We are two episodes away from the Season 2 finale of Shadowhunters! Clary comes face to face with her brother, Jonathan. We get some Malec feels only to have them crushed by the end of the episode. Reminding everyone, not everything is what it seems. Here are my thoughts about episode 18 titled, “Awake, Arise or Forever Be Fallen.” 

Hello Brother 

After Jonathan attacks Max and leaves him for dead, Clary has a change of heart about her brother. She reads from daddy dearest’s journal that talks about Jonathan’s painful reaction to electrum. Forcing Sebastian (Jonathan) to hold a stone infused with electrum as a lockdown measure to leave Institute. Sebastian cleverly takes the stone after he questions Clary’s stance about killing her brother after the attack on Elliot, Dot and Max. Clary was pretty definitive that she would kill her brother with her bare hands.

Something that (Sebastian)Jonathan took with a smirk as he took ahold of the stone. Leaving his face un-pained as he endured the pain. Clary is un-fooled by Sebastian’s facade and confronts the imposter face to face.

I found this encounter a little forced in the sense that Clary went after Jonathan with such distaste for her brother. Going right at him with little emotion, when she has clearly been emotional all season about feeling alone. She’s lost her mother, her father is crazed narcissist and the brother she thought she had (Jace) turns out to be a lie. So here she is face to face with her real brother and she has nothing to say to him. Clary also doesn’t have a huge tie or a relationship to Johnathon’s victims, so why all of sudden she wants to kill him?

Malec Breakup

I was excited to see more of Alec and Magnus’s relationship this episode. There have been plenty of sweet scenes between the couple, however I always felt their relationship was little tame in the regards of intimacy. Viewers were treated to flashback memories of a platonic sleepover from Season 1 and than to a more steamy sleep over from Season 2.

The scenes showed the developmental growth of their relationship. From the scared and closeted sexual indenitity of Alec Lightwood. To the more confident in his own skin and feelings for Magnus. The warlock and the shadowhunter bring out the best in each other. Clearly these two are meant to be.

http://magnusizzy.tumblr.com/post/163735942177/rupi-kaur

However seems like their worlds and duty to their people played a huge role into their breakup. Magnus was given the choice to help the Seelie Queen join the battle against Valentine on downworlder terms. This would break the accords with The Clave in accordance to the new agreement. Magus realizes after Alec’s lie about missing Soul Sword, that his love for Alec clouds his judgement to protect his people. Ultimately Magnus chooses to break up with Alec and take the Seelie Queen’s offer.

I was heartbroken about the break up, but know these two will eventually find their way back to one another. Alec may have lost Magnus’s trust, but the shadowhunters heart will sway his Head of Institute duties when it comes to those he cares about. I hope Magnus and Alec makeup sooner rather than later.

Notable Moments and Thoughts 

• Mia has let those tough wolf walls down when she tells Simon the story behind her claw scares. Being betrayed by the person you love is one thing. Being attacked and left to turn on your own is another. Only makes sense that she took the newly turned mundane under her paw.
• The Mortal Mirror is just an illusion. Clary discovers after taking back the Mortal Mirror from her brother that the mirror was not exactly the mirror after her protective rune destroyed it. She remembers the visions of Lake Lyn and realizes that the lake is the true Mortal Mirror.
• Luke needs a new partner in crime. Looks like he could possible be betrayed by his detective partner after she sets up a spy cam and captures his toast to the newly reunited New York werewolf pack. I found this seen rather annoying and could do without the mundane storyline of a snooping detective that will stir up more trouble than is necessary.