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bluephoenixdruidicprincess · 7 years ago

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Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 15 -- A Problem of Memory -- Review/Discussion

I’m back again with another Shadowhunters review. I feel really bad about being so late on these. I’m not getting a whole lot of inspiration with these episodes lately. But oh well. This time we have Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 15 – A Problem of Memory. I found myself very satisfied with this episode. By no means would I say that I liked it. But I was satisfied with it.

This is going to be an honest review of my thoughts and feelings regarding this episode. If you’re the kind of Shadowhunters fan where you only want to hear positive things about the show, this is not the place for you. If you decide to stick around and get offended by what is said, then that’s on you. I warned you. Just know that if you send me any rude comments or messages, I will 100% ignore you. I find that’s the best way to deal with bullies. I work 14 hour days. Do you really think I want to waste my incredibly valuable free time dealing with derogatory comments? Hell no. This review will consist of my honest opinions. Opinions are never right or wrong. I’m not telling you how to think and feel. So please, let’s discuss with dignity and respect. If I’m critical about the show, it’s only because I want it to get better. There is, in fact, a difference between hating a show and being critical of it. I do not hate Shadowhunters; I am being critical and analyzing the flaws as I would with any other show. There are positives but there are also negatives. It’s great if you want to promote positivity with this show (and I encourage you to do so) but that doesn’t mean you should acknowledge the things that are legitimately wrong with it. Also, keep in mind that despite the fact that I do love the books, me being critical of this show has nothing to do with my love of the books. I don’t really care if the show deviates from the source material as long as it’s good and it makes sense. My problems with this show are problems that I would have with any show or book for that matter. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to take issue with a show that has plot holes, shoddy world-building and inconsistent characters. There will be spoilers for the books and movies.

Alright, so ultimately, I was pretty satisfied with this episode. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I liked it but it was moderately entertaining. There were stretches within the episode where I was legitimately bored, though. I watched this episode on Tuesday after it aired, which was my birthday, and I was far more interested in the game of Scrabble I was playing with my friends. I play a mean Scrabble, btw. Obviously, I didn’t feel too strongly about this episode considering how late I am in writing this. I feel like this has been happening a lot with 2B. The episodes have been leaving me with a general feeling of apathy. The episodes are satisfying but they’re also not dragging me into the story which is a very disconcerting feeling for me. Supernatural/fantasy type shows are my catnip. I typically love these kinds of shows and I want them to last for a good amount of time. I am sad that The Vampire Diaries has finished. I am sad that we’re almost done with Teen Wolf. The Originals is always one foot away from the chopping block (although I am hoping it sticks around for a little while longer so that Klaroline has a chance to grace my screen again). Pretty soon, I’m not going to have that many more fantasy type shows for me to cling on to. I guess we’ll always have Supernatural, though that is one fantasy show I wish would end. It has gone on for far too long in my opinion.

More Love Triangle BS

So we got the love triangle stuff with Jace/Clary/Simon still going on. This was kind of where my boredom was starting to surface within this episode. I don’t think there’s a word in the English vocabulary that epitomizes how much I don’t care about this love triangle. I barely tolerated it in the books and in the show, it’s completely insufferable. The only saving grace this plot point has is that it’s finally going to push Simon into some plot arcs that don’t center around Clary for once. At least I hope so. Simon, throughout his character arc, has always been following Clary’s plots around like a lost puppy and I’m interested in seeing where the story is going to take him now. Speaking of which, I got a little excited in this episode when Simon finally blows up at Clary. That was great. I think I enjoy it a little too much whenever people do yell at Clary. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I get super happy. It’s like a drug for me. And I’m sorry to you Show Clary fans who adore her but I cannot stand her. Any scene that she’s in, I want to skip past. I just do not care about her at all. Which really shouldn’t be happening with a main character but what can you do? And I actually recently had an epiphany on why I don’t really like Clary. And it’s not for any of the shallow reasons that some people dislike about her i.e. her always needing to be saved. It’s nothing like that. I’m actually in the process of writing a post about my dislike of her character in the show. So if you follow me, you’ll have that to look forward to. But anyways, I’m not a fan on how the show is doing this love triangle. I think it was a mistake to portray Climon as this great epic love. By the show doing this, they wrote themselves into a corner because now there’s really no way to finish out this love triangle story without it turning into a cliché teenage melodrama. I was a fan of Simon in this episode. He treated Clary exactly how I wanted him to. Clary is being her typical selfish self by blaming everyone but herself. I have no sympathy for her. I did see this one post where the blogger had talked about Simon being overly dramatic and that he doesn’t really have a right to be angry with Clary. Clary didn’t ask for Simon to be in love with her and all that jazz. Now, that kind of talk I would find acceptable with Book Clary and Simon. Book Clary was fairly obvious about her feelings being different from the feelings Simon had. However, this argument doesn’t work as well in the show. Because Clary had given no indication whatsoever that she wasn’t all in for Simon. In fact, she was telling Simon the exact opposite. Jace revealed they weren’t really siblings and she straight up didn’t care. She even reassured Simon that she wanted to be with him (Simon). That is straight up leading him on even if it may have been slightly unintentional. But anyways, Clary was trying her hardest to get Simon to take her back and forget what all had happened but Simon’s not having it. I don’t know why she thought that would work. Clary is trying so hard to preserve this relationship but she’s not stopping to think and ask, “What does Simon want? What does Simon deserve?” He deserves to be with someone who loves him as much as he once loved Clary. I really like what Simon says to Clary when Clary tells him she loves him. “Stop! Don’t say that because you don’t mean it like I mean it.” I’m glad that Simon is showing Clary that she needs to hold herself accountable for her actions (something she never does in the show) and that not everything can be so easily forgiven. I’m glad the show is finally starting to do this with Clary’s character. One of my biggest gripes with the show is how willing the show is to forgive Clary for everything and no one ever holds her accountable for anything. I hope the show tries to do more with that.

Simon had his own plot arc going on in this episode which I kind of enjoyed. I did have a couple of issues with it, though. First issue was that it’s such a predictable plot. I can’t tell you how many shows I’ve seen where I’ve seen this plot point used. Never for a second did I actually believe Simon killed that girl. Why was I so sure? Because despite Freeform’s best efforts in making this show “edgy and racy,” they can’t help but to play it safe. Freeform is too afraid to go into something really dark like actually having Simon accidentally kill someone while he was under this blood-induced euphoric state. I think that would’ve been a really interesting direction to take his character. It would’ve been interesting to see how he dealt with that issue. I really wanted them to do it but ultimately, they fell back on bad habits. I know, Simon killed that vampire who framed him but that’s hardly the same thing. The emotional response we could’ve gotten from Simon would’ve been so much stronger if he had accidentally killed an innocent girl who put her trust in his ability to control himself as opposed to killing someone out of self defense. Disappointing but what can you do? I could write a book on all of the missed potential this show had with its plot arcs. I am a little upset that the show seems to be kind of writing off Izzy’s addiction too. They’re just saying she’s going to meetings to help with her addiction issues but we haven’t seen anything that shows she’s really struggling or anything that shows where she’s currently at in the recovery process. Which brings me to my second issue. When the vampire brings Simon to that club to feed on willing humans, I had a hard time believing that Simon would actually want to do this. Particularly since he knows about Izzy. It probably would have worked better if Simon hadn't known about Izzy’s problem and was just finding out that it’s possible for people to become addicted to vampire venom. But the fact that he knew about Izzy’s struggles and yet he was so willing to give this a try didn’t really sit well with me. I guess he was already intoxicated from that plasma shot he had maybe. I don’t know. It also confused me on why he didn’t realize that these kinds of dens may exist after Izzy confessed to him that she’s addicted to vampire venom. Did he never question where she was getting her fix? Obviously, she never went to one of these dens but Simon doesn’t know about her relationship with Raphael. And on the other side of things in 2A, why did Izzy risk being killed by Blondie Vamp when she could’ve easily gone to one of these dens? Ugh, so many plot holes once you start actually thinking.

But ultimately, I could get behind this plot point because it’s finally showing Simon trying to find his own way in the Shadow World instead of clinging on to Clary. It’s about him trying to figure out who he is and where he belongs in the Shadow World. He has ties to the mundane world, the shadowhunter world, and the downworld but yet doesn’t fit in completely with any of them. I’m really excited to see where this story is going to take him. This plot definitely had its flaws but the idea of the plot is what sold it for me. But that’s Shadowhunters for you. They always have really great ideas; it’s the execution that’s the problem.

Luke’s partner was also featured pretty heavily in this plot point too and I wish they would just drop this character. I don’t know what’s going on with her and what part she’s actually going to play but she’s completely unnecessary. This show has waaaaaaaaay more characters than they know what to do with. I really hope this show gets to the point of her as a character soon because she absolutely bores me whenever she’s on screen.

Aline Is Here

Aline has also made her debut into the tv show. I’ll be honest. In the books, I never really understood the fandom’s fondness for Aline. She’s not a bad character or anything. I don’t hate her, I just don’t care about her. We don’t spend a whole lot of time with her in the books and she never left me with any sort of impression. She was there and she and Helen are kind of cute, I guess, but again the books never spent a lot of time with developing Aline and Helen. So when people were badgering the showrunners about when Aline is going to show up, I really didn’t care. She showed up in this episode and I liked her scenes but ultimately, I still didn’t really care. I’m interested to see her in future episodes. The dynamic that she appears to have with the real Sebastian Verlac was nice to see. I’m definitely interested to see how Helen is going to pop up in this show and what the show does with her and Aline. Aline and Izzy also had a really nice relationship. I was beginning to wonder if Izzy was friends with anyone besides Clary. She doesn’t seem to socialize with any of the other shadowhunters at the Institute. Seriously, did Izzy have any friends before Clary showed up? But I’m always happy to see positive female relationships. I know this fandom has a pretty big Romantic Clizzy fanbase but I hope the show doesn’t go there. And before anyone jumps down my throat, no, it’s not because I’m bigoted and I don’t want to see a lesbian couple. Obviously, I don’t feel that way since Malec is one of my ultimate OTPs. TV these days really needs more supportive female friendships and that’s what I like about Clizzy. That’s what I liked about Aline and Izzy. And I want to see the show continuing on with that. Not all chemistry is romantic, guys. Sometimes there’s chemistry that works better as friends. And not all chemistry should be romantic.

We also had Will Tudor being his usual awesome self. This time he was playing both the real Sebastian and Jonathon. The talent this guy has, he has far too much talent for this show. Every scene he’s in, he outshines everyone else. Which is what makes the reveal at the end of the episode a little saddening. Jonathon finds a way to spring Valentine from the Clave and when Valentine is brought before him, Jonathon reveals his true self a la shapeshifting rune – a burnt, walking talking corpse, apparently. I really hate that rune. When I saw that reveal at the end of the episode, though, I burst out laughing. I think the last time I laughed so hard in this show was back in 2A when Jocelyn showed Clary the vision of Jonathon as the demon child where he made a flower wilt. I laughed pretty hard in that scene and laughed a lot in this scene. It’s just such a Disney thing to do. Of course, the villain would turn out to be this burned corpse because you can’t be attractive and evil at the same time. I can’t say I’m surprised though. Freeform is owned by Disney. Again, like I said before, it’s a very safe way to go about the series. Now, before anyone tries to claw my eyes out or anything, my problems with the reveal have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the fact that this is different from the books. That’s not my issue. I just think Jonathon being this attractive character but gets so progressively evil that his soul kind of warps into that of a demon’s is a much more interesting theme to explore than having him be this burnt up corpse. There is evil in beauty. That and it means Will Tudor as Jonathan has a time limit which is sad. He’s so fantastic as an actor that I literally could watch a 40 minute episode of Shadowhunters with it just being Jonathon formulating his evil plans. I’m sure Shadowhunters has a plan on where they’re going to go with this burnt corpse idea. I just hope it’s not going to be cliché Disney villain plot point. I’m sure this plot point was also taken so they could better explain why no one is noticing that Sebastian Verlac is not the real Sebastian Verlac. The Season 1 writers really wrote themselves into a corner when they made shadowhunters compatible with technology. The current writers really had no choice but to use the rune in this instance.

Malec This Episode

So Malec was pretty great this episode. We actually got scenes that lasted for more than thirty seconds this time around. Alec can tell that something is wrong with Magnus but Magnus is refusing to open up to Alec. Magnus is having problems dealing with his mother’s death and the repercussions of this death but he’s refusing to open up to Alec about this until Alec finally convinces him to talk about it. An excellent use of throwing Magnus’ words back at him. Magnus once told Alec that when things get tough, to not push him away. And here, Alec tells him the same thing. I was glad to hear it. Magnus comes clean that when he was tortured with the “agony” rune (I still can’t say that with a straight face – it makes no sense for why such a rune would exist) he was forced to relive the memory of him finding his mother after she committed suicide and his father lashing out at Magnus about it. Magnus uses his magic to kill his stepfather and admits to Alec that he had full control of his powers back then; he wanted to kill his stepfather. Magnus tells Alec that he wanted to keep this from Alec because he didn’t want Alec so see this “ugly” side of him. In which Alec responds with understanding. “There’s nothing ugly about you.” Alec accepts him for exactly how he is. He doesn’t have any kind of romaticization about Magnus. He intends to find out about the darker parts of Magnus. He doesn’t just want to be with the light parts. It was a really great moment for Malec.

Now, I am a little torn on how I feel about the show changing Magnus’ past with his mother and stepfather. But after going back and forth on it, I don’t think my problem is that I liked the story in the book better as much as that I felt the show could’ve spent a little more time on this flashback. We didn’t get to see a whole lot of Magnus’s stepfather and we certainly didn’t get to see what exactly the man was saying to Magnus. The tone wasn’t really working. In this instance, tone is everything and I don’t think the show got the tone right. The flashback could’ve been really great but the show did the bare minimum and in doing so, messed up the tone a little. Now, I have heard people say that they think the scene in the books is a little overdramatic in the sense that Magnus’ mother hangs herself out of shame in finding out she had laid with a demon and the stepfather trying to drown Magnus. I disagree on that assessment. Magnus was born in a time where if you were different, you were seen as evil. Anything that was different was seen as the devil’s work. So it would make sense that Magnus’ mother killing herself over finding out what her son was and his stepfather trying to drown him makes sense in context. I am a little sad the show didn’t go with this story but I understand the story the show is trying to tell. It works in its own way. The story in the books wouldn’t have worked as well with the theme they were trying to implement here. Like I said, it works, I just wish we had gotten a little more in the development of this flashback.

I also saw a few posts where a blogger was talking about how rigid Alec looks in the Malec scenes. That he doesn’t really look comfortable. He very much had a military like stance when dealing with Magnus in this episode. I think this was more of an acting decision. For me, Alec is feeling insecure about their relationship. Magnus is refusing to open up and it’s making Alec a little uncomfortable. So I was fine with the rigidity he might’ve been having these past couple of episodes. It makes sense based on what Alec is feeling.

I would probably give this episode a B. I definitely felt it was better than the previous ones. As always, there are still things the show can improve on. For one, executing their ideas better. As I’ve said many times, the writers have a lot of good ideas, the execution is what makes them fall a little weird sometimes. I also can’t help but feel like the writers may be writing with their dominant hand being tied behind their back. I mentioned it earlier in this review but I’ve been starting to realize that the writing in this show has been very “safe.” The show scaled back on the incest plot because it was controversial. We’re never really sure what the show is trying to do with Malec as a couple because the show doesn’t feel comfortable with how much they can get away with in that relationship. They went for the obvious plot point of Simon being framed for a murder instead of going dark and having Simon kill someone while in his drugged state. They’re certainly scaling back on seeing us watch Izzy with her recovery probably because that’s controversial as well. In the 2A finale, they had all of the main downworlders in one spot but yet none of them were harmed by what happened in the finale. They all conveniently were able to escape from the massacre. They did kill Jocelyn but Jocelyn was also a character a majority of the fanbase didn’t care about so her death was an “eh, whatever” thing. One of these days, I would really like to see the show just go for it. They’re trying to be dark and racy but at the same time they’re still afraid to. They don’t know how much they can get away with and I look forward to the day when they throw caution to the wind and just go all out. We don’t live in a pretty world and the shadow world certainly is not a pretty world to live in. It is dangerous, these people lead dangerous lives and it would be nice to see just how cruel and unforgiving this world can get.

That’s about all I have for you guys. Again, sorry I’m late. But better late than never. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the show. Did you love it? Did you hate it? Do you agree or disagree? As always, be respectful of mine and everyone else’s opinions.

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters review #shadowhunters discussion #shadowhunters 2x15 #shadowhunters 2x15 review #shadowhunters 2x15 discussion #shadowhunters season 2 episode 15 review #shadowhunters season 2 episode 15 discussion #shadowhunters a problem of memory #shadowhunters a problem of memory review #shadowhunters a problem of memory discussion #malec #climon

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sunnydaleherald · 3 years ago

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, January 9

GILES: In this scenario, I am your mother? BUFFY: Wanna be my shiftless absentee father? GILES: Is there some sort of, um, rakish uncle?

~~Life Serial~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for a couple of new editors! Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Tender (crossover with Black Widow, Xander, T) by Vashti

5 times Rupert Giles bumped into Ms. Calendar during the summer of ‘97 (Giles/Jenny, G) by summers-maclay-lehane

Swinging of the Pendulum (Buffy/Angel & Dawn, T) by OveliaGirlHaditRight

The Sound of Music (Buffy/Angel, G) by OveliaGirlHaditRight

Maybe If I Tell Myself Enough (Buffy/Angel, G) by OveliaGirlHaditRight

"B" (Buffy/Faith, not rated) by secretlyasummers

Some stream-of-consciousness Buffy pov post Life Serial (Buffy, Spike, not rated) by disaster-vamp

Swinging of the Pendulum (Buffy/Angel & Dawn, T) by oveliagirlhaditright

Tender (crossover with Black Widow, FR13) by Vashti

[Chaptered Fiction]

Faith's Bus Station Adventure, Chapter 1 (Faith/OC, E) by LadiesWhoLunch

What Happens in Quarantine..., Chapter 14 (Spike/Buffy, NC-17) by bewildered

The Slayer and the Vampire, Chapter 11 (Spike/Buffy, PG) by violettathepiratequeen

Missing Piece, Chapter 2 (Spike/Buffy, NC-17) by incendie

The Tiger is Out, Chapter 64 (Spike/Buffy, R) by Cosmic Tuesdays

Daughter of Aurelius, Chapter 41 (Spike/Buffy, NC-17) by Loup Noir

The Fairytale, Chapter 2 (Spike/Buffy, NC-17) by Dusty

Chosen One, Chapter 15 (Spike/Buffy, R) by all_choseny

Deeper than Blood, Chapter 11 (Spike/Buffy, NC-17) by Blackmysteria

Broken Chain, Chapter 3 (Connor, FR18) by McQueen

[Images, Audio & Video]

Manip: Our family (Spike/Buffy & OC, worksafe) by little-miss-buffy

Gifs: honey by Halsey (Buffy/Faith, worksafe) by buffysource

Artwork: BtVS lego minifigures (Spike, Buffy, Willow, Xander) by the brother of foolforbuffy

Artwork: BTVS “Every Outfit” “Prophecy Girl” (Buffy, worksafe) by whatshisfaceblogs

Digital painting: A study of Tara (worksafe) by wvelyn

Manips: All the twists & bends (Buffy, worksafe) by slayersandprivateinvestigators

Artwork: BTVS Characters - Disney style (Buffy, Cordelia, Dawn, Tara, Oz, Willow, worksafe) by antidam0n

Gifs: I don't damsel well (Buffy, worksafe) by scullys

Song and fanvid: Full of Faith (Faith) by Anthony Swan

[Reviews & Recaps]

btvs season 7 episodes ranked by fallingtowers

Buffy and Angel’s Romeo and Juliet-ness in the comics kind of drives me insane by oveliagirlhaditright

BOOM! Buffy the last vampire slayer #1 (continued) by Priceless and others

What would you rate Angel Season 6? by shonenhikada and others

Favourite fight scene in Buffy? by Lizcatherine and others

[Recs / In Search Of]

Spuffy and Spangel fic recs by trenchcoat-full-of-recs

Angel "meta" essays? (Does anyone know of any notable people/blogs that write this kind of material about AtS?) by cuddlyvampire

[Community Announcements]

A Year in Review at Elysian Fields

[Fandom Discussions]

Snowflake Challenge #5 (talk about an idea you wish you had the time / talent / energy to do) by sparrow2000

I just can’t buy that Buffy… could get anywhere near Northwestern acceptance by avoidingdestiny, girl4music, and others (multiple reblog threads)

i wish we got more scenes with faith and dawn by faith-thee-slayer

Re: Buffy and Shadowhunters crossover OTP by takaraphoenix

Confused by Twilight!Angel by oveliagirlhaditright

The scene where Angel was pretending to be Angelus in “Enemies” by oveliagirlhaditright

Buffy & Giles (a relationship that... is so devoted and at the same time so complicated and painful) by roselightfairy

Sapphic representation in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season three by sapphicpoetspost

Re: why Faith doesn't get Buffy's Valium 18th birthday demon murder surprise by herinsectreflection

Prophecy Girl made it seem like people they know getting brutally murdered... wasn’t a regular occurrence by millenialslayer

The Scoobies’ response to Harmony becoming a vampire by ex-vengeancedemon, girl4music

I'm wondering how Giles got to “school librarian” as a career by roselightfairy, jessannperreault, rachaeljurassic

Openly discussing Buffy being the slayer in front of Amy by EmEeeCee, thrasherpix

Buffyverse fanon discontinuity (continued) by multiple authors

Poll: Members of r/Buffy, when did you start watching BtVS? by Excellent-Durian-509

Who is the strongest? by nobodythinksofyou

Favorite Under-Explored Relationship? [AtS] by rednax2009

Was Cecily Spike's Vengeance Demon? by brentus86

Buffy working at DMP by leiamoonglade

I completely forgot Kal Penn was on the show by Monctonian and others

Anyone remember Buffy RP chat rooms? by spidersonthemoon

Team Angel Opinions? [Angel Investigations] by depressing_joke and others

Atmosphere on set by AiyanaPass

Further thoughts on Xander/Anya and Buffy/Angel by yourlibrarian, wayward, heterocosmica

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

#btvs #ats #angel the series #buffy the vampire slayer

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notourlasthunt · 6 years ago

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#SaveShadowhunters Media Highlights: UPDATED

Here are a collection of media highlights from articles that have been written post-cancellation. To view the original articles, please use the links included via each media outlet’s name.

Week #1

JUNE 5, 2018

Just Jared: “Shadowhunters fans are the best fans there are.”

JUNE 9, 2018

Buzzfeed Community: “It’s not hard to imagine why the show has become so important to the LGBTQ+ community, as a genre show that accepts, normalises and embraces these characters. It seems clear that the fans of the show have decided if they can’t save their show, they can at least save some lives.”

TV After Dark: “Shadowhunters fans are dedicated, passionate and loyal. What more could you ask for in a fan? From the moment the show was announced back in 2015 the fans have always been behind the show, showing their support and their willingness to act on something when it is needed. This cancellation is not only breaking their hearts but also telling them that all their effort and enthusiasm is not being considered or is not making a difference at all.”

TV After Dark: “ One thing is for sure, never underestimate the power of the Shadowhunters fandom, they are a force to be reckoned with. To the fans, we encourage you to keep fighting and being as vocal as you are being so far. You are an example of what a lot of shows wish their followings would be, but only a few, like Shadowhunters, get to experience.”

JUNE 10, 2018

CarterMatt: “When it comes to petitions to save shows from cancellation, often they can have varying effects. When they only muster a few thousand signatures, they can be a little bit easier to ignore. However, once you get past the 30,000 or so range, they start to become quite a bit deal. The one to save Shadowhunters is nearing 100,000 internet signatures over on Change.org, and that’s a figure that you absolutely cannot ignore. Let’s put this in a little bit of a deeper perspective. On average, Shadowhunters season 3 is watched live in America by almost 400,000 people. While we understand that not every signer of said petition is located in the United States, that’s still an incredible ratio of petitioners to viewers. It’s one of the best we’ve seen. It’s another reminder of how active and engaged this fandom is — it has long been one of the largest social shows on all television and that certainly isn’t changing now.”

The Series Regulars: “So in other words, this is not just a show to the fans. It is a reflection of what they have experienced in their own lives. The show’s storylines give them the courage and strength to know their own importance in life. Having this show on air has helped so many individuals.”

Week #2

JUNE 11, 2018

CarterMatt: “This all shows the power of fandom — it’s so much more important than cynical people will ever recognize. You form emotional connections to shows when they are on and they become a key part of your life. With a show like Shadowhunters, that’s probably true more so than most other shows out there just because it carries with it such a strong, inspirational message of inclusion and equality.”

Film Daily: “It’s also worth noting that Shadowhunters fans are some of the most passionate you’ll find online. To many, it’s more than just a TV show – it’s a lifeline offering diverse and powerful LGBTQI representation, progressive depictions of gender, and thoughtful reflections on current social issues.”

Film Daily: “At this stage, the Shadowhunters fandom are much more than just a collective of people who love the show; it’s become a movement rooted within popular culture. With such impassioned efforts by fans to save Shadowhunters and to support LGBTQI young people who may draw strength and acceptance from the show, it’s ludicrous to imagine that not one single network or SVOD would step up to save it.”

Film Daily: “Why an SVOD service like Netflix would allow for the cancellation of a show with a colossal fan base like Shadowhunters is quite frankly bewildering in that respect. Streaming should be the saviour of television when it comes to fringe shows with huge fan followings and it’s a mistake to underestimate the power of such fandoms.”

Hidden Remote: “Showrunner Todd Slavkin has showed support for the fundraiser, but Freeform has been silent so far. Several fans reported that after they had posted the donation link on the official Shadowhunters Facebook page, that the links were later deleted. However, It’s unclear whether someone who runs the account is actually deleting the posts, or if Facebook is filtering them out as spam links without Freeform’s knowledge. Regardless, we hope that Freeform will help support the fundraising campaign by sharing the donation site on their official social media pages soon.”

JUNE 12, 2018

Buzzfeed Community: “The Shadowhunters fans could permanently damage Freeform’s reputation among millennials if they don’t make a statement soon. Do Freeform think by staying quiet the fans will eventually go away and let this be forgotten? It hasn’t worked so far, and frankly, I’m not sure the biggest movement in cancellation history can be forgotten.”

Talk Nerdy With Us: “To call the Shadowhunters fanbase fervent would be a gross understatement. Try: wildly passionate, driven, loyal and LOUD. Right now, they’re raising their voices in unison to save their beloved show.”

Talk Nerdy With Us: “Read the hashtag threads and you’ll see one thing repeated over and over – representation matters. Not only does the show boast one of the most diverse casts ever seen on TV, it broke new ground by prominently featuring gay, lesbian, bisexual and asexual characters in healthy, loving, non-stereotyped roles.”

Talk Nerdy With Us: “Whoever acquires Shadowhunters one thing’s for certain – they will gain a massive fan base with the potential for major bank in tie-in products alone, something that’s sorely been lacking as far as the Shadowfam is concerned.”

TV Series Hub: “What makes Shadowhunters so different than other shows is how hardworking, creative, and inspiring the fans are. With over 2+Million tweets on twitter using the hashtags #SaveShadowhunters and #PickUpShadowhunters this fandom is not going to rest and will not be quieting down any time soon. The fans have also crashed the support links for major streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.”

TV Series Hub: “Freeform’s reasoning behind the show’s cancellation was strictly economical but fans are finding it very hard to believe. When Shadowhunters announced they were going to have a third season it became evident that the lack of promo was going to be the downfall for this show. [...] Catching the attention for more audience members is no use when the show’s junior season was limited to tweets from Freeform and Shadowhunters main social media accounts.”

JUNE 13, 2018

CarterMatt: “We have full confidence that the showrunners will do their best to come up with a worthy ending if they have to … but why should they have to? [The Teen Choice Awards are] another cause for fans to fight for on social media.”

JUNE 14, 2018

BuzzFeed Community: “What their PR and social media team are thinking is anyone’s guess, but it does not make the company look good. Snubbing actors as beloved as the Shadowhunters cast alone has angered the fans, and their Twitter continues to be unrecognisable as a respectable, professional platform while the fans bombard every posts’ comments with demands for the licensing to be sold so the show can be continued. Their silence is both troubling and the source of their troubles, at least for the foreseeable future.”

CarterMatt: “Do we think that Freeform anticipated some serious backlash over the decision to end the show? Probably, but we have a hard time imagining that they thought it would be on this sort of extreme level. The cancellation has reverberated through multiple fan communities and it is giving everyone motivation to fight to save something that they care about deeply.”

ScreenSpy: “Shadowhunters fans continue to be one of the most awesome fandoms on the internet.”

ScreenSpy: “Shadowhunters was a rare beast among recent broadcast TV shows in that it created space for a grounded love story between two LGBTQ characters, Alec Lightwood (Matthew Daddario) and Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr.), that was neither sabotaged, nor ended in a dissatisfying yet familiar breakup/death trope seen in myriad other shows from Supergirl to The 100. In fact, #Malec was often portrayed as the stable emotional core of the series, while other straight couples bore the emotional brunt of sudden deaths, breakups and heated arguments. That the fans have singled out The Trevor Project is telling, and illustrates the compassion and generosity of this unique fandom.”

JUNE 15, 2018

CarterMatt: “So what can be done now for Shadowhunters? First and foremost be inspired, since what happened with Lucifer can almost certainly happen here. It’s an uphill climb, but getting more of Lucifer was also an uphill climb. Think of this as more motivation to keep fighting, trending on social media, and discussing the show. Be organized, and try to come up with specific hashtags to trend and times to trend. Show some of the potential homes out there that you are willing to subscribe to their products.Above all else, be positive and hopeful and stick together — a little bit of unity can go a long way. While there are still twelve more episodes coming for Shadowhunters, those by no means have to be the end. Fingers crossed that they aren’t.”

JUNE 16, 2018

CarterMatt: “There hasn’t been any word out there as to potential other homes for the show, but at the same time there wasn’t all that much in the way of news out there about the Lucifer revival before it happened at Netflix. Sometimes, negotiations happen under a veil since you don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up in the event that plans fall through.”

JUNE 17, 2018

CarterMatt: “You can see after the fact in some photos from the convention that the entire cast was emotional and some were in tears, which is clearly another reminder that they all love the show and certainly don’t want to let it go. The effort to Save Shadowhunters has been going strong now for a good stretch of time and at this point, it only seems to picking up steam.”

Week #3

JUNE 19, 2018

Buzzfeed Community: “A lack of official statement by all of these parties has not helped matters, none of whom seem willing to speak publicly, but the real casualty of this misinformation and false hope is the fans. Fans are desperate for news, and I would argue the fans deserve better from all of these companies.”

CarterMatt: “We do think there is still a reason for hope, but saving a show is always an uphill battle and will take a lot of effort from fans in order to make it happen. Just remember to keep your voices heard and stay unified — we’ve seen via the past couple of months that anything is possible, even if there are no guarantees.”

The Series Regulars: “No matter what happens, it is clear this show is worth fighting for. Don’t give up.”

JUNE 20, 2018

Zimbio: “If you ever doubted the power of fandom, then you’re in for a major surprise.”

Zimbio: “It’s no secret that Magnus and Alec’s relationship is the anchor of the show. Malec shippers are ride or die to the end and for good reason. Shadowhunters has empowered viewers to be kind to one another amidst adversity and live out their truth.”

JUNE 21, 2018

Entertainment Tonight: “The Shadowhunters fans are channeling their heartache into helping others.”

Entertainment Tonight: “ET reached out to Freeform for a response to the Shadowhunters fandom’s charity efforts, but the network declined to comment.”

Entertainment Tonight: “While the fate of Shadowhunters’ future remains to be seen, it’s clear that hell hath no fury like a fandom scorned – and these fans are using their passion and power to make a positive impact.”

JUNE 22, 2018

CarterMatt: “As you can see in the photos below, the plane is making its way around Netflix sporting the message #SaveShadowhunters as clear as the message can be. It’s really the perfect day for such a banner to fly, given that we’re talking about blue skies and very few clouds. Basically, what we’re trying to say here is that Netflix has to take notice of this. Whether or not they take action remains to be seen but this is clearly one of the biggest displays of fandom possible.”

CarterMatt: “We’ll see if this amounts to anything, but even if it doesn’t, you have to admire greatly the passion and enthusiasm of the fans who wanted to make it happen. They banded together for this in a way very few fandoms do.”

Digital Spy: “It’s official: there’s perhaps no fanbase more dedicated than that of Shadowhunters.”

Hypable: “Behind the hashtag is a movement for promoting what the show promotes every week — passion, loyalty, and the fight to not only survive, but make the world better.”

Hypable: “Loyalty to the seeing the show live on is only one bit of what this fandom has chosen to do during the waiting period. Banding together in the face of uncertainty, utilizing the powers they can tap into (social media, planes, charity), the Shadowhunters fandom is following in the footsteps of their favorite characters.”

TV After Dark: “The Shadowhunters fans keep proving they are a force to be reckoned with.”

TV After Dark: “If we track the numbers from the #SaveShadowhunters hashtag, the tweets cross over the 8 million mark, and that’s only counting one of the hashtags they have been using. They have at least 5 more that they use according to the day they tweet. They are impressibly organized and have even a google document set out with their tweeting plans with the hopes of getting all the fans in the same channel and under the same schedule.”

TV After Dark: “Another thing the Shadowhunters fans are proving to be is very clever. They know how to work with what they have. If they see their show is not getting the promotion it deserves, they create it themselves.”

TV After Dark: “If there is one thing that the #SaveShadowhunters campaign has proven is that the show has it all to succeed, it only needs to be given a proper treatment and the chance to grow. Shadowhunters is making headlines all over the world right now. The decision to cancel the show right when it is taking off and with a season as strong as their current season is right now is probably one of the worst we’ve seen made on TV so far. The show is not ready to say goodbye yet and the cast and the fandom are not ready to let it go. With a fandom as passionate as the Shadowhunters fandom is, you can’t just expect them to stay quiet and not fight for what they believe in.”

TV After Dark: “The Teen Choice Awards nominations help us make a point, Shadowhunters is probably the most successful show its network has right now.If they doesn’t recognize it, we sure hope that another network can step in and see what they are missing. Shadowhunters has everything it takes for a show to be successful. We just really hope that someone listens up and realizes why giving up on it right now is a big mistake.”

TV After Dark: “To all the fans out there, keep being loud and doing what you are doing. Nothing is impossible when it comes to saving TV shows. We continue to stand with you and we truly admire everything that you have accomplished so far.”

JUNE 24, 2018

Clevver TV: “Since Freeform announced that they officially canceled Shadowhunters, fans have been doing everything possible to fight the decision. They’ve protested online, vented their love for the show and even raised over $11,000 to prevent it from saying its final goodbye. It goes without saying, but these stans are seriously dedicated.”

Week #4

JUNE 25, 2018

CarterMatt: “Just think of things this way, if you are a Netflix, an Amazon, an Apple, or any other streaming platform — how impressed are you going to be in the event that #SaveShadowhunters is trending so long after it was initially canceled? It’s a real sign that this is a fandom that isn’t going away and with that, it’s worthy of your time and attention.”

The Nerd Daily: “So why would a network cancel such a show that combines so many unique characters and storylines? Economic reasons seems questionable and it doesn’t seem like a suitable explanation for the Shadowhunters fandom.”

The Nerd Daily: “Never before was friendship made into a source of strength, and for me, this is one of the most beautiful description of friendship I have ever seen in a TV show and it’s also reflected in the fandom. A lot of friendships have been made since the show aired thanks to social media and conventions.”

The Nerd Daily: “The fandom are making their thoughts loud and clear so that they can be heard. Every tweet Freeform makes receives hundred of #SaveShadowhunters comments, even though the tweet is not always related to the show.”

JUNE 26, 2018

Girlfriend: “We’ve seen many beloved shows canceled over the years, but none have garnered the response in fans that Shadowhunters has.”

JUNE 27, 2018

Hidden Remote: “The Shadowhunters fandom has unified and rallied together over the past several weeks to fight for a fourth season pick-up. Inspired by fans from other series that were also canceled (and revived) this year, Shadowhunters fans have used Twitter power-hours, strategic messaging and emailing with networks, and have now kicked their marketing up a notch. And when I say “up,” I mean sky-high.”

Hidden Remote: “What fans didn’t realize in their Netflix-targeted planning, however, was that the show’s writers room (which is currently working on the 2-hour series finale) was also in sight of the plane banner. Even if the #ShadowhuntersPlane is unsuccessful at getting a season 4 pick-up, it was absolutely successful in showing the cast, writers, and creative team just how much they are loved and supported.”

JUNE 28, 2018

CarterMatt: “This is the second straight week where the fan base has come out with some sort of big move to get the attention of various networks / streaming homes. This follows their move to fly an airplane banner over Netflix — this time around, there is no specific provider that fans are seeking out, which means that this sort of move could catch the attention of just about anyone.In between this, raising more than $17,000 for The Trevor Project, and campaigning constantly across social media, these are fans who are determined and are not giving up.”

CarterMatt: “While networks may be big business and often have to think in terms of the bottom line, rest assured that many of them also want to be loved! Imagine how much goodwill would come out of one of these networks opting to bring Shadowhunters back on the air. We’re sure that there are some potential homes out there who are well aware of that and would embrace the opportunity to make many fans happy by releasing some great news on the subject of one of their favorite shows.”

The Series Regulars: “To put things into perspective, the campaign has been going strong since we first talked about the fandom effort to save the show.. Not only have they reached over 9 million tweets with the #SaveShadowhunters hashtag, but they have also raised over $17,000 for The Trevor Project. In addition, they have also raised awareness for Girls Up and have even created Shadowhunters Merchandise with proceeds going to charity as well.”

The Series Regulars: “With how much the campaign to save the show has accomplished already, we are looking forward to seeing what else they can do!”

JUNE 29, 2018

CarterMatt: “The act of [having a billboard] itself is impressive, largely because there are so few fandoms who have tried some of the things that the Shadowhunters fandom have with this sort of scale. They’ve really put their best foot forward in trying to save the show using passion and positive energy. We love the idea of this, just as much as we love the fact that every possible home out there can see this and realize that this is a fandom that is not going away.”

CarterMatt: “For now, congratulations to all Shadowhunters supporters — regardless of what happens, you’ve got a lot to be proud of for all of your efforts.”

Digital Spy: “Shadowhunters fans truly are a dedicated bunch! On Friday (June 29), the fans made good on their promise to take out a billboard in Times Square in hopes of saving their favourite show. Good luck to the #SAVESHADOWHUNTERS brigade!”

JUNE 30, 2018

CarterMatt: “The efforts to try to save the show are noticed and very much appreciated. For some more insight into that, all you have to do is look at some of the latest reactions to Friday’s Times Square billboard via show executive producers Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin.”

CarterMatt: “We don’t think that the efforts to save the show behind the scenes are over and done with yet, either. If there was no hope that the series could find a future home, don’t you think that message would be conveyed? The last thing that anyone wants to do is allow fans to hold onto false hope, and with that, we don’t exactly think that is happening here, either.”

The Series Regulars: “We spoke with Brie, the editor in chief of Basic Shadowhunters Stuff about their contributions and collaboration with the fandom and other sites/accounts. She emphasized that the goal behind these efforts is to “be loud” and take any steps possible to display the devoted passion that fans have for Shadowhunters, and we have to say, this loyal fanbase has been doing one hell of an amazing job.”

The Series Regulars: “The Shadowhunters fandom is extremely loyal, and people all around the world have banded together to do what they can to make their voices heard. This has included campaigns such as the Times Square billboard, tweeting out to anyone and everyone, and sending out emails voicing their passion for the series. It has been a group effort, and everyone has been in constant communication to make all these campaigns come together. Isn’t fandom such a wonderful thing?”

Week #5

JULY 2, 2018

CarterMatt: “Think about that. Ten million tweets. That’s an expression of passion that is almost unprecedented since we are talking about a series that was canceled on June 4.”

CarterMatt: “So how much does this threshold help the show? We actually think it’s one of the biggest achievements made during the campaign to save the show so far. One of the things that you do need to remember is that network executives are often very busy, and with that they don’t have the time in which to look at every single tweet or thing that the fandom is doing to save the show. It’s often helpful to have some sort of big, headline-making announcement that they can look at and understand easily. That’s what the plane banner was, and the same goes for the billboard and the donations for the Trevor Project. Here, they can just see the number 10 million and have their jaws hit the ground.”

Clevver TV: “After raising thousands of dollars, getting millions of signatures and even buying a freakin’ planeto fly over the Netflix headquarters, Shadowhunters fans are back at it again with another attempt to save the show from cancellation. What’s left for them to do, you may ask? Oh, just casually purchasing a billboard in New York City’s Times Square.”

Clevver TV: “It’s been almost a month since it was announced that Freeform would not be renewing Shadowhunters for a fourth season, but fans are showing no signs of slowing down their efforts to getting the network (or a different network/streaming service) to change its mind. They have a TON of reasons why the show shouldn’t be canceled, so we think it’s safe to assume the fight will continue for a long time.”

Netflix Life: “Many fans are still feeling blindsided by this news, but even more, fans are not mourning the loss of the show. Rather, they’re fighting to save the show and the fan movement has responded in a big way.”

Netflix Life: “It’s a huge success abroad where the series streams on various regions on Netflix, but unfortunately, it’s not on Netflix US. It would make for a wise investment by Netflix to consider saving the show once it finishes its run on Freeform next year.

Netflix Life: “I do know the fans will never stop fighting for the show to continue. That’s something McNamara has been blown away by in the last month since the news broke.”

JULY 5, 2018

CarterMatt: “The fandom’s been global for many years now, but there are more examples of its international popularity now than potentially ever before.”

CarterMatt: “How much are things like banners and advertisements helping? We think personally they’re probably more impactful than many out there are giving them credit for. It’s something that is physical and tangible that executives can look at. If they are on the fence about picking up Shadowhunters, maybe this will convince them to give the series a closer look. The biggest thing that all of these campaigns achieve is reminding everyone in the industry that Shadowhunters fans are out there and cannot be forgotten about. What makes this particular campaign stand out is not only the resiliency of it, but also the creativity and the dedication from people involved.”

Netflix Life: “There are very few shows that have a loyal fanbase like Shadowhunters. More of these types of fanbases have come out in recent years, with the likes of Timeless and Lucifer, but the Shadowhunters fans have taken things to a whole new level. If Netflix was worried about fan commitment, then the recent efforts to save the series would help to ease them.”

Netflix Life: “No other fandom has been quite as vocal and loyal.”

Netflix Life: “And this has become more of a family than anything else. Fans have found their tribe in social media groups and platforms. They’ve celebrated births and marriages, they’ve commiserated deaths together, and they’ve supported one another in dark times—and these are in real life situations and not just the events within the series.”

Netflix Life: “If you take a look at any relationship poll for TV shows, you’ll see the shipper name Malec up there. This is the Shadowhunter ship of Alec and Magnus, one of the most progressive, positive, and public LGBTQ relationships on TV. There are very few that even come close.”

Netflix Life: “The show is all about inclusivity (unless you’re a demon from the Shadow World, of course!) and wants to encourage more growth when it comes to people of color and LGBTQ relationships. Netflix needs to encourage that more. It’s already canceled Everything Sucks! Don’t let Shadowhunters go too! This representation is extremely necessary.”

Netflix Life: “With the right marketing, Netflix could help this series grow in the way that it should. More people around the world can learn about it and tune in for every episode. The series would gain better treatment than ever before, helping it become the book adaptation of the generation. There is certainly potential there and it needs a streaming service like Netflix to take that up.”

JULY 6, 2018

CarterMatt: “You can see via the posts on Twitter below that there is a collaborative book coming entitled Love Makes Us Stronger, one that is meant to show many different networks and shows everything that they have done to date in order to work to make another season happen. This is a series that knows no bounds and is showing, time and time again, that fans will do whatever it takes in order to ensure that there is more of the story told. This book is meant to be delivered to not only many different prospective networks, but then also The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which we do think would be a wonderful venue to discuss the series and its hopes at another season further.”

Pure Fandom: “It’s impossible to deny that the Shadowhunters fandom is made up of the most devoted fans to date.”

Pure Fandom: “In all my years following television, the uproar over Shadowhunters’ cancellation is probably one of the biggest ones I’ve ever seen.”

Pure Fandom: “With a fanbase this big and powerful, it looks like the decision to drop Shadowhunters may not have been a good call on Freeform’s part.Fans’ efforts to #PickUpShadowhunters is still going strong, and we’re with you! We’ll keep fighting until Shadowhunters finds a new home!”

JULY 8, 2018

CarterMatt: “Basically, the message that we’re trying to get across here is rather simple: Sometimes, no news can be good news. Just because it seems like networks and streaming providers are ignoring Shadowhunters doesn’t mean that they are avoiding picking up the show’s future.”

Week #6

JULY 9, 2018

CarterMatt: “What’s the objective with this particular hashtag? It’s a way to show more just how much this show is beloved all over the world, and in turn the sheer number of fans who stand to be let down in the event that Shadowhunters does not end up finding a home somewhere else.”

JULY 11, 2018

CarterMatt: “For now, our advice is the same: Keep doing what you’re doing in making sure that your voices are heard.

Hypable: “From billboards in Times Square to subway stops on Korea to planes flying over Netflix, there is no limit to what this fandom will continue to do to drive awareness to their passion and love for the series.In addition to the flashier efforts, the fans have also raised a considerable about of money for charitable causes in the name of saving the show. Practicing what the show portrays every week, the fans are aiding those who need help the most, even as they struggle with their own disappointment.”

Just Jared: “And yes, they see you with the #SaveShadowhunters campaign.Martin shared that the company is ‘amazed by the dedication and persistence of the incredible fandom of Shadowhunters and the #SaveShadowhunters campaign. We are in ongoing discussions with the network and Netflix to how we can continue to bring Cassandra Clare’s vision to television.’”

JULY 12, 2018

CarterMatt: “Recently, Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben of production company Constantin Film were sent a rather generous amount of Shadowhunters-themed M&Ms, ones that were decorated with familiar show iconography alongside the message to #SaveShadowhunters. Both parties shared photos of the candy on social media, which we like to think that there is some commitment there to the cause.”

CarterMatt: “Typically, the easiest way to tell whether or not someone really wants to come back to a show is whether or not they acknowledge the effort that is going on with fans. We do think that everyone at Constantin wants Shadowhunters back since it is a way for them to earn extra money.”

ClevverTV: “Shadowhunters fans are doing everything — literally EVERYTHING — to save their favorite show from being canceled.”

JULY 13, 2018

CarterMatt: “How much sway could Korea’s audience have in saving the show internationally? If the outreach is enough, a bit more than many would immediately assume. Seoul is one of the biggest markets in the world with an active, engaged young audience. These are the sort of people who will celebrate an inclusive, action-packed show that makes you care about its characters.”

CarterMatt: “Basically, remember that sometimes, saving a show is a marathon rather than a sprint and it can take so much longer than anyone would anticipate from the jump.”

CarterMatt: “Just in case you needed a reminder as to how busy Katherine McNamara is at the moment, she did this table read on Thursday, then flew out to Milan in order to be present for fans at the Italian Institute Con this weekend. That is dedication! It’s a also a reminder of how much she loves her fans given that this is a pretty emotional time.”

CarterMatt: “If there is one thing that is probably serving as the wind under the sails for many cast members, it’s this: No matter what is going on with production of these remaining two episodes, the #SaveShadowhunters movement continues.”

Cinema Blend: “Fans of Freeform’s Shadowhunters are not giving up on their show without a fight. Taking their battle to streaming networks such as Netflix and Amazon, the hope to be heard and the effort to save the beloved series has only grown stronger.”

KSiteTV: “Constantin’s Martin Moszkowicz told Deadline that Constantin is “amazed by the dedication and persistence of the incredible fandom of Shadowhunters and the #SaveShadowhunters campaign, and that they are “in ongoing discussions with the network and Netflix to how we can continue to bring Cassandra Claire’s vision to television.” Okay, then make it happen already.I’m not without hope, and fans shouldn’t be either. But really, Freeform, Constantin: Talk it over. Negotiate. You’re sitting on a gold mine. #SaveShadowhunters.”

The Fandom: “But this fandom is not going down without a fight. So far, the fans have tweeted #SaveShadowhunters over 10 million times, flew a plane with a #SaveShadowhunters banner around Netflix’s LA headquarters, rented two billboards in Times Square and most impressively, it’s raised over $20,000 for various charities.Even as I write this post, the fandom’s been hard at work, running a month-long campaign in the Seoul subway and planning to soon hit London with double-decker bus ads. In a less grand fashion, fans have been flooding the mailboxes of network executives and it looks like network executives are paying attention.”

Week #7

JULY 16, 2018

AnneMoss.com: “For many people, these characters have been the first time that they have seen each other fully represented on a TV screen.Heartbreaking testimonials can be found all over the Internet of people who would be in a significantly worse place without this show. In short, it has saved lives.”

JULY 19, 2018

CarterMatt: “While there may not be a formal Shadowhunters panel at Comic-Con this year, the folks behind the effort to save the show have still found a way to have their voice heard. Specifically, they are doing it in the form of pedicabs with the #SaveShadowhunters message front and center.”

CarterMatt: “We do think that out of all of the fun ideas we’ve seen with Shadowhunters, this is one of the most valuable given that there are hundreds of thousands of TV fans crammed into a small space the next few days; meanwhile, you’ve also got a number of network executives and other important industry people around. You never know when someone is going to stumble across something you’ve created! It’s another reason to have hope if you are a diehard Shadowhunters fan.”

Digital Spy: “We’ve seen political campaigns less organised than this. Bravo, Shadowhunters stans.”

JULY 20, 2018

CarterMatt: “These expressions of support by the fans go a long way. If nothing else, they are a clear reminder that Shadowhunters is a show that other networks / streaming providers should consider bringing back for more.”

CarterMatt: “Also, Comic-Con is one of the perfect venues to make a big campaign statement — there are probably more people from the entertainment industry concentrated in one place here than any other TV-related event out there, save for maybe the Emmys or the Golden Globes.”

Film Daily: “If you ever needed infallible proof that fandoms rule TV shows (and not the other way around), you need to be keeping up with the Shadowhunters fandom and more specifically the #SaveShadowhunters campaign. These aren’t just the most passionate and vocal fans – they’re also the most organized and resourceful.”

Film Daily: “Like almost everything at the SDCC, the pedicabs are open to sponsorship from advertisers – but this may be the first time they’ve commandeered by fans in a bid to make a provocative statement that could save a show. Like most other networks, Freeform has a presence at the convention and we can’t imagine that this stunt will sit well with the network, but that’s precisely the point. Shadowhunters fans will not allow for their show to go and are fighting the cancellation with everything they’ve got. Which makes us wonder at this point why Shadowhunters hasn’t been saved yet. If this campaign has proven anything, it’s that there’s a tangible and sizeable fanbase attached to the show more than worthy of investing in.”

Film Daily: “Whatever happens, the Shadowhunters fans are absolutely killing it right now. For them not to see the story back on the small (or big) screen again is almost unfathomable. Someone, somewhere, has to take charge now and make this happen – the fans absolutely deserve it.”

Just Jared: “The Save Shadowhunters campaign is not slowing down. If anything, it’s heating up.”

JULY 22, 2018

CarterMatt: “Yang’s appearance gives even more credibility to the campaign, which of course already had quite a bit of it thanks to some social-media acknowledgement from everyone from executive producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer to stars Katherine McNamara and Isaiah Mustafa. (Read more about their reactions over at the link here.) There are clearly many who have taken note of the campaign down at SDCC, which also includes promotional flyers and buttons.”

Hidden Remote: “Jack Yang, who plays Asmodeus on the series, stopped by SDCC today cosplaying as his own character. Not only did he want to come see the pedicab, but he even jumped in! [...] The Shadowhunters pedicabs aren’t able to travel all the way to Edom, but we hope Asmodeus had a fun time checking out the Shadowhunters representation at SDCC!”

Week #8

JULY 23, 2018

CarterMatt: “Just in case you were wondering how popular Shadowhunters really was at San Diego Comic-Con, let’s just say that it achieved a really rare feat: Social-media dominance without even having a panel at the event. Per the tweet (via Alex Zalben) below, the currently-canceled series was the fifth most-tweeted-about show during the convention this year. It was ahead of such staples as Arrow, Supergirl, and The Flash, and even one of the other most-popular shows on social media out there in Wynonna Earp. The only ones that fared better were The Clone Wars, Doctor Who, The Walking Dead, and Voltron — which are all properties that have been around for an extremely long period of time.”

Decider: “Timeless, which dominated leading into the Con, and flew a helicopter around trying to save the show, didn’t break the top ten. But another fan favorite, canceled show did: Shadowhunters.The Freeform supernatural show didn’t have a panel at the convention, but it does have a legion of loyal fans tweeting to #SaveShadowhunters almost constantly. Hence the number five slot on the Twitter list.”

Hidden Remote: “By the angel, we think the #SaveShadowhunters campaign is going to love this. @TwitterTVreported today that Shadowhunters was the fifth most-tweeted show during San Diego Comic-Con. Freeform did not bring the series to SDCC like it had done in 2017, but even without a panel, autograph signing, or immersive activation, the show was still incredibly popular on Twitter.”

JULY 24, 2018

CarterMatt: “Following an excellent campaign over at San Diego Comic-Con involving a branded pedicab, flyers, and customized buttons, the Save Shadowhunters campaign is now looking rather rosy.How much so? Let’s just say that they have used as much flower power as possible to get some flower arrangements and customized cards to the Amazon Studios offices plus also Hulu, Netflix, and the offices of production company Constantin Film in Los Angeles. Consider these some further reminders from the Shadowhunters family that this is a fanbase that does not have any plans to give up on finding their show a new home.”

CarterMatt: “There is probably a sense of uncertainty on the set, not knowing precisely what the future of the series is; nonetheless, you have to imagine that it is enormously flattering for the cast and crew to routinely hear that there are so many people who want more of the show and also them as these characters. That does help in so many ways to ensure that they give their best performances possible.”

CarterMatt: “The best thing that any fan of the series can do right now is stay active, and stay engaged, when it comes to trying to save the show. Often, saving shows really is a marathon rather than a race, and networks / streaming providers need to realize that this is a group of fans who cannot be forgotten about.”

Film Daily: “After Freeform chose not to do a Shadowhunters panel at San Diego Comic Con for what could be the final ever season of the show (unless it’s rightfully saved), fans threw a sassy hair flip in Freeform’s general direction and set up their own celebration of the show. That celebration was part protest and part promotion in support of the ongoing #SaveShadowhunters campaign that has been ferociously demonstrated by fans since the young adult series was cancelled at the start of June. The centerpiece? A #SaveShadowhunters pedicab that circled SDCC.”

Film Daily: “According to a fan on Twitter, one especially cool driver let fans ride on the pedicabs for free, installed a speaker so the Shadowhunters theme tune “This is the Hunt” could be blasted on the journey, and also helped to hand out flyers in support of saving the show. But perhaps the crowning jewel of the #SaveShadowhunters efforts was the appearance of actor Jack Yang, who rocked up to SDCC in character as Asmodeus and rode that pedicab with all the brooding regal swagger of the legit Prince of Hell (cane and all).”

Film Daily: “It’s become clear that Shadowhunters is a show that revolves around unity and chosen family – for fans it offers a lifeline of connection that perhaps can’t be found within other more mainstream shows. It’s exactly what makes the show standout as a much cherished gem on social media, as Shadowhunters actually enjoyed a greater presence than other Freeform shows that were part of the official SDCC schedule.”

Film Daily: “It’s no surprise that during SDCC, the Pure Fandom Awards actually created a category specifically to acknowledge the Shadowhunters fandom by gifting them The 2018 Pure Fan-spiration Award. They deserve it, too. In the time since Shadowhunters has been cancelled, they’ve refused to remain silent and have shown they know how to vocalize their passion and turn it into action – even if it’s just from the periphery.They’re the most punk rock fandom out there right now and it’d be crazy not to listen to them and give them what they want.”

Future Femme: “The Shadowhunters yarn unravelled further over the weekend as the fandom took its campaign to save the venerated show to the San Diego Comic-Con. In case you have not yet been following this ongoing saga of legendary proportions, back in June, Freeform announced the cancellation of the genre show despite execs being “very happy creatively” – a decision that was based on ‘economic reasons.’”

Future Femme: “Like a group of valiant demon hunters, the reaction has been nothing short of Biblical. Launching a #SaveShadowhunters campaign, the dedicated fandom members took to Twitter to share their upset, but they haven’t stopped there and have found active ways to promote their campaign beyond the Twittersphere.”

Future Femme: “All of this is testament to the fandom’s dedication, highlighting a wider statement that shows how audiences now rule the TV shows they watch and not vice-versa. As the nature by which we watch television changes, it’s becoming increasingly evident that a show’s importance isn’t solely based on live metrics and economics anymore and that its story and significance goes beyond the conventional restrictions of entertainment consumption.Shadowhunters offers diverse storylines and depictions of LGBTQI and female characters with complexity that are unrivaled by other young adult shows on TV right now. The fantasy genre provides escapism for its viewers, but it’s also educational – Shadowhunters has strived to move forward with acceptance and inclusivity where others are falling behind and it’s for these reasons the fandom refuses to put down its battle weapons and will not give up in the face of adversity.“

Future Femme: “Another reason the Shadowhunters fandom is so ferociously fighting its corner is that the cast & crew were already teasing season four before the cancellation. This is not a show that has reached a creative dead end and it is certainly not one that fans don’t want to see more from – in fact, Shadowhunterswas the fifth most tweeted about show during this year’s SDCC and yet it didn’t even have an official panel at the event.”

Future Femme: “If the cry is loud enough, the networks have no choice but to listen. And when it comes to Shadowhunters, the outcry is so loud you can hear it from the Shadow World. Now it’s up to Freeform to react, or else risk losing this TV gem and its dedicated fandom for good.”

Week #9

JULY 30, 2018

Digital Spy: “Right now, Netflix isn’t in talks to save the supernatural drama series. But [Cindy Holland, Netflix’s VP of original content] did praise the show for having incredibly passionate fans. [...] ‘It has a very active fanbase. I probably get 100 emails or more personally.’ We bet the number of daily emails will double or triple in the wake of Holland's comments!”

Film Daily: “The Shadowhunters fandom has fought the cancellation of their show to the last. Accumulating over 149,000 signatures on a petition to save the show thus far, they’ve also managed to raise funds for a billboard campaign in Times Square, subway posters in Seoul, raised money for charity, and hired campaign-boosting pedicabs at SDCC. Kind of a big deal, ladies and gentlemen.”

Film Daily: “The overwhelmingly passionate fan base should be enough to convince anyone this is a show more than deserving of saving.”

Film Daily: “It seems ludicrous not to serve such a large and passionate fan base by saving Shadowhunters. Somebody has to come through and save this one.”

Pure Fandom: “I started watching in June and after I started my Shadowhunters watch, it didn’t take long for me to see the show’s magic that ignited such fire in the fandom. To put it simply, the show is amazing. It is inclusive, it is bold, the cast is crazy talented, it is visually stunning – but it wasn’t the show that made me fall instantly in love – it was this fandom.”

Pure Fandom: “You have not only managed to rally in the shadows, you have welcomed new members into the family (like me) and continued your messages of love and support for the cast, despite your frustration. You are angry, but you are channeling that anger into a series of productive projects including a charitable donation to the Trevor Project, a NYC Times Square billboard, flowers and cupcakes for the cast, a bike at SDCC and so much more!”

Pure Fandom: “Shadowhunters fans – I know you are tired, but thank you for fighting for this show that you love so much – that I love so much. You never made me feel like I couldn’t join your ranks and fight with you and for that, I am so grateful. Fandoms like this are few and far between and I will never take for granted that you welcomed me so effortlessly into yours.”

JULY 31, 2018

CarterMatt: “The Trevor Project fundraiser...has officially reached more than $20,000. That’s an incredible number when you think about just how many people it is going to help. This is taking the message of inclusion and acceptance from the show and finding a way to pay it forward. It’s something that is both powerful and important in so many ways beyond what we can possibly try and spell out here.”

CarterMatt: “The official petition to save the show has officially reached 150,000 signatures! Typically, we think that any petition that reaches more than 50,000 is showing itself as one that cannot be ignored; this one has reached three times that, and there is still so much further that it could go”

Hidden Remote: “Fans should be incredibly proud of the global efforts made over the past two months to support #SaveShadowhunters, which now feels more like a movement than a campaign. The fandom’s fundraiser for The Trevor Project crossed the $20,000 mark on Monday morning, and the donations continue to grow in honor of the series.”

Hidden Remote: “Shadowhunters fans show no signs of slowing down the fight to get a full fourth season for the series, and they continue to show love for the Toronto team during the last (known) days of production.”

#saveshadowhunters #saveshadowhunters news #news

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ethanalter · 7 years ago

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Comic-Con 2017: Your Guide to the TV Panels, Screenings, and Events

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ (Photo Credit: HBO)

The annual geek-stravaganza known as San Diego Comic-Con will be here before you know it. Plan ahead with our comprehensive guide (curated from the official Comic-Con programming schedule) to the convention’s myriad TV offerings. Whether you’re a Bronie or a Westerosi, there’s truly something for everyone.

Preview Night: Wednesday, July 19

Special Sneak Peek Screenings Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue the annual Preview Night tradition with an exclusive pilot screening of Deception, plus exclusive video presentations of some of the most highly anticipated series of the 2017-18 television season — Krypton and Black Lightning — as well as a brand-new hour-long episode of Teen Titans Go! and special surprises. (6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Day 1: Thursday, July 20

Teen Titans Go! (Cartoon Network) The Titans are back at it again with another fun-filled panel to kick off your Comic-Con weekend. Producers and members of the voice cast will answer your questions and screen a Titan-sized special one-hour episode. (10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Room 6A)

DreamWorks Voltron: Legendary Defender (Netflix) Zarkon has been defeated and Shiro is nowhere to be found. Without a pilot for the Black Lion or the ability to form Voltron, the team must quickly devise a plan, as the ascension of Prince Lotor pulls them into a perilous game of cat and mouse. Executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos, co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery, Bex Taylor-Klaus, and Tyler Labine debut the first episode of Season 3. (10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Room 6BCF)

Unikitty! (Cartoon Network) Your favorite character from The LEGO Movie now has her own show! Journey to a joyous kingdom full of sparkle matter, happy thoughts, and the occasional rage-out. (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Room 6A)

Medinah Medinah is the first-ever sci-fi/fantasy series from the Middle East! An international cast of survivors — both human and “humanlike” — face nightmares, parallel realities, and their own personal demons as they decide what is most important: Survival? Legacy? Love? (11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Stitchers (Freeform) Stitchers follows Kirsten Clark, a highly intelligent and persistent computer science student with the ability to hack into the minds of the recently deceased. This panel will include executive producer Jeff Schechter with series stars Emma Ishta, Kyle Harris, Ritesh Rajan, and Damon Dayoub. (12 p.m. – 12:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Justice League Action (Cartoon Network) Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman lead the DC Comics superheroes against their most infamous foes in adventures packed with relentless thrills, fun, and action in Justice League Action. Producers and members of the voice cast will be on hand to screen an all-new episode as well as participate in a Q&A. (12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Room 6A)

Shadowhunters (Freeform) In the summer season of Shadowhunters, the rift between the Shadowhunters and Downworlders grows larger and the team and their Downworlder friends and lovers are put in the middle of the dangerous divide. Panelists include executive producers Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, and Matt Hastings, with series stars Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, Emeraude Toubia, Matthew Daddario, Isaiah Mustafa, and Harry Shum Jr. (1 p.m. – 1:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Rocko’s Modern Life: Return to Earth! (Nickelodeon) Original show creator Joe Murray and Carlos Alazraqui (Rocko), Tom Kenny (Heffer), Mr. Lawrence (Filburt), Charlie Adler (Mr. Big Head and Mrs. Big Head), and Cosmo Segurson (director) will dive deep into the lore of the cartoon classic and reveal what to expect from Rocko’s return to the screen. (1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m., Room 6A)

Colony (USA) The cast and executive producers take fans “behind the wall” of the upcoming third season with a dynamic Q&A and an in-depth look back at last season’s shocking finale. Panelsits include Carlton Cuse, John Holloway, Sarah Wayne Callies, Peter Jacobson, Tory Kittles, Ryan Condal, and Wes Tooke. (2 p.m. – 2:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Stan Against Evil (IFC) John C. McGinley, Janet Varney, and executive producer Dana Gould share an exclusive sneak peek of Season 2, answer fan questions, and discuss the first season of the horror comedy series. (2 p.m. – 3 p.m., Room 5AB)

Teen Wolf (MTV) Just before the series is set to end its historic run on MTV, this panel will take a look back at where it all began. Teen Wolf cast and crew will be on hand to reminisce about how the show got started, talk through the challenges that shaped it as it grew into a beloved series, and tease the epic moments that will close out a six-year saga. (2 p.m. – 3 p.m., Hall H)

Van Helsing (Syfy) Stars Kelly Overton, Jonathan Scarfe, Missy Peregrym, Christopher Heyerdahl, Paul Johansson, Aleks Paunovic, and Rukiya Bernard will join creator/showrunner Neil LaBute and executive producer Mike Frislev in a Q&A. (3 p.m. – 3:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

The Watcher in the Woods Reimagined (Lifetime) Executive producer and director Melissa Joan Hart and executive producer Paula Hart reimagine the ’80s cult classic. Lifetime’s all-new movie stars Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston as Mrs. Alywood, the distraught mother whose daughter Karen vanished in the English countryside over 20 years ago. (3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Room 7AB)

Timeless: Fan Tribute Celebration (NBC) Timeless traveled back in time to make the unbelievable happen. It became the first show ever to be canceled and renewed after only three days, all thanks to tremendous fan support! Join cast members and executive producers for a Q&A session and fan celebration. (3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Room 6BCF)

Matt Lanter as Wyatt Logan, Malcolm Barrett as Rufus Carlin, and Abigail Spencer as Lucy Preston in NBC’s ‘Timeless’ (Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)

The Strain (FX) FX’s action-packed vampire thriller based on the bestselling books from Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, returns for its fourth and final season. Get a sneak peek at never-before-seen footage and then join showrunner/executive producer/writer Carlton Cuse, executive producer/writer Chuck Hogan, and stars Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Kevin Durand, Ruta Gedmintas, Miguel Gomez, Richard Sammel, and Max Charles as they discuss the challenges (and fun!) of bringing this post-apocalyptic world to life. (3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Z Nation (Syfy) After a Zombie apocalypse decimates the world, a group of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the zombie virus from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab is waiting for his blood. (4 p.m. – 4:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Ghosted (Fox) Ghosted is about the partnership between two polar opposites — a cynical skeptic and a genius “true believer” — who are recruited to investigate unexplained phenomena in Los Angeles, all while uncovering a larger mystery that could threaten the existence of the human race. Stars Craig Robinson and Adam Scott are joined by Ally Walker and executive producers Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten to discuss this paranormal buddy comedy. (4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Room 6BCF)

https://youtu.be/ubbjVowDuys

Legion (FX) Creator/executive producer/writer/director Noah Hawley is joined by fellow executive producers John Cameron, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Jeph Loeb and series stars Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart, Bill Irwin, Jeremie Harris, and Amber Midthunder for a conversation on what to look forward to from Season 2. (5 p.m. – 6 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Dan Stevens as David Haller and Rachel Keller as Syd Barrett in FX’s ‘Legion’ (Photo Credit: Michelle Faye/FX)

The Exorcist (Fox) Join Father Tomas (Alfonso Herrera), Father Marcus (Ben Daniels), Father Bennett (Kurt Egyiawan), and executive producers Jeremy Slater and Sean Crouch for a special fan tribute panel including highlights and insights on the new season. (6 p.m. – 7 p.m., Room 6BCF)

Marvel’s Inhumans (ABC) Special guests of the highly anticipated Marvel’s Inhumans unveil an explosive panel moderated by executive producer Jeph Loeb. This event series will premiere a version of the first two episodes exclusively in IMAX theatres for a two-week window prior to the debut of the full series on ABC. (6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., Ballroom 20)

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Castlevania (Netflix) One of the most popular video game franchises is brought to us with vivid animation through Netflix. Hear behind the scenes stories from the cast and crew. (7 p.m. – 8 p.m., Room 5AB)

TBS Gets Animated Executive producers, creators, and writers from upcoming TBS animated original comedy series present exclusive clips and sneak peeks of each show. First up will be Matt Weitzman of TBS’s American Dad! followed by an introduction to the eccentric residents of the Tierra Chula Resident Hotel in Tarantula by creator Carson Mell. Coming in early 2018, Final Space is a serialized intergalactic space saga about an astronaut named Gary and his adorable planet-destroying friend Mooncake, from indie film producers Olan Rogers and David Sacks. The program will also feature a surreal animated series about a family growing up without getting old from J. G. Quintel, the creator of the Emmy Award-winning Regular Show. (7 p.m. – 8 p.m., Room 7AB)

12 Monkeys (Syfy) Join executive producer Terry Matalas and stars Aaron Stanford, Amanda Schull, Emily Hampshire, Alisen Down, and Todd Stashwick as they look back at the show’s most talked-about moments and tease the upcoming fourth and final season. (7:15 p.m. – 8:15 p.m., Room 6BCF)

Dark Matter (Syfy) Halfway through Season 3, the cast of Dark Matter will discuss exciting developments and what’s next for the intrepid crew of the Raza. (8:15 p.m. – 9:15 p.m., Room 6DE)

Day 2: Friday, July 21

The Big Bang Theory (CBS) The Big Bang Theory returns to San Diego to take you inside the biggest moments of Season 10 for a special 10th anniversary panel. (10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Hall H)

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Young Justice (Cartoon Network) Series producers and key members of the creative team will be on hand to answer your burning questions about the first two seasons of this beloved fan-favorite series; and, if you’re lucky, you might learn a thing or two about the highly anticipated Young Justice: Outsiders. (10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Room 6BCF)

OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes (Cartoon Network) Get ready to witness the power of a true hero in training. Be the first to see exclusive content, dive into the superpowered world of Lakewood Plaza Turbo, and get to know the ever-enthusiastic K.O.! (10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Psych Reunion and Movie Sneak Peek (USA) It’s been three years since the Psych series finale left fans begging for more, but now the wait for iiiiiit… is finally over! Join cast members James Roday, Dulé Hill, Kirsten Nelson, Corbin Bernsen, and Maggie Lawson along with creator Steve Franks and executive producers Chris Henze and Kelly Kulchak as they reunite with their fans and celebrate the all-new Psych movie coming to USA this December. (10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Ballroom 20)

My Little Pony (Discovery Family Channel) The cast and creatives behind My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls share details of the making of the popular animated series. Fans will also get a look into the rest of Season 7 and a sneak peek into My Little Pony: The Movie coming this fall. (10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Room 6A)

Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) Hang out with Rebecca Sugar, Steven, and the Gems and be the first to hear the latest updates from Beach City. Join Rebecca Sugar, Deedee Magno-Hall, Michaela Dietz, Estelle, and A. J. Michalka with half-Gem/half-human Zach Callison serving as half-guest/half-moderator. (11 a.m. – 12 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Fear the Walking Dead (AMC) Kim Dickens, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Mercedes Mason, Colman Domingo, Dayton Callie, Sam Underwood, Daniel Sharman, and Michael Greyeyes join executive producer and showrunner Dave Erickson, executive producer Robert Kirkman, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer Dave Alpert, and special effects makeup supervisor and executive producer Greg Nicotero talk about where the series left off in the midseason finale and what to look forward to when it picks up in September. (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Hall H)

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iZombie (The CW) Be among the first to get the scoop on what’s in store for Liv and the gang in Season 4. See a special video presentation followed by a Q&A with series stars as well as executive producers Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright. (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Hey Arnold!: From Hillwood to the Jungle! (Nickeloedon) Get off your stoop and join Nickelodeon to celebrate the return of Arnold, Gerald, Helga, and all of your favorite Hillwood neighbors! With a live musical performance by composer Jim Lang and an introduction to never-before-seen footage of the special by show creator Craig Barlett. (11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., Room 6A)

Space Command: Bold Adventures! Author Marc Scott Zicree and a sci-fi superstar cast present the world premiere of the spectacular opening sequence of Space Command: Redemption, the epic adventure webseries that spans 150 years of galactic history! The cast includes Doug Jones, Bill Mumy, Bob Picardo, and Bruce Boxleitner. (12 p.m. – 1 p.m., Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library)

I Know That Voice: The Series Celebrate the announcement of a new documentary series exploring the world of voice-over acting that pays tribute to the many legends and iconic properties that have defined animation. (12 p.m. – 1 p.m., Horton Grand Theatre)

The Jellies! (Adult Swim) Show creators Tyler, The Creator and Lionel Boyce, producer Carl Jones, and actor Phil LaMarr invite you to preview an exclusive look at their new animated series The Jellies! (12:15 p.m. – 1 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

The Walking Dead (AMC) Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Chandler Riggs, Seth Gilliam, Alanna Masterson, and Khary Payton join executive producer and showrunner Scott M. Gimple, executive producer Robert Kirkman, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer Dave Alpert, and special effects makeup supervisor and executive producer Greg Nicotero discuss the past season and filming the 100th episode and will share some hints of what’s to come with a sneak peek into Season 8. (12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m., Hall H)

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC)

Buddy Thunderstruck (Netflix) Come hear cast and crew talk about the stop-motion animated series and a new interactive adventure that lets the viewer decide where to take it next. Expect a special celebrity guest appearance! (12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Room 24ABC)

The 100 (The CW) More than six years have passed since Praimfaya ravaged the planet and killed most of the human race. As Clarke waits to hear from the group on the Ark or in the bunker, a new mystery drops from the sky. Who is in the arriving ship, and are they friends or enemies? One thing is certain: Clarke is now the Grounder! Be among the first to find out what’s in store for Season 5. (12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon) Executive producer Ciro Nieli dives into the thrilling story arcs and shares sneak peeks from Nickelodeon’s upcoming Season 5 of TMNT. The cast and crew will be on hand to share their stories. (1 p.m. – 2 p.m., Room 6A)

Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) Executive producers and co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, writer/producer Ryan Ridley and voice talent Sarah Chalke and Chris Parnell invite fans to an inside look at the highly anticipated third season, premiering this summer. (1:15 p.m. – 2 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

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Game of Thrones (HBO) Alfie Allen, Jacob Anderson, John Bradley, Gwendoline Christie, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel, Conleth Hill, Sophie Turner, and Isaac Hempstead Wright tease what’s in store for Season 7 following the premiere. The panel will be moderated by a special Westerosian guest. (1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Hall H)

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Robot Chicken (Adult Swim) The RC crew arrives with an exclusive sneak preview of the upcoming season including the Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who’s Walking! (2:15 p.m. – 3 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Star vs. the Forces of Evil and Milo Murphy’s Law (Disney XD) It’s gonna get a little weird, a little wild, and a little accident-prone as the creators and stars of these Disney XD shows team up to give you the latest exciting news and share clips exclusive to Comic-Con. (2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m., Room 6A)

Twin Peaks: A Damn Good Panel (Showtime) Hear from the cast and creators of one of the most influential TV series of all time. Many of the amazing series being made today owe a debt to a small town in the Pacific Northwest called “Twin Peaks.” And now, 25 years later, the story continues in the new limited event series. Watch the exclusive world premiere of Episode 11 later on in the evening. (Panel: 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m., Hall H. Screening: 10 p.m. – 11 p.m., Room 6A)

Kyle MacLachlan as Dale Cooper and Naomi Watt as Janey-E Jones in Showtime’s ‘Twin Peaks’ (Photo: Suzanne Tenner/Showtime)

Mike Tyson Mysteries (Adult Swim) Currently in its third season of solving mysteries, the Mike Tyson Mystery Team has all-new episodes airing on Adult Swim. Join Mike Tyson, fellow voice cast member Rachel Ramras and producer Hugh Davidson for an exclusive look at upcoming episodes. (3:15 p.m. – 4 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

DuckTales (Disney XD) David Tennant, Ben Schwartz, Kate Micucci, Danny Pudi, and Beck Bennett join the reboot’s creative team to share exclusive sneak peeks and talk about what it’s like bringing this classic family of adventuring ducks to a new generation of fans. (3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Room 6A)

The Gifted (Fox) From 20th Century Fox Television in association with Marvel Television, The Gifted tells the story of a suburban couple whose ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins up with an underground network of mutants and must fight to survive. Join cast and producers for an exclusive first look of the fall’s most anticipated new superhero series. (3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m., Ballroom 20)

https://youtu.be/qTzW9rMcbzk

Preacher (AMC) Executive producer Seth Rogen joins comic book co-creator and series executive producer Garth Ennis and members of the cast, including Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, Joseph Gilgun, Ian Colletti, and Graham McTavish for a mid-Season 2 panel discussion about the story so far and what’s to come. Join the panelists for a Q&A session and an official sneak preview of Episode 206. (4 p.m. – 5 p.m., Hall H)

Bob’s Burgers (Fox) Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard, executive producer Jim Dauterive, and the hilarious cast from the Emmy Award-winning animated series will have you howling with laughter with never-before-seen footage, followed by a Q&A panel discussion. (4:15 p.m. – 5:05 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

The Tick (Amazon) Cast members Peter Serafinowicz, Griffin Newman, Jackie Earle Haley, Valorie Curry, Yara Martinez, Brendan Hines, Scott Speiser, and Michael Cerveris join executive producers Ben Edlund, Barry Josephson, and David Fury for an exclusive world premiere screening of the second episode of The Tick, followed by an audience Q&A. (4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Room 6A)

Outlander (Starz) Ronald D. Moore, Maril Davis, Diana Gabaldon, Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Tobias Menzies, Sophie Skelton, and Richard Rankin discuss the hit series and preview what is to come in Season 3. (5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Tobias Menzies as Black Jack Randall and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser in Starz’s ‘Outlander’ (Photo Credit: Starz)

Archer (FXX) A very special secret guest, plus the voice cast of H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, and Lucky Yates, executive producer Matt Thompson and co-executive producer Casey Willis discuss bringing this cult animated series to life. (5:15 p.m. – 6:05 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Marvel’s The Defenders (Netflix) Daredevil. Jessica Jones. Luke Cage. Iron Fist. Four iconic superheroes. One stage. Nuff said! Jeph Loeb and surprise guests of the highly anticipated Netflix original series Marvel’s The Defenders band together for a panel you do not want to miss! (5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Hall H)

Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Scott Glenn as Stick, Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, and Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Netflix’s ‘Marvel’s The Defenders’ (Photo: Sarah Shatz/Netflix)

Vikings (History) Vikings favorites return to introduce new faces to SDCC and reveal an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming season. (5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Room 6BCF)

People of Earth (TBS) The TBS sci-fi comedy series brings an all-new season of less-than-perfect aliens, botched abductions, and extraterrestrial investigation. Join cast members Ana Gasteyer, Oscar Nuñez, Michael Cassidy, Ken Hall, and Björn Gustafsson along with series producers for an exclusive screening of the Season 2 premiere episode, followed by a Q&A discussion. (6 p.m. – 7 p.m., Room 6A)

Sharknado 5! (Syfy) Ian Ziering and Tara Reid reprise their roles as shark-fighting heroes Fin Shepard and April Wexler. The latest film in the hit global franchise sees the deadly weather phenomenon of shark-infested storms bombard cities around the world, and was filmed in more than five countries, including in the UK and Australia. There will be a slew of great cameos, including Fabio, Anthony Ferrante, and Chloe Lattanzi. (6:45 p.m. – 7:45 p.m., Room 6DE)

Day 3: Saturday, July 22

Once Upon a Time (ABC) The residents of the enchanted forest enter Season 7, facing their greatest challenge yet as the Evil Queen, Captain Hook, and Rumpelstiltskin join forces with a grown-up Henry Mills and his daughter Lucy on an epic quest to bring hope to their world and ours. Co-creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, executive producer David H. Goodman and cast members discuss what’s in store for returning favorites as well as the new additions to the Once Upon a Time universe. (10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m., Ballroom 20)

Boomerang: Saturday Morning Cartoons Start Saturday morning the way you’re supposed to-with cartoons! Voice talent heavy hitters Bob Bergen, Jeff Bergman, and Kari Wahlgren discuss iconic Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera characters and their latest roles in Boomerang’s new classics like New Looney Tunes and Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. (10 a.m. – 10:50 a.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Ben 10 (Cartoon Network) The Rustbucket has traveled far and wide to deliver Ben and his trusty alien heroes to sunny San Diego. Set your Omnitrix to hero time! (10:50 a.m. – 11:50 a.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Riverdale (The CW) The circumstances surrounding Fred’s shooting kick off the mystery of Season 2 of Riverdale. See a special video presentation followed by a Q&A with series stars and producers. (11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., Ballroom 20)

SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon) The makers of Nickelodeon’s enduring animated hit discuss the past, present and future of that spongey underwater pineapple-dweller. (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 a.m., Room 6A)

The Simpsons (Fox) Entering its gravity-defying 29th season, The Simpsons celebrates with huge secrets, surprises, and clips from the upcoming year. Join creator Matt Groening, executive producers Al Jean and Matt Selman, supervising director Mike B. Anderson, and director of The Simpsons Movie David Silverman. (12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Salvation (CBS) If you had only 186 days to live, what would you do? How far would you go to save the world? CBS’s newest summer event series Salvation is a suspense thriller that centers on an MIT grad student and a tech superstar who make a staggering discovery-that an asteroid is just six months away from colliding with Earth. Join series stars and executive producers for an exclusive sneak peek of the first season, followed by a moderated discussion. (12 p.m. – 1 p.m., Room 7AB)

The Originals (The CW) The Originals returns for a fifth season with more supernatural intrigue, romance, and bloodshed in The Big Easy. Join executive producer Julie Plec and series stars for a special video presentation followed by a Q&A. (12 p.m. – 1 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Marvel Animation Presents Marvel Animation returns for its always action-packed, news-breaking panel. This year, the focus is the debut of the all-new, instantly classic Marvel’s Spider-Man. Plus, tons of exclusive pulse-pounding info on fan-favorite series Marvel’s Avengers: Secret Wars and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. (12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Room 6A)

Krypton (Syfy) Set two generations before the destruction of the legendary Man of Steel’s home planet, Krypton follows Superman’s grandfather (Cameron Cuffe), whose House of El was ostracized and shamed, as he fights to redeem his family’s honor and save his beloved world from chaos. (1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Lucifer (Fox) The climactic events of the Lucifer season finale left us wondering where in the world is Lucifer and how did he get his wings back? Join the series stars and executive producers Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich for a special video presentation and Q&A where they’ll discuss the sizzling second season and what’s in store for Lucifer in Season 3. (1:50 p.m. – 2:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access) Star Trek: Discovery follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms while learning that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship and new characters while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. Join members of the cast alongside the creative minds behind the new series for a conversation and introduction to Star Trek: Discovery. (2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Wynonna Earp (Syfy) Cast and creators of the breakout series reveal behind-the-scenes antics, show off exclusive footage, and answer your biggest questions about Season 2! (2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Room 5AB)

Happy! (Syfy) Based on the New York Times bestselling graphic novel from Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson, Happy! follows Nick Sax, an intoxicated, corrupt cop-turned-hitman whose life is changed forever by a tiny, relentlessly positive, imaginary blue winged horse named “Happy.” The cast and creators of Syfy’s highly anticipated new show premiere a first look at the series and discuss what fans can expect from the TV adaption. Panelists include Chris Meloni, Grant Morrison, Brian Taylor, and Patrick MacManus. (2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m., Room 6BCF)

Gotham (Fox) Gotham’s origin story continues to unfold, and as the show enters its fourth season, the stakes will be higher than ever! With the Court of Owls decimated, the aftermath of the Tetch virus crippling the city, and every (surviving) villain in Gotham’s underworld jockeying for power, Jim Gordon and the GCPD will have their hands full. Be among the first to see what’s in store for Season 4 in a special video presentation followed by a Q&A with series stars and producers. (2:50 p.m. – 3:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return (Netflix) Following a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, the new season of MST3K is now a Netflix Original Series. What was it like to bring the show back, and what’s next for MST3K? Creator Joel Hodgson and cast members Felicia Day, Jonah Ray, Hampton Yount, and Rebecca Hanson take you behind the scenes. (3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Horton Grand Theatre)

Stranger Things (Netflix) Join the cast and creators of the pop culture phenomenon for an in-depth discussion on the acclaimed series, the journey to Season 2, and be the first to experience never-before-seen footage of what’s to come this October. (3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Hall H)

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Supergirl (The CW) Ridding National City of Queen Rhea and her Daxamite army was a major win for Supergirl but one that came at a significant cost, as Kara was forced to sacrifice her budding relationship with Mon-El. When the show returns with all-new supercharged adventures this fall on The CW, Kara and team will come up against a new threat in the form of DC Comics’s Worldkiller, Reign. Join the series’ cast and creative team for a special video presentation followed by a discussion of the new season. (3:30 p.m. – 4:10 p.m., Ballroom 20)

The Magicians (Syfy) Don’t miss your chance to get an inside look at this breakout series. The stakes have never been higher after a powerful Season 2 finale left the world without magic. Join the series stars and executive producers as they look back on last season and provide a glimpse into what’s in store. (4 p.m. – 4:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Midnight, Texas (NBC) Welcome to a place where being normal is strange and only outsiders fit in. Based on the bestselling book series by Charlaine Harris comes a journey into a remote Texas town where nothing is what it seems. Home to a vampire, a witch, an angel and a hitwoman, Midnight is a mysterious safe haven for those who are different — a perfect place for anyone looking to hide from the outside world. That is, until the arrival of a powerful psychic and the murder of one of their own. Join your fellow “Midnighters” for a special screening of the premiere episode along with an exclusive sneak peek and a Q&A session with the cast and producers. (4 p.m. – 5:15 p.m., Room 6BCF)

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (The CW) After crash landing the Waverider in a version of 2017 Los Angeles where dinosaurs roam the streets and the skyline is adorned by the iconic Big Ben clock tower, the Legends were quick to realize, “We broke time.” Join the cast and creative team behind the hit superhero team-up series. (4:10 p.m. – 4:50 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Westworld (HBO) Anthony Hopkins may not be stopping by, but the rest of Westworld‘s star-packed cast, including Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright, will be hosted and celebrated at SDCC. We don’t know about you, but this panel looks like quite something to us. (4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m., Hall H)

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The Orville (Fox) Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Scott Grimes, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, Halston Sage, J. Lee, Mark Jackson, and Chad Coleman as well as producers David Goodman and Brannon Braga introduce an exclusive extended first look at Fox’s new sci-fi comedy. (4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m., Room 6A)

Black Lightning (The CW) Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) is a man wrestling with a secret. Nine years ago, Pierce was a hero gifted with the superhuman power to harness and control electricity. Almost a decade later, Pierce’s crime-fighting days are long behind him… or so he thought. (4:50 p.m. – 5:10 p.m., Ballroom 20)

The Expanse (Syfy) The cast and creators of Syfy’s critically acclaimed series are back at Comic-Con to discuss last season’s most shocking moments and give an inside look at what to expect from Season 3. The panel will feature executive producers Naren Shankar and Mark Fergus and series stars Shohreh Aghdashloo, Frankie Adams, Dominique Tipper, Steven Strait, Cas Anvar, and Wes Catham. (5 p.m. – 5:50 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

The Flash (The CW) Running up against an evil time remnant version of yourself is something no one should ever have to do, but that’s exactly what faced Barry Allen (aka the Flash) as he fought to save the life of fiancée Iris West from the God of Speed known as Savitar. Barry’s victory was short-lived, however, as an unbalanced Speed Force began to wreak havoc on Central City, forcing Barry to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Join the cast and creators of The CW’s highest-rated series and be among the first to find out where things will pick up when Season 4 returns this fall. (5:10 p.m. – 5:50 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Introducing Ghost Wars (Syfy) Catch an exclusive first glimpse of the highly anticipated new psychological horror series coming this fall. Meet stars Vincent D’Onofrio, Kim Coates, Avan Jogia, Kandyse McClure and Meat Loaf Aday along with creator/showrunner Simon Barry, writer/executive producer Dennis Heaton, and executive producer Chad Oakes in a Q&A moderated by executive producer Michael Frislev. (5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Room 6A)

Arrow (The CW) With the future of the team left hanging in the balance, Arrow gave new definition to the phrase “blowing up the show.” The emotional showdown between Oliver Queen and Adrian Chase was the perfect conclusion to a stellar fifth season of The CW’s gritty superhero series. The cast and creators will be on hand for an eye-opening conversation about the upcoming season. (5:50 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Ballroom 20)

Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog, David Ramsey as John Diggle/Spartan, Katrina Law as Nyssa al Ghul, and Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow in The CW’s ‘Arrow’ (Photo: Dean Buscher/The CW)

Future Man (Hulu) Get an exclusive sneak peek at Hulu’s upcoming outrageous and visually bold action comedy Future Man about a janitor by day/gamer by night who is recruited by mysterious visitors to travel through time and prevent the extinction of humanity. Director and executive producer Seth Rogen and the cast and crew will participate in a panel moderated by Paul Scheer to discuss the series, time travel, and the global threat of oral herpes. (6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Room 6BCF)

X-Files: A Conversation Between David Duchovny and Dirk Maggs Liquefying aliens. Hissing creatures. Humming spacecraft. This is the otherworldly soundscape of The X-Files: Cold Cases, an Audible original drama that reunites David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and a cast of familiar voices from the iconic series. Duchovny and Cold Cases producer Dirk Maggs talk about revisiting the rich, sonic tapestry of the X-Files universe. Fans may even find out what’s canon and what’s not. (6:45 p.m. – 7:45 p.m., Room 6A)

Broad City (Comedy Central) Co-creators, writers, and stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer will give audiences a sneak peek of the new season returning this August. The Broad City girls take you inside the writers’ room for a vibrant discussion of what goes on behind the scenes. YAAAS! (7 p.m. – 8 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

Bronies: The Fandom of My Little Pony Calling all Bronies! Celebrate the world of My Little Pony with fellow fans and a Q&A with the minders of the franchise. (7 p.m. – 8 p.m., Grand 1 & 2, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina)

Channel Zero: No End House Screening (Syfy) Be the first to see the premiere of the second season of this critically acclaimed series months before it airs! Inspired by Brian Russell’s Creepypasta tale, Channel Zero: No End House is the story of a group of friends who enter a bizarre house of horrors that consists of a series of increasingly disturbing rooms. (8 p.m. – 9 p.m., Horton Grand Theatre)

Blood Drive Screening (Syfy) Tune up for an exclusive look at the next episode before it’s unleashed onto the public. Introduction by executive producer James Roland and series stars Christina Ochoa and Colin Cunningham. (9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m., Horton Grand Theatre)

Day 4: Sunday, July 23

Marvel’s Spider-Man World Premiere (Disney XD) Time to roll out the “web carpet,” Spidey fans! Witness the debut of the new voice of Peter Parker and be part of the very first audience to see the two-part premiere adventure before it airs later this summer! (10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m., Room 6A)

Supernatural (The CW) Series stars and executive producers answer questions about the shocking events in last season’s intense two-part finale and preview what’s in store for lucky Season 13. Fans will also be treated to an exclusive video presentation featuring series highlights of your favorite guys from Kansas and maybe a surprise or two! (10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Hall H)

The Last Ship (TNT) The Last Ship is back for a thrilling fourth season, and it’s time to reenlist! Join Eric Dane, Adam Baldwin, Bridget Regan, and showrunner Steven Kane for an exclusive sneak preview of what’s yet to come this season. (11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., Hall H)

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (BBC America) Join stars Elijah Wood and Samuel Barnett when they descend on Hall H with writer and executive producer Max Landis and showrunner Robert Cooper. Moderated by Kevin Smith, the panel will chat with fans about how everything was connected in Season 1 and provide an exclusive sneak peek at Season 2. (1 p.m. – 2 p.m., Hall H)

Danger & Eggs (Amazon Prime) Danger & Eggs follows the endless adventures of a fearless, teal-haired girl named D.D. Danger (Aidy Bryant) and her ever-cautious best friend, a giant talking egg named Phillip (Eric Knobel). Join Bryant and Knobel for a screening and audience Q&A. (1 p.m. – 2 pm, Room 24ABC)

Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes (Audience) The cast and creators discuss their new original series based on the bestselling Stephen King novel, which follows a demented killer who taunts a retired police detective and the crusade to bring the killer to justice before he is able to strike again. (1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Room 8)

Doctor Who (BBC America) Doctor Who returns to San Diego Comic-Con for the final Hall H panel with star Peter Capaldi. Fans will have an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special, the final episode starring Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and written by Emmy Award-winning lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat. Join Moffat, Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas, Michelle Gomez, and writer and actor Mark Gatiss for a panel that will celebrate Christmas in July and share one last look back at their time with the iconic global hit series with fans. (2 p.m. – 3 p.m., Hall H)

Niko and the Sword of Light (Amazon Prime) Based on the motion graphic comic, this series follows ten-year-old Niko who is the last of his kind in a strange, fantastical world. He must embark on an epic quest to defeat the darkness and bring the light back to his land. Armed with his magic sword, brave Niko journeys to the Cursed Volcano, making new friends and powerful foes along the way, all while uncovering secrets about his mysterious past. (2 p.m. – 3 p.m., Room 24ABC)

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu (Cartoon Network)} Join creators of the smash-hit Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu television series and LEGO Ninjago toys for an in-depth look behind the scenes. Writers Kevin and Dan Hageman, showrunner Tommy Andreasen, senior creative director Simon Lucas, and IP lead Nelson Lamonica go under the hood and explore the Ninjago universe. Plus, sneak peeks and an appearance from voice talent of the hit show. (3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Room 7AB)

San Diego Comic-Con runs from July 20-23.

#_revsp:wp.yahoo.tv.us #sdcc #lists #_author:Ethan Alter #_uuid:2a76331c-1237-3da9-b948-df1d135130ad #comic con #_category:yct:001000086 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT

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basicshadowhuntersstuff · 8 years ago

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This week in Shadowhunters news, updates, sneak peeks, and behind the scenes. All the stuff you need to stay up to date.

Official Promotion

Dominic Sherwood Tells Us His Secrets And Impersonates Matt In This Video!

Showrunners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer Discuss S2E10.

15 Behind-The-Scenes Moments From The Winter Finale. [1]

Three Original Shadowhunters Songs Have Just Been Released! Listen To Them Here.

Shadowhunters In The News

Reviews for 2x10: By The Light of Dawn: Spoiler TV, TV Fanatic, TV Source Magazine.

BSS (Article): Season 2b will premier June 5th!

Nerds of Color (Interview): One-on-One with Shadowhunters’ Harry Shum Jr.

In Style (Interview): 8 Things to Know About Shadowhunters Star Alberto Rosende.

Screener (Interview): Matthew Daddario dishes on that swoon-worthy Malec moment.

Access Hollywood (Interview): Matt Hastings Talks About What's Next After The Midseason Finale.

TV Insider (Interview): Showrunners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer talk about Love Triangles, Soul-Sword and Those Three Little Words.

TV LIne (Interview): Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin answer questions about the midseason finale.

Entertainment Weekly (Interview): Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer talk about Jace-Clary revelation, Malec's big moment, and more.

Video & Audio Interviews

AfterBuzz TV: Joshua Butler (director of 210) helps recaps the midseason finale.

Twitter & Social Media Stuff

The cast announce on Facebook Live the premier date for 2b.

Matt (Alec) has a Facebook Live chat. Kat (Clary) comes in towards the middle.

“No matter what you can’t separate us!!” Dom (Jace) shares behind the scenes photo of him and Matt (Alec).

Alisha (Maia) shares on set photo of herself, Joel (Alaric) and Isaiah (Luke).

Kat (Clary) shares on set gif of herself, David (Raphael), Dom (Jace), Isaiah (Luke), Alisha (Maia) and Harry (Magnus).

Isaiah (Luke) shares behind the scenes photo of himself and Kat (Clary). [2]

“Downworlders loitering.” Harry (Magnus) shares behind the scenes photo of him, David (Raphael), Isaiah (Luke) and Jade (Meliorn). [3]

Kat (Clary) shares behind the scenes gif of Alberto (Simon) and his special effects makeup.

Alberto (Simon) shares behind the scenes video of him getting his prosthetic and special effects makeup removed.

Harry (Magnus) shares video from live chat of the winter finale.

Jade (Meliorn) shares on set video of himself, Alisha (Maia), Joel (Alaric) and Isaiah (Luke) from 210.

Stefanie Terzo (hairstylist) shares on set photo of Harry (Magnus), Isaiah (Luke), David (Raphael), Jade (Meliorn).

Paul Wesley (director) shares photo of script for 216. [4]

“Truth Sword, I finally had to tell @domsherwood I really loved working with him. He seemed confused.” Alan (Valentine) shares photo of himself and Dom (Jace) during winter finale live chat.

Kat (Clary) shares photo of herself and Will (Sebastian) on their way to stunt rehearsal.

Zoe Broad (writer) tweets that our prayers that Jace gets some happiness in 2b might be answered.

Tsarevna Gray (production assistant) shares photo of herself and director Paul Wesley prepping for episode 216.

Jade (Meliorn) shares on set video of himself in Meliorns’s armor.

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweets: Thanks fans for love, support and constructive criticism for 2a.

#shadowhunters #bss news roundup #sh news

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alecsplushpillow · 8 years ago

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92 Truths

rules: once you have been tagged you are supposed to write 92 truths about yourself. at the end, choose however many people you want to tag!

I got tagged by the sweet @magnusandalexander 💜 Danke, Liebes! :*

LAST…

[1] drink: lemon ice-tea [2] phone call: probably my co-worker marius [3] text message: said co-worker (he’s a pain in the ass, but i love him!) [4] song you listened to: All Time Low by Jon Bellion [5] time you cried: while watching an episode of himym (the one where marshalls father dies and they discuss his last words) and it reminded me of the fact, that the anniversary of my own fathers death is right around the corner

HAVE YOU EVER…

[6] dated someone twice: no [7] been cheated on: no [8] kissed someone and regretted it: yes [9] lost someone special: yes, i can’t even count how many [10] been depressed: yes [11] gotten drunk and thrown up: yes

LIST 3 FAVOURITE COLOURS: [12] black [13] purple [14] bloodred

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU… [15] made new friends: yes, especially since i moved to a new town and of course via tumblr. [16] fallen out of love: no [17] laughed until you cried: oh yes! [18] found out someone was talking about you: no [19] met someone who changed you: yes, but only in the best way imagineable [20] found out who your true friends are: no, because i always knew who they were [21] kissed someone on your facebook list: yes

GENERAL… [22] how many of your tumblr friends do you know in real life: only about two unfortunately :’) [23] do you have any pets: yes, three doggies [24] do you want to change your name: sometimes, yes, because i used to hate my name back in high school. but i’m okay with it now, i could’ve gotten it worse c; [25] what did you do for your last birthday: stayed home and spent the day with my mom and netflix [26] what time did you wake up: when i’m at work it varies (shiftworker, hello!) but when i’m off work i usually wake up around 10 or 11am [27] what were you doing at midnight last night: watching the walking dead and eating pizza lmao [28] name something you cannot wait for: shadowhunters season 2b [29] when was the last time you saw your mother: today [30] what is one thing you wish you could change about your life: i don’t want to change anything to be honest? i would rather still live in thailand, but that’s about it [31] what are you listening to right now: in my miNd by Maty Noyes [32] have you ever talked to a person named tom: yepp [33] something that is getting on your nerves: attention seekers [35] elementary: good? [36] high school: absolute hell for almost 80% of the time [37] college: didn’t go to one [38] hair colour: naturally blonde, right now black [39] long or short hair: really really long [40] do you have a crush on someone: yes and i hate it [41] what do you like about yourself?: i’m honest and quite determined - i always finish what i started and try to stay true to myself. i’m a perfectionist (which is both a blessing and a curse) and i’m always ready to fight for the things and people i care about. [42] piercings: yes [43] blood type: i always wanted to know that, but have no idea lol [44] nickname: sam, sammy or lady darkness [45] relationship status: single as fuck [46] zodiac sign: scorpio [47] pronouns: she/her [48] fav tv show: shadowhunters is my #1 but i’m also in love with btvs, the walking dead, pretty little liars, shameless us, supernatural, teen wolf.. [49] tattoos: not yet [50] right or left handed: right

FIRST… [51] surgery: at age 13 [52] piercing: nostril piercing when i was 14 [53] best friend: hasn’t changed since kindergarten 💜 [54] sport: basketball or hokey [55] vacation: something tropical, probably thailand. [56] pair of trainers: ???

RIGHT NOW… [57] eating: ferrero küsschen (they’re small chocolate squares with haselnut in the middle) [58] drinking: lemon ice-tea [59] i’m about to: start the url graphics [60] listening to: paper crown by alec benjamin [61] waiting for: my headache to end [62] want: my heater to work again (it’s been broken for two days and i feel like fucking elsa!) [63] get married: not necessarily, but with the right person yes [64] career: my contract is ending in about two months and my fingers are crossed for an acquisition

WHICH IS BETTER… [65] hugs or kisses: give me a mixture of both please [66] lips or eyes: eyes all the way [67] shorter or taller: taller [68] older or younger: about 3-5 years older please [69] romantic or spontaneous: again i have to go with the right mixture of both [70] nice arms or nice stomach: THE ARMS! but also a nice stomach like.. damn. gimme me all the nice body parts [71] sensitive or loud: BOTH PLEASE [72] hook up or relationship: relationship [73] troublemaker or hesitant: i seem to have a little faible for the troublemakers, even tho i’d - again - like a good mixture of both

HAVE YOU EVER… [74] kissed a stranger? yes [75] drank hard liquor? yes [76] lost glasses/contact lenses? no, i hardely ever wear them so there’s no way for me to lose them lol [77] turned someone down: yes [78] sex on first date? no [79] broken someone’s heart? yes.. [80] had your own heart broken? yes [81] been arrested? not yet lol [82] cried when someone died? yes [83] fallen for a friend: yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN… [84] yourself? most of the times, yes, but i’m an unsecure little chicken inside lmao [85] miracles? no, because they never happend for me when i needed them [86] love at first sight? yes [87] santa claus? nope lmao [88] kiss on the first date? ....sometimes [89] angels? nope, even tho i probably know all about the topic and heaven itself (yes, i did a LOAD of research for my novel..)

OTHER… [90] current best friend’s name: hassan [91] eye colour: green-brown [92] favourite movie: coraline (it’s my comfort movie. sue me)

tagging: @banesfuture @softshumjr @softdaddario @dearestalec & everyone who wants to do this! (please feel free to ignore if you’ve already done this or don’t want to)

#i got tagged #about me #this got quite long #lmao

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severelytrashykids-blog · 8 years ago

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kooks ( @noveltymemes ) tagged me so imma ans, under cut

1. are you named after someone

no, my mom came up w my name like two days before my birth

2. when was the last time you cried

last friday, 03.02.17 (european dates, dd.mm.yy)

3. do you like your handwriting

idk, it does its purpose. i can read it, although some irl friends of mine find it,, difficult.

4. what is your favorite lunch meat

whats... lunch meat?? i eat oatmeal for most of my lunches

5. do you have kids no 6. if you were another person, would you be friends with you yeah probably, if i met me as i am today. 7. do you use sarcasm yeah but not that much..

8. do you still have your tonsils im not sure what those r n im afraid to google it, so im going with yes 9. would you bungee jump no, but id probably be willing to skydive? 10. what is your favorite kind of cereal YOUD TINK ITD BE OATMEAL (its not, i like cheerios, weetabix and puffed rice more, but i dont wanna bring milk every day to school or buy it, boiled water is free) 11. do you untie your shoes every time you take them off no if i have laced shoes ill tie em a bit loose so i can slip in and out of em easily. i avoid laced shoes like the plague tho, pain in the ass 12. do you think you’re a strong person thats a very vague question. physically, my arms are weak but i have rather strong legs(thighs, mainly). mentally, sure, but everyone has their bad days. 13. what is your favorite ice cream flavor anything chocolate, usually. though at the top of my list are the lemon, passionfruit and green apple sorbet icecreams from this small icecream ‘cafe’ close to my school. 14. what is the first thing you notice about people

irl its usually the hair, eyes, facestructure n clothes, online its,, vibes?

15. red or pink

pink is my fave color, so that.

16. what is the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself

depends on if i have a good or bad day. some days i love every part of my body, other days i find “problem-areas” everywhere.

17. what color pants and shoes are you wearing right now dar blue jeans and im not wearing shoes but im wearing very big white cozy socks 18. what was the last thing you ate chocolate sauce. 19. what are you listening to right now nothing right now, though laely ive been v into razika and muse. 20. if you were a crayon, what color would you be prolly like,, a peachy pink, bcz my skin is v pink/red-ish 21. favorite smell chocolate, warm yummy food when im hungry, smell of dog, smell of fire 22. who was the last person you spoke to on the phone my stepdad, he was late w picking me up from the trainstation. 23. favorite sport to watch i dont watch much sports, but i like dogshows, horseshows, dance and figure skating ( i did like that before yuri on ice, thank you) 24. hair color sandy/chocolate brown 25. eye color to be discussed (green/blue/grey) 26. do you wear contacts i wish but my eyedoctor told me my eyeids are too strong so itll only hurt... its not every day you hear you have ‘muscular eyelids’

27. favorite food to eat im not too picky, really. my fave dish is fried rice tho. 28. scary movies or comedy i prefer scary movies, although im not a fan of horror. i like thrillers, moreso psychological thrillers. if a comedy is done well and doesnt rely on humiliating the main character (and if it isnt a rom-com), ill probably like it tho. 29. last movie you watched last movie i finished is Inside out. I in the middle of “The Duff” and “Batman vs Superman” on netflix, snrt 30. what color shirt are you wearing blue and black (i was sure the dress was white and gold tho) 31. summer or winter summer, i really like that one day each year we have, here in Norway. 32. hugs or kisses both :3c 33. what book are you currently reading does written-down theatre directions count? Heheh, well xcept for that im about to start reading a book that a friend of mine has written. its yet to be published but many common friends say its good n im hyped that shes gonna let me read it :D 34. who do you miss right now my dog cane. can i say that? hes right upstairs but my hands r cold n i kinda wanna wamr em on him. 35. what is on your mousepad dont have a mouse pad 36. what is the last TV program you watched we dont really have a tv? or, well, we have a tvscreen connected to a computer so we can watch netflix and hbo and nrk on it. im currently watching Shameless (us version), Designated Survivor. Waiting for a new episode of Riverdale and waiting for The Shadowhunters’ second season to finish so i can binge it. 37. what is the best sound laughter from friends and family, by a long shot 38. rolling stones or the beatles dont really listen too much to either, but rolling stones yeah 39. what is the furthest you ever traveled rhodes, greece 40. do you have a special talent i can pull both my feet behind my head, and cross em like the yoga-positon and walk in my knees by waddling back on forth. oh, and cross my hands, hold onto my ankles and walk/run til i fall. these r my partytricks. 41. where were you born norway 42. people you expect to participate in this survey

my friend, shybert

#idk how srs i was here but here ya go #ask meme

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im-out-of-it · 12 days ago

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season 1, episode 3 discussion list

1. “there is some truth to the idea that human beings should have a modicum of common sense.” ALEC GO OFF KING

2. seriously like what nerve does clary have to be mad at Alec and Izzy????? SIMON SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE

3. it’s a shame Alec isn’t already in charge of the institute for real. because he would have shipped clary’s ass off the second she got there.

4. “so this doesn’t matter to you?” no Alec, it doesn’t concern her. she doesn’t care that the cup can control demons and can cause chaos for downworlders and not just shadowhunters. all she cares about is her mom and Simon and pissing everyone off. she’s good at that lmao

5. “I need you to put your trust in me”- clary being a dumbass for 729189129828 hours in this show. why should they trust her? she came out of nowhere, creates more problems for them, and now has the most hated enemy as a father- which isn’t her fault but I’m sorry, clary hasn’t done a single thing to show she should be trusted

6. GIVE ME STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH CLACE SCENES

7. “downworlders are slaves to their impulses, we’re not”- ok so Alec does say some shit about them but fact is, he changes and adapts 🥰 I don’t need any pro book fans trying to argue on my posts (magnus gif because why not?) (also Magnus is not in this episode at all) (and this is my fav magnus outfit)

8. “We’ve all got our things, don’t we?” Izzy calling Alec out after Alec calls Izzy out. I LOVE IT 😭

9. it amazes me how much Alec does everything to help jace even if it means breaking the rules and it’s always never enough smh

10. Raphael is also a mood. so is Camille. FUCK THEY ARE BOTH HOT OK?????? my bi ass is going crazy (I also love the way he says this line)

11. “are you so desperate to get laid, you’ll risk killing us?” Jace denies but isn’t it the truth???? maybe it’s not just about getting laid but he’s done so much reckless shit already since meeting clary. so in a way, alec has a point (but I’m biased)

12. “it’s bad enough not to have a vote, but worse to be treated as inferiors. they act as if seelies aren’t half- angel too.”- meliorn with the truth!!!!! literally they all act as if the seelies are evil and terrible just because they’re half demon

13. HIS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS KILL ME BECAUSE SAME ALEC

14. fucking hell, that whole motorcycle scene is so cringe and we are supposed to believe they have chemistry?

15. “Alec would die for me. he’ll be here.” but would you die for alec, jace? because the answer is no. you only care about Alec as long as he does what you want him to do.

17. from episode 1 BUT IZZY IS SO FINE 🔥

18. “so let’s distract them. so let’s distract them.” I love my fav pair Lightwood siblings fighting together ✨

19. Alec saving the day ONCE AGAIN

20. side note- camille is also sooooo fine 🥰🔥

21. “I’m older than you jace, I’m not in your shadow.” - Alec. literally jace has never once thought of how Alec feels in any of this and it shows. Alec is tired of living in a shadow and I’m guessing, tired of wanting someone around who doesn’t give a shit about them

thank you for coming to our shadowhunter show meetings and whatever name I created but forget about. 21 is our number today, maybe we’ll get a different one at the next discussion. I found out I can include many gifs so i went overboard. sue me 🥲

#anti cassandra clare #anti cc #just my stupid opinions #alec lightwood #anti jace herondale #magnus bane #anti clary fray #anti clace #show alec is superior #21 is the number #no Magnus at all how sad for us #the amount of migraines that Alec has by now

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bluephoenixdruidicprincess · 7 years ago

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Shadowhunters Season 2 Review and Thoughts for Season 3

Alright, it’s that time again. It’s time for me to give you all the low-down on Shadowhunters Season 2 as a whole. My thoughts, my feelings, and improvements I would like to see made in Season 3. Season 2 was definitely an improvement over Season 1 but trust me, it still has its issues.

This is going to be an honest review of my thoughts and feelings regarding this show. If you’re the kind of Shadowhunters fan where you only want to hear positive things about the show, this is not the place for you. If you decide to stick around and get offended by what is said, then that’s on you. I warned you. Just know that if you send me any rude comments or messages, I will 100% ignore you. I find that’s the best way to deal with bullies. I work 14 hour days. Do you really think I want to waste my incredibly valuable free time dealing with derogatory comments? Hell no. This review will consist of my honest opinions. Opinions are never right or wrong. I’m not telling you how to think and feel. I’m telling you what I think and feel. So please, let’s discuss with dignity and respect. If I’m critical about the show, it’s only because I want it to get better. There is, in fact, a difference between hating a show and being critical of it. I do not hate Shadowhunters; I am being critical and analyzing the flaws as I would with any other show. There are positives but there are also negatives. It’s great if you want to promote positivity with this show (and I encourage you to do so) but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t acknowledge the things that are legitimately wrong with it. Also, keep in mind that despite the fact that I do love the books, me being critical of this show has nothing to do with my love of the books. I don’t really care if the show deviates from the source material as long as it’s good and it makes sense. My problems with this show are problems that I would have with any show or book for that matter. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to take issue with a show that has plot holes, shoddy world-building and inconsistent characters. There will be spoilers for the books and movies.

I want to preface this with I am neither PRO nor ANTI Shadowhunters. I see it as neither a good or horrible show. It’s serviceable. That’s really what this show is. Ultimately, as far as tv shows goes on their own, it’s nothing all that special. It could be -- it certainly tries -- but at the end of the day, it falls flat. It’s a show where it’s interesting to watch and see what’s going to happen, but I also don’t find myself all that excited to watch the newest episode. This show has never gotten me to the point where I was counting down the days until the next episode airs. Usually, I’ll watch an episode and then I’ll be like, “Ok. That was alright. I’m ready to go watch something else now.” There’s no, “OMG! That episode was insane. When is the next one coming out?” That has never happened to me with this show. This is going to be spread into two different sections. The show’s storytelling and the characters and their relationships. So let’s get on with this.

The Storytelling

If there is one good thing I have to say about Shadowhunters in its sophomore season, is that compared to Season 1, vast improvements were made to the writing. Granted, the bar wasn’t set all that high considering how nonsensical and ridiculous Season 1 was but hey, it was an improvement. It was an improvement in the sense that at least now, the episodes are arcing properly. I may not have been a big fan of how a lot of the actual story was being told, but at least it was arcing. But, I do have to say that overall, Season 2 had a very clunky feel to it. There were a lot of different plot points going around and most of them were dropped without having any real resolution. Izzy’s drug addiction was completely dropped, her insecurities toward Alec were dropped, Aldertree served absolutely no purpose in the overarching plot in season 2, Jocelyn’s death did absolutely nothing for the story. It didn’t drive Clary in any way which was actually the idea behind it. While under a spell, Alec attempts to commit suicide because of the guilt he has for the part he played in Jocelyn’s death and then that’s completely dropped. The demon-shadowhunter baby plot point never shows up again. Trust me, I could go on and on. I haven’t even hit 2B yet. But I don’t want this post to end up being 15 pages long so I’m going to stop here. Let’s not get me started on the dumbness and pointlessness that is Azazel. I’m sure you guys get the point. I do feel like Season 3 is probably going to be written a little better than Season 2. For Season 2, we had new showrunners and I think ultimately, they were using Season 2 to filter out a lot of the weird plot writing that Season 1 had going on. With a lot of those weird plot points closed out now, Season 3 is probably going to arc much better. Or at least one can hope. I am definitely going to use Season 3 as a factor in deciding whether or not I’m even going to stick with the show.

I’ve talked about the show’s issues with arcing, dropped storylines, now let’s talk about elements of writing that drive a show. Let’s begin with pacing. Pacing was a HUGE problem with Season 1. Now, Season 2 episodes were a little bit better paced but there were still points when characters jumped to conclusions about something and you’re just like, “Wait, how did we get from Point A to Point B?” If I have one critique to make regarding this show’s pacing, they need to stop having 3 or 4 plot points going on in a single episode. This show has so much potential to be really awesome if they could focus on the characters and their interactions with each other. The characters, their actions, their motivations is what should be moving the plot forward but it’s the other way around in this show. And that also adds to the clunkiness of the storytelling. An episode should have an A plot and a B plot and that’s it. But sometimes we’re getting C, D, and even E plots at times in a single episode. All of these are characters are super interesting. Let’s spend less time with the plot and more with the characters.

Another issue this show has is payoffs. This kind of goes along with pacing. The show isn’t always evenly paced in its plot which is why we sometimes have moments within the story that kind of come out of left field. If you have an idea of where you want your character to be at a certain point in the season, you need to pace that character development out. So when that character has that really epic moment, it completely “wows” your audience. This is what’s known as a pay-off. If you don’t pace it well, the pay-off is very bland and uninteresting. A good example of this is in the Season 2 finale. That moment when Clary was about to be executed and Jace manages to break free and save her. The pay-off could’ve been amazing but I found myself asking, “Why didn’t he just do this in the tent?” All throughout 2B, Jace has never been depicted of having problems using his angelic superpower and yet now, he’s only willing to use it to break free of the chains when Clary’s about to be killed? This would’ve worked fine if throughout 2B, we’d seen Jace having issues using this power and then in this moment, when he sees Clary about to be killed, that’s when he’s able to turn it on. That is what’s known as a pay-off. And it could’ve added something to the Clace dynamic. Then, of course, the other big thing I’ve talked about is Clary’s fighting skills. This is something I wish they had paced out a little more evenly so when she killed Valentine in the finale, it would’ve been far more impactful. Everyone likes to talk about how Clary was so bad-ass in that moment but for me, it was a “whatever” moment. I’ve lost count of how many Circle members Clary actually killed without pause through the duration of Season 2. And I’m supposed to be impressed that she killed Valentine? What would’ve been far more impressive is if throughout the series, we see her learning how to fight, stumbling through at times (because that is far more realistic), her mother’s death driving her to be better and then finally in this moment after watching Valentine kill Jace, knowing Valentine’s actions led to her mother’s death and the destruction of her brother’s soul, she’s able to call forth everything she’s learned to exact her revenge. To finally destroy the man who took everything from her. Once again, that’s a payoff. But instead, it just falls flat. Yes, it’s great to see a girl be a bad-ass but at the same time, it’s nothing I haven’t seen her do before. Why should I care? Because it’s Valentine this time? In Season 3, I would definitely like to see a greater emphasis placed on character motivations and payoffs.

This show has a huge subtlety issue as well. Now this pops up in various forms throughout the writing. Sometimes, it’s through character actions or sometimes it’s over-explaining things through dialogue. Either way, it leaves the audience with the impression that the writers think their audience is stupid. Now, my most hated scene in the Season 2 finale is that moment when Alec was given the specific job to take care of the demons while Magnus closes the rift. And Alec takes one shot and misses and then decides he needs to abandon the mission and go to Magnus pleading for help. Alec would never do this. His job was to keep the demon off of Magnus and instead he leads it directly to Magnus? It makes no sense particularly since earlier in the episode, Alec took multiple shots to slay the demon that was flying around Manhattan and it never phased him when he missed. He was chillin like a melon. And it goes completely against what we know about Alec to begin with. He is not afraid to sacrifice himself to save the people he loves. He would not have retreated back to Magnus. He would’ve continued fighting until he killed the demon or the demon killed him. Because in Alec’s eyes, the life of Magnus and his sister is far more important. I get what this scene was going for. They wanted to showcase that Magnus still cared about Alec but there are hundreds of ways they could’ve done this. But I guess the writers were afraid that it wouldn’t have been clear that Magnus still cared about Alec if it wasn’t this big huge moment of Alec pleading Magnus to save him? If you don’t have subtlety in your story telling, you also lose a lot of the impact. The dialogue also needs some work in this as well. The show has the tendency to spoon-feed information that can be inferred by the audience. I feel like this show is trying to gain the early to mid-20s audience. If this is the case, how about treating us like we’re intelligent 20-year-old adults? Exactly how bad do they think the public school system is that we can’t infer what something called “a Kill Tree” does or that Edomi are demons that come from Edom? The dialogue at times gets a little clunky because of this need to over-state everything.

I also have a problem with how this show deals with conflicts. And this stems from the arcing as well as the pacing problem. This show resolves conflicts within the story alarmingly fast. There are conflicts that can’t be resolved easily and every time the show does, you lose the impact of these characters feeling like real people. It also hinders the plot because it makes the plot feel very disjointed.

Now let’s talk about the adaptation part of the story-telling. My problem with this show has never been them not following the books. My problem is them following the books, then not following the books, and then going back to following the books again without keeping with the changes they made. Let me better explain this, as I know it’s a little confusing. This show will make changes to a particular plot or character point that doesn’t exist in the books. And that’s fine. I don’t have a problem with that. My problem is that they’ll make those changes and then take another scene 100 pages down the line out of the book and use it nearly verbatim. When you made that original change, the context has changed as well which means that scene isn’t going to work the same way. You have to change that scene to fit the new context. An example of this is the infamous Seelie Court kiss scene. Previously in Season 2, the writers had made the change that Clary was really enjoying this new-found romantic relationship with Simon. Or at least, there weren’t any hints that she was secretly coveting Jace in episodes prior. She had even told Simon that despite knowing Jace isn’t her brother, she had no plans to break it off with Simon. She wanted to be with him. And this change would’ve been alright but the show still tried to keep the Seelie Court kiss scene more or less verbatim as it is in the books. In the books, this scene and how it plays out makes sense because the reader could always tell that even though Clary didn’t overtly hate her romantic relationship with Simon, it didn’t make her feel the same way she felt when she was with Jace. None of that is applied in the show. The show goes on stating that Jace is the kiss that will set them free as it is the kiss Clary most desires but there was no set up to this revelation so the pay-off of the kiss scene doesn’t work. Because you were never really led to believe that while Clary was dating Simon she wanted to be with Jace. As I said, they made a change and as a result the context has changed so the future writing also needed to change…which they didn’t do. When authors write certain things at certain points in their books, it’s for a very calculated reason. Everything more or less has a purpose. When you adapt a book to any kind of film, it’s a given that changes are going to have to be made and that has never been my issue with the show. It’s always been them making a change and then not having the rest of the story change along with it to support that change. Ultimately, at the end of the day, I wish Shadowhunters had taken The Vampire Diaries or the The 100 approach to their writing. I wish they had taken the bones of the source material and then told their own story and created the characters and their personalities in their own way. When Shadowhunters was first announced, initially, that’s what I thought they were going to do. I can’t help but feel like maybe this show might’ve been better written and executed if it weren’t for them being so bogged down by the source material. As much as I love the books (and trust me, I do), this show could have really benefited from a Kevin Williamson level of adaptation. For those of you who don’t know, he was the one who developed The Vampire Diaries for tv adaptation and I was always really impressed with how it was adapted. And I will never apologize for liking Vampire Diaries. Yes, it got a little convoluted in later seasons but seasons 1-3 are fantastic. I am more or less excited for Shadowhunters Season 3 because we are starting to delve into the second half of The Mortal Instruments series and I feel like the second half is going to work much better for adapting. Shadowhunters made the decision to create the show with an ensemble cast in mind however, the first half of The Mortal Instruments isn’t very conducive for an ensemble cast. You pretty much follow Clary and Jace and that’s about it. But the second half starts focusing much more heavily on the other characters. And I feel like it’s definitely going to be easier to adapt. Season 1 and 2 were bogged down by the fact that in the source material, there isn’t a whole lot that characters like Alec, Magnus, Izzy, and Luke are actually doing. Clary and Jace are the ones that are driving the story. And it’s very clear with the storytelling in the show, that the writers didn’t really know what to do with them. This is definitely something I think is going to be improved in Season 3.

Season 3 also needs to work on their world-building. More specifically, their use of magic systems. I continues to grate my nerves that there are no rules to their magic system. As I’ve said before, rules are so important in a fantasy and most importantly in the magic system within that fantasy. If your magic system has no rules then you can do anything with magic. If you can do anything with magic, what makes it compelling? All it does is become a convenient plot device. And I love magic systems. I don’t want to see a magic system be used as a cheap plot device. I want magic to be its own character in a way.

So there are certain themes I’d like to see explored in Season 3. Well, really only one theme. And that is, “consequences”. This show has a huge problem with it’s characters never facing any true consequences for their actions. In the finale, it was laughable to me that when Jace mentions to Clary that she can’t just bring someone back from the dead without a consequence and she’s all, “not this time. This time there won’t be any consequences.” This line is funny to me because it actually implies that Clary has faced consequences for her actions before, which she has not. I really hope the show goes into this theme in Season 3. That they really bring to the fore front that Clary’s selfish nature is the root cause for these horrible things that are going to happen. I really hope the show has the guts to go this direction. They probably won’t considering how much they love to paint Clary as this Mary Sue who is beyond special and could never do anything wrong because she’s so selfless and wonderful (ugh, I just vomited a little in my mouth writing that). But as Season 3 hasn’t aired yet, I’m going to hope for the best. It’s not just Clary that has this issue either. It’s the show’s story-telling as a whole. Their inability to have any truly impactful consequences. The best example is how Max played out in Season 2B. Now, I’m not saying that Max should have died, as he does in the books. I’m saying something resonatingly impactful should’ve happened to him. My own dark theory was that Jonathon hurt him so bad that it put him in a coma that he would never wake up from and that was the driving force for Izzy to go after Jonathon. And it kind of sort of happened. Max does go into a coma but then he gets a miracle treatment from the Silent Brothers and he’s perfectly fine now. It has no lasting impact. Essentially there was no consequence for anyone letting Jonathon into their lives besides a couple of nameless dead shadowhunters. Max recovers and then they go after Jonathon. Yes, they’re mad about what Jonathon did to Max but ultimately, it’s not going to leave a lasting impression on their psyche. It definitely felt like the writers chickened out. There are a lot of different directions the theme of consequences could take Season 3 and I hope the writers are brave enough to take it because at this point, they really need it.

Characters and Their Relationships

Let’s talk about these characters and their relationships now. How these characters are depicted gets very uneven at times. And this show has an issue with slow-burn. They do not know how to do a slow-burn. It stems from their pacing and subtlety issues. They want people to like this show so badly that they’re forgetting why people cling to fandoms in the first place. It’s not that two people are in a wonderful relationship that leaves you in a pile of goo everytime you see them together on screen, it’s how they got there, how their relationship developed, how they as characters develop. That’s what leaves you in a pile of goo. And I haven’t had that experience with this show yet. Yes, I love Malec but there are so many problems with the writing that prevents me from having that gooey feeling. This show is by no means bad but i wouldn’t call it good either. The times it leans closer to the good spectrum are when the characters are driving the story. Let’s start talking about these characters.

First up is Clary. Oh boy. I’ve made no secret about my distaste for Clary. And it’s really difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is about her that grates on my nerves. There’s a lot of little things that bother me. Ultimately, it’s the Mary Sue-ness of her character. As I said earlier, it’s her doing really selfish things but everyone else ignoring it because they think she’s so selfless and wonderful. Now, I don’t have a problem with Clary being a selfish person. At her core, that’s what she is. She follows her heart and that leads her to doing selfish things. It’s perfectly human. Humans are selfish beings. Even when we go out of our way to help others, there’s still a selfish undertone – for a lot of us, it makes us feel good knowing we helped someone, it benefited us in some way. But the fact that no one calls Clary out on her crap any more is what I dislike. Clary does these selfish acts because it’s a way to push the plot forward but it’s never used to push her character forward and that’s the issue I have with her. If the show didn’t tote her around as this perfect being and just own up to the fact that she is selfish, I would have no issues with Clary. Dare I say it, I may even like her. Which is why I mentioned earlier when I talked about the consequences theme for Season 3, I would like to see her selfish nature be called to the fore front. For Clary to really be held accountable for her selfish decisions. For her to really look at herself and be like, “oh, no. I’m causing this. Everything bad that’s happening is all because of me.” Really, I just want the show to do something that will make this audience think, “Yeah. She’s not perfect. She makes mistakes.”

On to Jace. I fluctuate a lot on my feelings for Jace. Dom Sherwood does a fantastic job of portraying him. That’s never been my issue. He is fantastic at bringing this very angsty feel to Jace. Which is important because Jace is quite angsty. And I do love it when male characters show their vulnerable side. However, sometimes the writers take Jace’s angst to an absurd level. Just how easily this guy gets moved to tears, I find a little ridiculous. This guy is more emotional than I have been in my entire life. And I say that with the time period I went through puberty in mind where getting a B on a homework assignment was enough to drive me to tears. It’s really hard for me to believe that a 20-year-old, whether they be male, female, unspecified gender, whatever, would be crying over some of the things he cries over. My feelings might be hurt a little but I don’t think I’d cry over some of these things. But I’m also a really sarcastic person and sarcastic people usually don’t let too many things bother them. We believe in hiding our insecurities through jokes. It’s probably why I like Book Jace so much. A lot of the fandom thinks Book Jace is mean. I don’t know where they get that. I think he’s really funny and whenever the fandom says that he’s mean, I really have to question how they, as a person, functions in the real world. Trust me, there are some genuinely mean people in the real world. Some of them are located right here in this fandom. If you think Book Jace is mean, how do you deal with those people? But don’t take this to mean I hate Jace. I haven’t genuinely hated Jace since Season 1 Episode 6 when I changed his name (temporarily) to The Douche. I like him much more in Season 2. His motivations and his character development as a whole is super interesting. And I love it when he gets snarky. Doesn’t happen nearly as much as it should, though. I live for the moments when Jace gets sassy. I really like what Christine from polandbanannasbooks said about the kind of person Book Jace is. He’s a more sexy and angsty version of Chandler Bing. I’d like to see that guy pop up more in the show.

With Clary and Jace talked about now, let’s take a brief interlude and talk about Clace now. Clace is definitely an example of a couple they rushed when they didn’t need to. It’s not that Kat and Dom have bad chemistry, They have this fun, breezy chemistry about them that works super well when they’re just hanging out. However, when it gets to the point where they’re being forced into having a romantic, epic moment, it’s just that. It feels forced. The show also doesn’t do them any favors by making them so generically YA at the same time. They fall for each other simply because “they were meant for each other.” No work has actually been put forth into developing their relationship, what it is about each other that they like so much. It’s just bland, cheesy, YA tropes. And not the good kind of YA tropes. My hopes for Season 3 is that we’ll get moments where they’re start actively learning about each other on an intellectual level.

For Simon as a character, I’m not really super interested in him. He’s super funny. The show clearly gave all the Jace snark to him. But at the end of the day, even though it felt like he had a lot to do this season, it also feels like he didn’t really accomplish that much. For me, as a character leaving an impact on the season, he didn’t really factor all that much. I am very interested to see how his character is going to progress in Season 3 as it looks like they’re going completely off-book with him. Like I said, I almost prefer that the show would go off-book.

I guess we’ve got to talk about Izzy, now. Izzy has always been a character that routinely falls on the wayside for me. A lot of the fandom seems to really like her but I find her kind of dull at times. And she is a bad-ass but she never contributes a whole lot. The show never really knows what to do with her. They like to tell us she’s a bad-ass but she has very few character moments that actually lend to that. She seems to only serve as a support function for Alec and Clary. I was super excited when they started introducing this drug addiction for her character. A lot of people say this ruined her character. In my eyes, it’s hard to ruin a character who was on as shaky foundation as she was to begin with. She has no real consistent character foundations. I liked the drug addiction plot because something interesting was finally being done with her character. And no one comment saying, “Oh but Izzy is so great because she’s the best pathologist in NYC. That’s a contribution.” I hate the whole “Izzy is the best pathologist” angle. First of all, it is such a Mary Sue angle to make her the best. Second of all, what exactly makes her better than all of the other pathologists? Third of all, I find it insulting that this 19-year-old is the best pathologist in NYC when you have people who spend 10+ years receiving their medical training. At what age did she begin her training? When she was 6? Not to mention, there are so many plot holes with the pathologist angle that I don’t even want to get into right now. Basically, for Izzy, I hope that she gets written better in Season 3. They were going an interesting angle with the drug addiction but then she got a miracle cure and it’s never mentioned. There was absolutely no point to that plot at all.

I’m very much on the rocks about whether or not I want the show to go the Sizzy route. The Sizzy that I love is from the books. And Izzy’s personality has changed so much that we’re not going to get Sizzy from the books. Now what the show is currently doing with Simon and Izzy could lead to some really interesting foundations in their romantic relationship IF they keep it a slow-burn. But this show also sucks at slow burns so I don’t know how optimistic I should be.

Next up is Alec. My favorite character in both the books and show. He was already pretty good in the books but the show did a really great job with figuring him out as a character in the show. I just really enjoy him. He is a little inconsistent with his logic. And like with Izzy, I wish that he would do more in the fore front of the story. He fares much better than Izzy does in the story telling but his plot points always feel like they’re just kind of added on and then subsequently dropped. He has all of these great B plot ideas that never really seem to affect any of the main story and as a result, they’re usually dropped. And then of course, a lot of the fandom doesn’t perceive Alec as his own character. They see him as one half of Malec. And if he’s not doing something that’s going to forward the Malec plot than it’s automatically trash. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing Alec spend a bit more time away from the Malec plots and really give us a chance to see more of him as a person.

As I made in my previous point, we can’t talk about Alec without talking about Magnus. I am very off and on about Magnus as a character. Honestly, this guy’s motivations and his changes in motivations were starting to give me whiplash. I care about Magnus in the sense that he’s a really interesting character and when he’s allowed to be snarky, he’s great. But the way that he reacts to situations, it doesn’t feel real. And I’m not talking about the acting. I’m talking about the writing. He reacts to things in a very childish and vindictive way.

Which means I have to stop beating around the bush. I have to talk about Malec this season. Oh boy. This is going to be long. Malec in this season was great…when they have absolutely no conflict. When they’re hanging out and having fun, supporting each other, you love them as a couple. However, when they’re in a fight, Malec grates on my nerves. I had gotten to the point in 2B where I straight up didn’t care about what was going on in their relationship. I became apathetic to Malec. The world must truly be ending. Now, this is not me saying I don’t want Malec to ever fight. This is a dig at how poorly written the Malec fights are. Here’s the thing, the ideas behind the Malec fights are actually really good but the flaw is in their execution. There’s a very childish tint to it. I hate what happens in these Malec fights and I hate how they’re resolved. Here is the specific formula on Malec fights:

1) Alec does something that angers Magnus

2) Magnus tells Alec to get out (because that’s a totally healthy way of dealing with your problems)

3) Alec apologizes and Magnus forgives him but Magnus (in his eyes at least) has nothing to apologize for

Rinse and repeat. It happens this way every couple of episodes. And I hate how unequal this relationship is. And this is not me being mad that my favorite character is the one at fault in his relationship, this is me being mad that it’s being written like everything is always Alec’s fault and Magnus never does anything wrong. Even though it’s not true. He also adds to these fights but it’s never called to attention in the writing. This is not a very healthy way to approach a relationship. And with it always highlighting that Alec is at fault, this could very easily be interpreted as an abusive relationship. You have one party believing he’s at fault for a conflict, he apologizes, and the other party gets to continue thinking he’s the perfect one in the relationship and can proceed to blame his lover for anything that goes wrong. Because that’s the way it’s always been. Now I know that’s a little extreme. Granted, Malec isn’t quite there yet, but if this formula keeps up, it won’t be that big of a stretch to call this an abusive relationship. A relationship is all about equality. You cannot have a successful relationship if one person holds all of the power. I really hope Season 3 is going to address this. I really hope there’s a reason for why Malec conflicts were written this way and not just because the writers really like Magnus. I’m hoping Season 3 is going to explore Alec noticing these tell tale problems in his relationship with Magnus and starts questioning it. Maybe this will lead to them breaking up for a much longer space of time because he doesn’t truly believe that Magnus respects him or his position in this relationship. I really did not like how Malec got back together in the finale. I believe the exact words I said in response to Alec saying “I can’t live without you” was “oh, please. Come on.” Seriously, they had been broken up for barely 1 episode. At most, it was a couple of days. You need to be broken up a little longer than that before I’ll accept that sort of declaration.

Not only do I have a problem with Alec always being the bad guy in the relationship, I also have a problem with how Magnus deals with conflicts. Essentially, when a relationship conflict crops up, he responds with, “You’re making me mad. Get out. I don’t want to deal with you.” That is not a healthy way to deal with relationship woes. Why does a character who has 500 years worth of relationship experience behave like a 16-year-old yet his partner, a 20-year-old is far more willing to stick it out and compromise right off the bat. And I have to ask, is this how he’s always going to deal with these relationship conflicts? Is this how he’s always dealt with them? If that’s the case, no wonder he’s had 7,000 relationships. He’s probably never made it past the first fight. He probably tells each of his lovers when they have a fight to get out and leave him alone and they’re probably all, “You know what Magnus? You’re a cool guy and all but I need someone who who’s going to behave like an actual mature adult so I’m going to peace the fuck out.”

When this guy gets his feelings hurt, he becomes ultra vindictive and childish. I mean, just in the last 2 episodes of season 2, he was absolutely horrible. He was actually willing to let NYC be destroyed because he didn’t want to help Alec. As much as I do like Magnus – and I really do, don’t misunderstand me – but Alec deserves better. Like I said, I hope the writers are going for Magnus’ behavior to be called out in Season 3 but I also know better. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Well, I think I’ve ranted on Malec for long enough, let’s talk about Luke. Luke has the potential to be a really great character but he also suffers from much the same things that Izzy and Alec suffer from. The story not really knowing what to do with him as a character. I mean, there are long stretches of time where Luke just kind of disappears. Hopefully, this will change in Season 3 and he’ll become a much more active agent in the story. I also hope he quits his day job as a detective because he is the worst detective ever. I don’t even know how he still has a job. He never seems to be working.

And a little side note. I’m also low-key shipping Luke and Maryse. I think they could be really interesting as a couple.

Now we’ve got Maia. I actually really like Maia but for whatever reason, the show just cannot write her in a decent, consistent way during a finale episode. In the 2A finale, they had her automatically jump to killing Clary with no real development into her making a decision like that and in 2B she’s all damsel in distress in the Seelie realm. Never mind the fact that she’s been depicted as a bad-ass werewolf in earlier episodes, but in the finale she was just really quiet and meek. It was very strange. Definitely for Season 3, they need to make Maia more consistent with her character development and not just change her personality whenever it suits the plot.

Will Tudor was also amazing as Sebastian/Jonathon. I’m not a fan of the burnt blob he turns into. I find Jonathon a much more threatening villain when he’s Will Tudor being creepy as fuck as opposed to the burnt blob the show decided to add. I’m really hoping he returns as Will Tudor and not the burnt corpse.

Not a whole lot to say about Valentine. Ultimately, I’m very disappointed with where he went as a villain. I always found Valentine to be moderately interesting in the books and the show just took away everything that was interesting about him and left us with a Disney villain. Alan Van Sprang did the best he could trying to humanize Valentine but the script wasn’t doing him any favors. Hopefully the next super-villain this show has will write their villain in a less cheesy and cliché way.

In my Season 2 Finale review, I had also had this theory where I was hoping Maxim Roy will come back to play Lillith in the form of Jocelyn. I think that would be really interesting. And no, I don’t keep up on the Season 3 spoilers/behind-the-scene stuff. I want to be surprised when it airs. So no one tell me that Maxim Roy isn’t returning. I’d prefer to be disappointed on my own.

One more thing I want to mention is the Jalec parabatai bond. The show has taken a lot of steps to improve the parabatai bond and I love that they have. However, they seem to only highlight the angsty parts of it or to use it as a plot device. The parabatai bond is super interesting in both the positive and negative effects it leaves on those who have it. The show loves to talk about the negative effects of it. I would like to see the show start to show the benefits it has. They also need to make this bond more consistent and equal. A lot of times, it feels like Alec experiences the effects more than Jace. It was beyond weird to me in Season 2 Episode 3, that Jace finally makes it off the ship but yet can’t tell that there’s something wrong with Alec. And then Jace cuts his hand, and Alec has no problem feeling that? If there’s one thing I’d like from the parabatai bond in Season 3, it’s the consistency.

At the end of the day, this show tries really hard to be epic. It really wants to be on Vampire Diaries caliber but the writing just isn’t there. The acting is. That isn’t the issue. I love the actors, I love the way they portray their characters. Even the ideas the writers have are actually really good ideas. It’s just the execution that they have a problem with. Once the writing catches up to the actors’ talent, I think we’ll have a truly amazing show on our hands.

Well, that’s about all I have about Season 2. Again, I am neither PRO nor ANTI shadowhunters. In my eyes, it’s neither a good or bad show. It’s just bland. What I’m doing here is just looking at this show and telling you what it makes me think and feel. Do you have to agree with me? No. But you should still respect it. So, with that said, I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings about Season 2. Are there changes you think could be made that I didn’t mention? I’d love to hear how other people interpret this show. This is why fandoms are so much fun but they’re horrible places when can’t people can’t respect each other’s opinions. So please, respect make the dream work.

And with this blog post out of the way, I am now going to go see American Assassin and proceed to fall in love with Dylan O’Brien’s talent to create strong but vulnerable characters.

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters season 2 #shadowhunters 2a #shadowhunters 2b #shadowhunters review #shadowhunters season 3 #clace #malec #sizzy

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sunnydaleherald · 7 years ago

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, March 16

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Transition (Angel, Buffy, PG) by badly-knitted

Choice (Giles, Willow, Tara, G) by harmony033

In the Wake of Disaster (Giles, OC, G) by littleotter73

the inherent complexity of falling in love (Giles/Jenny, PG-13) by The_Eclectic_Bookworm

Protection (Buffy, Tara, PG-13) by faithandbuffy

Burn (Buffy/Faith, PG-13) by Val_Creative

Drive (Angel, Spike, R) by Roselightfairy

Enough (Buffy/Faith, R) by Liz_M

Fade Into You (Spike/Willow, PG-13) by angelus2hot

Untitled ficlet (Buffy/Willow, G) by USERNAME

[Chaptered Fiction]

bathed in light Chapter 3 (Tara/Willow, PG-13) by Roselightfairy

for all my paths in life will lead me, lead me back to you Chapter 1 (Buffy/Faith, PG-13) by buffylovesfaith

Can't Fight a Human Chapter 2 (Ensemble, PG-13) by FaeMelody

The Darkling Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by OffYourBird

Second Chances: Season 6 Chapter 77 (Faith/Tara/Willow, R) by chadmaako

Pygmalion Lost Chapter 15 (Angel/Buffy, R) by secooper87

Forward Without Seeing Chapter 66 (Ensemble, R) by queen_insane

Salt of the Earth Chapter 13 (Buffy/Dean Winchester, Supernatural xover, R) by Cereza

The Last Stage from Sudrow’s Wells Chapter 10 (Faith, xover with She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, PG-13) by steeleye

What You Do Afterwards: Season Two Chapter 1 (Angel, Cordelia, Doyle, PG-13) by myheadsgonenumb

Home for the Holidaze Chapter 2 (Angel/Buffy, R) by desraewilson

Welcome To Westworld Chapter 19 (Cordelia, Xander, PG-13) by Ninja-Master

Something Old Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, R) by yellowb

[Images, Audio & Video]

Fanvid: Looking Too Closely (Buffy) by HostilePoet17

Fanvid: The Way (Buffy) by Something Like Stars

Podcast: Episode #255: ‘Buffy’ 7×20 and ‘Angel’ 4×22 – From Dumpster Love to Dumpster Fire by hypable

[Reviews & Recaps]

TV Fanaric: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Rewatch: Anne

Video: Still Pretty #29. Lies My Parents Told Me (S7.17) by Chipperish Media

Video: Reaction and Review - "Welcome to the Hellmouth" by Nerd Reactor

[Recs]

Spander fic recs by k-vichan

[Fandom Discussions]

The Watchers’ Council: An organization in decline? by dreamsofghostsandstars

On Willow\Tara in "New Moon Rising" by sulietsexual

Buffyverse/Shadowhunters for the crossover game by takaraphoenix

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

What Culture: Why A Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot Should NEVER Happen

Bloody Disgusting: 21 Reasons “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Still Slays 21 Years Later! by Megan Navarro

#btvs #Buffy The Vampire Slayer #buffy #angel the series #ats

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im-out-of-it · 3 days ago

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season 1, episode 11 “blood calls to blood”

aka guess who are “siblings” 💀

1. it’s almost funny that Valentine tricks jace this way. like jace thinks it’s his father and he’s so happy but all Valentine is doing is taunting jace and tricking them just so he can have the cup. just like Alec predicted lmao

2. you don’t have to heal jace. you can let him die. we would all be better off

3. I know I post a lot of anti jace stuff but if the writing actually had him being held accountable and he was a decent person, I could get on board. but I can’t. he’s insufferable, toxic, and self involved

4. well, we are back with Alec and Izzy. one shadowhunter trial about to come up 👏🏼

5. “I can’t find jace because I weakened our bond”- yes Alec did weaken it but let’s not just put it all on Alec. parabatai are supposed to have each others back and I haven’t seen jace do that for Alec at all. anytime Alec needs him, jace isn’t there. we don’t know their relationship before episode 1 so maybe he was there but knowing jace, I fucking doubt it lmao

6. “what am I supposed to do, sit here and play solitaire while they find something else to blame me for?”- Izzy. I’m just surprised she knows what that game is 😭 but honestly it’s kind of messed up that clary and Jace got to run off with the mortal cup while Izzy is here almost about to lose her being a shadowhunter. it’s not fair at all. and I think the treatment of jace and clary vs Alec and Izzy is something that doesn’t get discussed much. they hardly are held accountable for anything. they’ve ran off and who is to blame? ALEC. Izzy may have had a hand in helping meliorn but she didn’t do it alone so why is Izzy the one paying the consequences?

7. literally jace could go out and kill a bunch of downworlders and say they attacked me first! and he still would be fine. oh because jace is supposedly the best of us all except he always needs rescuing. Alec has paid the price for so many of jace’s actions.

8. “Izzy, I’m your big brother, please let me help you”-Alec 😭

9. I love that Simon has people helping him out. Luke in season one, Magnus in season two. Magnus had to deal with being a warlock all on his own. Luke had Jocelyn but no one should have to go through their changes on their own ☹️

10. LET JACE DIE! LET JACE DIE! LET JACE DIE!

11. I know Raphael is asexual but I would have been 100% okay with a Raphael and Simon pairing. THEY HAVE CHEMISTRY

12. but I love the importance of the showing making representation matter. we have Magnus who is bisexual, alec is gay, Raphael is asexual, and I can’t think of her name but that officer in season three who is a lesbian as well as aline and Helen. so nice to see 🥹

13. “Funny how those rules for downworlders stop being such a big deal when you need our help.”-ok Raphael tell her off 🔥 literally, what I have been talking about!!!! shadowhunters can break the accords = it’s okay! downworlders breaking accords = they’re evil and must be executed and punished!

14. having Camille only being on the show as temporary was a mistake in my opinion. I’m not saying she needed to be there the whole time but I think she’s a very underrated character who could’ve been more. she didn’t have one entire scene in all of season one that was terrible

15. ah blackmailing, how original

16. how I feel everytime jace gets away with something lmao (I always try to do shadowhunter gifs but I couldn’t resist)

17. Raphael: blackmailing me? how unkind, now stick around new advisor 🥲 raphael doesn’t play any games

18. ah, inquisitor herondale. what a cold bitch she is

19. well jace lives so yay I guess?

20. “this is real clary”-jace. ugh not them putting their whole mouths all over each and making cringe facial expressions 🤢

21. not sorry, I find them so cringe

22. ah, Valentine being Michael wayland being highly suspicious (shit I hope I didn’t ruin this for anyone, SORRY)

23. I love how “Valentine” sees jace following whatever clary says and is thinking hmmmm interesting

24. Izzy is all like if Jocelyn can be on the run then I can, but she had runes and weapons and Luke for starters so it’s not like Jocelyn was alone

okay so this isn’t going to be in order and this post will be more than likely go towards the trial 😌

45. I love the way alec says done and he just stares at Magnus like this man is going to take me for all I’m worth and I’m going to be happy about it 😭

46. the struggle is real for alec because not only is he denying a man who he is most likely having feelings for but he has have the audacity to go back to that same man 😬 and literally ask him for help while also trying to fight his feelings

47. like it’s just got to be hard for alec to be around magnus. I know he’s gay, we know he’s gay, literally the whole world knows he’s gay but alec doesn’t feel comfortable being gay in the shadow world. this is more of an assumption on my part when it comes to Alec. because he’s never dated and we see him “secretly” eyeing other men. which he is rightly validated in because the shadowhunters (more clave) are such oppressive ass judgmental prejudicial dicks who would rather control a being to their mold than have someone be comfortable in who they wish to be. they have this my way or no way thinking of how a shadowhunter should act and be

48. and the show doesn’t really touch up often on what it means to be gay in the shadow world or just different (I mean the books barely did and I would rather cc stay away from all matters because she burns everything she touches so no thanks)

49. also can we talk about how fucking gorgeous Magnus is???????

50. HE KNOWS HE IS FINE AS HELL

51. like how is Alec not drooling over him?????? man he’s got to be using every strength to hold it in and fight it 😭

52. also kind of funny how we’re introduced as jace being the one without emotions and clary as the emotional feeling one and the fact that clary is the one ending valentines reign, and Jace can never handle it

53. I sympathize with Jace losing his parents and having a messed up childhood but I don’t sympathize with someone who has this and uses excuses to be a shitty person. I’m sorry but I never once saw a change in either jace or clary in the show or the books.

54. “You don’t trust Alec so clary means more to you.”- “Michael wayland” ayyyyyy isn’t this what I have been saying this whole time????? dude is reading my mind I swear

55. and now he’s trying to act as though he trusts Alec. “Valentine” is right about something. he has put clary first since she arrived and Alec last. fucking Izzy is about to get deruned and jace and clary are out here basically having the time of their life. I know it’s an exaggeration but what did they think would happen after they saved meliorn????

56. MAGNUS THE LAWYER IS HERE

57. HES IN A SUIT AND TIE ALL READY TO FIGHT FOR THE LOVE OF HIS LIFES SIS AND HE IS ABSOLUTELY THE HOTTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM!!!!!!!!! this is who I need to represent me at any time!!!

58. Magnus: excuse me, your honor but this bitch is irritating the fuck out of me (magnus having to be near Lydia lmao)

okay, so part 3 coming soon 🥰✨

#anti cassandra clare #anti cc #just my stupid opinions #alec lightwood #anti jace herondale #magnus bane #anti clary fray #anti clace #show magnus is superior #show alec is superior #show malec is superior #putting anti cc on all show shadowhunter posts because i don’t want an pro book fans hating on my shit #shadowhunter show is superior #shadowhunters tv #magnus killing it in every episode #now this is the trial of the century

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bluephoenixdruidicprincess · 7 years ago

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Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 20 Beside Still Water Review

Forewarning: I had a lot of issues with this episode. There will be negative opinions about the show, particularly its writing. If you think this is the best show ever and don’t want to hear negative things about this show, this is not the review for you. DO NOT READ. If you’re rude or try to belittle me in any way, you will be ignored.

It’s finally happened. The Shadowhunters Season 2 Finale, Beside Still Water, has premiered. And how do I feel about this episode? Honestly, it was about as good as it could manage with what it had going on and with how the writers like to write. I’ll be real with you guys, whereas I appreciate that the show upped the production value with this episode and made it look really nice, I found it completely ridiculous. There were very few moments within the episode that made any actual sense.

This is going to be an honest review of my thoughts and feelings regarding this episode. If you’re the kind of Shadowhunters fan where you only want to hear positive things about the show, this is not the place for you. If you decide to stick around and get offended by what is said, then that’s on you. I warned you. Just know that if you send me any rude comments or messages, I will 100% ignore you. I find that’s the best way to deal with bullies. I work 14 hour days. Do you really think I want to waste my incredibly valuable free time dealing with derogatory comments? Hell no. This review will consist of my honest opinions. Opinions are never right or wrong. I’m not telling you how to think and feel. I’m telling you what I think and feel. So please, let’s discuss with dignity and respect. If I’m critical about the show, it’s only because I want it to get better. There is, in fact, a difference between hating a show and being critical of it. I do not hate Shadowhunters; I am being critical and analyzing the flaws as I would with any other show. There are positives but there are also negatives. It’s great if you want to promote positivity with this show (and I encourage you to do so) but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t acknowledge the things that are legitimately wrong with it. Also, keep in mind that despite the fact that I do love the books, me being critical of this show has nothing to do with my love of the books. I don’t really care if the show deviates from the source material as long as it’s good and it makes sense. My problems with this show are problems that I would have with any show or book for that matter. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to take issue with a show that has plot holes, shoddy world-building and inconsistent characters. There will be spoilers for the books and movies.

The show went back to its roots in this episode. The ridiculous and nonsensical writing. It actually surprised me a little on how many issues I had with this episode. It’s been a while since I had seen so many blatant logic issues in these episodes. They used to pop up all the time but the past few episodes, while illogical moments did exist, you probably wouldn’t pick up on them unless you were paying really close attention. But in this episode, they were everywhere. I guess the show was making up for lost time. It was kind of disheartening because they were hyping the hell out of this episode and I found it to be just, ”meh” in terms of actual storytelling. This episode was all over the place. It didn’t really feel like a season finale. It felt like something they threw together because they realized they were at a finale point. There were plenty of moments that felt out of place, additions that didn’t really need to be there -- in essence, I found this script to be a total mess. We had a bunch of different storylines that didn’t really connect with each other. Maia being kidnapped by the seelies didn’t have a whole lot to do with the stuff at Lake Lynn or the demons flying around NYC. The demons flying around NYC didn’t have a whole lot to do with the things happening at Lake Lynn or the seelie court. Writing like this may be acceptable during a typical season episode but the point of a finale is that it’s a culmination of everything that happened during that season and this episode, in my opinion didn’t really reflect that. Still better than the first season finale, don’t get me wrong. And when I say this episode was ridiculous, it was still better than any Season 1 episode for sure. It hadn’t reached that level of ridiculousness.

I’d say about 90% of my shadowhunters notes for this episode was just a list of things that didn’t make sense. There were a couple of moments that I liked but ultimately, there were a lot more things wrong with this episode than there were right. I’m going to be approaching this review a little differently than I usually do. It’s really just me going down the list of my notes and talking about things.

The Good

As always, I’ll start out with the good so people won’t get on the hate train first thing. I actually do like this show. In every episode, there’s always moments I do enjoy. But with this episode, there were moments that I enjoyed but there was always something in the scene that bothered me. So a lot of things that are in the “Good” pile are also going to end up in the “Bad” pile.

When Clary and Jace decide to take a portal to Lake Lynn to stop Valentine, Alec tells Jace to be careful and he responds with, “When am I ever not careful.” Oh, how I miss Jace snark. It wasn’t perfect but it’s about as good as we’ll get with this writing. As much as I would like to see Jace snarky to the levels he’s at in the books, I’ve just had to accept that the writers don’t feel the same way so I’ll take what little snark I can get.

I loved the parabatai sequence when Jace died. It was really great. Just the way Matt Daddario was acting it out was really heart breaking to watch and the montage of flashbacks was really nice. It was nice to have this visual moment where you can see what Alec is losing in that moment. It was great to see that as Jace is dying, Alec is losing the center of his being. Clary also had a really great moment. She looked like she was destroyed in that scene. Really, Jace’s entire death sequence was very nicely acted. I’ve seen a lot of the fandom complain about how they didn’t like that Alec wasn’t breaking down and crying. That he was just sitting there and staring. To those people, I will remind them that people are individuals who feel things differently. People deal with death differently. To better explain Alec’s scenario, I’m going to reveal a very personal story about myself. When I was 15, my best friend was killed by a stray bullet in a police shootout. I didn’t witness it or anything. But when my friend’s parents came to my house to break the news to me, in that moment when they told me that my best friend was dead, I didn’t cry. I couldn’t. I couldn’t FEEL anything. I was in shock. I don’t know how long I was sitting on that couch. Time just seemed to stop for me in that moment. I was awake and conscious but my brain had completely shut down from registering anything. Eventually, my parents walked me to my bedroom. I think they had left to fix me a snack or something. But anyways, I was in my room sitting on my bed, my mind just completely blank and then something made me start to look around my room. I don’t know why but I moved to my desk and just above my desk is this little cork bulletin board. And this cork bulletin board had these pictures of me and my friend doing this improv acting skit. Me and my friend were taking this improvisational acting class at the time. I saw these pictures and that’s what was needed to push me out of the shock. I saw those pictures and it hit me. I was never going to go to an improv acting class with Sara again. She’s gone and she’s not coming back and I completely broke down in tears in that moment. My parents came rushing to me and comforting me but I cried for probably a good hour. My point with this incredibly personal and painful story is that in this moment, I don’t interpret Alec not being broken up about Jace being dead. I interpret him as going into this state of shock where you can’t feel anything. All you can do is just sit there. I know. I’ve experienced it firsthand. For Alec, the very center of his universe is gone. He has no idea what to do, what this means for him, he’s completely lost. Even if this isn’t the case and it wasn’t the director’s intent to be showing this as a state of shock, I can still further defend this. Shadowhunters, as a people, deal with death differently. For them, it’s a known fact that they’re probably going to die, that the death probably won’t be from natural causes, and it’s probably going to happen while they’re young. They accept this fate. It’s a sacrifice they accept for the power and responsibility they have. They accept death as this natural thing that happens with the lives they lead. When death does happen, I feel like they would internalize it a lot. Whereas someone like Clary, who openly cried at Jace’s death, has lived a mundane’s life. She hasn’t really come to terms with this aspect of the shadow world. The true sacrifice that shadowhunters make. That sometimes people die and there’s nothing you can do about it. She doesn’t really understand that because she hasn’t lived in a culture where that’s taught. But yeah, I love the characterization for Jace’s death scene. It was very well played. However, I don’t like the reason for why this scene happened and I’ll be talking about that in the “Bad” category.

I enjoyed the Clizzy interaction as well. That was a really nice moment between them. As much as I don’t like how they just immediately became friends; it’s weird to me that Izzy would be best buddies right at the beginning with Clary when she knows nothing about her, whether or not she should be trusted, etc, but maybe I just have more of an Alec personality than an Izzy personality. And considering how quickly she trusted Sebastian/Jonathon, maybe that isn’t that big of a stretch? I appreciate the show for creating a healthy female friendship that is very rarely seen in TV these days. Clizzy has a nice friendship chemistry that I do enjoy. I don’t want the show to ever go so far as to make Clizzy a romantic couple because then we would lose all of this. What it means for two women to have a healthy friendship with each other. They never tear each other down or are unnecessarily mean to the other. This is a rare thing to find in TV these days and I don’t want the show to lose this. I also would much prefer that if Clary does get a parabatai, that it be Izzy and not Simon. See guys? I don’t agree with every writing decision in the books.

There was a nice exchange with Malec but this scene is also going to end up in my bad list as well. I did like that Magnus says, “A wise man once said relationships takes effort.” And I like that little call back. I also like that Alec responds with, “That was an understatement.” They also shared a sweet little kiss at the end but that’s about all I have to say on the positive spectrum regarding this scene. You’ll hear more about it in the “Bad” list.

I’m not really sure which category this actually belongs in but I’m just going to casually remark on this. The part where Clary asks Jace why he didn’t tell Alec the truth that he was actually dead. A lot of the fandom seemed to have an issue with this. That Jace doesn’t trust Alec enough with this information. I can certainly see how that might be interpreted but that wasn’t how I interpreted it. For me, Jace doesn’t tell Alec about it not out of a sense of distrust, he doesn’t tell Alec because he doesn’t want to hurt Alec. For those few moments, Alec genuinely believed Jace was dead (and Jace actually was) and Jace doesn’t want that thought to burden Alec. You can say Jace did it out of a distrust for him but until that’s revealed in canon, I’m going to believe that he did it from a need to protect Alec from a horrifying truth. Is it going to bite him in the ass later? Most certainly but it’s the thought that counts.

Also, Drunk Luke is awesome. I’m just saying. I never realized how much I needed to see a drunk Luke until I got it so I really enjoyed that moment of him just kicking back and enjoying life. I hope he finds someone special in the next season. I’m low-key shipping him and Maryse right now. I feel like they have a lot they could bond over while their relationship with each other being just complicated enough to create interesting conflicts.

It seems like the show is going completely off the books with Simon’s storyline and that’s not really a bad thing. I’m curious to see where it’s heading. They could take it in really interesting directions especially since they don’t have any source material with this to be bogging them down.

There was some hardcore foreshadowing for City of Fallen Angels material here, too. Stuff is going down with Jace and what I presume to be Lillith. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the second half of The Mortal Instruments material. I love The Mortal Instruments in its entirety but I do have a fondness for the second half more than the first. City of Glass is still my favorite of the 6 books but I feel like the second half heads into a lot more interesting directions which will be easier for the show to adapt. The first half is good but also very singular. It’s very contained but not always in a good way because that kind of containment has a tendency to throw the pacing off a little. A lot more stuff happens in the second half and it’ll definitely give the writers more breathing room and material that’s easier to spin as they like to do. Also, I had this weird theory at the end of this episode when we see what I believe is meant to be Lilith approaching Jonathon’s dead body. Wouldn’t it be interesting if Lilith were to take the form of Jocelyn? I’m not saying Jocelyn is Lilith. But it would be interesting if Lilith took the shape of Jocelyn. She believes she’s technically Jonathon’s mother so it stands to reason that she would want to take the form of Jonathon’s mother. Not to mention, the conflict it would create with Clary and Luke seeing this person they once loved walking around but yet it not be the person they wish it to be. It could be really interesting. I’d enjoy seeing that.

The Bad

Ok. Time to head into this territory. I’m going to preface this with again, these are my opinions. I’m not telling you how to think and feel. I’m telling you what I think and feel. If you want to discuss this, we can. However, I will not respond to any rude or mean comments. If you really want to state your opinion on this, be nice about it or what’s the point? You’re not going to get a reaction from me so why waste your time saying mean things when a respectful comment is going to get you further? Not to mention, I’ll probably laugh at you as well. I’ve found during my time in the fandom that those who leave rude and disrespectful comments also say really dumb shit in the aforementioned comment as well. So even more reason for me to not take you seriously. Let’s get on with this. The list of things I didn’t like as well as things that just didn’t make sense in general.

So Maia is talking with the Seelie Queen and she eventually decides she’s had enough and tries to run off. Maia’s felled by one vine and immediately gives up. That was weird to me that Maia would give up just like that. I feel like Maia is a little more fiery than this. She wouldn’t let one vine stop her. She has three other limbs to use. Not to mention, SHE CAN TURN INTO A FREAKING WEREWOLF! I guess there were thorns in the vine but I still expected her to put up a much bigger fight than she did.

A demon starts flying around NYC and Izzy suspects from one little red dot that it’s some sort of wraith demon? How does she know that? That one red dot looked exactly like the others. And then we had the fight sequence in the NYC streets. And I always find it laughable when I see Alec, Jace, Izzy … and Clary running down the street on one of these demon slaying missions. Why would you take Clary on this? Surely there are more experienced shadowhunters you’d prefer to take? Especially since you don’t know what kind of demon it is. Clary might not be equipped to handle it. But I guess, theoretically, all of the other shadowhunters are scouring the city trying to find Jonathon because he fell in the water in the previous episode. I didn’t even talk about it in the previous episode, but why did they let his body fall into the water in the first place? There was no reason for it other than to be dramatic. It was so stupid. But also in this scene where they’re tracking down this demon, I couldn’t help but notice that traffic had stopped in a perfect circle right around the shadowhunters. I’m assuming they’re glamoured because this is NYC. You’re standing in the middle of a NYC street holding up traffic, at the very least, you’re going to get honked at. More than likely, you’re gonna get your ass run over. Drivers are absolutely savage in NYC. So the fact that there was no honking tells me that they were probably glamoured. In which case, why had traffic stopped and why was no one making a big deal about it? I don’t think the mundanes could see the dragon like creature looming over the city so why had traffic stopped? Guys, trust me. Brooklyn Rage is a thing. It makes no sense for why this happened. I know it’s a small thing but if you’re going to base your story in NYC, you gotta think about these things. You’ve gotta build atmosphere or you’re going to get called out on it.

Luke and Simon show up at the Seelie Court to retrieve Maia since Magnus is far too busy sulking in his hurt feelings to provide any sort of assistance in any of this. Even though I’m sure he realizes the Seelie Queen taking Maia to get to Simon makes perfect sense. He just can’t seem to care. He doesn’t want to admit that he’s made a bad decision. But Luke and Simon show up to the seelie court and for some reason they’re actually shocked that the Seelie Queen betrayed them. Why is this shocking? She literally has the least to lose in Valentine achieving his end goals. The confines of the seelie court will protect the downworlders so it makes sense that it’s really not that big of a deal if Valentine gets his wish. Really, they should’ve seen this one coming. But Luke just runs off in a huff being all, “Screw this. I’m going to find Maia.”

This show needs to iron out how these portals work. How could Clary have missed Lake Lynn when she’s portaled there before using the exact same technique? They need to work on their world-building with these portals. The mythology of them is so inconsistent. When they’re made do they only take you to one specific place or does the person actually have to think of the place? The show is very unclear on it.

Izzy realizes that these demons are coming out of a rift and for a second, it felt like I’d jumped into an episode of Doctor Who or Torchwood but okay. They need a warlock’s help to close this rift and of course they need the best so they need Magnus. Alec is of course hesitant to go to Magnus’ since Magnus has been a major douchebag to him since the breakup. Izzy tells him that if Alec doesn’t ask Magnus, she will. I can’t help but feel that maybe it would’ve been better if Izzy had been the one to ask. If you need someone’s help, it really isn’t smart to send the person’s ex to do the asking. I feel like Magnus would say no on principle alone which is what happens at first. However, Izzy has the benefit of not being at the bane of Magnus’ emotions not to mention she could probably slap some sense into him. That would’ve been awesome to see. Not to mention, Magnus is behaving in a horribly vindictive way. I don’t like it. I’m not saying that you’re not allowed to be angry over this kind of situation but if you’re refusing to do something because your feelings are hurt and you’re willing to let the world burn because of it, you need to check yourself. There are more important things going on than your love life crumbling. Actual innocent people are going to die and I hate that Alec has to actually say this in order to get Magnus to help because Magnus is too busy licking his wounds. The Magnus I know at least would care. He probably would’ve felt this demonic presence and would’ve come to the Institute being all, “I know there are demons coming out of a rift. I need to close it but I can’t find it. I’m sure you have the ability to track it down. Keep in mind, this changes nothing on how I feel about you shadowhunters but I’m willing to put that aside to ensure the demons don’t destroy my home.” Just the way Magnus is behaving in this episode and the previous episode is so completely childish. You would expect more from someone who has 500 years of life experience.

And then of course, the actual closing of the rift. I don’t even know where to begin with that scene because it makes me so angry. Needless to say, it was dumb. I don’t know why it was written that way. I hate that Alec missed one shot and suddenly he can’t handle this creature anymore when he was perfectly cool, calm, and collected when he got the one that was flying over NYC. He even missed a few times on that one and it didn’t phase him at all so it makes this situation feel completely out of character. It was out of character to begin with, though. Alec’s job was to keep the creatures away from Magnus so Magnus could seal the rift. Alec wouldn’t run back to Magnus and thereby bringing the creature to Magnus as well. It defeats the purpose of his job. His role was to keep the demons off of Magnus. Alec protects those he cares about with his life. He inherently believes other peoples’ lives are more important than his own. It’s why I love him so much. If he missed, he would keep on trying to kill that thing until he finally got it or the thing got him. In that moment, he would’ve known that Magnus’ life is more important. He wouldn’t endanger Magnus and Izzy’s lives. I understand why it was written. They wanted to have a moment where Magnus saves Alec’s life and thereby proves he still cares about Alec but Writers? Subtlety. Learn it. Please. This show is extremely unsubtle in everything it does and sometimes I’ll let it slide it but in this situation, no. This messed directly with a character’s core values and core motivations. I cannot let this one slide. I actually watched this episode a few times because I had so many bad things on my list and I wanted to make sure I had my facts straight. I had to fast forward completely through this scene every time I watched the episode. I couldn’t bare to watch it again. This is going to become one of those scenes where I’m just going to have to pretend it doesn’t exist. Much like the memory demon thing in Season 1 Epsiode 4, Raising Hell. I hate that moment when Alec lets go of the hands because he’d never do that and endanger his family’s lives. I get what they were trying to do with it. They were trying to reveal Alec’s feelings to Jace but again, so unsubtle and it messed with a character’s core values and core motivations and I will not stand for that.

Also, “Edomi are from Edom”? No shit, Sherlock, I would never have been able to figure that one out. And why does Izzy getting hit in the shoulder knock her out for the count besides plot convenience?

We have Jace and Clary making their hike to Lake Lynn where supposedly there’s an army to stop Valentine if he shows up. The army is actually nowhere near Lake Lynn so I don’t understand what the point of that was. And then we’re introduced to Consul Malachi as the leader of this army and he quickly apprehends Jace and Clary and reveals himself to be a circle member. I’m with Clary on this one. How does a circle member end up as the Consul? Seriously. It makes no sense. I understand what the show was trying to get at. That there are bigots within the Clave’s own leadership but revealing him to be a circle member was completely unnecessary and dumb. He could’ve just been a guy that was trying to save his own skin. Nothing more. I also feel like his presence in this episode and subsequent betrayal came out of nowhere. We had one 3 second scene with him a few episodes back and we’re supposed to feel like he’s a guy we should trust and care about? I barely remembered who he was. This bit of the episode felt like it didn’t need to be there. It was almost like they were skimming through City of Glass and were like, “Oh No. We’re finished writing the finale but we didn’t do the Consul Malachi betrayal scene. Let’s throw one together real quick.” Honestly, this entire segment could’ve been cut and it wouldn’t have made any difference to the episode whatsoever. But I will say the beginning of that execution sequence is really frightening to watch. It was filmed very well. The distorted view of the man with the ax walking up to Clary, it’s very much how I would imagine a person about to be executed would feel. Time slows down as they realize it’s all about to end. But on the other side, why was Malachi having this big, drawn out execution? They hadn’t broken any laws. They weren’t being used as some sort of example. Malachi was killing them because he thought it was the right thing to do for some reason? I get that he doesn’t want them to stop Valentine but they were chained pretty well inside that tent. All he had to do was keep them there until it was too late. And ok, if he had to kill them, why have this drawn out execution sequence when he could’ve just stabbed them in the tent and been done with it? Why make a cheesy Bond villain mistake? Then we had Jace activating his runes which was alright, I guess. But there wasn’t really anything significant about that moment. I was surprised it took him that long to do it, honestly. It was just one of those “ok” moments. I feel like the intent of that scene was to show the depth of his emotions for Clary. That he absolutely could not let her die and those feelings led to him activating that ability. But the issue is that he’s never had a problem with using that ability. He’s been doing it a lot over the course of 2B so it kind of felt anticlimactic in this scene. As I said, I was surprised it took him this long to do it. If I was the writer, I would’ve showcased Jace having this ability early on in the season but also showcased that he was having difficulty activating it. Like he couldn’t figure out how to turn it on and then in this scene, BAM! He’s able to turn it on because his feelings for Clary were that strong. This is what’s known as a “payoff.” You build something up and as a result of building up to it instead of saying it outright, it turns into this epic moment. Due to this show’s subtlety issues, it’s no surprise that they’re also not that great at “payoff” moments either. I’m not saying that it was a weak moment for the show. I’m just saying it could’ve been so much more momentous and impactful if it was written a little differently. It could’ve actually meant something.

So I guess now we’re heading into the big Lake Lynn moments. There is going to be a lot of major City of Glass spoilers so if you haven’t read that book but are planning to, please don’t read this. City of Glass is my favorite book within The Mortal Instruments installment and I would never want to spoil that book for anyone.

Let’s talk about the Jace death scene. Jace and Clary make their way to Lake Lynn and when they get there, Valentine shows up and stabs Jace and I’m not entirely sure why. I mean, I know why. He says, “You and Jace are too dangerous together.” I don’t understand that level of logic. What makes them both dangerous exactly? I’m assuming that’s going to be brought up in Season 3 hopefully. But also, with that logic, why would Valentine kill Jace and not Clary? Or better yet, why wouldn’t Valentine just kill them both? Valentine even said he’s willing to sacrifice everything. But apparently not the daughter he has no relationship with? Even though the show gave us a reasoning for Jace dying, it still kind of felt purposeless. Like it didn’t really fit with the storytelling. In City of Glass, where this scene is largely being adapted from, there is a purpose to killing Jace. Along with the mortal instruments, there needs to be a shadowhunter sacrifice to summon Raziel. Valentine was initially going to use Clary for the sacrifice but decided on Jace as he felt spilling the blood of the one he loved the most would create a stronger summoning than spilling the blood of the daughter he hated. So there was a purpose behind it. But here, there was none. Whenever I look back at that moment, I just cannot make sense of why the writers chose to make it happen that way. I expect the show to make changes. You need to with an adaptation. And if you do make changes, those changes need to make the story you’re telling as good as or better than the original. But it wasn’t in my opinion. It doesn’t really make any sense. As I said before, I absolutely loved the death scene in terms of characterization. It was beautifully acted. The parabatai being interwoven into the death was very nice however, I will say that I wish this parabatai bond Jace and Alec have was a little more equal. It kind of feels like Alec feels the bond more than Jace. Now, I’m not saying that we should have seen Jace reacting to the parabatai bond breaking. Not saying that at all. He just got stabbed in the heart after all. However, I do feel like it would’ve been nice to make some sort of callback to the parabatai bond so it doesn’t feel like the show only uses the bond as a plot device. It didn’t have to be anything big or anything. Just something simple as Jace’s last words to Clary being, “Take care of Alec. I love you, Clary.” It would’ve been nice. My head canon feels like Jace realizes how hard it would be for Alec if Jace died and I feel like he would want to do something to ensure that Alec was alright. It would’ve been him essentially saying he loved Clary and that she was the only one he trusted to take care of his parabatai, his other half. But I’m sure I’ll also get the Clace fans riding my ass on this one. Because heaven forbid the focus be taken away from Clace for a single second. But as I said before, I did like the acting in this scene. That was very well done. People keep on mentioning Kat’s acting as being a standout in this scene and that lead them to believe she was “most improved”. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she was standout in that moment. Kat has always been really good at on-screen crying. She wasn’t exactly showing anything new with her acting skills. Now in Season 3, if she manages to pull off a sarcastic comment that doesn’t come off as annoying and condescending, then maybe I’ll change my tune. But I’m not going to say she’s most improved when the thing that people are saying she’s most improved on is the thing that she’s always been good at.

So Jace dies and Clary lunges at Valentine in anger which was another weird moment. Why was Valentine just casually sitting there watching this and letting her mourn? I find it really hard to believe that he actually cared about Clary mourning Jace’s death but maybe he needed some time to mourn as well. He did just kill the child he loved. And Clary lunging at Valentine and him subsequently knocking her out was so ridiculous when we’ve had multiple scenes of her being able to handle five guys on her own. What happened there? Did she forget how to fight? I legit laughed during that part and then I face-palmed. I suppose I could go with anger making you do dumb things in a fight but still, the way this was presented was laughable. And I’m not really a big fan of how the next scene went down. But this could also primarily be because of my bias towards the particular book this scene is being adapted from. City of Glass is my favorite within The Mortal Instruments installment and in City of Glass, I really like how the Lake Lynn stuff went down. But if you hadn’t read the books and you saw this scene, I’m sure you’d be like, “Yeah, ok. I can go with that.” Clary brutally killing Valentine does work in its own right. I just like the irony that the book uses. Valentine calls upon the angel but during the ritual doesn’t realize that Clary changed his name as the person summoning on the runes to her own. I just love that final act of stubbornness she has. Despite her having lost the most important thing to her and she’s essentially lost all hope, she is too stubborn to let Valentine win after everything. I like that how she defeats him is because of what he did to her. He experimented on her in the womb (without realizing it) and as a consequence, Clary was given the means to defeat him. She wouldn’t have known to cross out Valentine’s name and put in her own unless she had that angel blood telling her. It was something nobody else could’ve done. The fact that Valentine was defeated by her because of something he did was just beautiful. And then of course, Raziel roasting Valentine and subsequently killing him was pretty awesome. It was such a beautiful irony. Valentine, all of his life, believed that he was right and that downworlders shouldn’t be considered human and then we have Raziel, the thing he believed in the most, telling him that he’s wrong. I love tragic irony. Now don’t get me wrong, I can also be fine with Clary killing Valentine as she does in the show. I understand what the show was trying to do with it. You want your hero to kill the villain. And especially since the experiences Clary has gone through in the show have been a little different than the books. For one, Jocelyn dying (even though the show dropped it and didn’t really do anything with it). It does make sense for Clary to kill Valentine but I would’ve written this show a little differently to support that plot happening so it would leave more of an impact. We all know I hate that Clary has become such a capable fighter in a very short period of time. It’s extremely unrealistic and every time she busts out her moves, I cannot take her seriously. It’s like when did she have time to get this good? Who has been teaching her? Trust me, take it from someone who has martial arts training, you cannot be that good in the space of a month. I would have written this series gradually having her learn these fighting skills, have her struggle, have her stumble through (because that’s realistic) and then in this final scene with Valentine, we have all of that training culminating to a point where in her anger and hatred for this man that killed her mother, destroyed her brother, and murdered the love of her life, we have all that training come to her in one explosion and that enables her to finally kill him. In other words, a payoff. As I’ve mentioned before, this is something this show has problems with. I understand why the show wanted her to be good at fighting so early on. They wanted to attract a different kind of audience other than the typical YA crowd. Girls fighting with swords is something that appeals to an older female audience wanting to see bad ass females as well as the male demographic. The male demographic has an appreciation for badass females with guns and swords. And whereas I do love seeing badass females, I will respond to them much more if their progression into a badass makes sense. So even though I’m a little disappointed that Lake Lynn ended differently then I would’ve wanted, I could still see the merit in having Clary kill Valentine. I just wish a little more care was put into the writing to make it truly impactful.

And then we have Clary using the angel’s wish to bring back Jace which, all right. Same thing happens in the books. But at the same time I’m asking myself, why didn’t she bring back her mother? Jace even says “You could’ve had anything in the world you wanted” and Clary responds with “I don’t want anything in the world. I only want you.” Really? Are you saying that not even for a split second did she think it would be nice to have her mother back? In the books, you don’t run into this issue because Jocelyn doesn’t die. Even if I had moved on from my mother’s death, I still think I would’ve been tempted in a situation like this. With my friend’s death, even though I’ve learned to live with that pain, if I had a chance to brig her back, I would in a hot second. But you never even see Clary play around with this idea. This is also something the show has trouble with. They’ll make certain changes not realizing that by making those changes, the rest of the story needs to change as well. Fine, you make a significant change from the source material, I can deal with that, but you can’t take a scene from the book 100 pages down the line and expect to be able to use that scene verbatim. The context has changed so your story needs to change along with it. It’s a small moment and really doesn’t matter much in the greater scheme of things but it was just a weird moment for me.

Also, the angel’s voice? Absolutely ridiculous. It was like, “Alright kids. It’s time for story time at the library.” This was the least imposing voice I’ve ever head. Raziel is supposed to be scary, right? Angels are supposed to be on a completely different level than humans. Humans should find them imposing but here, I got nothing. It sounded like I was listening to a children’s audiobook. Clearly, Clary and Valentine didn’t find him all that imposing considering they had a death match right in front of him.

“Clary, you don’t bring people back from the dead without consequences.” “Not this time. This is a miracle.” Uh, when has Clary ever faced any consequences? Does she even know the meaning of that word? Both she and Jace know nothing about actually facing any consequences. That was a weird exchange to me. I could’ve ignored that part and just gone with it but it’s the principle of the thing. I’m sure everyone knows by now how much it irks me that Clary never takes responsibility for her actions. So she doesn’t get to say there won’t be any consequences “this time” when she’s never accepted responsibility for anything, ever.

We also cut back periodically throughout this episode to find out what’s going on at the seelie court. I’ll be honest. I really could not give a damn about what was going on with these seelie court scenes. This entire plot just wasn’t all that interesting to me. This was a plot that didn’t really fit into a season finale. It was very lowkey and it definitely felt rushed. This plot point probably would’ve worked best in 2x19. They would’ve had to change things around a little bit to make it fit but I definitely feel like it would’ve been more impactful. These scenes, in my opinion, made the episode drag. I wasn’t invested in these scenes. There were also things that I was kind of scratching my head about. For one thing, Meliorn. I’m glad Luke punched him. I’ve never liked the guy to begin with. But also, he had a really thick accent in that scene and I don’t recall him having that thick of an accent in other episodes I’ve seen him in. Now, him having the accent is not my issue. It’s the consistency of the accent that bugs me. As I said, I don’t really understand why his accent changed so much. I also didn’t really appreciate how damsel in distress-ish Maia was when Luke found her. I found it to be really out of character for her that she was practically on the brink of tears. Maia’s tough. I think she would definitely have been scared about the predicament she’s in but I also feel like that due to her past experiences, she wouldn’t have wanted to show weakness. I feel like she would’ve internalized it until she got out. That moment bothered me so much that for the first couple of seconds in that scene, I thought the seelies were giving Luke a hallucination or something. I didn’t think it was really Maia.

Then we have the epilogue sequence which was nice in little bits but overall, my question is why are the downworlders and shadowhunters all of the sudden so friendly with each other? Nothing’s really changed. In the books, this epilogue makes sense because the downworlders and shadowhunters joined forces but here, nothing was resolved. Other than both sides realizing the seelies are never to be trusted. But okay, whatever. There was this line that Izzy says to Clary where she says that being surrounded by brothers all of the time made her really want to a sister and she’s happy she found Clary. Which is a nice line but at the same time, you live and work with about 20 other females, were those other women not good enough for you? Is there something wrong with them? It’s just context, guys. They made the change to have lots of people in the Institute without actually thinking about having scenes and lines like this. It ultimately doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

I guess now we have to talk about Malec. Oh boy. It’s an unpopular opinion but I actually wanted them to stay broken up for a much longer period. They need to figure some shit out. You know, how to govern their people while dealing with their feelings and whatnot. I really felt like they needed some time apart for this but I guess not. And then of course, this show falling into the same pattern they always do with Malec drama. Alec apologizes again and Magnus accepts and they get back together. Magnus never apologizes despite doing the exact same thing Alec did (making a tough choice for the sake of his people) while at the same time being a total ass to Alec as well. In the last review, I really wanted to believe that Magnus’ spiteful and horrible behavior was due to him being under some sort of spell or perhaps playing the Seelie Queen but no. This was all him just being butt hurt about the break-up. And all I can say, this is not acceptable behavior. Just in the previous episode you admitted that you still loved Alec but needed to break up to do what’s best for your people. Of course this includes publicly humiliating said love of your life, raising a ward/shield that could kill the love of your life and not tell him about it, leave a friend of yours at the mercy of the Seelie Queen because you don’t want to believe you made a mistake, oh and nearly letting your city burn and innocent people die because you can’t deal with the subsequent betrayal. Yes, I see absolutely nothing Magnus should apologize for. I really hope that this is just the beginning of some much bigger Malec conflict where this behavior gets called into question. All I can say is if a lover treated me like this, I’d be gone.

“Bye, Felicia!”

They both had done something wrong but yet Alec takes all of the blame?

The same Malec holding pattern aside, I also have a problem with how quickly this was resolved as well. As great of a line as this is, “I don’t think I can live without you.” At the same time, it’s also, “oh please”.

You’ve spent an episode apart. At most, it’s been a couple of days. You need to be apart a little longer than that for me to actually take that line seriously. Give it a few weeks and then say that line. But a couple of days? EVERYONE feels like that after a bad breakup. If a couple truly isn’t meant to be, those feelings change after a few weeks but not after a couple of days. Having actual space from someone is how you know if you can actually live without the other person. How can you say you can’t live without the other when you’ve only spent a couple of days apart? Save the overdramatic theatrics for Clace, okay? It just goes along with another issue I have with this show. This show cannot hold on to a conflict for more than an episode. Every problem is always fixed super quickly and that’s not realistic. There are some things that cannot be fixed overnight. And this Malec fight is one of them. There are a lot of things that went wrong in their relationship and they haven’t spent nearly enough time apart to actually really sort them out. But like I said, maybe this is just fuel to add on to a much bigger Malec conflict in Season 3 where they will break up for an extended period of time. I’ll hold on to that hope because I really feel like a large amount of time in a break-up is needed to help them build up this epic relationship that can withstand anything. Right now, it feel like their relationship could crumble at the slightest pebble being thrown at it.

As I said before, drunk Luke was awesome. But of course, Ollie has to go and ruin it. I don’t think there are words that can express how much I do not care about this character. Now, not only is she annoying but she’s also creepy as fuck. How does she keep tracking down Luke and why isn’t Luke bothered about this? Seriously, he needs to take a restraining order out on this chick. Who tracks someone to a private party, uses that person’s name to get in and proceeds to question said person about their werewolfism in front of the entire party? Showing up at a private party you’re not invited to is bad enough but to question someone about werewolves in front of everyone is just, “why?” Why was it written like this? It’s so weird. Yeah, I suspect someone of being a supernatural creature I was sure didn’t exist so I’m going to question that person about it in front of everyone. Now that makes sense. She’s supposed to be a detective, right? She must have the worst bedside manner ever.

As you may have noticed, this review was very disjointed. It was written like that on purpose to showcase just how disjointed the actual episode was. I’d give this an episode probably a B, I guess. Only slightly higher than most of my other reviews because as much as this episode didn’t make sense, there was a much higher production value. So that was nice to see. Believe it or not, I don’t actually go into these episodes expecting to hate it. I normally go in with a blank slate. With this episode, the showrunners told me I was going to like it so I went into it with optimism. I know I was nitpicking on a lot of things but I can’t help it. They were things that stood out to me so I’m going to comment on them. The writing in this script was absolutely ridiculous. It didn’t feel like a season finale. I didn’t hate everything about this episode. There were a few things that I did like. This season did arc much better than 2A and Season 1 did. Ultimately, the writing is what made it suffer. I’m really hoping the writing is going to improve in Season 3. I feel like Season 2 has been used primarily to filter out all of the questionable writing decisions from the Season 1 writers. One could only hope. For Season 3, I really hope they write more to having “payoffs”. Payoffs are the reasons people invest time into tv shows. They are so important. This show very rarely makes me feel anything because there are no payoffs and they’re completely unsubtle with everything they do. They need to hold on to a conflict for more than an episode or two. Build on it so that it’ll actually mean something. I also hope the next season centers around the idea of “consequences.” When it comes to a dark show like this, you need consequences. As a whole, very few “bad” things happened to the characters. And throughout this season, it felt like the characters kind of just stagnated. Granted, Clary did lose her mother but that plot point was dropped. Izzy’s drug addiction was dropped. She had a miracle cure and now she’s all good. I just want to see the characters change over the course of the season and it’s really hard to see that if the show keeps on dropping certain plot points. The writers are writing entirely too safe. Throw caution to the wind and just go for it. I can tell they’re trying to go for a dark story but something is also holding them back from going all the way. There’s a very childish tint to the writing of the plot and the characters. I’ll be real with you guys. One of my favorite episodes was Season 2, Episode 5 – Dust and Shadows. I know, unpopular opinion. Yes, it certainly had its issues but the writers went for it. There were a lot of dark themes in it and it was really interesting to watch these characters go through the things they did. Clary unwilling to accept that her mother should stay dead and making an ill-advised deal with a warlock (best of all, it highlighted just how dangerous the shadow world can be), Alec dealing with the issues of him being the one to kill Jocelyn, Izzy dealing with her injury and taking the “yin fen”. As much as I don’t like what they ultimately did with the yin fen, in that episode, all the directions they could’ve taken the plot point was incredibly intriguing to me. That episode, I legit felt things for everyone. Even Clary, believe it or not. And Clary finally letting go of her mother at the funeral? It was such a beautifully arced episode and it really made me excited for the next one. Unfortunately, the writing kind of dropped after that. I’d really be interested to see the show take that episode’s writing as a platform for Season 3.

I also feel like this episode was a huge letdown in how it was promoted. Their biggest tagline in this episode’s promo, “One will die” and yeah, okay, Jace died. But anyone who read the books saw that one coming. The show could’ve gone really crazy and had Clary die. Or my personal favorite, have Alec die. And Clary uses the wish to bring Alec back to save Jace from his despair. I was expecting them to do something really shocking but no. They did pretty much exactly what I thought they would do. And Valentine and Malachi died but you’re not actually meant to like those characters and they also die in the book too. You can’t promote an episode saying “One Will Die” and then have the character come back to life and kill off two other characters that the audience has no emotional connection too. That’s not what your audience is looking for with a “one will die” tagline. At that point, all you’re doing is baiting. The episode was extremely anticlimactic.

Well that’s it for this episode. It took me a while to write this review. I wanted to try and be as respectful as possible as I know a lot of fans liked this episode. But I also wanted to make sure I got my own emotions across about this episode. It was a difficult balance to find and I was really struggling with it. Until I realized the trick about fandoms: Haters always gonna hate. There’s always going to be someone in a fandom who doesn’t like your ideas. I need to be me and like the things I like and hate the things I want to hate. The trick to enjoying fandom is to not give a shit and I’m going to try and take this approach. I get super stressed out when I post these reviews because of all of the hate I get. I get a lot of anonymous asks and messages that are quite hateful that I don’t even respond to. I’ve realized it doesn’t matter how respectful I am. Those people are still going to berate me with hate. So if I’m going to get hate anyway, I might as well be blunt in these reviews. You don’t like my opinions, guess what? You don’t have to. But regardless, even if you’re a horrible person to me, I will always be the better person and always be respectful towards you. From now on, I’m just gonna do me. So what do I have on the pipeline for the next 6 months or so while we wait for Season 3? Well, I won’t be spending a whole lot of time in the Shadowhunters fandom. I’m sorry, but this show is not so good that I’m going to spend the off-season in it, too. I’m not that masochistic. I’ve got a few different things I’m going to be doing. For one, in honor of Psych The Movie coming out in December, I’ll be re-watching the entire Psych series. It is one of my favorite tv shows. I’ll probably be posting a lot about Psych. I will also be doing a lot with my latest love, a little anime called My Hero Academia. For those of you who haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. Particularly if you’re a superhero fan. It’s pretty awesome. But you’ll see a lot of posts about that so maybe I’ll convince some of you to branch out and give anime a shot if you’re not already a fan. Little known fact, but I am a huge anime fan. In fact, I might like it a little more than regular US TV.

Well, I hope you enjoyed listening or in this case, reading my thoughts. Even thought they were mostly negative. But a lot of you guys also like my negative and unpopular opinions about the show. So to those people, I hope I didn’t disappoint. If you don’t like my opinions and felt like you wasted your time, then I guess that’s your problem for reading through a 12 page blog post. But, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Did you love it? Did you hate it? Even though I know there are people who won’t...but please be respectful.

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters review #shadowhunters season 2 #shadowhunters season 2 review #shadowhunters 2b #shadowhunters 2b review #shadowhunters season 2 episode 20 #shadowhunters season 2 episode 20 review #shadowhunters 2x20 #shadowhunters 2x20 review #shadowhunters beside still water #shadowhunters beside still water review #malec #negative opinions #unpopular opinions #what will life be like during shadowhunters hiatus #consequences needed #conflict needed #payoff needed

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bluephoenixdruidicprincess · 8 years ago

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Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 1 The Guilty Blood Review/Discussion

With the coming of 2017, we get to welcome Freeform’s Shadowhunters back into our lives fondly or not so fondly…it depends on how you feel about the show. I won’t judge you either way. Love the show or hate the show; it doesn’t change how much fun it is to discuss these episodes. The Season 2 premiere entitled The Guilty Blood aired on 2 Jan. I have a general feeling of apathy towards this episode. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. Very much my feelings on the show in general. I don’t love the show but I don’t hate it, either. There’s not really too much I can say in the spoiler-free section but I will comment that the show is definitely improving from the train wreck of season one. Just the overall look and tone was so much better. Matt Hastings is fantastic and Freeform finally got something right when they hired him.

This is going to be an honest review of my thoughts and feelings regarding this episode. If you don’t want to hear an opinion that may be different from your own, you may not want to read this. If you decide to continue reading and are offended by what is said, then that’s on you. I warned you. Just know that if you send me any rude comments or messages, I will treat you like I treated the bullies in high school; I will 100% ignore you. This review will consist of my honest opinions. Opinions are never right or wrong. I’m not telling you how to think and feel. I’m telling you what I think and feel. So please, let’s discuss with dignity and respect. Those who send rude comments are only proving their immaturity and I will not waste my very valuable time dealing with them. If I’m critical about the show, it’s only because I want it to get better. There is, in fact, a difference between hating on a show and being critical of a show. I am not hating on Shadowhunters, I am being critical and analyzing the flaws. There will be spoilers for the show and possibly spoilers for the books and movie.

Now, I am going to start off with saying that I watch A LOT of television. Seriously, guys. I have an entire book case/entertainment center in my apartment dedicated to housing my DVD collection of tv shows. I love behind the scenes stuff and listening to commentary tracks. It’s catnip for me. I have been exposed to a wide variety of TV and as such, I have much higher expectations when watching a tv show and I will not apologize for holding Shadowhunters to the same standards I hold any other tv series to. My collection goes anywhere from procedural shows to sci-fi to sitcoms to fantasy to reality. You name a genre, I probably have some form of that genre in my collection. I need everyone to first understand that before you all get on the hate train when you read this. Because I know you haters are out there and are just waiting for a review like this so you can have a chance to tear somebody down. If you are one of those people, that’s fine. I don’t judge. You are who you are. Just know that I will not respond to you. It only adds fuel to the cyber-bullying fire.

First of all, I will point out the positives because heaven forbid I don’t do that. As I mentioned earlier, the tone of this episode was fantastic. It definitely had a much darker, more gritty tone and I loved it. That’s the feeling I always get when I read the books and I am so happy we’ve moved from the sunshine and dandelions tone we had in season one and moved into this one. It looked less like a Disney Channel Original Movie and has more of an epic DCTV feel. The new opening credits was fantastic. It clashed really well with the new tone of the show. I had seen the new opening credits segment a few weeks back and was generally apathetic towards it but seeing it in the context of the show has changed my opinion on it. It just really gave me the epic feels and made me think this season is going to be fucking awesome. I think the show was definitely inspired by Teen Wolf when they made their opening credits for this season and I am so glad they did. The Teen Wolf opening credits are awesome and now I can add Shadowhunters to my list of tv shows with an awesome opening credits sequence. The only problem with the opening credits I have is that I wished they had also changed the song. I was never a big fan of the song. I feel like it’s a little too slow for Shadowhunters. That’s not to say I’m not a fan of Ruelle. Quite the contrary. I am a huge fan of Ruelle. I have every song they’ve put on Itunes and I do love This Is The Hunt. I just don’t particularly like that song as the opening credits song for Shadowhunters. The fight choreography was great. Such a great improvement from last season…and thankfully none of that slow-motion, fast-motion effect. I also like that the seraph blades no longer look like light sabers; they look like swords with runes etched in them. The lightsaber look was just not working for me. It just really made the show look cheesy, in my opinion. They, of course, still don’t call out an angel’s name when they activate the blade but I can understand why they don’t want to make that canon in the show. That’s something that may work on paper but I have a feeling would come off very cheesy and Power Rangers-ish on TV. And the show already has too much of that going on. Also, the general ideas of where these characters and their story lines are heading was really amazing too. There were a whole lot of hints to where the character development is going to lead to and I am beyond excited for that.

Ultimately, the downfall with this episode, as per usual with Shadowhunters, was the script. Those of you who saw my reviews of episodes 1- 8 last season know that the script was a re-curring theme on my rant list. The dialogue in this episode was as nonsensical as always. The characters still really don’t follow any form of logical sense. The mythology of this fantasy is still weird and contradictory. How the Institute is run is very confusing. Whereas I liked the ideas and how certain aspects of the characters and plot were being molded, the execution is where the episode falls short. I wish that the writers could realize that how their characters talk to each other is not how people in the real world talk to each other. The dialogue is one of the reasons I have a hard time connecting and feeling for these characters. The script still felt like it was being written for 15-year-old girls. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the whole point of ABC Family changing their name to Freeform was so they could attract an older audience. I thought they were trying to get the CW audience. I can say that if the character dialogue doesn’t improve, it will never get that audience. This is a show that I absolutely would never recommend to my brothers or any other adult, really, who hadn’t read the books. I’m fairly certain they would hate it. I’m not asking for A+ dialogue, at a minimum, I’m asking for the kind of dialogue you get from Teen Wolf or Vampire Diaries. It’s as if Shadowhunters is only using the rough draft as their official scripts. I’m really hoping that’s not actually the case but that’s what it feels like. As a writer, you always want to go through multiple drafts to work out all the kinks. That is not happening with this show’s scripts. The kinks are very much intact. As I said before, my experience with watching and enjoying tv shows is vast and I have never had as big of issues with a show’s script as I do with Shadowhunters. Now, I know that Ed Dector didn’t resign as showrunner until about a quarter of the way through writing Season 2A so I realize we’re probably going to have to deal with a few of his scripts. This script definitely had an Ed Dector feel to it. Hopefully we won’t have to deal with too many more of them. It really feels like the new showrunners have a very different vision on where they’d like the scripts to be at so I’m hoping there’s still time in Season 2A to reflect that. Let’s move onto some of the main plot points in the episode.

Jace and Valentine

We left off season one with Jace choosing to go with Valentine to save his friends and also because of an underlying feeling that he believes he’s not a good person. He now knows that Valentine raised him and he’s still dealing with his conflicting feelings about Clary. He believes that she is his sister but he still wants her. That’s a hard thing to reconcile. I can definitely understand how those feelings would make him question himself. There are 2 essential elements to Book Jace. The snarky, cocky attitude and his low opinion of himself. He wants to be a hero but doesn’t believe it’s possible because of who raised him. We may never get snarky Jace (and that makes me sad) but at least angsty Jace is in full swing.

Now, the segments with Jace and Valentine are actually what I enjoyed most from this episode. Just the sheer force of Valentine’s manipulation was really interesting to watch. It just goes to show how underused Alan Van Sprang was being used in the first season. We learned from Reign just how fantastic he is and I am so happy that the script is finally starting to give him something to work with. Last season, he was such a cliché, mustache-twirling villain who had the most inept henchmen ever. Valentine from the books is charming and manipulative with an underlying layer of love. Say what you want about Valentine, but he did love Jocelyn; he did love Jace. He did everything that he did in The Mortal Instruments because he wanted to build a better, safer world for his people. He may have gone about it the wrong way and possessed some dubious morals but it doesn’t negate the fact that all he wanted to do was save his people. I am so happy that these personality traits are starting to come out in this adaptation. I think it’s really important and I love villains that make me sympathize with them. Guys, no one is ever the villain of their own story and I hate it when shows and movies take that route.

There were only a couple of scenes I was a little iffy with regarding Jace and Valentine. One of them was the opening scene. Jace is on the ship and “Clary” shows up. Jace fights their way through the ship but “Clary” reveals herself to actually be Valentine using that shape-shifting rune that I still hate. I don’t understand the writers with this rune. Most of the people I talk to have huge problems with that rune because it’s a huge plot hole but the writers still feel the need to use it. I guess maybe the writers feel that since they never bothered to explain the rules to the rune; that means they can just continuously use it as a cheap plot device. Writers, you can’t do that because I am never going to be shocked when it happens. They really need to distinguish some rules on this rune. It just makes it feel like magic is limitless in this world and that’s the wrong way to go with magic. If magic is limitless, what makes it compelling? Also, I was a little weirded out by just how on-point Valentine was behaving as Clary when he was disguised as her. He’s had very few interactions with her. How is he able to display her mannerisms so well? I mean, his interpretation of her was so good I was starting to think it was a dream sequence. I also don’t understand why there were dead bodies around. Was that supposed to signify the people who didn’t survive the Mortal Cup transformation process? I’m going to assume that’s what happened.

The second scene with them I really wasn’t feeling was the “spaghetti” scene. My problems with it were mainly that there was no emotional weight to the story. It was just Valentine being all, “Remember when you were 5-years-old and I made you spaghetti?” Why is this a pivotal moment in their relationship? Did he never make spaghetti for him again? What was so special about that instance that he’s supposed to remember? In the books, the story is that it was Jace’s 5th birthday and all he wanted was to take a bath in spaghetti and Valentine made that happen for him. THAT story has emotional weight not the weird tv show version. Like I said, it’s all in the writing. Then we have Jace responding with, “You didn’t make me spaghetti. Michael Wayland did.” I thought we had already distinguished that Michael Wayland and Valentine were the same person. Why would it be any different? It’s the same crazy guy making you spaghetti. Why does it matter who he was disguised as at the time? Weird. Then we went on to the use of another made-up rune where Valentine shows Jace that he injected demon blood into Jocelyn when she was pregnant. This is something that I don’t really have very big issues with. I’m just asking myself why it’s being introduced now. It really didn’t need to be part of the story yet. In the books, Jace found out that information at a pivotal moment when he was so emotionally wrecked that it just pushed him over the edge and he lost all faith in who he was while at the same time giving him clarity. I just did not feel like TV Show Jace was at that point yet. And also, just so you know because I know you haters are going to mention it, when I say that, I am not saying that I want the show to go like the book. I don’t care about that. I only said it because I think it works better for the character arc to be done that way. And also, I’m going to point out how ridiculous it is that they have a rune that allows you to see another person’s memories. That was another awfully convenient plot device. They haven’t talked about it yet but with all of these new runes they’re making, how are they going to make Clary’s hidden ability special? Eventually, they’re going to use up all of the cool runes Clary could make before they even introduce her ability.

But other than those two scenes, I really enjoyed these two together. Alan Van Sprang for the most part, has more experience than most of these younger actors and it really shows. Whenever he’s in a scene, you can’t help but cling onto his every word. I also did like the vampire scene where Jace attacks the nest. I really liked the actress that played the vampire. I thought she was a great antagonist. The only thing I question is why would her surrendering to the Clave supposedly save her life? And why is Jace facing this big huge conundrum about killing her? He’s slaughtered vampires mercilessly before. Season 1 Epsiode 3. They all did. The shadowhunters didn’t seem too worried about any of that. It’s just the writers once again contradicting themselves. I wouldn’t have a problem with it if they had bothered to establish that sort of rule in their initial world-building but we all know what a horrendous job season one did with their world-building. So now, whatever they do is going to be a huge contradiction. Sorry, Freeform. You dug yourself a hole on that one.

Institute Drama

Everyone else is at the Institute trying to find Jace. Alec is getting very heated and Lydia is back which is also kind of confusing. In the season one finale, the show made it seem like her injuries were so severe she was going to be out of commission. There is supposedly no time gap between the seasons. They haven’t even mentioned what happened. Lydia benches Alec because she thinks he’s a little too personally involved which is probably wise. I am happy that it looks like the show is going to delve a little more into the Parabatai bond, as well. I was very unhappy with how they did it last season. Some time later, we’re introduced to Victor Aldertree which is a character from the books but I think that’s the only thing that’s similar about them. I don’t have a problem with it as long as they make his character interesting. Right now, he’s a super douche-bag but I hope they give him an actual personality and actual layers to that personality. I don’t want to see any of that mustache-twirling villain crap.

Aldertree calls a meeting with all the Shadowhunters including the extras. Maybe this means these people are actually going to do something this season? He talks with everyone who was on the mission with Jace and eventually decides to put a Dead or Alive stipulation on finding Jace. Which, of course, angers our characters. I also don’t understand the logic of having a dead or alive stipulation on Jace. Right now, the Clave doesn’t know really anything about how to find Valentine, what his plans are, etc. So they’re going to potentially kill the one person who may have some insight? What kind of strategy is that? Why are shadowhunters so dumb? And this isn’t the first time this kind of thing happened where I had to question their IQ. In the finale, after Hodge grabs the cup, he’s walking around the Institute with a messenger bag where the cup is hidden. Hodge is forbidden from ever leaving the Institute. What possible reason could he have for carrying around a messenger bag? Then, earlier in the season, when Jace and Clary brought the cup back to the Institute and gave it to the Inqusitor to save Izzy. Why didn’t the Inquisitor just take the cup back with her to Idris herself? Why did she give it to Lydia? Why would she leave it with Lydia and wait to bring it back to Idris until after the marriage? It doesn’t make sense. They didn’t need the cup for the marriage ceremony. They went through all of the trouble of making a false court case for Izzy in order to get the cup and they don’t even bother to take it with them? This is why bad shit keeps on happening to them; shadowhunters be dumb as fuck. But Izzy and Alec get angry with the dead or alive stipulation and Aldertree threatens Izzy with “de-runing” her. Apparently, that’s what happens if you question authority in this world. I will have you know that de-runing is supposedly an incredibly painful process and a process you may not even survive in the books. It’s been depicted in the books that most shadowhunters would rather die than go through the process. It’s a punishment reserved only for the most severe of crimes or for people who wish to leave the shadowhunter world. In The Bane Chronicles, Magnus compared listening to a shadowhunter going through that as listening to someone being flayed alive. The shadowhunter population is already supposedly dwindling down. Why would de-runing be a punishment for challenging authority? Because if this were the case, there would be no shadowhunters left in this world.

Alec then heads over to Magnus’ place but not before Maryse tries to stop him. Matt did a really good job with this scene. Maryse also does a real good job at being the Ice Queen and being willing to condemn Jace to death. I really liked Alec’s line where he tells her that she’s not making the hard choice, she’s saving her own ass. It’s a very Alec thing to say. In the interest of having personality with layers, I’m kind of hoping that Maryse isn’t really this Ice Queen they’re making her out to be. In the books, she loves her children more than anything. She accepts Jace as one of her children. In City of Ashes, she does kick him out of the Institute upon learning he’s Valentine’s son but she did it as a way to protect him. Because she didn’t want him to be there when the Inquisitor showed up because she knew the Inquisitor would want to lock him up. I’m just hoping that they’re going to go for a plot arc that’s similar to that. I really don’t like this whole “parents are the bad guys” thing the show is doing. It’s a little too teenagery-angst for me.

Clary and Jocelyn

I was generally apathetic to the scenes with Jocelyn and Clary. They didn’t really make me feel much. I did think it was a little weird when Clary went into the greenhouse and the two were hugging each other exclaiming how much they missed each other. I thought in the season one finale they already had this reunion? Am I to understand that they can’t even be apart now for 15-30 minutes? Exactly what sort of co-dependent mother-daughter relationship do they have? I think it’s a little unhealthy. And of course, it takes place in a greenhouse. I don’t understand why it takes place in a greenhouse. Well, I know why. It’s meant to be a special treat for the book fans. Writers, it’s not enough to have a scene in a greenhouse. What we wanted was the scene that happened in the greenhouse. It was such a wonderfully iconic, romantic Clace scene and now the greenhouse means nothing. There is no emotional siginificance to it in the show because that scene didn’t happen. All the scene with Jocelyn and Clary did was make me realize what I missed because it was a beautiful greenhouse and the show could’ve made the Clace first kiss so romantic and special but they turned it into a make-out session in front of everyone. And yes, I am still angry about that. Oh well, we’ll always have the movie I guess.

But all throughout the episode we have Clary trying to carry on in this world and Jocelyn constantly exclaiming that Clary doesn’t really understand this world. I am kind of with Jocelyn on this one. Clary has spent about two weeks with 3 other shadowhunters primarily. An expert of the world, that does not make. This particular storyline eventually results in Jocelyn locking Clary and Simon in warehouse, I think. This was just another example of how dumb Clary is and how she really doesn’t know anything about the shadow world, thus confirming Jocelyn’s opinion. If she had any idea on how tracking worked, she would’ve questioned why Jocelyn needed her stele and phone. But it did result in a funny line with Simon: First rule of shadowhunting, never give someone your stele and phone. Obviously, Jocelyn wanted them so Clary would have little to no means of escape while Jocelyn went to go kill Jace. I’m thinking Jocelyn believes that Jace is Sebastian and that’s why she got all murderous.

I’ve seen a lot of people remarking on how they think that Jocelyn woke up too early and they wish she would go back to sleep. That she’s going to reveal everything too early. If the show is smart, they’ll maneuver the story in a way that Jocelyn is as confused as everyone else. In the books, the only reason she knows about Jace is because Valentine told her while she was in her coma. If Valentine didn’t tell her while she was in the coma then it stands to reason that she probably doesn’t know.

There are also people saying she doesn’t have much of a right to do the things she did in this episode because she lied to Clary her entire life. I disagree with that. It is a parents’ job to protect their children. Nowhere does it state that parents have to be truthful to their children. She lied to protect Clary and she’s still trying to do that. Clary is all Jocelyn has so I understand her stance on it. And regardless, a parent should never have to apologize for trying to protect their children. And in episode one of the first season, it did feel like Jocelyn was getting ready to tell Clary. She just didn’t get the chance because Clary was being a brat. And I mean, really, when is a good time to tell your daughter that the boogey man actually really does exist? I can certainly understand the lying. But with that said, I don’t really have a very high opinion of the actress playing Jocelyn. She’s passable but she doesn’t leave any sort of lasting impression.

Alec and Magnus

Now Alec and Magnus are having a little fight. I didn’t really care for the fight, itself dialogue wise. I felt like it was needlessly teenager-angsty and I thought the writers could’ve done much better with their first fight. But the chemistry with Matt and Harry was on-point so that made it bearable. It was just the needlessly cheesy dialogue. We have Alec wanting Magnus help him track Jace through their parabatai rune and Magnus understandably doesn’t want to because it almost killed Alec in Season One. Alec is all, “You owe me” and Magnus is all, “Don’t make this about me. You kissed me because you wanted to. You didn’t do it for me.” They eventually make up and that moment was actually really sweet. They had been teasing for the past month that Alec and Magnus were going to have a fight and I saw it and I said out loud, “Really? This is the best they could come up with?” The idea of the fight worked, that’s not what I’m disputing. It was the actual dialogue used that I don’t think worked. I loved the scenes, don’t get me wrong. The chemistry is what makes it work. But I couldn’t help but just want a little bit more from the script to make the fight feel more genuine.

And too be clear, I did not have a problem with them fighting in general. I want them to fight. It’s what makes it a real relationship. I just want these fights to feel real and genuine. Had I read the script and not seen these actors acting it out, I think I probably would’ve rolled my eyes after reading it. But chemistry sells, so I still enjoyed the scenes.

After they make up, Magnus and Alec attempt to track Jace through the parabatai rune but Jace surfaces before it’s needed and then Alec has a lapse in logic that I don’t understand. He can sense Jace (I’m not really sure how that happened) so he goes back to the Institute to tell Aldertree where Jace is. Alec knows there’s a dead or alive stipulation on finding Jace. Why wouldn’t he just go find Jace himself? Why would he risk telling the Clave where to find him? He knows that if the Clave finds him, they’re going to kill him. Alec is normally so logical. He’s definitely the smartest of the shadowhunters, common sense-wise. I don’t understand why he thought this was a good idea?

Clary and Simon

So Simon gets kicked out of the Institute with Aldertree and Luke invites him to stay over at the Jade Wolf. The other werewolves don’t like this so they lock him up in some sort of warehouse area. I don’t understand why Luke allowed his pack to treat Simon the way they did. He’s the alpha. They have to listen to him. But oh well. The encanto bit was funny, so I let it slide. But Clary goes to visit Simon. She apparently was able to escape the Institute by using the shape-changing rune (ugh) to disguise herself as Aldertree. It was an idea that she got from Izzy during their little fight sequence which was also nicely choreographed. It really showed Izzy as the fierce warrior we all know her to be. She really didn’t have that last season. Though, I really have to question Aldertree’s ability to run the Institute if such an obvious ploy was used. These shadowhunters apparently know that this rune is a thing. Why aren’t there any stipulations on how this rune is used? I said it when this rune was introduced the very first time in season one. The writers are not prepared for the huge can of worms that this rune opens. It is a huge, gaping plot hole. The only way this rune can work effectively in this fantasy is if there are rules to it. And there appear to be none. It just adds more to the belief that the shadowhunters are idiots and maybe they should lose the fight against Valentine.

But anyways, Clary meets up with Simon and Jocelyn locks them up in the warehouse and this was probably my favorite scene. Alberto and Kat have really great chemistry and I can’t wait to see the Climon romantic relationship develop. I never thought I’d say that about Climon. In the books, their romantic relationship was my least favorite part. It was awkward and it was written to make you feel awkward. But their chemistry on the show feels so real and genuine that I couldn’t help but smile during the scene. I definitely enjoyed their chemistry more than I’ve ever enjoyed the Clace chemistry. That scene in the warehouse was probably my favorite scene in the entire episode. The dialogue was a little iffy at times but it definitely felt more real than a lot of the other dialogue in the episode.

Overall Thoughts

Honestly, I would probably give this episode a solid B. The new look of the show is fantastic and that’s what pushes it to a B rating for me. However, to be an A rating, something must be done with the script. The acting is fine. It’s not fucking awesome but it’s passable. The script is what’s dragging the show down. I also wish that the writers could understand that you can have more than one or two characters be funny. Right now, it just kind of seems like they’re only allowing Magnus and Simon to be having a sense of humor. In the books, all 7 of the main characters have their own, very distinct humor and I really hope that it’s going to come out more in later episodes. The new showrunners did tease that Jace is going to be funnier and much more snarky this season…here’s to hoping. That’s the thing with doing a show with an ensemble cast. All of the characters need to be quirky and funny in their own way or the audience gets bored with them and can’t really connect with them. I was listening to a DVD commentary on the show, Leverage, and the showrunner said in terms of characters being funny on a tv series, “No one ever stopped watching a show because it made them laugh.” And by the way, if you have not watched Leverage, I’m first going to ask, “What the hell is wrong with you?” And then I’m going to tell you to put it right on top of your must watch list. It’s really great. It has really quirky, relatable characters who are super funny and have amazing chemistry but is also able to be dramatic when it counts. It’s a show I never regretted investing time in.

The episode flow is another critique I have. I just felt like there was far too much going on in this episode. All of the scenes just kind of kept falling on top of each other. It felt very choppy. Shadowhunters is at its best when it’s only dealing with one or two plot points at a time. The plot is just too convoluted to be focusing on multiple story arcs every episode. If they slow down and only do a couple of arcs at a time, the emotional pay-off is going to feel 100% more genuine when the show eventually gets there. If I had to give one major critique to Season One, I would say they tried to do too much in one season, plot wise. They were so focused on plot that they forgot what it was that made people originally fall in love with these books…the characters.

As I mentioned before, I watch a lot of tv. I have been exposed to a lot of tv. And as such, I have much higher expectations of a tv show and I will hold Shadowhunters to that same standard. ABC Family changed their name to Freeform because they are trying to reach a new demographic. With the choice they made to do that, I feel I am perfectly justified in holding them to the same standards I would hold a CW show, a USA show, TNT show, etc. For me, what makes a good tv show are funny, quirky relatable characters with relatable relationships and a cohesive storyline that makes legitimate sense week to week with well-established world-building. I want to be sucked into the world. I want to momentarily forget about the world I’m living in and imagine myself in the world I’m watching and Shadowhunters just has not been making me feel that way.

Whenever, I watch this show I always feel cut off from the characters and a huge part of the problem is the script and how the plot is molded. They just don’t invest enough time in the emotional pay-off with these characters and their relationships. And another thing is actually an observation I made while waiting for Shadowhunters to come back. I was watching a lot of my other tv shows. Primarily, Psych and Leverage. They are my top two favorite tv shows right now. I usually re-watch them every year or so. They’re my rainy-day shows. But anyway, Shadowhunters is a very ABC Family show in terms of the acting. When it comes to the acting, I’m never wowed by them. I find them passable. And I realized when I was bingeing on Psych and Leverage why I feel the way I feel about ABC Family shows. It’s because very few of the actors are acting with their eyes. Eyes are the gateway to your soul. You can tell a lot about how someone is feeling by looking into their eyes. ABC Family actors act with their faces but not necessarily with their eyes. When I look at their eyes, I’m just not feeling what I should be feeling. However, when I watch Leverage, I’m always feeling the things they’re feeling by just listening to what they’re saying and looking at their eyes. There’s this scene in Leverage where the main character is at a hospital and is essentially watching his son die. He’s standing very still and there’s barely any emotion on his face. There doesn’t need to be. It’s all in his eyes. As his son flatlines, he runs into the room and just holds his son while he screams and cries. It is such a powerful scene and it makes me cry every time. That’s something I wish I could feel when I watch Shadowhunters. Keep in mind, I’m not saying these people are bad actors. They’re fine. I’m just saying that if they used their eyes more it could make a huge difference on how the character is received. Vampire Diaries has turned the “acting with your eyes” into an art and I wish Shadowhunters did more of it.

All in all, like I said, I was generally apathetic to this episode. I loved the tonal changes to the show and the show definitely is improving as a whole. Script-wise, it was pretty much a regurgitation of all the problems I had with Season One. If they don’t start making changes with the script, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to push it to an A rating episode. To be clear, because I know you haters all too well, I do not hate the show. I don’t particularly love it but I don’t hate it either. If you’re one of those people that can’t handle criticism on your shows than I would kindly recommend that you no longer hang around my blog posts because I am critical of all the tv shows I watch. I find imperfections in every tv show. Shadowhunters is not alone in that respect. They just have a whole lot more that I like to talk about. I do feel that the new showrunners have the right idea in where they want this show to go and I am very excited to see where this season is going to lead us. They made some really interesting choices with the characters and hopefully the last episode of Season 2 of Shadowhunters is going to leave me with the same feelings I had on the last episode of Season 2 of Arrow: Wow! That was a damn good season. When is it coming back? Off to read some fanfiction now!

I hope you all enjoyed this and to re-iterate, these are my opinions. Opinions are not right and wrong. I’m not telling you how to think and feel. I’m telling you what I think and feel. I do not hate the show, I just see flaws in it that I feel need to be corrected. If you still think I hate the show, then that’s fine. Guess what, haters are allowed to watch the show as well. I don’t need you to give me permission to watch the show and enjoy it how I see fit.

Now, if any of you are still around after reading this huge rant on the show, I would love to discuss the episode if you have something you’d like to discuss. Maybe you found a way to enjoy the episode in a way I hadn’t thought about before. As I’ve said before, if you’re rude, I will not acknowledge you. So why waste your time? Hope to hear from some of you!

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters season 2 #the guilty blood #clace #climon #malec

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ethanalter · 7 years ago

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Comic-Con 2017: Your Guide to the TV Panels, Screenings, and Events

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ (Photo Credit: HBO)

Preview Night: Wednesday, July 19

Day 1: Thursday, July 20

Matt Lanter as Wyatt Logan, Malcolm Barrett as Rufus Carlin, and Abigail Spencer as Lucy Preston in NBC’s ‘Timeless’ (Photo Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)

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Dan Stevens as David Haller and Rachel Keller as Syd Barrett in FX’s ‘Legion’ (Photo Credit: Michelle Faye/FX)

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Dark Matter (Syfy) Halfway through Season 3, the cast of Dark Matter will discuss exciting developments and what’s next for the intrepid crew of the Raza. (8:15 p.m. – 9:15 p.m., Room 6DE)

Day 2: Friday, July 21

The Big Bang Theory (CBS) The Big Bang Theory returns to San Diego to take you inside the biggest moments of Season 10 for a special 10th anniversary panel. (10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Hall H)

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Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC)

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Kyle MacLachlan as Dale Cooper and Naomi Watt as Janey-E Jones in Showtime’s ‘Twin Peaks’ (Photo: Suzanne Tenner/Showtime)

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Tobias Menzies as Black Jack Randall and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser in Starz’s ‘Outlander’ (Photo Credit: Starz)

Vikings (History) Vikings favorites return to introduce new faces to SDCC and reveal an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming season. (5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Room 6BCF)

Day 3: Saturday, July 22

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Day 4: Sunday, July 23

San Diego Comic-Con runs from July 20-23.

#_revsp:wp.yahoo.tv.us #sdcc #lists #_author:Ethan Alter #_uuid:2a76331c-1237-3da9-b948-df1d135130ad #_draft:true #comic con #_category:yct:001000086 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT

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