Shadowhunters EPs Break Down That Final Premiere Twist: What Does It Mean for Clary and Jonathan?
Monday’s midseason premiere of Shadowhunters finally put Clary face-to-face with her estranged demonic brother, and it went… well, about as smoothly as any family reunion on this show.
Though Clary was relieved to learn that she survived the explosion, she was troubled to discover that Lilith transported her and Jonathan — as well as the entire apartment — to Siberia, where they discovered (whilst choking on their own blood) that Lilith’s demonic rune has bound them to one another forever.
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Elsewhere, Jace became increasingly reckless as a result of his guilt, forcing Alec to intervene and set him straight; Maia struggled to connect with a distraught Simon, who learned that an ancient sewer-dwelling vampire could be the solution to his Mark of Cain problem; Izzy confronted Penhallow about rumors of the Clave torturing Downworlders, only to be brushed aside; and an evening babysitting Madzie led to Magnus’ first mission as a mortal, as the team worked to outwit that troublemaker Iris.
Below, showrunners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer break down the biggest twists from the premiere, teasing a little more of what we can expect from Shadowhunters‘ final episodes:
TVLINE | Jonathan is obviously a monster, but he seems to genuinely care for Clary. Can we at least trust him on that level?
SWIMMER | [Laughs] Yes, his affection and love for her is genuine. He has no ill feelings toward her.
SLAVKIN | You will really come to love and understand him, like you do all the great villains, like you did with Lilith last season. So even though Jonathan does despicable things and a lot of his actions are cuckoo-bananas crazy, you’ll grow to understand him.
TVLINE | Is this bond with Clary his first step in wooing her to the dark side?
SWIMMER | Well, it wasn’t something that he planned. But now that it’s happening, he’s going to take full advantage of it.
SLAVKIN | He’s learning as we go as well. It was as much as surprise to him as it was to her.
SWIMMER | We’ll find out more about the mechanics of that, and the origins of their bond, in future episodes.
TVLINE | We know that Jace and Clary will eventually reunite. What would you say is their biggest obstacle as a couple at this point?
SLAVKIN | Last season, they had to go through Jace going dark as the Owl, trying to throw her off a roof. This year, it evolves, because Clary is the one drawn to the dark side. At the end of the day, I think their love is stronger than any obstacle will ever be. We really try to capture that towards the end of the season.
TVLINE | How about “Sizzy”? The fans certainly enjoyed that kiss in the trailer.
SWIMMER | In the next few episodes, “Sizzy” fans will start to see what they’ve been waiting for on screen, but only the very beginnings of it.
TVLINE | We also know that Maia will consider becoming pack leader. How might that play out?
SWIMMER | As pack leader, she’s going to be forced to make some difficult decisions. We’re going to see how she handles the role of leadership and how she responds to a tragedy that happens around her.
TVLINE | On an unrelated note, my heart broke for Magnus this week.
SLAVKIN | It’s really difficult for Magnus, because this is part of his identity. His soul. Who he is. So he’s going to try to get used to it, but it really is a struggle for him. Alec is supportive every step of the way — perhaps too supportive — but in the end, they want happiness like every other couple in love.
TVLINE | Just to clarify: I know that Magnus gave up his powers, but will he also age now, too?
SLAVKIN | Oh, yes. He’s fully mortal now. He gave up everything. He’s basically a human being.
SWIMMER | Now he has a ticking clock, albeit a long time in the future.
TVLINE | I’m also weirdly excited to meet this alleged ancient vampire. Will we?
SLAVKIN | Yes, indeed, you will meet that guy. He’s an amazing character, and he’s not just in one episode.
TVLINE | Lastly, I have to ask: Should we be bracing for a major loss this season? The characters look pretty somber at certain points in that trailer.
SWIMMER | I’ll just say that there are a lot of high highs and low lows.
SLAVKIN | That said, the melancholic tone of the premiere is not something that’s repeated throughout the [final episodes].
Your thoughts on Shadowhunters‘ long-awaited return? Grade the premiere below, then drop a comment with your full review.
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