Shadowhunters You Are Not Your Own Recap/Review
After the Freaky Friday antics at the end of the mid-season premiere it’s time to jump in and check out what happens next. This is our Shadowhunters You Are Not Your Own Recap/Review. For purposes of clarity, because of body swap shenanigans, if you see “Valentine” with the quotation marks, that means Valentine’s body but Magnus inside. Likewise “Magnus” means Magnus’s body with Valentine inside.
Picking up pretty much straight after the end of Mea Maxima Culpa, the episode begins with “Valentine” pleading to anyone who might be listening to let him out cos he is actually Magnus Bane.
Meanwhile “Magnus” arrives home to find Azazel waiting for him. The demon wants the cup and “Magnus” replies he’ll need to change him back first as the cup is in a place no demon blooded creature can reach it. Azazel says he’ll just have to get a little creative as he chokes him with magic. Otherwise he’ll let him die as a “filthy warlock”.
Clary and Simon wake up in bed together in the boat shed. She gets a text from Jace updating her about Azazel. Simon says to tell her brother that she’s busy…oh…someone’s keeping secrets. Simon hears a noise and gets really jumpy. Clary tells him to calm down and then gets up to go to the bathroom. Simon goes charging outside into the daylight yelling at Raphael…who isn’t there. Paranoid much there Daylighter?
Jace and Alec are tracking Azazel in the Institute and are about to set off after him but Inquisitor Herondale isn’t happy with them. Well, with Jace. She says she will deal with him after Azazel has been vanquished.
Over at Sebastian’s very cosy pad (totally get why he isn’t hanging out at the Institute) Izzy is looking a whole lot better. She thanks Sebastian for everything and says she wants to go home, and asks him to come with her. He says he’s used to being on his own. Izzy, being the badass she is, replies that she used to be addicted to vampire venom. Touché!
Back at the Institute she introduces Sebastian to the others, telling them that when Azazel came after her he saved her. Alec thanks him for saving his sister, as does Jace who he called “the great warrior”. He also knows Clary is Valentine’s daughter. Can’t tell if good student or creepy stalker at this point… Seb tells them he knows how to banish Azazel (his power centre is a pea sized thing somewhere under his sternum) and Alec thanks him for the info but says he can’t come on the mission. Jace and Izzy try to persuade Alec but he says they can do what they want, he’s going to work with Magnus.
“Magnus” is struggling to get his magic to work when Alec calls. Azazel tells him to get rid of Alec so he’s incredibly dismissive, telling him that he’s with a client and to call Dot if he needs help. Alec senses something is off and goes straight to the Loft to check on his boyfriend.
It’s immediately clear that Valentine didn’t know about Magnus’s relationship with the Shadowhunter as when Alec touches “Magnus” he is completely stunned… at least until Azazel knocks him aside with magic. Alec summons his bow and aims at Azazel. The Greater Demon knocks him flying backwards but he fires anyway. “Magnus” cries no but Alec his that power core because he’s the badass with a bow. Azazel is banished and “Magnus” runs to the pile of ash left behind. Alec asks why he told him no and “Magnus” said he was scared something would happen that couldn’t be reversed. Alec pulls the stunned Shadowhunter-in-a-warlock’s-body into a hug.
At the Institute, Inquisitor Herondale has summoned Jace and Clary to her office. She wants them to submit to testing to find out what the deal is with their enhanced angelic abilities. Jace is not down for that but Clary is. He tries to tell her it’s a bad idea, that the Clave will turn her into a guinea pig. Clary is determined though, she wants to know why her rune ability has stopped working. Jace caves and tells the Inquisitor that they will both agree to testing.
Dot arrives at Magnus’s loft looking much healthier than we last saw her. “Magnus” feeds her some BS line about the Greater Demon attack shorting his memory. He says he needs her to teach him how to use his magic again, and she agrees. Anyone else getting a SERIOUSLY bad feeling about this?!
In the cell at the Institute “Valentine” is being tortured. Inquisitor Herondale seems to be taking great pleasure in his agony.
Izzy meets Simon in the Greenhouse. He asks for her help in dealing with Raphael who is threatening him. He’s heard that Izzy and Raphael were seeing each other. She tells him why, that she was hooked on vamp venom, and now she’s off it. Simon knows all about addiction issues because of his mother. He starts telling her about groups for addiction but she says no. She will help with his Raphael problem though, but without going near Raphael…
Alec goes to see “Valentine” who tries to convince Alec who he really is.
He mentions the omamori (which he carries every day – I literally screamed at that), their night in Tokyo where they kissed on the terrace. Alec is totally freaked out, he shoves “Valentine” back and runs out of the cell.
Clary and Jace spar in front of the Inquisitor. Jace activates his agility rune and flips across the courtyard to Clary. The Inquisitor walks towards them and he flips back over her head, catching the sword Clary tosses him as the Inquisitor instructs Clary to try her sun rune again. She seems to think Clary could be lying, and it could still be a scam because she’s Valentine’s daughter. Jace gets pissed at that, says they are done and stalks off. Clary tells the Inquisitor that she understands her pain. Valentine killed Imogen’s son, and he also killed Clary’s mother, the person who meant the most to her. That gets to Imogen and she ends the session.
Izzy takes Simon to the park and gives tulips to an elderly woman who she introduces as Rosa Santiago. Simon asks if they are going to kidnap Raphael’s grandmother and Izzy replies that Rosa is Raphael’s sister. She tells him about bingo night, tamales and that they are going to send a message. If Rapahel can get to Simon’s mother, Simon can get to Rosa. Izzy snaps a picture of Simon with Rosa to send to Raphael, but not before Rosa tells Izzy that she should be with Simon cos he’s a catch. Rosa Santiago – confirmed Sizzy shipper!
Alec catches Jace in the hallway and tells him what just happened in the cell with “Valentine”. Jace says he should be careful, it’s Valentine and he is always ten steps ahead of them. It wouldn’t do to get caught up in his lies and scheming.
“Magnus” breaks into the Institute and goes to the cellblock.
He tells “Valentine” he’s come to break him out, that he’s cloaked and no-one knows he is there. “Valentine” replies that he was called in to put specific wards on the cellblock that nullified magic. Meaning there’s no magical way to break out and the cloaking spell isn’t working. Sure enough Imogen turns up with guards. “Magnus” feeds some line about checking the wards after Azazel’s appearance in the Institute but Imogen isn’t buying it. She has him escorted out. Imogen tortures “Valentine” some more using the agony rune. We see a brief flash of young Magnus as he screams for his mother. “Valentine” tries to plead with Imogen that he is really Magnus. She is deaf to his pleas and orders him to be prepared for execution.
Sebastian finds Clary in the greenhouse and they talk about her rune ability.
She still doesn’t know why it isn’t working and asks if maybe Azazel took it. He says that isn’t possible and he thinks it’s tied to her emotional state. Shadowhunters are taught that emotions cloud judgement but he thinks they give one power. Clary doesn’t think it can be a lack of emotion as she is still reeling from Jocelyn’s death. He picks up that thread and mentions Jace finding out he isn’t her brother. Clary doesn’t see what that has to do with anything but Seb keeps going. He thinks it’s her lack of family that is the problem. Clary realises that her ability stopped working right after she found out about Jace. Sebastian says that’s what she needs to work through.
At the Jade Wolf, Simon buys Izzy dinner as a thank you. She drops the news that Jace isn’t Clary’s brother but they are interrupted before they get much further. A portal opens disgorging Raphael and a cadre of vampires. Raphael is PISSED, guess he got the message loud and clear. He’s ready to stake Simon, eliminating the threat of Izzy by having one of his vamps offer to bite her. Seems Izzy isn’t as over her addiction as she thought.
Luckily Luke and some of the pack are outside and hear the yelling. They arrive just in time, throwing the door open and bathing the place in sunlight. Simon stands in the light and the other vamps are completely stunned. Raphael calls a retreat and they ignore him, staring at Simon in awe. Simon looks to Luke who gives him a half nod, Simon tells them to leave and they scarper to obey.
Back at the Institute it seems like Imogen is going rogue. The Clave denied her request for Valentine’s execution but it seems like she’s going to do it anyway. And Alec is along for the ride.
Jace goes to Magnus’s loft as Magnus called him about arranging a surprise for Alec. “Magnus” says how nice it is to have Jace there “like friends” and then whammies him into a set of magical shackles. Not cool!
In the cell block Herondale orders Alec to put “Valentine” in the chair and gag him. “Valentine” is crying, begging and pleading even through the gag for Alec to save him but Imogen sends Alec to guard the entrance. Alec leaves the cell and walks right into a projection of “Magnus” and Jace in shackles. Jace tells him that “Valentine” was right and they really have switched. Alec races back into the cell to stop the execution and “Valentine” cries with relief.
Imogen turns to look as “Magnus” recites the fire message she sent the night her son was killed. He offers to spare Jace, her pure angel blooded warrior if she lets his real body go. Jace scoffs at that, telling “Magnus” he picked the wrong bait, she doesn’t care if Jace dies. “Magnus” then drops an absolute bombshell. Jace is Imogen’s grandson. Valentine took him from his mother’s nine month pregnant body after she killed herself. He also took the Herondale family ring from her, something he taunts Imogen with. He tells them they have one hour to comply or Jace dies. Then they vanish!
“Valentine” arrives at the loft, alone as per the demand. “Magnus” lets him in and then puts up his wards. Clary, Alec and Sebastian arrive and Clary tries to use her open rune to get rid of the wards but it won’t work. “Magnus” gets “Valentine” to perform the spell (and by the Angel, Alan Van Sprang does an INCREDIBLE job of mimicking the flourishes of Harry Shum Jr.’s hands as he works magic). Outside Clary is still trying to no avail until Sebastian gets really dark. He forces her to think about and feel every single bit of her pain and fear of being alone. Inside the potion is finished and after reciting the spell Magnus and Valentine drink and the spell takes hold.
The wards come down as Magnus and Valentine return to their bodies. They struggle, Magnus grabbing Valentine to stop him escaping through the portal. Clary gets in and tackles her father through the portal…straight back into that prison cell in the Institute.
Alec is picking up broken glass at the loft (nice parallel). Magnus is really broken by the torture. It forced him to see things he’s spent centuries trying to forget. Alec sits down beside him and asks what he can do to fix things. This might take a while Alec.
Simon and Izzy walk back towards the Institute in the rain.
She asks Simon about the groups he mentioned before and he tells her that he’ll send her all the information. She tells him not to worry about Jace and Clary, because Rosa was right, he is a catch.
Sebastian apologises to Clary if he upset her with the things he said. She says he actually helped her and she doesn’t know how to thank him for that. He asks her out to dinner and she tells him she has a boyfriend.
Clary goes to see Simon who asks why she didn’t tell him about Jace. She says she didn’t want him to worry but she realises that not telling him made him do exactly that. She tells him he has nothing to worry about.
Imogen comes to Jace and says now she understands where he gets his bold defiance from. She tells him that he is just like his father. Imogen gives him the Herondale family ring, telling him it’s his birthright and he’s about to find out what it means to be a Herondale. Jace’s face is a picture of emotion as he tries to handle all of this, before he finally smiles bashfully.
Review
If you read my Spoiler Free preview of this episode you already know most of what I’m going to say here.
Alan Van Sprang and Harry Shum Jr. need all of the awards RIGHT NOW. The way they portray each other’s mannerisms is incredible. That moment when “Valentine” is screaming for help and then covers his mouth with his hand… and his hand flutters just the way Harry would do it. Likewise “Magnus” trying to do magic without Harry’s flair is astonishing.
The scene in the hallway with Clary and Sebastian was amazing. We are getting just enough hints at what’s to come with Sebastian while he integrates himself into the core group. That’s going to make what’s to come so much more emotional (assuming they stick to certain canon plot points down the line).
I wanna show some love to Dominic Sherwood. The testing sequence with Clary was badass, but it’s when we see through the chinks in Jace’s very careful armour that he really comes to life. The scene on the rooftop last week broke me but the final scene this week left me bouncing like a giddy child. He’s expecting a reprimand from the Inquisitor for summoning Azazel, for insubordination…for who knows what. The emotions that flicker across his face as he begins to process what she is telling him are a joy to behold.
