In our last Roundtable from the Season, we discuss the epic season finale and share our hopes for Season Three

What a finale! This episode had us in a rollercoaster of emotions for the whole 42 minutes it lasted. The episode kicked off with Sebastian, who managed to survive and get himself to land. He summons help from the demon realm, opening a rift where demos start pouring out from and head to the city. After getting an alert of demon sightings in the city, Jace, Clary, Alec and Isabelle were on the run to hunt them. But as demons kept showing up, Alec and Izzy decided to get back to the Institute to make a plan, while Clary and Jace head down to Idris to hunt Valentine. Simon and Luke go visit the Seelie Queen demanding her to let Maia free, but after she doesn’t gives in easily, Simon agrees to talk to her while Luke tries to find her in the forest. He eventually finds her, and the Seelie Queen let’s them go, not without sharing a look with Simon, letting us know something is definitely up.

After trying to alert the Council about Valentine’s plans, Clary and Jace learned that he is actually a Circle member and supports Valentine. Malachi then captures them, planning on ending their lives as he sees them as a treat to Valentine’s plan. It was a close call for Clary, but she and Jace manage to free themselves and fight their captors. But as soon as they arrive to Lake Lynn, Jace gets stabbed by Valentine who gets him by surprise, and sadly Jace passes away.

RELATED | SHADOWHUNTERS ROUNDTABLE 2×19: “Hail and Farewell.”

Meanwhile, back in New York, Isabelle, Magnus and Alec teamed up to close the rift where demons where coming into. After Magnus successfully closed up the rift, they head back to the Institute to figure out their next move. Alec, through his Parabatai rune, senses that Jace is in trouble and as he watches the rune disappears, realizes that Jace has passed away.

Before Valentine was able to ask the Angel Raziel his wish, Clary got to him and fought him off. And when just we thought it was over, she came back in full force and killed him. At the end of the episode, the whole gang got together to celebrate their win, but not everything seemed to be happiness as we saw Jace is facing some side effects from being resurrected, Simon has to go back to the Seelie Court as part of a deal he made with the Seelie Queen and Luke has to face Ollie, who knows he is a werewolf and demands answers.

The Season Finale was full of many twists and surprises. So let’s not waste any more time and meet our guests for our last Roundtable of the season:

Blaire (@theshadowhunterscodex) – Reader, Author and all round Fangirl.

ShumDario News (@shumdarionews) – Update account about Harry Shum Jr. and Matthew Daddario.

Karla (@ShadowhuntersLA) - Reader, Dreamer, Wanderer.

Nephilimupdates (@NephilimUpdates Twitter / Instagram) – Update account about everything Shadowhunters.

Emmanuelle (@shadowhunters_news IG) – Shadowhunters Fan and Fan Account Owner.

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1 . We finally got to see some demon fighting again on the show. How great was it to see the gang fighting off demons together?

Blaire (@theshadowhunterscodex): It was so fantastic to see our Shadowhunters gang back together and well again! Izzy finally on top of her addiction, Jace and Clary finally at peace with their relationship struggles, and Alec finally having found his place as head of the institute. I mean, they each still had so much more to go through and come to terms with but it was still so nice to see the gang back together and doing what they do best; fight demons!

ShumDario News (@shumdarionews): We loved seeing the gang back together fighting demons. The first action sequence with Alec, Izzy, Jace, and Clary running through the streets of New York chasing the wraith demon was epic. The visual effects were amazing and we loved that moment when Alec fired his arrow so confidently, like the true leader we know he can be.

Later, when Magnus, Alec, and Izzy encountered another wraith while Magnus was attempting to seal the rift we got another great action sequence. Magnus using his magic when he turned around backwards to blast the demon that was shooting fireballs at Alec, then Izzy jumping in to help Alec kill the rest of the demons that had respawned from its remains, we loved that whole scene. We hope to see more of these fights next season, as well as the amazing work done by Folks VFX to create such realistic demons.

ShadowhuntersLA (@shadowhuntersla): Like I’ve always said, the fighting / training scenes were some of my favorites this season. The choreography and execution were performed realistically and flawlessly (Cheers to the stunt team!); plus the visual effect team did a terrific job, they gave us some scary, awful demons that felt like they actually came out of Edom. And it was about time we get to see some Hunting of Shadows, it’s really refreshing and exciting to see them showing off their skills, as usual Jace & Alec coordinated perfectly as Parabatai, Izzy with her whip is just lethal, Clary has grown so much and is embracing her Shadowhunter blood and Magnus is mesmerizing. Kudos to them all!

Nephilimupdates (@nephilimupdates): It was amazing! I wish there was time for more of it next season because it’s always fun to see the gang fighting demons which is what they’re meant to be doing. I can’t wait to see more!

Emmanuelle (@shadowhunters_news): FINALLY! I have been waiting for a long time to see demon hunters HUNT DEMONS! And the CGI was amazing from the VFX team. It was great to see the dynamic between them too, especially when Jace would always make sure to protect his parabatai’s back when he was ready to kill the demon.

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2. Magnus and Alec realized that they don’t need to sacrifice their relationship to protect their own people. How happy are you to see these two back together?

Blaire: SO HAPPY AND RELIEVED!! I can’t express how much joy it brought me to see them finally realise that they were more important to each other than a silly fight and also realise that it never has to be one option or the other. They could successfully have both.

ShumDario News: To say we were happy is a massive understatement! We were thrilled to see Magnus and Alec work through their difference and find their way back to one another. We were all super nervous the finale of season 2 might leave them on a cliffhanger, but thankfully the party at the Hunter’s Moon was the perfect backdrop for reconciliation. It was so cute how they were both nervous to talk to each other at first, but as soon as they stepped into the alley and started it was obvious they were both ready to get back together. Their smiles healed all our broken Malec hearts, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for them in season 3!

ShadowhuntersLA: I was in Malec heaven, as Magnus wisely quote Alec: “Relationships take effort” and they both are more aware of it now, and I’m sure they’ll learn from it and find a way to balance their leadership with their relationship. This experience helped them realize how much they need each other and to understand the depths of their love; they still have a long road to walk but I’m sure they’ll conquer everything, after all, their love is pure and magical. Love is love.

Nephilimupdates: I couldn’t be happier! As Alec said, they always seem to find their way back to each other. Their conversation was perfect and sure, they still will probably face more bumps in the future but I’m glad they decided to do it together.

Emmanuelle: Very happy! I’ll be honest, I was very curious to see how far they were gonna go with the break up plot but I’m happy to see that it was such a nature way of them coming back together. It wasn’t forced or rushed; just perfect. My hopes for them in season 3 is to see them as a couple but not have the relationship be their only storylines. Both characters have so much potential and this is a great moment to show that they can handle a relationship with their duties as leaders.

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3. Apart from returning to the Seelie Court, what do you think the Seelie Queen made Simon give her back in exchange of Maia’s freedom? We saw him arriving back to the Seelie Court, do you think she wants him to stay there forever?

Blaire: I’ve been thinking this over for a while now and honestly, I only have one theory for what will happen. Spoiler for those who haven’t read the books, but to those who have, do you remember when Simon gets kidnapped by Maureen and kept in that cage made to dress up? Well, I’m wondering now that we have reached City of Fallen Angels in the tv show if this is sort of where they’re going with this plot line but with the Seelie Queen instead of Maureen. Honestly, apart from that I have no clue what she might have planned or what he promised her.

ShumDario News: We aren’t quite sure what the Seelie Queen has planned for Simon, but we can guess she’s going to use him as some sort of pawn to push her own agenda. She seems determined to assert herself as spokesperson for the Downworld with the goal of overpowering the Clave. We know Simon has a lot of special powers and influence right now since he’s a Daylighter, and that could help the Queen gain more control. Those of us who have read the books know what’s coming for the Seelies, but the show will probably give the audience some new twists and turns on their way to the next big conflict.

ShadowhuntersLA: I’m so worried about Simon, my heart broke when he was saying goodbye to Clary and Maia. We know Simon would do anything to save and protect the people he loves and we also know the Queen will take advantage of those feelings to compel him do whatever she wants, I do think she wants him to stay by her side, meaning not only to be with her in the Court but also backing her up in the decisions she made and increasing her power over the Downworld just for the very fact that “the Daylighter” is with her.

Nephilimupdates: I’ve been thinking about it and I have to say I have no idea what she wants from Simon. About her waiting him to stay there forever, surely it seemed that way but as soon as he’s missing for a day or so everyone is going to notice and Maia and Luke will probably know it’s about the Seelie Queen.

Emmanuelle: It’s pretty obvious since episode 14 that she wants the Daylighter in her side. Maybe because he is a very influential figure for the vampires or she has some deeper reasons. I’m scared that our poor Simon might have gotten himself in a very difficult situation but I’m very curious to see how it will play out in season 3.

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4. We got a glimpse of Lilith at the end of the episode. Do you think she and Jonathan have something to do with what’s going on with Jace?

Blaire: Hmm, if they are following the books with this plot point, which so far it seems they are, then I think we all know what is happening with Jace. I look forward to seeing how it plays out on the show though!!

ShumDario News: We definitely think Sebastian and Lilith are going to be causing a world of trouble for the Shadowhunters in season 3. Without giving too much of a spoiler we definitely can say Jace’s current state of distress is going to tie into this as well. Poor Jace, he never seems to catch a break. Things are always going from bad to worse where he’s concerned. But now that Clary has proven herself to be just as tough as he is, we think she’ll be there to help him through this.

ShadowhuntersLA: As fan of the books I already know this answer, but based on the sole information we have in the show, we don’t know, the only thing we know is that Jace died for a few minutes, he came back to live and there’s something off about him, could be a consequence of dying or is it just a connection between Jace and Sebastian due to Valentine’s experiments? I’m thrilled to find out what’s gonna happen.

Nephilimupdates: For a moment there it felt that way, but I’m starting to think that maybe Jace is suffering the consequences of being brought back as he said when they were at the lake. I’m sure Jace, Jonathan and Lilith will be linked together somehow but I’m not sure if what we saw is it or not.

Emmanuelle: Of course! And as book fans know, Lilith plays a very important part in the next main storyline that the series is gonna tackle in S3. She’s gonna bring hell on earth and to our main characters.

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5. Clary asked the Angel Raziel to bring Jace back to life. Do you think this will have repercussions in the future?

Blaire: As I said in the question before, if they are following the books for this plot line then yep! Again, I’m interested to watch it all play out.

ShumDario News: Jace seemed pretty convinced his rebirth will have consequences, so we guess we’ll have to wait and see if he was right. Raziel was of course using his powers for good, but the angels tend to work in ways that don’t quite make sense to us at times. More will probably be explained later. We feel the bigger picture will come to light as the next season unfolds. We are excited to watch Jace go down this dark path as well as Sebastian’s imminent return.

ShadowhuntersLA: Most definitely. We know when a Shadowhunters is born they need some protection rituals to guard their souls against Demons and dark magic. so the question here is if Jace died and came back to live his protections wear off and his soul was left unguarded? Or because of his Angelic blood he has no need of these protections? It seems like Jace can’t catch a break (sight).

Nephilimupdates: I think we’re already seeing those consequences and we will just see more of it during season 3 for sure.

Emmanuelle: Jace coming back to life is the starting point for the rest of the show’s story. He wasn’t wrong when he told Clary that bringing people back from the dead has it’s consequences. Even if it’s from an angel. We can assume that his final scene at the Hunter’s Moon had to do with his rebirth.

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6. Valentine is finally out of the picture. Are you glad they decided to kill him off? Or were you hoping to see more of him in Season 3?

Blaire: Look, I’m glad Valentine is dead, though i would have liked to see the whole funeral stuff that happened at the end of the book. Obviously since Jocelyn is dead we can’t really do all that emotional stuff though so I guess I get why it didn’t happen. But still, I’m a little sad we didn’t get to see that as it was a really important point that basically showed how the characters were dealing with everything and how it had affected them. Regardless i am glad he is dead. I’m sad to see Alan go though. He is truly a phenomenal actor!

ShumDario News: We knew Valentine was a goner, and we were glad to see him get what was finally coming to him. Clary was such a badass in that scene, stabbing him multiple times with such vengeance and raw emotion. That entire fight sequence was really well choreographed and Kat did an amazing job. We are sad to see Alan Van Sprang leave the show though, he’s such an amazing actor he will be greatly missed.

ShadowhuntersLA: Well, Valentine fulfilled his purpose during these past two seasons, he was the first villain and gave us very hard times, I’m sad we won’t get too see Alan but I’m extremely grateful for his performance as Valentine, and everything comes to an end and Valentine’s end was both marvelous and tragical; but I’m sure that even tho he’s dead he still will cause troubles and the consequences of his actions Will repercute on the entire Shadow World.

Nephilimupdates: Valentine’s storyline and purpose had run it’s course in my opinion. Valentine was a great villain and Alan will be missed greatly but I can’t wait for the next Big Bad.

Emmanuelle: I was very glad to see him go, though I’m really gonna miss Alan Van Sprang, Valentine’s storyline was running out as a villain and he had a great two seasons on the show. I’m more than happy that Alan will be followed up by Will Tudor - an equally amazing actor - to pick up the flame as the show’s villain!

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7. Watching Luke tipsy at the Hunter’s Moon was one of our favorite moments from the episode. But he got sober really fast when Ollie confronted him. What do you think is going to happen next? Will he confide in her and tell her the truth?

Blaire: Omg Luke is hilarious. Isaiah is my hero, he’s the best, honestly. But yeah. He’s got a bit in store with sorting out this Ollie mess! I don’t know if they intend on making her a love interest since Jocelyn is gone or if they want to throw a spanner in the works in trying to expose the downworld and Shadow World. Who knows what her plans are or what will happen? But I’m excited!

ShumDario News: Honestly we have no idea where they are going with this Ollie situation. We thought maybe she was from Internal Affairs, or some higher authority like the FBI, sent to purposely spy on Luke and figure out his secrets. But she could also just be a nosy mundane who is figuring out things bit by bit just purely by coincidence. Whatever the case may be we are confident this storyline will return in season 3.

ShadowhuntersLA: Oh, the cliffhanger! We still don’t know how Ollie was able to resist the encanto from Raphael and now she openly confronts Luke about the werewolves! I don’t think Luke can tell her truth because that’s a huge risk for Ollie and the Shadow World, after all she’s just a mundane (as far as we know) but now that she knows something is different she Will keep poking and snuffing around and that’d definitely bring her troubles, not everyone on the Shadow World is patient and kind. I’m so intrigued about this storyline, mixing the mundane and Shadow world together, it’ll be chaos!

Nephilimupdates: Maybe he’ll try to convince her she’s out of her depth at first but she seems pretty relentless so sooner or later he’s might have to tell her the truth. Maybe there’s something in her past or her family related to the downworld somehow and that’s why she wants to know more about it.

Emmanuelle: I’m very curious to see where this storyline will go in season 3. I’m hoping that Luke tries to find a way to make Ollie only believe that werewolves exist and keep the rest of the Shadow World hidden but as we know…SHE ALWAYS SEEMS TO FIND OUT ABOUT EVERYTHING!

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Now that the Season is over, let’s close up Season Two with some general thoughts about it… Let’s see what our Roundtable guests thought of the season:

Blaire: I adored season 2. It was a huge step up from season 1. I feel like season 2 was really just jam packed with stuff. The cast settled nicely into their roles, found their feet and had become comfortable with each other, their characters and the story. It was really nice to see the relationships develop more and I loved watching everything come together in terms of the plot. I’m really excited for season three. All I hope for is they keep moving forward as they’ve been and pulling things from the books like they do. Yes, it’s different from the books but they still take important parts from the original story and I like that. I’m really looking forward to seeing the new season and watching the story continue to unfold on screen! Thank you to the Shadowhunters cast and crew for yet another amazing season!

ShumDario News: Season 2 of Shadowhunters was an amazing season of television. It was such a step up from season 1. Improvement could be found in all aspects of the show: the atmosphere, special/visual effects, directing, writing and even acting. Despite some missteps or misunderstanding that came with new showrunners settling in, this season allowed each character to grow and start to find their place in the Shadow world: Clary owning her shadowhunter destiny, Jace searching for his origins, Alec and Magnus sorting out their relationship while being leaders of their people. We clearly saw that the writers cared about our opinions (episode 2×18 addressing the critics over episode 2×07) and the new actors and characters really added novelty to the show.

For season 3, we would like for the show to continue exploring the complexity of balancing the normal aspects of life (family, friend, love) with the reality of this world of demon hunting. We also hope that the multiple factions of this world will be visited (more warlocks, more vampires, more demons from Edom). Finally, we also hope that the screen time will keep being more balanced between all the main characters. With new characters appearing, such as Lilith, and plotlines strongly waited for such as Sebastian’s return, Malec and Clace love stories, we are strongly excited about Season 3!

ShadowhuntersLA: I’m really pleased about how Season 2 turned out to be. The upgrade on the story, effects, locations, custom & props designs and the performances were huge and well executed. The storyline kept a consistency during the whole season and there was time to explore and get to know a bit more every character. We got to see some action, romance, comedy, drama all necessary to keep and audience entertained and intrigued. The things I like the most about season 2 were the training, fighting scenes as well as the flashbacks, details that make us fall in love even more with the story and its characters.

I hope Season 3 brings us more chaos, more hunting of shadows, more love and heartbreak. New characters will be introduced which means more storylines to tell, I’m particularly excited about the interaction between Sebastian and Lilith, as well of Jordan. And I’m confident the show will keep surprising book fans with new plots while maintaining the core of the books themselves.

Nephilimupdates: Season 2 has a completely different vibe from Season 1. As the show progressed it increasingly became darker and more intense, both emotionally and story wise. The effects were spectacular in comparison.

Loved the balance between the characters and how each character had a chance to shine and their own storyline. I understand that it may be difficult to do so with such a huge cast. I hope we see many more layers to the characters we love and their relations.

Emmanuelle: Season 2 has been one crazy ride. And I want to personally acknowledge the hard work put in by both cast and crew to make this the best season so far for the show. Everything was such a step up from season 1 it felt like a completely different show. My hope for season 3 is that they keep this high of making every episode better than the last one. That they don’t fall into the nasty slump that some shows have of having their high and than each season getting more and more boring afterwards. This show still has so much potential and amazing storylines to come - and I can’t wait to see it all! Thank you for allowing me to share my opinions each week on here, it’s been great! See y’all next year.

Final Verdict: The Second Season of Shadowhunters was a treat to watch that left fans very happy and anxious for more.

The second season of Shadowhunters ended on a high note, delivering with action packed scenes, emotional moments and of course, as the show often does, with a cliffhanger. By the end of the season, the show managed to balance the books’ main storylines with their original content, making fans of both very happy. For most of us, it was not a surprise to see who died and was brought back to life. But it still was a very emotional scene to see, as the actors involved, Dom, Kat and Matt, delivered strong performances. Tears were shed from many of us as we saw Jace dying, leaving a shaken Clary and his worried Parabatai behind. For a Season Finale, it was expected that some characters would have a much more happier ending than others. But unfortunately, we won’t get answers to all of our questions, till next year, when Shadowhunters return.

It’s clear that with the Second Season, Shadowhunters took the show to another level. They improved not only in quality content, but in aesthetics, stunts and visual effects, showing that Freeform is clearly capable of managing a sci-fi show by challenging themselves into always improving and raising the bar high up in every episode. What can we say? We are excited to see what’s to come next year. And we’ll definitely keep you posted with news and behind the scenes action we get during Season 3 filming, which has already started. So stay strong, Shadowhunters is coming back soon. Let’s keep each other company while we wait together. And if Season 3 is any good as Season 2, the wait will sure be worth it.

Shadowhunters returns with brand new episodes in 2018.