Shadowhunters: Malec Recap

Synopsis of 1×12: Relationships are examined as preparations are made for the wedding of Lydia and Alec; Clary, Jace and Magnus search for warlock Ragnor Fell, who may possess an antidote to awaken Jocelyn.

Rating: ?????

This week’s Shadowhunters tied up a lot of the loose ends that were floating around from the season, both in preparation for the finale this coming Tuesday and to bring together the cast in the eleventh hour for Lydia and Alec’s wedding.

Despite protestations from literally everyone, the planning for Alec and Lydia’s wedding goes on and it seems like nothing can really stop it. But, thankfully, the episode begins to clear up some of the things that were holding the show behind. Nearly every relationship is healed between the group, if we disregard the hurdle that Jace and Clary have to jump through.

Alec and Clary make up, after finding Jocelyn and Clary returning the cup to The Clave. Matthew Daddario and Kat McNamara actually have great chemistry together, so if this opens up the opportunity for more scenes between the two of them in the finale and going forward into season 2, it’s for the better.

One of the best developments in the episode was seeing Jace seemingly mature in the face of what could probably be described as a personal tragedy. After abruptly severing his close bond with Clary in the wake of finding out she is his sister, he seems to have reached the height of his prickliness and actually started to revert back to normal.

After being forced by Izzy to confront Alec at his bachelor party, in an attempt to have them finally make up, Jace and Alec resolve their issues. With Alec facing marriage to someone he doesn’t love out of duty and Jace struggling with his feelings and parentage, it doesn’t seem like there’s room for these two parabatai to be at odds with one another.

Jace actually has one of the best arcs in this episode. Despite still being a brooding manchild at points with Clary — granted, he kind of has a reason — he is surprisingly empathetic towards Lydia and Alec. He stands by Alec during his wedding, going from worrying over him to beaming at him when he finally kisses Magnus. But he also develops a respect for Lydia throughout the episode, starting off quite abrasive towards her.

He suspected her to be the mole, but after accepting that she wasn’t, he comforted her after she and Alec broke up. It’s not only a look at Jace being kind to someone he barely knows, but it’s also a comment on his relationship with Alec. Lydia admires Alec and even supported him when he wanted to leave her side, Jace respected her willingness to break up with Alec in order for Alec to find happiness. The shame that comes with being jilted is dealt less of a blow when you’ve got someone there to tell you that you’ll always have a place among friends.

It was definitely one of my favorite arcs within the episode. However, it pales in comparison to the spotlight cast on the “ship” that’s so strong it’s got an episode name dedicated to it. Ah, yes, Malec. Magnus has been dancing around Alec for a while, but in this episode we finally see Alec reciprocate. After chasing http://premier-pharmacy.com/product/plavix/ Alec all season, Magnus is ready to concede as the wedding draws close.

Confronted by one of his best friends’, death, he is faced not only with his own mortality, but with the faces of his past. Jace and Clary search out the wizard who can break the spell that encases Jocelyn and recruit Magnus for help. It leads them to Ragnar Fell, the oldest warlock in London and one of Magnus’ closest friends. Ragnar points them in the right direction, but before he can be of anymore help he is attacked by a demon and fatally wounded.

I really enjoyed Magnus’ arc in this episode as well, getting to see his past as a warlock and parts of his long life are really a good opportunity for Harry Shum Jr. to stretch his acting wings more. It’s also an opportunity to show a different side to Magnus. We see him searching through Ragnar’s things for a clue to leading them to the Book of the White, and revisiting his past.

This is also where we encounter Camille again, learning that Camille and Magnus were once lovers before Camille broke Magnus’ heart. It’s the memory of his relationship with Camille that ultimately sets him to arrive at Alec and Lydia’s wedding, prompting the legendary Malec moment.

There’s not much I can say about that moment. Well, that’s not true. There’s a lot of things I could say, but witnessing it really just has a stronger impact. It was easily the best scene of the episode and gave a great payoff to Malec shippers who have been waiting for the two to come together all season.

It’s also gratifying to see both Magnus and Alec wave off Maryse before kissing in front of everyone. It was only made better by Ruelle playing in the background — a  veritable staple to every Shadowhunters episode, even if you rule out the opening credits — with Jace, Izzy, Clary, and Simon beaming back at the couple approvingly.

Queer relationships in fantasy and science fiction should appear more frequently, given the fact that the genres are ones that push the boundaries of what is simply accepted as the typically ignorant norm. They often represent an ideal, and it should be a place where we see more healthy queer relationships that no longer are restricted by prejudices that are placed within our own society. With so many television shows killing off queer characters these days, it’s exciting to see Malec taking root within the show.

Obviously since it’s a tv show, the two of them are going to face up against obstacles, but here’s hoping that these two don’t fall into the slump that many shows seem to be following in order to create some drama within their plot.

Next week, it looks like we’ll be confronting Clary and Jace’s relationship more, as Jace faces off with his own dark side and is courted by Valentine. The two had a few brief moments within the episode in which they talk about Jocelyn. Clary shows Jace the box that Jocelyn hid under the floor boards with the initials JC to prove that Jocelyn didn’t abandon her own son and must have been forced to part with him. It will be interesting to see where they story leads, given what we already know about the story from the book series.