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Shadowhunters - By the Light of Dawn - Review

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This week was the midseason finale of Shadowhunters and probably my favorite of the season. Valentine put his plan into motion to active the sword. He tried to lure Clary to the Institute by torturing Simon, which worked. Simon drank from Jace to save his life which had a surprising side effect due to Jace’s angel blood (that’s right, angel not demon). Jace unwittingly activated the sword which killed the Downworlders inside the Institute, including Alaric and Meliorn. Valentine revealed that Jace is not actually his son. Izzy cut ties with Raphael after he betrayed her. Simon discovers he can walk in the sun now. Valentine is captured after a struggle but the sword is missing. At the end of the episode, we see a mysterious figure walk away with it. 

Favorite storyline: Okay, so initially I wasn’t too pleased about the change in direction that the writers had taken compared to the books. However, I realized this week that I kind of enjoy seeing how their different roads still lead to the same major moments from the books. Simon’s daylighter storyline is one of my favorites. His vampirism has prevented him from being outside during the day which in turn has kind of isolated him from the other characters (especially early in the season). But now that this storyline has kicked off, there will be no more staying inside for Simon. Which is why it kind of sucks that this is also the moment the triangle will kick off once more. Simon will have a real target on his back now, though. Once the other vampires hear he can walk in the sun, they’ll want to as well. I doubt he’d tell anyone how it came about, though. He’d rather die than risk endangering Clary and Jace's lives. 

Lamest plot twist: You might think that this will be about Clary and Jace not being related, but it’s not. Because most of us knew that already. What I’m referring to is that the Institute contained the blast of the sword. How convenient that only the irrelevant characters were killed off. Wouldn’t Valentine have known that the walls would contain the blast? 

Good for you, girl: Now that’s the Isabelle Lightwood I know and love. Finally, she took charge of the situation. Not only did she save Alec and Aldertree’s asses, she also cut ties with Raphael and her access to his blood. I hope she gets the help she needs and, once she’s better, kicks Aldertree’s ass for doing this to her. Just because he helped out this week, does not mean he is forgiven for giving her a lethal, highly addictive drug. 

Representation matters: While Raphael did mess up big time by hiding Izzy’s phone, I sort of understand since he was going to the Institute to kill Clary rather than help out. Still, though, I don’t think she should forgive him. But that’s what this section is about. It’s about the fact that Raphael is the first asexual character I’ve seen on television. And that says a lot because I watch a lot of shows. I, too, identify as ace so you can imagine how excited I got to finally see myself represented on television. And I know that I’m not the only one. Though I’d still like to hear them actually say the word “asexual” so there can be no confusion about it in the future. 

Favorite couple: Obviously Magnus and Alec were my favorite couple this week. From trying to save one another to their ILY’s, their interactions were perfect. So far I’m actually pretty pleased with how these two have been written. I know writers like to add angst to keep things interesting but often they go a bit too far with it. Alec and Magnus have had some issues but they’ve always worked them out together. I know the subject of immortality will come up eventually, it’s inevitable but I hope the writers stick to the trend of working things out together rather than how the books handled that issue (not well). 

What’s next? Now that Valentine is (temporarily) out of the picture the main focus will, of course, be on where the sword and the cup are. At the end of the episode, we saw a mysterious (gloved) stranger walk away with the sword. Now, I’m pretty sure I know who that is. His face wasn’t visible because he hadn’t been cast yet. I’m so excited for this part. I can’t wait to see how he interacts with everyone, though his real identity probably won’t be revealed right away. Not until the thing happens. As you can see, I’m trying to remain as spoiler-free as I can (but man it’s hard) and will keep doing so once the show returns. If I do let something slip, my apologies. 
Questions for the second half of the season: 
- How long until we’re headed to Idris? 
- Was that who I think it was at the end? 
- Will Izzy be okay now that she’ll be going through Yin Fen withdrawal? 
- Will we see Madzie again? 

Best quotes: Izzy: “I don't want anything from you ever again.” 
Valentine: “No, you are not my son. I'm not your father, Jocelyn is not your mother, Clary... Clary is not your sister.” 
Alec: “I love you.” Magnus: “I love you too.” 
Simon: “I would’ve killed you.” Jace: “I would’ve let you.” 

That’s it for the first half of the season. The show returns in June so you can check in again then for an all-new review (or you can check in next week if you want The Originals) and let me know in the comments what you thought of this week’s episode.

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