'Shadowhunters' | 'Iron Sisters' S02E06 Review
Romance fans will be happy with this week’s instalment of ‘Shadowhunters’, with not just one developing romance, but potential for a second. Following on from two weeks of heavy-hearted content, it was nice to have a change of pace in Episode 6.
‘Iron Sisters’ is the name of the episode, focussing on Isabelle and Clary’s mission to the citadel of the Iron Sisters - the all-female weapon-makers to the Shadowhunters. The women bravely set out to uncover more about the Mortal Sword that was stolen by Valentine.
Nothing is ever simple however, with a purity test proving that Clary has no demon blood - a cause of concern for Izzy. Soon it is revealed that Isabelle is oozing demon thanks to the miracle all cure that is yin fe, given to her by Aldertree.
It was encouraging to see Isabelle confront Aldertree upon realising the yin fe was demonic in origin. The fact that she protects Clary despite her cravings for the drug is a beautiful display of her inner strength, and a testament to the powerful friendship the two characters hold.
Meanwhile, the Malec date is finally happening, with Magnus and Alec spending some much needed time together. But all is not well when Alec reveals that this is his first relationship, and Magnus admitting it is his 17,001st.
Despite, it was a real highlight in this episode to see the two together. It proved enjoyable to see Alec eventually get what he wanted following so many struggles throughout the series. Matthew Daddario and Harry Shum Jr. comfortably convey the tenderness, vulnerability, tension and passion that constitute Magnus and Alec’s relationship so far. We should also draw your attention to their facial expressions when interrupted by Jace’s life drama – priceless!
Meanwhile, things are looking better for Simon, now that his mother’s memories have been wiped and he is on a rescue mission to find a heartbroken Luke, along with the wonderful Maia, who is absolutely hilarious.
Maia and Simon’s bonding was well established and adored by fans. The scene was given ample screen time, avoided falling into an insta-love trope, and was simply all kinds of sweet. Their sharing of embarrassing stories in the car could very well have been the highlight of Episode 6! It was also wonderful to see more of Maia’s character via an insight into her past.
The Iron Sisters introduced in this episode are portrayed with excitement, and Ed Dector manages to convey the wisdom and strength of the women without forging them as a cult. The citadel itself is very beautiful, while the contraption Sister Cleophus uses to show Clary the backstory of the Mortal Sword is nicely executed. The fact that Sister Cleophus is actually Luke’s sister is an unexpected but welcome surprise, proving the writers of this show have what it takes to keep their audience engaged week in, week out. It will be interesting to see how Cleophus fits into future episodes.
As we now know, nothing can ever be perfect in the Shadowhunter world, and during ‘Iron Sisters’, Jace and Aldertree’s hostility really brought the episode’s drama to a head. We were on the edge of our seats waiting to see what would happen next.
One frustrating aspect of the episode though was the ease with which Simon’s problems disappeared. Considering the building of tension and conflict between Simon and his family recently, the fact that it was resolved off screen was disappointing for viewers – a sign of lazy writing. If it weren’t for Clary asking if wiping his mother’s memory was necessary, viewers would not have known the full story. We hope this will be rectified in future episodes.
Despite some problems with the writing, ‘Iron Sisters’ does an excellent job of breaking the immense emotional weight of the past two episodes and psyching viewers the action that is yet to come.
‘Shadowhunters’ Season 2 airs weekly on Netflix.
