustered and turns them down, sending them back to Raphael. Inside he and Luke (aka fandom dad Isaiah Mustafa) have a “father-son” bonding session. Luke asks if Simon and Clary are being safe. Simon thinks he means sex, Luke meant bloodlust. It gets hella awkward real fast. Thankfully they are interrupted by the arrival of Jace and Alec (see, Jace’s timing doesn’t always suck). The Inquisitor wants to see Luke in regards to the apparent werewolf attack.
Luke submits to questioning. He offers up a DNA sample to exonerate himself, knowing that he wasn’t the killer. He is escorted down to the lab leaving Jace and Imogen together.
She talks to him about his family, giving him more information on his mother. She then mentions that she will be appointing a new Head of the Institute. Jace says it should be Alec but Imogen appoints Jace instead. Alec (Matthew Daddario) congratulates his parabatai even as Jace says he told Imogen it should have been Alec. Alec says the Clave would never just give him the Institute as he’s dating a guy who is a Downworlder. Clary and Lindsay show up with two more Shadowhunter bodies. These have been killed by a vampire and a seelie.
Elsewhere another Shadowhunter is wheeled through tunnels on a gurney by…a strange hooded figure. Could that be the same hooded figure that stole the Soul Sword?! The mysterious assailant opens the Shadowhunter’s shirt and starts cutting out his runes!
Imogen announces the latest murder – this time committed by a warlock – and Jace’s appointment as Head of the Institute. The others are pleased for Jace. He tells them that the Inquisitor wants them to talk to their Downworlder allies and ask for DNA samples. Clary says she will go to Simon and walks away. Izzy says she will go to Raphael and Alec is quick to say no. Jace asks what’s going on and Izzy admits to him about her addition. She says she can handle it and Jace trusts her but Alec isn’t so sure.
Alec goes to see Magnus (Harry Shum Jr.) who has had a bit of an image update since last week. White streaked hair, pink eyeshadow and nails. I think it’s safe to say the armour is back in place for this warlock. Alec notices the difference and Magnus replies that he was bored and felt like a change. He kisses Alec but Alec seems to feel like something is off. He asks if Magnus knows anything about the new body and Magnus says no. If every warlock told him of their indiscretions his phone would never stop ringing. Alec asks for a strand of his hair for a DNA test to exonerate him for the murders. Magnus complies then tells Alec to get out.
At the boat shed Simon refuses to give a DNA sample to Clary. He tells her about his “bubby Helen” who was a polish Jew. Helen was rounded up and was the only one in her family to survive the Holocaust. Simon says it starts with a DNA test. After Clary leaves Simon calls her to check on her, he’s paranoid about her being out alone while Shadowhunters are being attacked. As they speak she is attacked and her assailant starts dragging her away. Luckily she told Simon where she was and he shows up and the hooded figure flees.
Max arrives at the Institute and Izzy shows him to his new room and runs him through his training schedule. He’s gung-ho and wants to go on the mission Izzy tells him she has. She tells him he isn’t ready yet and he must stay home. Yeah. 10 year old kid who is full of his own awesomeness… anyone else see this lasting all of about five minutes before he gets into trouble?!
Dot (Vanessa Matsui) shows up at Magnus’s place. He’s drunk and a little confused when she hands him a vial of dragonfly wings. She says they are to help with his powers after he got blasted by the greater demon. He tosses them aside and she notices his drink – whisky rocks – his heartbreak drink.
At the Institute Clary is unconscious. Jace is pissed at Simon for not seeing more but Simon knows Jace would have saved Clary rather than go after the bad guy. Simon wants to stay but Jace tells him there are new rules in place and Downworlders can’t stay in the Institute. When he refuses to leave, Imogen shows up and has him locked in the cells. Jace argues with Imogen but they are interrupted by another body.
Imogen tells Jace that the R&D department in Alicante has come up with GPS chips for the Downworlders. This will allow them to be tracked, the same way the Clave tracks Shadowhunters through their runes. Alec is furious at the idea and Jace finds himself caught between his parabati and his new family and position. Rock. Hard place.
Jace goes to the Hunter’s Moon and starts to tell Maia about the chips. She is furious and tells the entire bar the plan.
Maia attacks Jace and the other Shadowhunter with him. Luke tries to get Maia to stop but other Downworlders hold him back. The other Shadowhunter implants Maia with the chip just as she knocks Jace down. Luke finally gets free and tells Jace that this is how war starts. Jace mentions that the attackers came for Clary but for once that doesn’t change Luke’s mind and he tells Jace to get out.
Clary wakes up and Alec tells her what happened. She asks where Simon is and Alec tells her he is down in the cells. She heads down there to talk to him but the Shadowhunters guarding him won’t let her in and carry her away.
Dot and Magnus are drinking and talking. Magnus mentions he had a crush on Freddie Mercury in the 80s and Dot says that must be why he dragged her to so many Queen concerts. She says something about the mustache and Magnus replies that he falls in love with the soul before the sex. Dot asks if that’s what he fell for with her.
At the Institute Clary yells at Jace for locking Simon up. He tells her that the way things are right now there are no easy choices. Another Shadowhunter has been killed and just then Imogen shows up with Maia under arrest. She says Maia was found a block from the dead Shadowhunter just minutes later so she must be the killer. Clary says it’s NYC, lots of people were a block away, to which Imogen replies that an hour before that Maia attacked Jace as he was carrying out Clave orders. When Clary finds out that it was to put a tracker in Maia she is furious. Maia appeals to Jace but grandma Herondale tells him that he can’t let emotions cloud his judgement. Clary cuts in and asks if fear is an emotion, because that’s what is fuelling this.
Imogen orders Maia to be put in the cells with Simon as she gets a call. She has been summoned back to Idris, leaving Jace in charge. She tells him to make her proud. Jace tries to tell Clary that he is doing his best. She cuttingly reminds him that until recently, everyone thought he had demon blood. If it wasn’t for the fact everyone now knows he is a Herondale Imogen would be locking him up too.
Izzy meets with Raphael (David Castro). He tells her that he knows it isn’t a vamp committing the murders. He tells her about Shadowhunters trophy hunting before the Accords. When they would hunt Downworlders and keep their claws, fangs or Warlock marks as souvenirs. Remember back in S1 that Shadowhunter who said Magnus’s cat eyes would make a nice addition to his collection? Yeah. That! The vampires vowed to never let that happen to anyone ever again. In the 80s the Downworlders came together to make demands of the Clave. One particular Seelie said that the only way to get the Clave to listen was to kill Shadowhunters and remove their runes. That Seelie was Meliorn.
At Magnus’s loft he and Dot perform a rather magical dance routine (much love to Harry Shum Jr. for the choreo on this one, it’s brilliant!) and then she tries to kiss him. Magnus stops her, he’s in love with Alec and he’s a “one soul at a time kind of guy”. Dot says Alec is lucky to have Magnus.
Maia and Simon are locked up in the same cell and they have a chat. Maia says she understands where Jace is coming from right now, he’s always wanted family and she understands what that can make a person do. She’s also full of praise for the way Clary went off at Imogen and Simon is surprised. He says he thinks Maia likes her and Maia replies that Clary is growing on her. Jace and Clary show up to free them and Jace apologises to Maia.
At the docks Izzy and Raphael are tracking Meliorn. Raph says they have company – It’s Max. Raphael smells blood so Izzy tells Max to hide and they will be right back. They find Meliorn (Jade Hassoune) kneeling over the corpse of another rune-less Shadowhunter. Meliorn claims he isn’t the killer, but that it’s another Seelie and he can help them find it. Izzy wants Raphael to take Max home while she hunts with Meliorn but when they return to his hiding place he has gone. The killer has him.
Max wakes up to face his attacker – it’s Kaelie! She says that her brother was killed by Jace and now she is getting revenge. Izzy, Raphael and Meliorn show up and Izzy frees Max while Raphael and Meliorn fight the Seelie. She doesn’t understand why Raphael and Meliorn are fighting with Izzy when the Shadowhunters led their people to a massacre. Meliorn replies that it’s the right thing to do. Kaelie tussles with Rapahel for a bit then sprays him with holy water (?) taking him out of the fight. Kaelie charges Meliorn but Izzy kills her.
Alec, Izzy and Jace talk in Jace’s office. about what happened.
Izzy tells him that they found werewolf claws, vampire fangs and seelie blades. Kaelie was trying to make it look like a Downworld revolt. Jace asks why and they agree it has to be more than just covering her tracks. Jace says they will keep investigating but that his first act as the head of the Institute is going to be controversial and he needs his brother and sister’s help. He is giving control of the Institute to Alec. He says being a Herondale does have some perks, and he can name his successor. And he chooses his brother and parabatai. *fist pumps* That’s my boy Jace!!!
Simon and Clary arrive for his gig at the Hunter’s Moon. It’s packed – apparently some vamps heard a singer they really like was going to be there. Guess that wasn’t the last of those vamps at the boat basin. Simon gets up on stage and after some initial fumbles he dedicates the first song to the Downworld. And then he absolutely SLAYS (excuse the pun)!
Jace shows up in the alleyway outside. He helps Maia with some trash she is carrying and then tells her he is there to remove the tracking chip.
Across town Alec tells Magnus that he was right, he never has to prove himself to Alec. They exchange I Love You’s again and kiss on the balcony.
Back in the alley Jace says he’s sorry if he hurt Maia. She says he was willing to let the entire Downworld go to hell because he’s still in love with Clary. Jace denies that and she tells him to prove it. So he kisses her. She shoves him away. Then shoves him up against the alley wall. She tells him not to think this means anything before things get pretty damn intimate for two people who were knocking lumps out of each other the night before.
REVIEW
Well that was… interesting.
I know I talked before about how much the show is veering away from the source material and this week is a continuation of that. I mean, Magnus and Dot, Jace and Maia (!), not to mention Shadowhunters being killed by a Seelie. Once again this episode didn’t contain anything really recognisable from the books. In a way it’s exciting, as it means that no-one is safe (as shown by Jocelyn’s death) and anything could happen. But I can’t help but be disappointed at the same time when there is so much from the books that they could be doing.
I’m sure other book fans out there probably had the same heart attack moment I did towards the end of the episode. The words “oh my god it can’t happen like this!” flew out of my mouth while I was watching. I’m sure book fans know what I’m referring to. I have to say that particular plotline is really playing on my mind at the moment. I don’t want to say too much in case the show does go down that road as it would spoil those who haven’t read the books. Suffice to say if they do stick to that it will be all the more devastating now I think.
Clary is back to being mean to Jace and Jace is once again hooking up with Downworlders in attempt to mask his feelings. The last one just killed 6 of your friends and almost killed your little brother Jace – please be careful. Maia claims there are no feelings involved, but honestly there’s been something kinda brewing between these two for a while now. They keep fighting. It’s kinda like Shadowhunter/Downworlders kindergarten! I’ll be interested to see how this one plays out. Will this remove the tension between Jace and Maia and make her less volatile around him? The one thing that really bugs me about Maia’s character is her total lack of respect for her Alpha. On so many occasions now Luke has ordered her to stand down and she has totally ignored him and done whatever she wanted.
The big highlights for me were Magnus dancing of course, cos Raziel knows we’ve all been waiting for that, but mostly Simon singing. I know Alberto is musical, hell the entire cast is, but this was really kind of show stopping. I feel the editing kind of let things down a bit here. The song being in the background of Malec’s make-up smooch was nice, but the Jace/Maia hook-up in the alley took away from what could have been a beautiful ending. Downworlders of every stripe united in the bar listening to Simon sing while Malec bridged the Downworlder/Shadowhunter divide with their I Love You’s.
I also hope fans are happy with how the new head of the Institute storyline played out. I know that as soon as the sneak peek was revealed showing that Imogen had appointed Jace fans were angry. Jace never wanted the position, he tells Alec in the end that he’s a better soldier, that Alec is the leader. Alec is now in charge, which I’m sure will ruffle feathers, but I think maybe y’all are gonna get that Malec breakfast on the balcony after all!
Oh, speaking of musical – hey Shadowhunters Writers… if y’all ever wanna go the Buffy route and have a musical demon come to town I’d so be down for that. Shadowhunters Musical episode – season 3… PLEASE?!?!?!
