Shadowhunters is back! The second half of Season 2 has a lot of unpacking to do after Valentine’s attack on The Institute, so let’s get right to it!
We open with a great Jace and Alec training scene. This is the Parabatai-est we’ve ever seen them, reminds us they’re supposed to be best friends. Though their conversation seems lighthearted, you can also see just how troubled Jace is by Valentine’s reveal that he and Clary aren’t siblings.
Speaking of Clary, she and Simon are enjoying their day now that Simon is suddenly able to go out in the sun. We still do not enjoy Climon and the show’s efforts to take their relationship much more seriously than the books, but the scene has purpose: Foreboding talk about retaliation against Simon from other Downworlders, plus Simon establishing what caused his daylighter status with Jace once he arrives. Jace whisks Clary off for a visit with Imogen Herondale, tough and terrifying as ever, who can’t seem to get the location of The Mortal Cup out of Valentine. Too bad Clary and Jace don’t know, either.
Meanwhile, Izzy is withdrawing from her yin fen addiction. Alec is watching over her and telling the others she has the flu, but he has to leave in the aftermath of a demon attack– Are Clary, Jace, and Alec the only three available Shadowhunters in the city? The Institute is always packed, but it seems only the main characters ever respond to incidents. ANYWAY. Left unsupervised, Izzy gives in and leaves to get more yin fen first from Raphael, who won’t give in, then she heads to a random vampire den.
The greater demon Azazel has escaped from hell and is terrorizing NYC in a search for The Mortal Cup. Valentine isn’t the only one who wants to control demons and the shadow world. Azazel kills a whole bar’s worth of people– the call Alec had to attend to– then catches up with Izzy in an alley. Thankfully, she’s saved by a mysterious Shadowhunter. OH HAI SEBASTIAN!
Luke is investigating Azazel’s crimes for the police department with his new partner. She’s a bit odd, not just because she thinks she needs a “special” voice recorder app, but because she’s way too curious about Luke. Definitely up to something. However, he doesn’t seem to notice too much, as he’s a little preoccupied by the members of his pack rebelling against him and challenging his alpha status. Maia is sticking up for him, but her influence isn’t enough to sway everyone.
Despite fear of attack, Simon goes out during the day and outs his new ability to a bunch of Downworlders at The Hunter’s Moon, including Maia. She can be trusted, but others can’t, and she makes it clear to him. Just call her Maia the Mediator in this episode.
When Alec goes to Magnus, 1) they have an adorable hey-we’re-in-a-long-term-relationship kiss:
2) Raphael is there and tells Alec about Izzy. HOW DID RAPHAEL GET THERE?! Sure, Izzy’s attack happened at night, but we just established that it was daytime in Simon’s scene and surely The Hunter’s Moon doesn’t open at dawn. Raphael wouldn’t exactly be free to travel. Did Izzy get attacked at night as Raphael went to Magnus, only to have Magnus hold on to that information for several hours until Alec showed up? Was there an unmentioned portal involved?! More than likely, someone just messed up the timeline while putting this episode together. Either way, Alec and Magnus are on the case and, based on the evidence, they believe Izzy has been kidnapped by Azazel.
They bring the news to Clary and Jace, who go to Valentine for answers on how Azazel escaped hell. Instead, Valentine forces Jace to tell Clary that he’s not her brother. Awwwwkkkwwwaaard.
Clary is enraged that Jace kept this secret, but also judging his total lack of emotional response. When Alec finds him later on the roof, Jace has been crying, finally giving in to his emotions, and it’s another great bestie moment.
While everyone is worrying about her, Izzy is with Sebastian. Book lovers know him, but if you’re a show watcher only, he’s a London Institute Shadowhunter who says he once suffered from a yin fen addiction as well. He gives Izzy a mystery potion that helps her cravings, but insists she doesn’t leave. She stays, but refuses to call The Institute out of shame. The two become quick pals, talking about food, family, and Shadowhunting.
As Izzy finds some peace, Simon’s happy daylighter vibes as seriously thrown off. Raphael has discovered Simon’s secret and wants to know how it happens. Simon really needs to be a better liar, especially when his life and potentially the life of his friend are on the line. He’s perhaps our favorite character on the show, but the man needs to be able to drop the “lovable goof” persona on occasion and use some strategy if he wants to survive Raphael and his clan.
Back at The Institute, Magnus, Alec, Jace, and Clary come up with a plan to get Isabelle back: Magnus will summon Azazel and the group will trade Valentine and his information on The Mortal Cup for Isabelle. But it all goes wrong.
First off, Azazel doesn’t have Isabelle. Also, as a greater demon, Azazel can’t be contained in Magnus’ summoning circle. Clary’s sunlight rune doesn’t work against him. Azazel seems to be extracting information straight from Valentine, killing him in the process, while incapacitating all the others. Eventually, Jace somehow manages to move and strike at Azazel, but he gets away first. Angelic blood perks, y’all!
Once that’s done, Izzy finally calls Alec to let him know she’s fine. It’s a sweet conversation, but girlfriend, you would have saved everyone a WORLD OF TROUBLE if you just let go for your pride 20 minutes earlier. Once it’s done, we see Sebastian boiling tea with one stove burner and burning and blistering his hand with the other. WTF dude?! That sense of unease you’ve got going right now? That’s Sebastian in a nutshell. But seriously, ten points to Will Tudor for making it work so well!
The episode ends with Magnus walking home, looking disoriented. He looks at his hands, then declares himself a “disgusting warlock.” Uh oh! What did Azazel do to him?!
We’ll see you next week to recap the next episode!
