#Shadowhunters 210 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hiddlesgirl · 8 years ago

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SH 210: By the Light of Dawn

I really liked this episode; action, suspense, drama and love. We get some conclusion to some storylines, the beginning of a new Simon, a big step in the Malec relationship and poor Jace is in for more pain before it gets better. I think it worked really well as a mid-season finale; full of action and emotion, the bad guy loses and the last shot fills us with excitement and anticipation for 2B.

We begin with an alert in the institute that the wards have been breached; we realise that this is why Valentine had Iris steal Magnus’ spell book. Magnus is the one who created the magical wards for the institute so Valentine was able to use Madzie to take them down; without the spell book he wouldn’t have been able to get in.

Madzie enters the institute to come face to face with Alec and a group of Shadowhunters; she throws Alec into the elevator and kills the rest. I really love that Madzie remembered Alec, and how kind he had been to her when they met; she didn’t want to hurt him, so she protected him instead. Not only did she protect him from herself but she also, maybe inadvertently, hid him from Valentine who enters moments later. I love that the Shadowhunters are hesitant to hurt her because she is a child despite the fact that the dead bodies behind her allude to the fact that she is very dangerous; it shows that even though there is a lot of prejudice towards Downworlders, they are still compassionate especially towards children.

I think that Madzie’s ability with her warlock mark is very interesting, I know that in the books warlock marks were just visual and didn’t seem to have a purpose or use (I’ve been reading spoilers, oops). But I think that it was quite interesting and logical, fish use gills to extract oxygen from water so it is not too far of a stretch to imagine that Madzie would be able to use her gills to extract oxygen from the air in an extreme way if she wanted.

At Magnus’ Clary and Jace show him the vision the angel gave them; is it weird that I always notice and gush over how gently Magnus cups Clary’s face and especially Jace’s neck (I don’t care, it’s adorable). I liked the affects used when Magnus’ eyes turn milky white when he was seeing the vision, very eerie and cool.

I also adore the soft looks between Magnus and Jace as they discuss the vision; Jace is coming to the realisation that he can destroy the sword and Magnus realises that Jace is considering this as a viable option, despite the fact that it would kill him. I think that Magnus may be noticing the signs that Jace is getting towards a very bad place in his head; his self esteem issues and willingness to die is concerning. I know that it probably won’t happen but I would like for Magnus and Jace to have a conversation similar to the one Magnus had with Alec; but I will be happy with more scenes of them together, I really hope we get to see their friendship grow in 2B and season 3 (Oh my gosh we are getting a third season, I still have absolutely no chill about this!).

I think that the scene between Raphael and Izzy is sweet but I still do not like their relationship, it is dependent on their mutual addiction. I really liked how they handled Raphael telling her that he is asexual and making the point that it wasn’t caused by his vampirism. Then Raphael has to be a twit and hide her phone, and consequentially the messages from Alec about the attack.

I really liked the shot of Alec talking on the phone to Jace, not entirely sure why I just think it looks great and makes Matt look gorgeous (he’s always gorgeous but you know what I mean). I liked getting to see Alec fight with a seraph blade; we don’t get to see that often. We also get to see Aldertree fighting for the first time which was nice, and I love Alec’s line ‘Not bad, for a diplomat.’

I really love Simon for trying to appeal to Valentine, he knows that the only thing he can do right now is talk so he uses it. He knows that Clary used to dream about her father and what she got was a manic; he is hoping that he may be able to appeal to Valentine’s desire to be a good father. I think that it does get to Valentine, just a little, because you can see him fidget slightly and almost tear up; Alan is seriously amazing.

Clary and Magnus are on his balcony when he admits to her that he isn’t used to feeling this powerless; I really liked this moment because we get to see a very vulnerable Magnus. He is a very powerful warlock and is used to being in control; but at the moment he can do nothing but protect Clary. Alec, and others, is in danger inside the institute but Magnus can do nothing to help them because he knows he needs to stay with Clary.

Valentine video calls Clary and Magnus witnesses it too, and Valentine cuts Simon’s throat. Magnus’ expression here kills me; at first he is completely shocked, the action is so out of the blue and unexpected that he can only gape in shock at what he is seeing. Then as Simon starts to bleed Magnus has to look away from the screen, he cannot bear to watch Simon in so much pain and bleed out. Simon has become part of his family, one of his adopted Downworlders; someone he wanted to help and protect. He could not bear to watch Simon be tortured, it broke his heart; and in turn broke mine. When Valentine’s face blocks the view of Simon you can see the anger in Magnus’ face, his eyes are stormy and he clenches his jaw tightly; you know that if Valentine crossed his path Magnus would kill him.

Alec and Aldertree are on a mission to turn off the power core that Valentine is using to power the sword (this was a bit of a weird curve ball but okay). Aldertree is professing himself as a good officer of the Clave but Alec is not willing to let him forget what he did to Izzy. ‘You may have helped me back there, but don’t pretend you’re one of the good guys’ I love this line from Alec. Because despite Aldertree’s professions of duty and loyalty to the Clave he still tortured a Downworlder (Raphael) and got Izzy, a subordinate, addicted to Yin Fen. And Alec is not going to let Aldertree forget it.

Jace is worrying about Alec, Luke sympathises with him and says ‘I had a parabatai once’ and I am sorry but every single time all I can think of is in the Disney movie Tangled in the pub, The Snuggly Duckling, one of the guys says ‘I had a dream once’ then they all burst into song. I was half expected Luke and Jace to break out into a duet.

Magnus and Clary exit a portal in front of the institute, can I just say that the shot of them standing in the fore ground looking at the institute is beautiful. Clary tries to reassure Magnus that she isn’t going to touch the sword but Magnus is not concerned for his own safety. It is clear that his priority is to find Alec and get Simon away from Valentine; his face full of determination when Clary says that they can do this together. They both just want to save the people they care about most, with little regard to what happens to them; I admire and love these two so much, I also adore their relationship and bond.

Raphael shows up, two vamps restrain Magnus, and he plans to kill Clary; I feel for Magnus, he is struggling against his captors so hard and pleading with Raphael to let her go, he doesn’t want to have to watch his little Biscuit die right in front of him. I am very annoyed with Raphael, he knows what Clary means to both Magnus and Izzy; but he is all to willing to kill her anyway, and in front of Magnus. I think that this was extremely callous of him, he must know how caring and sensitive Magnus is, especially when it comes to those he cares about; it hurts my heart that he would willingly force Magnus to witness Clary’s death. Luckily Jace, Luke and Maia show up before Raphael bites her; they convince him, and Maia, to trust Jace to destroy the sword. I like the look between Raphael and Maia; there is obviously some degree of trust between them for them to seek council from the other.

Aldertree and Alec are trying to shut down the power core when Aldertree imparts his story of his relationship with a werewolf, he was ‘forced’ to kill her after she witnessed a massacre. While you feel a little sympathy towards him it also seems that he is using his story to justify his treatment and prejudice against Downworlders. I don’t think that the story made Alec doubt his feelings for Magnus though; he knows that Magnus would never hurt him, besides a warlock is very different from a werewolf. Werewolf transformations are triggered by strong feelings, so it is understandable that Ava couldn’t control herself, but Magnus has immense control over his magic and even if he was under emotional strain I don’t believe he would ever hurt Alec, or anyone else he cared about. Plus, we know that it is possible for someone to talk down an attacking werewolf, like Simon did with Luke; plus why couldn’t Aldertree try to sedate or subdue Ava instead of killing her. If he truly loved her would he have been able to kill her for something that she had no control over?

I think that the moment between Clary and Simon when she convinces him to drink her blood was very sweet and tender; despite his reluctance Clary is insistent because she doesn’t want him to die. When it is revealed that it is Jace using a shape shifting rune I like it even more because that gentle behaviour was from Jace. He knows how much Simon means to Clary, and I think that he has come to care about Simon as a friend too, and so he cannot let Simon die. Simon is clearly surprised that Jace was willing to let him feed from him.

I really like the scene between Magnus and Madzie; Magnus is always so gentle and kind, especially towards children, it melts my heart. When she reveals her mark he reveals his eyes to show her that they are the same and she can trust him; he doesn’t want to use her for her powers because he has his own. Madzie is confused and hurt, they told her that Iris would be there; she doesn’t know where her Nana is and I think that she can see the kindness in Magnus which is why she goes to him. He is talking to her softly and at her level, he is so genuine about wanting to help her and she sees that.

Go Simon tackling Valentine! But I was a little confused, why not just kill or put Valentine in cuffs right then while you had the chance. I know that Jace wants to destroy the sword but surely he would also want to secure Valentine as a prisoner to prevent him from escaping. I do love their lines as the leave when Jace complements Simon’s moves and Simon says that he’s been practising; I love their banter now so much more than their sniping in season 1. I really hope that despite everything we get to see their friendship grow (fingers crossed).

Izzy shows up on the roof and takes down four circle members; it is great to see her fight and be a badass again. But as soon as the adrenaline, or rune, wears off she almost collapses under the strain of her withdrawal; Alec catches her. She apologises to him, Alec says ‘what, for saving our lives?’ but they both know it’s more than that. She is sorry for yelling at him, pushing him away, for not being there sooner, for not coming to him for help. Aldertree and Izzy share eye contact for a moment and I think that we actually see him be slightly regretful and guilty for what he has done. He knows what an amazing Shadowhunter Izzy is but the addiction has caused her to be little more than a quivering mess; he is faced with the consequences of his actions and I think he feels a little bit guilty for what he has done to her.

Simon and Jace are talking while they observe the room where the sword is being held; Simon is trying to apologise for almost killing Jace by drinking too much. He feels so much guilt because he couldn’t control himself and he wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself if he had killed Jace. Then Jace shatters my heart by saying ‘I would have let you.’ He knows how much Clary cares for Simon and is willing to die so that Simon could live, so that Clary could be happy. I also think that he is just naturally self sacrificing, he would be willing give up his life so that another could live. Oh gosh I just wanna hug that little blonde angel. Then he makes me laugh by saying ‘You know how you can thank me, shut up’ I love this line and how Dom delivers it. I just love Jace and Simon scenes so much.

The look on Valentine’s face as he lectures Clary about his plan and vision for the future; he is so convinced that what he is doing is for the greater good. He so firmly believes that he is doing the right thing, the best thing for the future of Shadowhunters; that by doing this, by murdering Downworlders, he is making the world a better place for his children. I seriously applaud Alan for his acting; he is so amazing and plays Valentine so well; you believe so much in Valentine’s conviction of his beliefs.

We get to see Simon tackle Valentine, again, and take down two circle members; I so want more of Simon fighting in the future. We also get an awesome shot of vampires, werewolves and seelies lined up outside the institute ready to attack and defend the Downworld.

Jace grasps the sword with conviction; he is completely ready to die to destroy the sword, to protect the Downworld. To protect Simon, Magnus, Luke and everyone else they have come to know and care about; and those they don’t. He is so self sacrificing that it hurts. Unfortunately, the sword isn’t destroyed by his touch, it is activated by it. Many Downworlders run into the room, but stop in their tracks as Valentine wields the sword and kills them. I love that Clary turns and tries to shield Simon with her own body.

Jace looks upon the dead; you can see that he is completely distraught, confused and guilty. He thought that his touch would save people, but instead it ended up killing them. All he wanted to do was protect people, now Valentine has an activated weapon of mass destruction; and he is extremely confused because all this time he thought he had demon blood but that must be a lie; only a being with pure angel blood could activate the sword. Once again he is left questioning his sense of self.

Alec enters the room and asks about Magnus, the expression on Simon’s face kills me; he didn’t even know that Magnus was inside the institute. Magnus has become his friend and mentor; now he finds out that he may be dead; Clary also has the same face of regret and disbelief. She was the one who convinced Magnus to come to the institute with her. Jace is absolutely distraught; to think that he may be the reason that Magnus is dead terrifies him. Magnus is the person that has made Alec the happiest he has been in his life; and Jace may have been the one to take that person away from his parabatai. Simon, Clary and Jace must be thinking about all the times Magnus has helped and been there for them. He helped Simon with Camille, supported him in being a Downworlder and opened up to him about his past. He has helped Clary since the moment they met for the second time, healing Luke, summoning the memory demon, waking Jocelyn and countless others. He let Jace move in with him when Jace has nowhere else to go, welcomed him into his home; and he makes Alec happy. All three of them thinking about every time Magnus has helped them and if they ever even thanked him. They must be terrified that they may have played a part in killing one of their best friends.

Alec’s face kills me, realising that Magnus may be somewhere inside the institute; that he could be dead. That Magnus may have died alone and in pain; that Alec’s last words to him were in anger. He’s terrified that he may have lost the one person who has shown him care, understanding and love more than he has ever known. The man that helped him realise and come to terms with who he is; the man who encouraged him, never pushed him and was always there for him no matter what. The realisation that he may have lost Magnus before he ever got the chance to tell him how much he means to him (oh gosh I’m crying again).

Jace attacks Valentine outside the institute, he is letting out all his emotions on him; he anger, confusion, guilt and he also must be feeling desperation, worry and dwindling hope through his bond with Alec as his parabatai searches for Magnus.

Valentine reveals that he told Jace he had demon blood as a way of manipulating him to activate the sword; he knew Jace was self sacrificing and would be willing to die to protect others, and he used that against him. You have to give Valentine kudos for his planning though; he is a bit of an evil mastermind. He then drops the bomb that he isn’t Jace’s father, Clary is not Jace’s sister; it is a lot for Jace to take in. He has found out that he has angel blood, not demon blood, and that Clary is not his sister; after all this time of self deprecation for his feelings for her. Their fight is awesome, really dynamic, realistic and full of emotion.

Alec exits the institute; it is clear that he has been searching for Magnus for hours, he is almost frantic, his breathing is laboured and it is now daylight, it had been night time when the sword was activated. Alec must have been searching every single room of the institute for hours looking for Magnus, dreading that every time he opened a door he would find the unmoving body of his boyfriend. Becoming more desperate and frantic as time passed, but also allowing that little bit of hope that with every empty room was a little bit more of a chance that Magnus was still alive.

Magnus touches Alec’s arm, when Alec turns to see the warlock he immediately pulls him into a hug (I cannot tell you how much I squealed because we finally got a Malec hug); even after they part Alec keeps a hand wrapped around Magnus’ arm as if he cannot bear to break that physical connection in case Magnus disappears. I find it heartbreaking that Magnus explains about Madzie being safe, that he thinks for one moment that Madize’s safety means more to Alec than his does. I start tearing up as soon as Alec starts explaining to Magnus that he has never been more terrified than he was when he didn’t know if Magnus was alive or dead. Alec was so scared that Magnus was dead; that now he finally has love it could have been ripped away from him in a blink of an eye. The thought of never seeing Magnus again, never talking to him, kissing him, touching him, telling him how he feels; was utterly terrifying, that scared him more than any mission ever has or will.

Magnus answers ‘So was I’ he had no idea if Alec was safe, he was scared of losing Alec too. Alec made him feel things that he hasn’t felt in over a century, he is giving Magnus a level of care that he hasn’t had in so long, maybe has never had. He fought for Alec, bared his heart to Alec, took a chance for Alec; and it all paid off, they are in a wonderful relationship. And the thought of losing that, of losing Alec scares Magnus so much.

Alec says ‘I love you’, he says it with so much conviction and little hesitation; he realises that he could lose Magnus at any point and he never wants to feel the regret he felt just minutes ago because he hadn’t told Magnus how he felt. He loves Magnus and needs Magnus to know that; he never again wants to feel terrified that Magnus has died without knowing the extent of his feelings.

Magnus looks completely taken aback, he had not expected the declaration at all; he’s so in awe of Alec at that moment. That this man, this Shadowhunter, who used to stutter over his words when they were in the same room; he could never even admit his attraction to men; who had never had any romantic experience; was declaring his love for him. Magnus has so many insecurities and to know that this wonderful man loves him is so overwhelming. Of course he answers ‘I love you too’ he is so happy at being able to tell Alec this; Magnus had always let Alec lead their relationship so it is reasonable to suspect that Magnus has known the depth of his feelings for Alec for a while. He did not want to overwhelm Alec, so had been waiting for Alec to say it first; and now he has he cannot believe it, he can finally say ‘I love you’ to this man and have it reciprocated.

The kiss kills me; so full of love, but also relief because the other is still alive, they are safe, alive and they love each other. They grasp at each other and touch foreheads as they kiss; getting as close to each other as they can as a physical reassurance that the other is there. I love that they linger for a moment with their foreheads touching just basking in the presence of the other; Magnus’ smile and jaw clench kills me, he is so happy that he cannot help but smile at this wonderful man. Then they hug again; the array of emotions in Alec’s face, the relief, love, devotion and almost disbelief makes me clutch at my heart, and the way he nuzzles into Magnus to get as close as he possibly can to the other man. He is seeking the physical comfort he knows Magnus will provide, needing him as close as possible to convince himself that Magnus is definitely alive, they love each other and Magnus isn’t going anywhere. Magnus’ expression is the same almost disbelief and relief at having Alec in his arms, trying to offer Alec comfort because he knows how stressed Alec must be; softly caressing Alec’s shoulder with his thumb to further comfort him. The way that they both keep readjusting their grips to make sure that are as close as possible.

Their hugs kill me and I really hope we get more Malec hugs in the future; the kiss was beautiful; the dialogue was heart wrenching. This whole scene is so beautiful, (the shots were great and the music fit really well) and I cry every single time I watch it. I think that this is the best, most beautiful, most emotional on screen ‘I love you’ I have ever seen.

It’s such a stunning scene and as always Harry and Matt are amazing. Every single one of their scenes together are amazing and their chemistry is second to none; I cannot stress enough how much I love these actors and characters. We are so blessed with Harry and Matt; they are so dedicated to their characters and their relationship; and they always smash their scenes together, making us laugh and cry.

After Simon talks to Alaric’s body a ray of sunlight hits him, and it doesn’t burn him. I really love Alberto’s acting in this moment; the way he gently closes his eyes and basks in the warmth of the light. You truly believe that this is someone who hasn’t felt the warmth and glow of sunlight in a long time.

Izzy ends her relationship with Raphael, she’s happy he is alive but she cannot continue their involvement. She cannot stand for him hiding her phone; he hid the fact that her brother was in trouble from her, just to keep her in his apartment. He put her family in danger, kept her from her job as a Shadowhunter and that she cannot forgive.

I am really glad that their relationship is over and that Izzy found the strength to end it; I really hope that she will now begin the process of detoxing and getting better. I would like for Magnus to be involved in this process because he knows how to help someone come off addiction plus I would like their friendship to grow more.

I really like Alec and Jace’s heart to heart on the stairs; Jace must be feeling relief that Magnus is alive and also feeling the relief and love from Alec towards Magnus. Alec knows that Jace didn’t intend to hurt anyone and now that he knows Magnus is safe he can turn to help his parabatai. Jace says that he is going to tell Clary that they are not siblings; he wants to be honest with her. Also he still has feelings for her and now that he knows they are not siblings they may be able to form a relationship.

Simon shows Clary that he can be in the sun; I think that him spinning her around in the sunlight was a really cute scene and you feel so happy for them, their joy is infectious. Jace is watching them from the doors, he sees how happy they are and he can’t ruin that. Despite his feelings for Clary he knows that she is happy with Simon and he doesn’t want to jeopardise that for them, even if it causes him pain.

The last shot of the episode is a hooded figure walking away with the Soul Sword; I think that we have all come to the conclusion that this is probably Sebastian, but we don’t know for sure or why he would want the sword.

One question I do have, where is Magnus’ spell book now? Did Dot give it back to Magnus? Did Valentine hide it somewhere for use later? Does Sebastian now have it? I hope we get some clarification on this in 2B.

I really enjoyed this episode; I think I died several small deaths from the emotion in this episode. I love Jace and Simon’s interactions and I adore the scene where Magnus and Alec say I love you; I have already watched it more times than I can count and you can bet I’ll watch it countless times more before 2B.

I am so incredibly excited for the second half of the season; Jace will be revealing to Clary that they are not related, we will meet Sebastian and other new characters and I cannot wait to see how everyone else is in the aftermath of this battle. I am so excited to see Magnus and Alec after their declarations; I hope that Izzy is getting the help she needs; no doubt Simon’s new ability will be causing problems, plus I am scared for him after Jace tells Clary that they are not brother and sister; and I can feel the Clace angst coming.

EDIT: After rewatching the episode again I saw that when Valentine entered the Institute he had Magnus’ spellbook in his hands, so I presume that it is in the institute somewhere (probably Aldertree’s office). So, Magnus should get it back very soon.

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