Shadowhunters Buzz Sessions 008

Welcome to the eighth installment of Shadowhunters Buzz Sessions — wherein we finally dive into that season two glo up! YES! For anyone unfamiliar with this series, our social media editor, Samantha, and contributor, Shanicka, haved watched two episodes every week of Freeform’s Shadowhunters. The series is based on Cassandra Clare’s young adult urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments.

Each Shadowhunters Buzz Session begins in a chatroom while Shanicka and Samantha watch the episodes; then, those chats are transcribed here on Rogues Portal for your reading pleasure (with some points expanded and other, unrelated shenanigans deleted).

This week, they watched Shadowhunters S02E01, “This Guilty Blood”, and S02E02, “A Door Into the Dark”.

WARNING: There will be spoilers for the series (duh) and the books! Proceed with caution! There will also be some swearing, because that happens. 

S02E01, “This Guilty Blood”

Samantha: I’m so ready for this S02 glo up.
Shanicka: It’s the best. The quality of even this flashback is better tbh.
Samantha: Ah, geez, Jace.
Shanicka: Yeah, like this whole Jace and Valentine thing is a maaaajor bummer.

Samantha: That hair is not good.
Shanicka: Jace’s? Or Clary’s lmao?
Samantha: Jace!
Shanicka: I never like Jace’s hair tbh.

Samantha: This MUSIC. WE’RE FIGHTING; HAVE SOME EDM. Is he dreaming?
Shanicka: Heh.
Samantha: This feels like a dream sequence. Ohhhh. Valentine was pretending to be Clary. So not a dream, just a fucked up psych test.
Shanicka: Yeah :////

Samantha: These credits are much better!
Shanicka: The theme song is better now too!
Samantha: LOOK AT THIS CAST.
Shanicka: It always gets stuck in my head. And YES. So beautiful.

Shanicka: I’m curious to see if you’ll noticed their biggest makeup change~~
Samantha: The runes?
Shanicka: Yes! They’re so dark and pronounced now!
Samantha: Yeah! They were a lot more faded in S01.
Shanicka: Yeah. They looked more like scars. Which. I guess makes sense. Buttt I like the way the dark ones look better. Especiiiially on Alec and Izzy.
Samantha: They would also get darker when they were fresh or ~ in use ~ which made sense to me with the magic?
Shanicka: That makes sense!
Samantha: But I like the way they look when they’re darker, for sure.

Samantha: RIP. JOCELYN DOESN’T WANT HIM TO BE ALIVE. [DEAN WINCHESTER VOICE] HE’S A DEMON, CLARY.
Shanicka: Hahaha.

Shanicka: My baaaabes.
Samantha: Magnus DOESN’T understand the parabatai bond, but he’s trying. He loves Alec.
Shanicka: Yeah, sometimes Alec is such a fucking brat.
Samantha: I see both sides, honestly.
Shanicka: “After everything I’ve done for you.” Liiiike ACTUALLY, Magnus has done just as much for him. Like Alec is stressed. I get it. But don’t be selfish and take it out on Magnus!!! He like does it a lot. And it’s frustrating every time. Also fuck Aldertree.

Samantha: This is so MESSY. The acting feels tighter, though. Like – idk if that’s because the show has finally hit its stride with the plot from the books or what, but everyone seems a lot more… believable. Even just 10 minutes in or whatever this is.
Shanicka: Yeah season two is a lot less campy.
Samantha: I liked the campiness but I’m also looking forward to the emotional depth increasing in S2? Which I’m assuming it does based on Malec gifs. Hahaha. Yet again, my main interest in this series going into season two is… Malec.
Shanicka: Malec definitely has Issues even in season two but yeah they get sooo much more screen time which is always fun.

Samantha: UGH VALENTINE IS GARBAGE. G A R B A G E. Jace’s loyalty to the Lightwoods is killin me.
Shanicka: Yeah he’s such a abusive trash.
Samantha: “It’s because I loved you.” This is! Abuse! Injecting your child with demon blood isn’t love, oh my god.

Samantha: I am getting sucked into this in a way I haven’t before.
Shanicka: Aldertree is such a fucking dick.
Samantha: Glad to see a person of color who’s not a downworlder though, not gonna lie. Sucks that he’s still terrible? “The hunt for Jace Wayland” – not the search! The hunt! LANGUAGE! THEY THINK HE’S AN ENEMY!
Shanicka: Lol…yeah…he sucks. He’s one of the worst examples of how terrible this show treats/wrote their characters of color
Samantha: Ugh.
Shanicka: Also I’m really annoyed at Alec. And I’m trying to remember if I was this annoyed the first time around. jesus.

Samantha: Simon, this is not the time to tell Clary you’re into her!! GOD.
Shanicka: Loll he tried it.
Samantha: Simon. I’m DYING.

Samantha: I’m getting some weird like … ghost ship vibes from this ship? Whaaaaaat. WHAAAAAAAT.
Shanicka: YEAH. Not the best place to be stranded tbh.

Shanicka: THIS IS MY FAVORITE SCENE.
Samantha: 100% HERE FOR THIS.
Shanicka: Izzy is so beautiful.
Samantha: She’s also fierce af. “To know your enemy, you must become your enemy.” Make out.
Shanicka: Lol I’m sayin’.
Samantha: Like just – make out.

Samantha: I don’t think I’ve ever seen Alec in anything but black?
Shanicka: Trueee
Samantha: Jace as a cancer is… ouch.
Shanicka: Maryse is horrible. Consistently.
Samantha: The underlying theme of this show seems to be “parents are all bad.”
Shanicka: Like sooo many teen dramas tbh.

Samantha: TERRIBLE PARENTING.
Shanicka: That was literally SO easy jesus.
Samantha: Clary is way too trusting.

Samantha: This is COOL AS HELL THOUGH.

Samantha: sagjaljgl that smile!! It seems like such a massive compromise for Magnus to actually help Alec with this.
Shanicka: Yeah. It really is. I feel conflicted about it. Like I’m comparing it to another plot in the second half of this season now in hindsight anddd it’s…illuminating lmao.

Samantha: IS VALENTINE STRAIGHT UP SAYING JACE IS INTO INCEST BC HE’S A DEMON
Shanicka: He absolutely did. YIKES. Also Jace’s hair really is fucking awful. It’s such a weird length.

Samantha: The use of colors in costuming is really pronounced this season. Like Izzy in mostly white when she’s literally trying to save Jace from the clave. The music choices are WEIRD though omg.
Shanicka: Yeah! And what the fuck they really are. I didn’t notice before.

Samantha: “I’M A VAMPIRE. I’M RUNNING SLOW FOR YOU.” Simon being perpetually annoyed that Clary turned him into a vampire and won’t let him BE A VAMPIRE is hilarious.
Shanicka: Hahaha omg SO TRUE.

Shanicka: This was…bad. Fucking Valentine.
Samantha: Ohhhh dear. All of them converging on this point with different goals is so…
Shanicka: Yeah this whole fucking thing is so bad. Worked out perfectly for Valentine though.
Samantha: CONVENIENT, RIGHT?
Shanicka: Lol YEP.

S02E02, “A Door Into the Dark”

Samantha: This flashback is just making it more obvious how much better everyone’s hair is now. Except Jace’s.
Shanicka: LMAO LITERALLY.
Samantha: It’s honestly weird for Clary to constantly be yelling about Jace being her brother when … she also definitely wants to make out with him. Especially because Jace keeps only talking about the Lightwoods as his family and just avoiding Clary altogether in his speech lol.
Shanicka: Yepppp. The casual incest was like…so fucking surprising and baffling to me. Especially for a Freeform show.

Samantha: Oh, who doesn’t love a demon baby? THAT WAS WEIRD AF.
Shanicka: Hahahaha
Samantha: Ugh, in the books it’s… There’s so much internal monologuing about how Jace and Clary still want each other but they can’t bc it’s wrong.

Shanicka: Raffff
Samantha: Make out.
Shanicka: SERIOUSLY
Samantha: Wow
Shanicka: Lmao SIMON

Samantha: This is a CULT.
Shanicka: Literally and truly
Samantha: Oh, that SYMBOLISM
Shanicka: WELP.
Samantha: MY GOD

Shanicka: Goddd they are so hot. Like whenever they pan up and down Alec’s body I get emotional. He’s so tall.
Samantha: I Z Z Y.
Shanicka: Izzy kick his ass, sis.

Shanicka: Magnus’s apartment is amazing. I want it.
Samantha: It’s so gorgeous!!! I’m also obsessed with the decor.
Shanicka: Saaaame.

Shanicka: That was a bit much…
Samantha: !!!!! HE JUST SLIT HIS OWN THROAT.
Shanicka: Like for Valentine??? Psh.

Samantha: Jace is Clary’s younger brother? Or older? He’s younger right? Bc Valentine gave her angel blood and it made her too perfect. So he went the opposite route with Jace. Or – Sebastian, but he’s not around yet.
Shanicka: Oh…I thought he was older? But that would makes sense?
Samantha: I think JACE is. I think her actual brother is younger though? I’m not sure.
Shanicka: Yeah like when we meet Sebastian I got the impression he was older! I’m curious though.
Samantha: It may have been the other way around. I just know he fucked up the first kid so he tried the opposite with the second. oH WAIT NO I REMEMBER.
Shanicka: According to the internet~ yeah he’s a year older
Samantha: Sebastian was first, then Clary
Shanicka: Yeah
Samantha: Jace is a combination of both dark and light.

Shanicka: Omg this whole thing. Fucking Simon touching shit.
Samantha: Simon’s penchant for touching things gets him in so much trouble.

Samantha: “I guess I’m not your ordinary shadowhunter” RIGHT IN ONE
Shanicka: Lololllll.
Samantha: This is…
Shanicka: Yeah……. ?

Samantha: SIMON
Shanicka: Lol SIMON. JESUS.
Samantha: !!! DRAGON SNAKE.
Shanicka: Naturally lmao. Lmao that Serious Encanto face. Incredible. He’s such a fucking dork.
Samantha: NO BIG. I’m in love with him.
Shanicka: He’s the cutest.

Shanicka: Shirtless Alec. I literally never!!! Get sick of seeing it!!!
Samantha: Alec’s loved ones constantly trying to make him be careful and Alec constantly just “YOLO”
Shanicka: It’s SO FRUSTRATING!!!!!! Like chill.
Samantha: HE LOVES JACE
Shanicka: “I can’t live without him.” :(((

Samantha: ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
Shanicka: Hahahaha
Samantha: Simon has so many older downworlders trying to make his life easier. I love it so much.
Shanicka: He’s a peach.

Shanicka: Also this is FUCKED.
Samantha: This is horrifying. Alec come on. OH NO. TOOD EEP TOO DEE E PPPPP FUCK
Shanicka: My babe!!!!! Jesus!
Samantha: NOOOOO. Valentine is a gd monster, ugh.
Shanicka: The literal and actual WORST.

[Note from Samantha: If anyone reading can recall the actual Sebastian/Clary/Jace plot and refresh her memory so she doesn’t have to resort to Wikipedia, she would be forever grateful. Feel free to tweet her about it.]