'Shadowhunters' | 'By the Light of Dawn' S02E10 Review
Despite an action-packed episode of alliances, victories, deaths and lots of complicated feelings, it is the Malec fans who will be yelling the loudest and proudest after watching the ‘Shadowhunters’ winter finale tonight.
SPOILER ALERT!
Episode 10 ‘By the Light of Dawn’ follows on from the previous episode, whereby Valentine has captured Simon.
Predictably, he uses Simon to lure Clary to the Institute that he has brutally taken over so that she can activate the Soul Sword, and he can wipe out all the Downworlders.
Clary is sent to Magnus to stop all this from happening, while Luke and Jace are on the case to stop Valentine, and get Simon back; however, this backfires as Valentine all but kills Simon, and with thanks to modern technology, Clary is the front row audience to this catastrophe.
After convincing Magnus to work with her, Clary is portalled to the Institute, and somehow convinces the New York Downworlder clans to unite in a task other than killing her, and this is to help Jace get his hands on the Soul Sword using demon blood destroy it.
This also backfires spectacularly, but not before Jace saves Simon by giving him his blood to drink (disguised by rune magic to look like Clary). Rather than destroying the sword, Jace activates it, revealing that he too has pure angel blood running in his veins; this turns bad for the Downworlders gathered to fight Valentine, resulting in a horrific massacre which viewers just know is going to lead to major political issues in the future.
Once Jace confronts Valentine, a string of events occur. It is revealed that Jace is not Valentine’s son, or Clary’s brother; Clary arrives on the scene after this revelation, and de-activates the Soul Sword with a new rune; Valentine is arrested by the Clave; Alec and Magnus say ‘I love you’ to one another; Isabelle dumps Raphael; and Simon can all of a sudden survive in sunlight.
All in all, this episode had everything viewers would want and expect from a mid-season finale, making the long break a little more bearable for fans of the show.
Firstly, Malec made everyone’s hearts sing with their real and beautiful about the moment towards the end of the episode. Throughout the episode, Magnus has been called out on his concern for Alec, though it is Alec who should fear Magnus has been wiped out by the Soul Sword; this leads to beautiful tension and relief when the two reunite, instantly embracing as emotions run wild. To some, the scene may seem rushed, but the exchange of ‘I love yous’ between the two, the passionate kiss and crushing hug to follow cements their relationship. It is how every relationship should be - minus the constant threat of death.
Another important detail to emerge is the reveal that Raphael is ‘ace’ - asexual. (FYI: asexuality is a lack of or very little sexual attraction towards another; they do not typically derive much if any sexual pleasure at all.) It cannot be stressed how momentous this scene is for a television show to explore asexuality in our modern society. It is so unrepresented in mainstream media that it is almost impossible to note any asexual characters on television, even in 2017.
More than this, Raphael is an ongoing side character. Author of the original ‘Mortal Instruments’ series of which Shadowhunters is based, Cassandra Clare has confirmed via Twitter that in the books, Raphael was indeed asexual, but this was never mentioned, especially since Raphael is killed in the last book of the ‘Mortal Instruments’ series. However, Raphael in the television series is still alive and doing the LGBTQIA* a great service.
The writers of the show must also be commended on how Raphael’s asexuality is not linked with his vampirism in any way; this tells its viewers that asexuality isn’t to be framed as something ‘other’ or abnormal. It is not a punishment or consequence. It is simply a part of Raphael - a potentially life-saving detail for viewers who may struggle with their sexuality or lack thereof. The author herself identifies with ace, and cannot express enough how beautiful and important this inclusion is within the television series.
Episode 10 truly was truly without fault. The action wasn’t over the top, and yet it was thrilling to watch, Valentine was suitably villainous, and every character experienced some growth.
It was wonderful to see Isabelle kick butt, even though suffering from withdrawal, just as it was fascinating to see a new side to Aldertree - even if his subtle warning to Alec does not bode well. More moments of bonding between Jace and Simon were a delight to watch, as it was with Luke and Maia.
Ed Decter and his writers must be commended for an excellent wrap-up of the first ten episodes of the season, making the wait for the season return episode even more highly anticipated.
So, have no fear, ‘Shadowhunters’ fans. The show will return with the second half of its season on June 5th. Until then, you can re-visit every episode from Season 1 onwards on Netflix!
