19. June 2017
Shadowhunters TV Review
As a huge fan of everything written by Cassandra Clare, I was beyond excited when The Mortal Instruments movie came out. When that clearly wasn’t going to lead to a sequel, I didn’t expect to see any more demon fighting redheads on the big screen.
But that all changed with Shadowhunters.
The show is separate from the movie, starting at the beginning instead of being a continuation. They take the shadow world and make it their own, adjusting it to television and adapting to the modern age.
The result is impressive. They have all the main characters fighting the same battles that made us speed read the books, while also adding their own flare to it.
I loved the world inverted episode in the first season. Like the dream they experience while exploring the demon realm in the last book, we see a world that could have been. What kind of people would they be if they weren’t shadowhunters? Did shadowhunting really bring out Isabelle’s confidence and stunt Alec’s personality? Was it obsessing over angels and demons that turned Valentine into a psycho? Probably.
What’s great about this show is it not only includes so many favorite moments from the books, but it also explores the world of shadowhunting in a classic media entertainment kind of way.
There are differences, for sure. In an age of raging social media and technology, the institute became a shiny tech center. It made sense to me, why go the Harry Potter route of banning technology when you can use it to make your life easier?
They also included tidbits from The Infernal Devices series. Lydia is a completely new character, descendent of Henry Branwell and Charlotte Fairchild. I’m pretty sure Henry took Charlotte’s name, but we’ll let that slide. There were also references made to Tessa, and Camille was a bigger character from the beginning instead of showing up later.
One of the bigger differences was the age. In the books, Clary’s journey begins just before her 16th birthday. The show starts with her 18th birthday. It directed the show towards a slightly older audience, while also giving the main characters less ties to the mundane world (like high school).
As repetitive as Clary got, I really liked her. She tells Simon that finding out she’s a shadowhunter feels right, which makes sense with her toughness and determination. She’s willing to do whatever it takes and quickly adapts the fighting demons. But she’s also adorable, especially when she and Simon are being all bestie like. Out of all the relationships on the show, their friendship felt the most real.
Isabelle is fantastic in the show. I definitely loved her in the books, but she takes some getting used to. It takes her a while to warm up to Clary and really open up. In the show, she is happier and more accepting. She’s fiercely protective of her family and isn’t afraid to shake things up. She is hands down my favorite character and I love what Emeraude Toubia did with her.
All hail the queen of perfect lipstick and fabulous hair.
I wasn’t as happy with Magnus’s character in the show. He wasn’t as quirky and timeless as he comes across in the books. He was odd and entertaining, but both he and Jace have this dry mirth to them that is really difficult to transfer to the screen for some reason.
I can’t wait to see what they do with the rest of the second season. The first half of it is amazing, they are definitely stepping it up a notch. I’m hoping for better dialogue, more impressive cinematography, and deeper character development. There will be more characters from the books popping up, and maybe some new inventions from the screenwriters as well.
The show has been renewed for another season, hopefully it just keeps getting better.
Posted by Rachel Eloise at 1:36 PM No comment
*[1:36 PM]: 2016-12-09T13:36:00-08:00