Review: SHADOWHUNTERS Season 2 Episode 11

Episode Name: Mea Maxima Culpa
Director: Matt Hastings
Writer: Michael Reisz
Running time: 43 min
Release Date: 05/06/2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating:

Synopsis:
Shadowhunters and Downworlders are picking up the pieces after Valentine’s attack at the Institute. Downworlder numbers are down and the different packs and clans debate on what they must do to survive. With Valentine in custody, the Institute is on high alert, but Jace carries the heaviest burden of all due to his part in igniting the Soul-Sword and the secret he is keeping from Clary. But Jace and the Shadowhunters don’t have much time to mourn as a greater demon is loose in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Izzy struggles on the road to recovery when she encounters Sebastian, a mysterious stranger, as Simon tries to understand his new Daylighter status.
MY THOUGHTS
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
Shadowhunters is back! I’ve been waiting to see where the producers were taking the story because the previous episodes have been good but not completely satisfactory. I actually really liked the episode. We got some great lines and the cast did a good job portraying the essence of the characters.
I really enjoyed the opening scene. Alec and Jace are training, and it was really fun to watch, and to me it felt normal, not cringey. There was some cool music and unique fighting moves, and it was just such a great scene. We then see Climon sitting in the sun, whilst Simon is enjoying not getting burnt, but being awkward as he is, at this stage, he’s nervous that other vampires would find out about Jace and him. It was a sweet scene, but I’m over Clary and Simon as a couple, they need to bring in some Clace, because I really want to see what Kat and Dom would bring to them in a real relationship, not like the weird thing from Season 1.
The Clave is now torturing Valentine (which I don’t think they’d actually do) and we see a glimpse of Valentine’s childhood, which I thought was really interesting, as there isn’t anything like that in the books. I also agree with Jace that they should just use the Soul Sword to get answers. I mean the Clave are unfair, but not to those measures. I’m still not a big fan of the way they’ve taken with the mortal instruments. It makes more sense the way Cassie put it in the books. They also bring in a greater demon quite early I think, but it doesn’t really matter.
I’m going to give an applause to Emeraude and her brilliant performance of showing how yin fen can affect a shadowhunter. I don’t particularly like Izzy having an addiction, but she plays it so well, the paleness and pain you can go through. The only thing I think doesn’t meet up is that Izzy hasn’t been off it long enough to act like that, but otherwise she did a great job.
And we see Sebastian in this episode. Will Tudor did an excellent job. He acts the way we see Sebastian in City of Glass, all nice but also very suspicious. I don’t understand why he he’s come from the Paris Institute, not the London one, but we’ll probably find out soon enough. Also, correct me if I’m wrong but I’m sure he said that he also battles a yin fen addiction. WHAATTT?
Dom is doing a great job showing Jace’s disorientation and confusion. He doesn’t know what to do. He loves Clary, he’s angry at Valentine and feels guilty about the Downworlder deaths (even though he denied it). One thing I’d like to see is the battle of his feelings for Clary (like in City of Glass & City of Fallen Angels), and hopefully we will. There’s also the promo video showing that something goes down between Simon and Clary (you probably know what I’m talking about) and that if it happens, (because the promos tend to show clips that usually never happen the way they see), will ruin their friendship if Clary chooses Jace, but we’ll have to wait and see.
The last things I want to mention is that Jace has this power that he doesn’t have in the books, and I really like it. He can “activate” (should be drawn but whatever) his runes without a steele, this is really cool, and it’ll probably help him in the future. And lastly, that Magnus and Valentine thing where they’re in each other’s bodies after summoning Azazel. How could Alec not have noticed that something was up, he usually would’ve.
Overall this episode was really enjoyable and I was always wondering to what measures the show would go. I am looking forward to the rest of the season.
xo