'Shadowhunters' | 'Those of Demon Blood' S02E13
Episode 13, 'Those of Demon Blood', will go down as one of the best episodes of 'Shadowhunters' yet. Rather than an overwhelming sense of leading up to something, this latest instalment focusses its impact on the present lives of each of our characters, and reflecting on a collective level.
In this instalment, Shadowhunters are being murdered and their runes cut off. The evidence suggests a Downworlder uprising and so the New York Shadowhunters have to prove to the Clave that their friends didn’t do it, which naturally causes more drama.
Still shaken from last episodes’ events, Magnus becomes furious and heartbroken when Alec comes knocking on his door for DNA. Jace gets punched by werewolves but also, thanks to his new grandmother, becomes the head of the New York institute. Rather than solving these issues, things are made worse as Jace once again suffers an identity crisis over who he owes his loyalty to.
Although the basis of the murder mystery is not a lot to get excited about, it is the repercussions that are ultimately great. The sudden emergence of deep, thoughtful social commentary and awareness was a pleasant surprise; his included references to the current Shadowhunter hunt for Downworlders as Nazis from WWII by Simon, who has in this scene the best dialogue of the entire show. Other moments include Maia’s point that as a black woman in New York she often gets pulled up by police and that her current treatment by the Shadowhunters towards her downworlder blood is similar and unfair.
Other exciting developments in this episode include exploring of sideline relationships between characters. Dot - the female warlock who has been in and out of the show finally gets a decent scene that portrays her as more than a victim or plot device. In 'Those of Demon Blood', she is a friend and ex of Magnus who can help him deal with his heartbreak. Although these scenes carry a sense of dread that Alec will walk in any moment and their relationship will disintegrate, this never actually happens, and instead the moments are slow and reflective, heavy on the nostalgia and a beautiful insight into what a life as an immortal is like.
Isabelle and Raphael join up again in this episode and this relationship continues to be the biggest and sweetest surprise because they work so well. Now that Izzy has put the worst of her yin fen addiction behind her, the relationship between the two seems to be resetting; starting slow and sweet. It’s a relationship hopefully viewers can enjoy as it builds throughout future episodes.
One development that has to be mentioned is that of Maia and Jace building up to and eventually hooking up. There is something very refreshing about this relationship; Maia and Jace are both very strong characters and to see them come together and not give any of that up is fun to watch. There is also no pretending between them: they are being straightforward with what they want and both know the other has feelings for someone else. This relationship, if it can be called that, with all its ups and downs is the true embodiment of the word turbulent and clearly won’t last, but it reflected the mood of the episode which was being present and aware of yourself and everything around you.
Finally, it was nice to see Jace come to his senses and recognise he is a soldier not a leader. Everyone’s reactions when he announces Alec as his successor as head of the Institute were beautiful and gave this viewer gooey feelings. Seeing Alec as an official leader is probably going to be one of the highlights of the rest of the season.
'Those of Demon Blood' was a standout episode and should be held as a standard of writing for the rest of the season. Tune in next week to find out if that is the case!
New episodes of 'Shadowhunters' air weekly on Netflix.
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