We loved that fight training scene between Jace and Clary! It doesn't just show how far Clary has come, but that the chemistry is most definitely still there between them.
The performances by Harry Shum, Jr. and Alan Van Sprang were simply perfection.
Sebastian's explanation of how Clary can harness her emotions to reactivate her rune ability seems a little too convenient, given that facing Azazel was a high emotion situation.
We're not buying that Alec wouldn't realize the truth after seeing how unlike themselves both Valentine and Magnus acted.
Our emotions run high as Shadowhunters and Downworlders discover their true selves in 2X12 “You Are Not Your Own”
With a Prince of Hell running loose in NYC, the Shadow world is facing new challenges from friend and foe. With Valentine free to roam in Magnus’s body, he goes in search of a way to rid himself of the Downworlder skin. Azazel is already waiting for him at the warlock’s loft, demanding the Mortal Cup in exchange for the gift of true freedom. Magnus, on the other hand, is being tortured by Inquisitor Herondale, and desperately tries to convince Alec that he is in fact, his lover. After Valentine fails at extorting Magnus, he kidnaps Jace with the promise to release him once he is returned to his body. When Valentine reveals up a vital piece of information, the High Inquisitor gives in to his demand.
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The two men aren’t the only ones suffering from an identity crisis. Clary continues to struggle with her inability to create new runes like before. Jace, on the other hand, is taking to his rune activation skill like a fish to water. They both agree to let the Clave study their pure angel blood capabilities. Izzy shows her gratitude to Sebastian by introducing him to the others at the Institute, where he shares his knowledge to help vanquish Azazel. He also shows Clary how to channel her pain into her runes, which ultimately saves Magnus and puts Valentine back where he belongs. Meanwhile, Simon attempts to protect himself from Raphael’s threat by seeking help from Izzy. When her idea backfires, he is forced to reveal his Daylighter status to several vampires to get him to back off.
This week’s episode took a close look at how one’s identity can impact relationships and behaviors. With the Shadow world in turmoil, let’s take a look at how our favorite Shadowhunters and Downworlders keep grounded, shall we?
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Jace may not be a Morgenstern, but he does belong to an ancient Shadowhunter line
It’s been a rough few months for Jace (Dominic Sherwood). He starts out adopted by the Lightwoods, but discovering he’s Valentine’s son costs him his reputation and position. Then, just as he comes to terms with Clary’s relationship with Simon, he finds out he is not related to her. He is also still dealing with the trauma of being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Downworlders. This week, he is kidnapped by Valentine, who is trapped in Magnus’s body, and held for ransom. If that isn’t enough, his faux-father is the one to reveal his true identity as Inquisitor Herondale’s grandson!
Inquisitor Herondale: “You’ve had a lot taken from you, Jace, but that’s all over now. You come from a line of great and powerful Shadowhunters. From a family that has been revered by generations and feared by those who oppose all that is good and just.”
If there is one thing that Jace has always prided himself on, it’s knowing who he is. When Valentine used his past as Michael Wayland to psychologically manipulate Jace. This, coupled with the shame of having feelings for his (then) sister Clary, took the Shadowhunter to a very tormented place. We watched him fight through the pain with his typical stoicism. Once he let down his guard, though, we realized losing his identity took a heavy toll. That’s why we were ecstatic when he finally found out who he really was…even if it came at the hands of Valentine himself. He is a Herondale, and that little smile he gave at the end was all we needed to know he will bounce back, stronger (and cockier) than ever.
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Simon’s Daylighter status has been brought to light, and it may be a very dangerous revelation
Simon (Alberto Rosende) is not exactly known for his ability to do anything outside of being a loyal friend. He’s just getting used to his vampire abilities, and then he becomes a Daylighter after Jace saves his life. In typical Simon form, he does little to hide that at the beginning. This draws a lot of unwanted attention his way. He may have swore not to reveal the cause of his new ability, but Raphael (David Castro) is as sharp as the teeth in his mouth. Clary’s boyfriend knows his clan leader has no trouble threatening his family, so he goes to Izzy (Emeraude Toubia) for help. Unfortunately, her suggestion to threaten him with his sister only angers the vampire more. When a scuffle reveals Simon’s status to other vampires, a new problem arises.
Raphael: “It would be a lot easier to wait for nightfall to kill you, but you come near my sister, you pay now.”
Maia has already warned Simon that being a Daylighter will put a target on him, but the vampire didn’t realize just how big it would be. After the visit from Raphael at his temporary abode, it’s clear Simon’s worried about those he loves. When Izzy’s suggestion backfires on them, we watch a very interesting exchange go down. Once Simon’s ability is revealed to the other vampires, Luke senses there’s a shift of power. We see how Raphael looks both angry and worried when his posse listens to Simon’s command instead of him. He’s afraid his authority will be challenged. While we wouldn’t mind seeing him come into his own, we’re not sure Simon can handle leadership just yet. After all, jealousy can be deadly…
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We know Malec’s love is as strong as it has ever been, but will it survive Azazel’s little trick?
Alec (Matthew Daddario) has been the one calling his romance with Magnus (Harry Shum, Jr) is complicated. This week, however, it was the warlock who faced a difficult situation. Having switched bodies with Valentine, he is imprisoned in the Institute with no magic and no help. When his desperate pleas to the Inquisitor are ignored, he turns to his new love for help. Sadly, despite he does not ultimately convince Alec of his true identity. Meanwhile, when Valentine appears in the Institute, he discovers that the warlock’s own wards prevent him from using dark magic. It forces the Circle leader kidnaps Jace and reveal his connection to the Inquisitor. Finally, the two are able to reverse Azazel’s work, but it leaves a trail of destruction in its wake.
Magnus: “That agony rune…it made me relive memories I’ve spent centuries trying to forget.”
Before we even get into the Malec fallout, can we please give a big round of applause to Alan Van Sprang and Harry Shum, Jr. for portraying each other so gloriously? Each actor took on the other’s voice and mannerisms so perfectly that we were in awe of their performances. Now, back to the task at hand. While our favorite warlock undoubtedly has experienced pain in his long life, he has always kept it contained. With the Clave interrogation forcing it to the surface, Magnus will be as tortured as those he calls his friends. Add to that Alec not believing him and coming to his aid, we wouldn’t be surprised if he felt a delayed sense of betrayal. We can only hope Malec will recommit to their love and work through this to come out more solid than ever.
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Final Verdict: In “You Are Not Your Own,” we learn that knowing who we are can give us all the power we need
True to his demonic ways, Azazel doesn’t just cast dark magic to get his way, but leaves chaos behind. Being trapped in Magnus’s body forces Valentine to live as a Downworlder, but it does little to quell his thirst for death. Magnus must now consider his bond with Alec and face how their relationship has affected his life. Jace, who has lost his identity, finally gains it back…and boy, is it an upgrade. Sebastian helps Clary confront her dark past and face the loss of her sense of self. Izzy gets back to being a Shadowhunter by helping a Downworlder. All in all, “You Are Not Your Own” has each character coming to grips with what has happened to them. We’re curious to see how they learn to grow into their new identities.
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We’re really happy to delve into the psyches of each of our favorite Shadowhunter or Downworlder, but it leaves us with quite a few questions. First, could being a Herondale mean a return to Idris for Jace? Will Simon really decide to challenge Raphael for clan leader? Is Clary telling the truth when she promises her boyfriend knowing Jace isn’t her brother doesn’t change things? What is Jace going to do when he finds out Sebastian is interested in Clary? Is this the beginning of the Sizzy storyline (say yes please!)?
There were a couple of things that didn’t quite add up for us this week, though. Sebastian tells Clary that she had to face her emotions to regain her ability to draw runes. If so, why couldn’t she have done the same when she thought everyone’s life was in danger before? She certainly wasn’t hiding her emotions then when she called out for Jace…Speaking of which, we find it hard to believe that Clary wasn’t hurting because she lost her chance with him (rather than because he wasn’t her brother). We also find it difficult to reconcile a paranoid Alec with being so accepting of Magnus’s bizarre behavior, especially after hearing what Valentine had to say!
Despite these odd reactions, we have to say that we really enjoyed “You Are Not Your Own.” We had a chance to see Sebastian in his element and Jace and Clary coming into their angelic powers (and an incredible fight training scene). We also loved Izzy returning to her teasing, sassy self. As we mentioned before, we were also awestruck with the amazing dual performances by Harry Shum, Jr. and Alan Van Sprang.
Having heard Sebastian talk about greater demons, we suspect Azazel is not completely vanquished. When he returns, he’ll be angrier than ever and harder to beat. Valentine may be imprisoned again, but as Jace said, he is always ten steps ahead. We already know that the Jace/Clary/Simon triangle will be flaring up again, and it looks like Sebastian is going to take a shot too! We wonder if Izzy’s going to be jealous of all of Clary’s male attention…
While we are anticipating a fair amount of angst in the coming weeks, we can’t wait to see how everything gets worked out. At the very least, we know Malec is going to have to deal with what happened between them this week, and Simon’s newfound power is going to put him in Raphael’s sights. Luke sensed the shift in the air, and so do we. Now, how many hours is it until the next episode airs??
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While everyone’s in a sharing mood, why don’t we get some questions answered?
- How long will it take Azazel to come back? Will he bring reinforcements this time?
- How will Dot feel once she realizes that Valentine used her for her powers again?
- Do we think Sebastian will continue pursuing Clary, or turn his blonde charms elsewhere?
- Speaking of which, will Jace feel threatened by the new, experienced Shadowhunter?
- Will Luke tell Simon how his Daylighter ability could be used to gain power?
- Will Izzy really follow through with Simon’s recommendation of the group?
- What is Raphael going to do next? Will he attempt to kill Simon?
- Is being a Herondale going to require Jace to be more temperate? We’re thinking that won’t go well…
- Will Luke’s old clan come back to challenge him? Has he found new recruits?
- We really like Rosita…especially when she told Izzy she’s missing out with Simon!
- Can we train with Jace and Clary too? We want our own runes…
AN ALL NEW SHADOWHUNTERS AIRS MONDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2017 AT 8/7C!
Shadowhunters 2X12 “You Are Not Your Own” Review
Jennifer Yen