'Shadowhunters' | 'The Fair Folk' S02E14
The plot thickens in 'Shadowhunters' Episode 14 'The Fair Folk'. Despite the positive progress each character has made, there remains an overwhelming sense of foreboding...
SPOILER ALERT!
In this episode, Alec is taking his new role as head of the Institute very seriously by shaking things up and forming a Downworlder cabinet to strengthen relations between Shadowhunters and Downworlders. He also sends Jace and Clary along to the Seelie Court, where the Seelie Queen finally makes an appearance, and investigates the faerie who had been killing Shadowhunters and staging a Downworlder revolt from last episode.
Of course, Simon has to tag along and things really take a dive in his and Clary’s relationship. Also, Luke grapples with being diplomatic with the Clave as his kind is continuously at risk and an opportunity to sneak around and kill Valentine thanks to a mysterious voice on a burner phone. The best part about the plot lines in this episode is that the audience notice they're all starting to tie together, and that there is something running afoul, and messing with all of them. It will be especially entertaining to see how this comes to life.
The Seelie Queen is featured for the first time in this episode, and Ed Decter and his team of writers were extremely clever in how they went about portraying her. In the books, the Seelie Queen is the most beautiful and the most horrifying looking creature to ever exist; this doesn’t work visually, of course, because beauty and horror are very subjective. Instead, the show cast Lola Flannery - a young and innocent looking female who is, yes, beautiful. She does an amazing job of putting you on edge whilst seeming airy. All of Flannery's scenes were handled exceptionally well by the writers and film crew – especially when we get a glimpse of the sadistic side of the Queen, both when she bites the apple and laughs at Simon and Clary’s heartbreak.
Other characters are doing significantly better than Simon, and they mostly include Isabelle, despite the fact she ends the episode almost in tears, and trying to get comfort from Clary, but instead ends up consoling her. Izzy has a lot of developing relationships going on, and almost all of them are positive. Notably, the relationship she holds with her mother - who she has always struggled to get along with but wants the approval of more than anyone else.
Both Izzy and Maryse confess how messy their lives are, or were. Maryse admits that her husband (Izzy’s father) had an affair, and that she has been much too hard on Izzy. Izzy not only confesses to her yin fen addiction but also to knowing about Robert’s affair and backing her mother up on leaving him. It’s a sweet moment between two strong women, and is powerful in showing how far each of them has come.
After this encounter, Izzy goes after her new love interest, Raphael. This will-they-won’t-they-should-they dynamic the two hold is one of the biggest and best surprises of this entire season. It is so honest, sweet and deep because it is not sexual attraction bringing them together, but raw emotions and care for one another. But, unfortunately, after being lectured to by Sebastian, Raphael insists that he and Izzy should be no more because he is “bad for her” and one wrong move and they both could end up back in addiction, which is fair but still devastating for those starting to ship the couple.
Sometimes it’s the little things that make viewers’ hearts pound, ache, or sing. For this viewer, the latter happened when we saw Clary return to her room after having no luck getting through to Simon. She is breaking down, when Izzy enters using their adjoining door, saying that she’s had the worst time. She then freezes and sees Clary, runs over to her to give a hug, and the two cry together. This sisterhood is absolutely positive, empowering and understated - but very important. Here is a relationship that is not about competition or power between two females, but one about deep care and comfort between two friends.
Downsides to this episode include cheesy villain scenes and reveals at the very end of the episode with Sebastian. Although Will Tudor does a great job playing Sebastian in these moments, the dialogue and action itself is so stereotypical its comical.
Other questionable moments revolve around the ‘conflict’ Luke feels about deciding whether to trust this automated voice on a burner phone, who has to be a traitor to Shadowhunters, or everyone he actually knows. If there had been more focus on Luke’s role and responsibility as pack leader then maybe this would have been more believable but this didn’t happen and instead we viewers have to think Luke is a bit of an idiot.
Overall, Episode 14 is another excellent episode, and suggests the series might just be hitting its stride.
'Shadowhunters' Season 2 airs weekly on Netflix.
