Synopsis 02×12: Everything is turned on its head as the demon Azazel remains at large; Simon asks Isabelle for help.
Somewhere along the way of watching Shadowhunters, I’ve totally fallen for the show. Yes, it is outrageous at some points, but hey, I didn’t come here for anything but that.
So, after the events of last episode with Azazel, we’ve been left with Magnus and Valentine in different bodies. Azazel has done so in order to get the mortal cup, but Valentine isn’t exactly eager to help in Magnus’ body and Magnus basically is just trying to survive at this point being tortured by Imogen Herondale for answers to questions he doesn’t know.
After finding out that Clary and Jace aren’t brother and sister, Clary still hasn’t revealed this fact to Simon, who also hasn’t told her about his trouble with Raphael, who just recently found out that he’s a daylighter.
Meanwhile, Izzy brings Sebastian to the institute and introduces him to Clary, Jace, and Alec. Clary instantly warms to him, while Alec is still cautious about him. Never the less, Sebastian reveals that demons in their corporeal form have a weakspot in their spine, underneath their sternum — oh convenient plots, how I love thee — and if they hit the demon in just the right spot with just the right force they can get rid of him. Easy? Right?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think anyone is stupid enough to believe that. Regardless, Alec takes that knowledge and goes to visit Magnus, who is currently Valentine. Valentine is obviously bad at playing the loving boyfriend and it gets him a visit from Alec wondering what’s wrong. At that exact moment, he spots Azazel who is there trying to get Valentine to give him the mortal cup, which he says is hidden in another realm. Unfortunately even within the wizard body, Valentine doesn’t know how to use the magic. Regardless, Alec sees Azazel and attacks. He gets forced back which gives him just enough power to use his bow and hit Azazel at the sweet spot. Again, there’s no way it’s this easy to kill a greater demon.
Back at the institute, Imogen is pissed at them for summoning Azazel with Valentine, but is willing to forgive them in exchange for letting the Clave study Clary and Jace for their angel blood abilities. Even though Jace is unwilling to, Clary is. She wants to know why her rune drawing powers aren’t working. So Jace and Clary spar, in the process, we just see Jace getting more of a handle with his angel blood ability while the two of them flirt-spar as they’re known to do. Clary, knowing Imogen’s past of losing her son, tries to bond with her over losing family, but it doesn’t work.
She is bent on revenge and uses all that internalized anger on torturing Valentine who is actually Magnus right now. She uses an agony rune which unearths all of Magnus’ darkest memories from his past. He continuously tells them that he is not Valentine but that he is Magnus Bane, obviously no one is about to believe him. Even Alec, who comes to interrogate him to ask him why he is doing this, isn’t entirely convinced because of how expertly Valentine has been able to manipulate people in the past.
Valentine eventually comes to visit Magnus in his cell, he’s learned a bit more magic after calling over Dot and learning it from her (honestly, Dot, you just continuously keep getting used by Valentine don’t you?) He is caught by Imogen who escorts Valentine-in-Magnus out to question Magnus-in-Valentine more. Yeah, it’s all confusing when read in writing, I know. But, you won’t have to tolerate it much longer, beause Imogen decides to execute Valentine (again, actually Magnus-in-Valentine) because he can’t give her any answers and she suspects he never will tell them where the Mortal Cup is.
Meanwhile, Simon asks Izzy for help with Raphael and guys, IS SIZZY HAPPENING FINALLY? I’m just saying, I feel like I’ve waited a long time for this to happen. Anyways, they talk about Izzy’s addiction to vampire venom, which Simon feels like he can relate to given his mom’s addiction to alcohol and suggests she goes to group. Of course, Izzy rejects the idea, saying that she’s a Shadowhunter and she helps people with Downworlder issues and doesn’t go to group.
She offers help but does it in the stupidest way. Seriously, I’m not trying to slam Izzy, but did she not factor in how pissed Raphael would be if they threatened his own sister? Simon takes a picture with Rosa, who is also a Sizzy shipper apparently, and they send it to Raphael. Simon calls it an anti-bullying technique, I’d call it eye for an eye. Of course, none of this plays out right when Raphael and a bunch of vampires portal into the Jade Wolf during the day to kill Simon for threatening his family.
Jeez, I wonder why that happened.
Izzy is threatened with another bite by one of the vampires, and Simon’s about to get himself killed when Luke busts in with his werewolves. The sunlight makes all the vampires shrink back and Simon gloats a little, being a daylighter. This is seen by all the other vampires who are both shocked and kind of impressed. They are forced to leave and Luke tells Simon to be careful. No shit, Sherlock. And while everyone is fighting off Valentine-in-Magnus, Simon and Izzy have a nice walk in the park at night and Izzy decides to go to group after being threatened with another hit of vamp venom.
At the institute, Sebastian catches Clary still struggling with her abilities, he gives her the advice to use her emotions and channel them in order to use her powers. He deduces that she still hasn’t dealt with the pain of losing her family, especially after Jocelyn died, Valentine turned out to be a dick, and Jace isn’t actually her brother.
Jace then goes to see Magnus, but obviously Valentine reveals who he is and locks up Jace using him as bait. Man, you thought he was bad news before, now he’s got powers. Imogen and Alec go down to execute Valentine in his cell, despite the fact that the Clave denied her execution. Alec still seems unsure and his concerns are made a reality when Valentine projects himself with Jace tied up next to him. He reveals who he is and reveals to Imogen that Jace is actually his grandson and a Herondale.
He shows Imogen their family ring and reveals that he took Imogen’s daughter-in-law’s fetus when she was nine months pregnant and that she wasn’t killed by werewolves. Honestly, this reveal was kind of lackluster compared to the on that was in the books, but I’m also kind of glad they just got it over with. Anyways, Valentine threatens Jace and demands that Magnus be set free and sent to the loft in exchange for Jace.
Magnus comes and the two of them start the ritual to switch their bodies back while Valentine puts up wards around the apartment. Clary, Alec, and Sebastian arrive and realize that only Clary can realy get them past the wards with her rune drawing ability. Unfortunately, she still can’t access them. Sebastian does what he told her to do before, and forces her to come to grips with the fact that she’s truly alone. Emotional and overwhelmed, she is able to draw the rune that breaks the wards and grab Valentine just as he’s getting back into his body and trying to escape.
What I’m confused about is, didn’t he make the portal while he was still Magnus? Why would he portal himself back into the cell at the Instutite? Because Clary grabs him right as he’s going through a portal and they end up right back in Imogen’s clutches. Maybe I missed it when Magnus threw another portal or something, or maybe it’s just sloppy story telling.
Regardless, everything’s back to normal! Or is it? Magnus now has to deal with his past after being tortured by the Agony rune, Clary has to deal with the fact that she’s actually alone now (although, Sebastian some how things this is the best time to ask her to dinner? If he is who he is in the books, I have one response: EW,) Simon now knows about Jace not being Clary’s brother, and Jace has to start embracing life as a Herondale.
Ultimately the episode gave me good feelings from the Simon and Izzy scenes, but I have to say that Herondale family reveal was weak. I was not a fan of the way that played out. Plus the way Azazel seemed to be snuffed out so easily, that was kind of cheap. I’m not sure about how to feel for the meat of this episode, but I guess it wasn’t horrible.
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