We are absolutely in love with the Seelie realm and can't say enough about the beautiful set, costume, and overall feel!
That scene between Nicola Correia-Damude and Emeraude Toubia had us bawling our eyes out.
We're not quite buying Luke all of a sudden losing his patience with the Clave and going rogue on Valentine.
Our hearts are breaking for our favorite fighters in Shadowhunters 2X14 “The Fair Folk.”
While Jace’s first act as the head of the New York Institute was indeed controversial, Alec’s first action is even more so. He announces a radical plan to mend fences with the Downworlders - a cabinet made up of the leaders of each group. There is quiet dissention among some of the Shadowhunters, but it moves forward nonetheless. While Raphael, Magnus, and Meliorn (as proxy for the Seelie Queen) all readily participate, Luke has to be persuaded. Despite eventually agreeing, he jumps at the chance of killing Valentine when an anonymous caller gives him the chance.. Sebastian, who is providing security, alerts Alec to an anomaly on the video. This leads to the discovery of Luke and Valentine in his cell. Although he could arrest the werewolf for his behavior, Alec doesn’t. He takes this as an opportunity to prove that he is a man of his word and releases him.
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In the meantime, Alec sends Clary and Jace to meet with the Seelie Queen, as they are the only ones that she will see. Simon catches wind of their trip and insists on going along despite Jace’s warning. Along the way, he comes across a dangerous tree and kills one of its gnats without thinking. Once presented to the queen, she invites everyone to sit down for a meal. Jace quickly dispenses with that idea, but then she requests to speak with Simon alone. She offers a chance to be friends and allies, insisting that Shadowhunters will always choose their own. He refuses, stating that Clary would never betray him. To prove her point, the queen traps both young men in truth vines. She tells Clary she can save them in exchange for a kiss. The catch? It must be the one that she desires most.
Peace may have been sought via the Downworlder council, but heartbreak was the true theme of the week. How about we take a look at some of the shocking revelations from this week?
Sebastian might have the face of an angel, but he’s got darkness in him
This week saw the return of Sebastian (Will Tudor) to the Institute. This time, he is acting as the head of security for the Downworlder council meeting. He finds Jace playing the piano early in in the morning one of the days preceding it. The latter discloses that Valentine taught him in a horrific way. Later, when Raphael arrives he sees Sebastian and Isabelle interact and becomes jealous. The vampire confronts him, only to have the table turned. Sebastian reveals he knows Raphael provided vampire venom to her and encourages him to stay away. After helping Alec save Valentine from Luke, the older man asks if they know each other. When everything is done, he returns to his home and plays the exact same piano piece as Jace. He then reveals he’s keeping someone hostage in his closet, and threatens to hurt them if they don’t stay quiet.
Sebastian: “Look at all this mess you’ve made. Keep quiet, or I’ll have to punish you again. And you wouldn’t like that.”
Readers of The Mortal Instruments knew Sebastian was more than what he presented. Still, the way this was revealed in the episode was a surprise. He has clearly earned the trust of others at the Institute to be put in charge of security during the Downworlder council meeting. He even gives Isabelle a pep talk when her mother arrives and reminds Raphael what true caring should be. Of course, the way the Circle leader looks at Sebastian once he is saved is suspicious. When Valentine asks if they know each other, it’s even more so. Then, there’s the piano piece and the chilling threat to his captive. This is the real Sebastian, and we’re both terrified and excited. Who does he have captive, and what he will do in upcoming episodes?
The Seelie Queen is the meanest girl of the entire Shadow world
After Alec requests an audience with the Seelie Queen, she tells him she will only meet with “Valentine’s Experiments.” Jace (Dominic Sherwood) and Clary (Katherine McNamara) are tasked with going to see her, but Simon (Alberto Rosende) insists on going too. As they travel in the fairy realm, Simon kills several gnats on a tree. When they meet with the queen, Jace convinces her to allow Simon to remain. The other two follow his lead when they are asked to dine with her. The queen requests to speak with Simon alone, at which point she implores him to join as her ally. She tells him that Shadowhunters will always choose their own kind. Simon is sure that Clary loves him and is different than the others. The queen traps both men in vines and tells Clary she can only save them by playing a game.
Seelie Queen: “You can fool yourself, but not the vitas veritas.”
We know that the love triangle between Simon, Clary, and Jace has been brewing for quite some time. While we loved the beauty of the fairy realm (major props to Summer Gaal, Kathleen Jenkins-Gray, and Alexander Narizni of the art department), it is nothing compared to the drama that ensues. Simon underestimates the fairy queen when asked to ally with her. To prove her point, she captures both of the suitors and forces Clary to admit her truest desire. Although she does kiss Simon at his bidding, it does not release them. It is only after she locks lips with Jace that the game is over…but not their ordeal. Simon’s heart isn’t the only one broken, as Jace and Clary can no longer deny that their love remains. By the angels, how will they fix this?
Secrets might be hard to reveal, but pain is even more so
With Alec’s decision to create a Downworlder counsel reaching Maryse, she travels from Idris to congratulate her son in person. When he asks for an update about Robert, she admits that their marriage has ended. However, due to their public reputation, she is reluctant to leave him. Alec encourages his mother to disclose the affair to Isabelle, whom he has kept out of the loop. She is reluctant given how close Isabelle is to her father. Meanwhile, Isabelle admits to Sebastian that she’s terrified of revealing her yin fen addiction to her mother. She has always expected perfection, and something like this is far from it. He reminds her that she is as strong as she’s been since getting addicted, and encourages her to tell the truth. When the two women finally meet face to face, their mutual admissions are emotional and cathartic.
Maryse: “I’ve been so hard on you, put so much pressure…of course you needed a release. Sometimes our angelic duty seems to overshadow everything else. We forget we’re human too.”
We were just as shocked as she was when we realized Isabelle has known about Robert all along. It makes us wonder if that was part of the pain she was trying to cover up with yin fen. We loved seeing how these two strong women realized that being vulnerable is not the same as being weak. This entire scene was beautifully done, and we applaud the cast and writers for this. Nicola Correia-Damude and Emeraude Toubia were phenomenal in their performances. We really felt the pain each character kept hidden. Every girl, even a badass Shadowhunter, needs her momma. Seeing the two of them genuinely connect was something that we’ve been waiting for. This mended relationship is one we’re happy to cheer for!
Final Verdict: In “The Fair Folk,” we are reminded that love is a most complicated thing
The Shadow world may be in upheaval, but it’s not the only thing that is in chaos this week. The Simon, Jace, and Clary love triangle got a new twist this week, and the fallout is major. Alec and Magnus have to convince the other Downworlders that they can separate their personal and business matters. Isabelle mends one relationship, but loses another. Sebastian may be descended from angels, but his possible dark connection to Valentine is one to watch. While love is wreaking havoc with our characters, we are in love with the complications that are coming their way.
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Obviously, the vitas veritas revealed where Clary’s true desires lie. However, will she finally allow herself to act on them? What will that mean for her friendship with Simon? Will he ever forgive her? What about Sebastian? He may have told Raphael he wants to just be Isabelle’s friend, but who knows? Speaking of which, why did Valentine believe he recognized him? Who was being held hostage in his house?
With the multiple storylines that were being juggled this week, we expected a few loose ends. In particular, we’re puzzled by Luke’s uncharacteristic behavior this episode. He’s been both a Shadowhunter and a Downworlder for so long. He knows the way the Clave works. Why would he all of a sudden go from being understanding and patient to impulsive and unreasonable? At the very least, wouldn’t he want to interrogate Valentine for his sister’s location rather than kill him?
This is not to say that we didn’t really enjoy “The Fair Folk.” Book readers have been dying to see the fairy realm interpreted by the show, and they didn’t disappoint. The kiss scene is a pivotal one for the love triangle, and it definitely lived up to our expectations. That scene between Nicola Correia-Damude and Emeraude Toubia had us tearing up too, and we let out a collective aww when they finally made up.
We’d be lying if we didn’t want to see what happens next between Clary, Simon, and Jace. Isabelle may have lost Raphael, but we’re excited to see who comes along to sweep her off her feet (shhh…no spoilers, book people). Clearly, we need to know who is in Sebastian’s closet, and why Valentine seems to recognize him. We’re also still dying to see Idris!
This episode was full of revelations, and all of them stunning. We are curious to see just how well the Downworlder council will really work. We know that Valentine has to transferred to Idris for his safety (irony!), but that gives the Circle members a chance at rescuing him. Sebastian can’t keep that person hostage forever, so we’re interested to see what he does next. Then, of course, there’s Simon, Clary, and Jace. Looks like we’re in for an exciting episode next week!
While Clary is trying to decide who she desires more, do we have some questions of our own?
- Will Alec’s idea of a Downworlder council really work? Will everyone truly be transparent?
- Things still seem a bit awkward between Alec and Magnus. Will they kiss and make up?
- Who was that other Seelie knight? The one that is “dead, dead, dead?”
- Will Clary find a way to resolve the conflict between the three of them?
- Could the Circle members try to break Valentine out before he reaches Idris?
- Is Sebastian the mole, or is it the person he’s torturing in the closet?
- Speaking of which, what is his connection to Valentine? After all, he plays the same song as Jace on the piano…
- What else does the Seelie queen know but isn’t sharing?
- Can’t everyone just get along??!!
- On a side note, though, we want to take a trip to the fairy realm too…
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