Shadowhunters - Parabatai Lost - Review + POLL

This week on Shadowhunters, the focus was on the relationship between Jace and Alec. In flashbacks, we saw how they became parabatai. In the present day, Jace tries to get to Alec, despite being chased by both the Clave and the wolves. The wolves want him dead after Gretel’s body turns up. Jocelyn tries to get him to turn himself in but he manages to get away. Meanwhile, Izzy and Magnus try to smuggle Alec out of the Institute. In the end, Aldertree forces Izzy to turn over Jace in exchange for his help. Meanwhile, Simon and Clary try to find Simon’s mom. He seems ready to tell her the truth about what he is when Raphael interferes. 

Best relationship: I’m not sure if I wrote it down last week but I was hoping we’d get a more in-depth look at the parabatai bond. While we didn’t get the theoretical explanation I was hoping for, we did get a beautiful episode that showcased just how strong that bond really is. Jace’s sole motivation this week was getting to Alec. He literally fought his way through werewolves to get to him. He would’ve fought to his dying breath if he had to, just like Alec risked his life to find Jace last week. I liked seeing the struggle that Alec felt when deciding whether or not to go through with the parabatai ceremony. Shadowhunters are told that you can’t fall or be in love with your parabatai but not a lot of people know why that is. Considering the romantic feelings weren’t mutual in this case, they were fine. But if Alec had truly known the risks, he wouldn’t have gone through with it. But he did, probably partly because otherwise, he would’ve had to explain his reasons but mostly because he and Jace already had that bond. They already had a close relationship before, the ceremony just deepened that. I’m 100% sure that Jace would’ve gone through the same thing for Alec if there hadn’t been a parabatai bond. Because he loves his brother. 

Favorite flashback: I can’t be the only one who got super excited when they saw mini Alec. The casting of the youngest versions of Alec and Jace was A+. (would’ve liked to have seen mini Izzy, though.) Mini Jace actually reminded me more of book Jace than Dom does at times. The right amount of arrogance mixed with abandonment issues. As for mini Alec, the exact amount of sass we all love in Matt’s portrayal. I wonder if we’ll get some flashbacks to Jace growing up with Valentine (pretending to be Michael) now that they’ve cast his younger self. 

Most emotional scene: Do I even have to say it? I swear I’ll never say another bad thing about Dom’s acting ever again. This scene was so beautiful. I’m glad it didn’t turn into some dramatic moment. It was simple and understated and showed exactly how much Jace loves his brother. If only Aldertree hadn’t ruined it. 

Most committed boyfriend: I loved how Magnus stayed by Alec’s side the entire time. It was almost like the writers were trying to make up for the lack of Malec last week. I would’ve like to have seen Aldertree try to remove Magnus from the room. That would not have been pretty. The best moment was him trying True Love’s Kiss. It was worth the shot (shame about the bad lighting in that scene, though.) 

Most confusing character: I don’t remember Maia being this ‘kill first, ask questions later’. From what I remember from the books, Maia tried to stay out of conflicts as much as she could instead of starting them. And she was a lot more loyal to Luke. This version seems a lot more bent on revenge even if it means disobeying Luke. And she definitely wouldn’t have turned in the middle of a hospital breaking probably a dozen laws. We may have only seen her interact with a handful of people but I’m a bit concerned about how different she’ll be from the book version. 

Biggest asshole: Izzy was right. Aldertree used Alec as bait to force Jace to turn himself in. He was prepared to let Alec die in order to achieve his goal. Just when I thought I couldn’t dislike this guy more than I already did, he proves me wrong. Raj was a close second for this category, btw. But he got what he deserved. 

Stop hurting him! Simon seriously needs his luck to change. He was faced with an impossible decision this week. With his mom drinking again he had no choice but to return home, but in doing so he put her in danger. Raphael quickly exploited that weakness (so disappointed in Raphael) by using her as leverage. Simon would do anything for his mom, but he has a breaking point that I fear he’s headed towards. I’m glad Clary took some time out of her busy, busy schedule to help her best friend out. He’s going to need her to get through this. Let’s hope she’s not too busy with her new friends. 

Best quotes: Magnus: “I don’t like being rushed.” 
Simon: “A good friend of mine convinced me I should tell her the truth.” Clary: “Well, she sounds like a very smart friend.” Simon: “Who said it was a she?” 
Izzy: “Stay! Good doggie.” 
Jace: “Please don’t leave me, Alec.” 

That’s it for this week. Check in again next week for an all-new review and let me know in the comments what you thought of this week’s episode.