#i'm so ridiculously super pumped for 2x08

[antthonystark]

that clip of the lightwoods is so interesting to me? Like, even though Alec is hella done with maryse, for a split second he reverts back to his submissive posture in front of her. I also loved the way he tried to warn Izzy to tone down what she was saying in front of max. And maryse's reaction to Izz dragging her was fascinating. She seemed... not regretful but more embressed? Idk if I'm making sense. I just really hope we see more of the lightwood dynimacs in future episodes.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES I love talking about the Lightwoods’ dynamic!! Idefinitely want to see more of it because it’s so damn interesting, and I also want to see more of the Lightwoodkids and Robert, too (and I wonder if they’re going to do the whole Anna MarieHighsmith thing in the show, but it doesn’t seem like it).

I like how they show how rebelliousness of any kind does not come easily to Alec. There are way too many protagonistcharacters in general and in the show(each of Clary, Jace, and Izzy, to name a few) that are just “fuck the rules I’mgonna do the right thing/what my heart says!” but that they still depict that as a bit of astruggle for Alec is really interesting to me and I hope they explore thatfurther (and how he eventually overcomes it). Like his most “rebellious” actwas far and away the kiss at the wedding, and for the first time in his life,he does do what his heart says – and then,right after – “What did I just do?” So it’s still a conflict for him, even ifhis heart does win out in the end (as we see now with Malec), and that’s one ofthe things I find most interesting about his character.

So like, even though he is indeed hella done with Maryse, you can seehow he kind of shifts as soon as he sees her, becomes a little moresoldier-like in his countenance and his stance, the obedience coming naturallyto him through years of conditioning himself to be like that (if he can be theperfect soldier and the dutiful son, it can compensate for his otherself-perceived shortcomings and they at least won’t hate him for never beinggood enough).

Also, another detail I loved from that clip was Alec and Izzy’sdifferent reaction to Robert’s absence. Like, Alec was hardly surprised butIzzy really was, and I think it highlights the different ways that Roberttreats Alec vs. Izzy. Like, Robert dotes on Izzy and it’s pretty clear that she’shis favourite, and he’s seen as the Good™ parent compared to Maryse, but otherthan the scene after the kiss in 1x12, he hasn’t really treated Alec very welleither – in fact, blaming him directly for Jace’s insubordinations in1x06-1x07, and Alec’s allusion to past mistreatment in 1x09 (“You drilled intome that I was never good enough”). So I really want to see more of Robert andAlec’s dynamic and how it’s different from Robert and Izzy’s. I think both Maryseand Robert basically got used to Alec being more of a soldier than a son andtreated him accordingly (and tried to do the same with Izzy, but she was moreresilient in that sense).

(And I think Maryse is sort of the inverse, in that Alec is her “favourite”(after the Jace/demon blood thing, because before it was pretty clearly Jace),even though she doesn’t exactly treat any of them very well, but she has amassive and clear disdain for Izzy that’s not as much there for Alec, likelybecause of Alec’s soldier-like obedience more than anything else – although wehaven’t seen them interact too much about his coming-out and Magnus, so I’mreally really really excited to see how they portray that in 2x08.)

Also I talked at length about the Lightwood parent/child dynamics inthis post and go over some of these thoughts in greater detail! 

FINALLY, yes! I really liked how they showed some dimension to Maryse,because after 1x12-13, people were so so so quick to completely villainize her and so many Malec fics actually made herout to be the villain of the story.Like, between her treatment of her kids and her being in the Circle, she’s nota good person by any stretch of the imagination – but here in this clip you cansee that despite everything, she does careabout her children and their relationship with her, and she can feel how frostythey are towards her, and I’m sure no mother – no matter how convinced of herown toxic ideologies – really likes that feeling. Plus, if you recall, Jocelynwas in the Circle with Maryse and Robert (Maryse was a very prominent memberaccording to the books), so you can only imagine that Jocelyn and Maryse kneweach other and probably quite well. So I like that she mentioned Jocelyn andlooked genuinely sad about her passing.