Shadowhunters – The Fair Folk

By: Jessica Wolff

Jace Wayland (Dominic Sherwood) plays the piano, which attracts the attention of Sebastian Verlac (Will Tudor).  After complimenting Jace on his skills, Jace tells him that Valentine Morgenstern (Alan Van Sprang) taught him and that he was a very tough teacher.  Sebastian asks him why he’s up so early and he admits that he just got back from the Hunter’s Moon after hooking up with Maia Roberts (Alisha Wainwright).  He insists that it’s nothing serious and Sebastian comments that he thought Jace still had feelings for Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara).  He points out that Jace and Clary are not related and Jace tells him that she has a boyfriend and has moved on from him.

Alec Lightwood (Matthew Daddario) addresses the Institute and announces a council to restore unity between shadowhunters and the downworld.  Some of the shadowhunters make snide comments about his leadership, but Isabelle Lightwood (Emeraude Toubia) stands up for Alec.  Clary and Jace ask what they can do to help.  Alec tells them to go to the seelie court to question the queen about their possible involvement with Kaelie’s (Michelle Argyris) previous attack on shadowhunters.  He tells them that the queen asked to meet with Valentine’s experiments.  Jace warns Clary that seelies are very good at manipulating the truth despite their inability to lie.

At the Jade Wolf, Alec asks Luke Garroway (Isaiah Mustafa) why he hasn’t agreed to meet with the council.  Luke believes that it’s an empty gesture and argues that there needs to be real change.  He requests that the soul-sword be destroyed, but Alec reminds him that the clave will never allow it.  After declaring that Valentine needs to die, Alec promises to do everything he can to push up his execution.  Alec tells him that he put together this council to improve shadow world relations, but it’s not possible without him.  Clary arrives to the park with Simon Lewis (Alberto Rosende).  Jace is not happy to see him, but Clary tells him that Simon demanded he join them on the mission.  Though Jace warns him of the dangers, Simon insists on going.  Unable to change his mind, Jace takes them through the creek into the seelie realm.

Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr.) gives Alec words of encouragement over the phone and assures him that he’ll be by his side.  Alec tells him that he wants to separate his personal and professional lives and that he wants him there representing the warlocks instead of as his boyfriend.  Magnus is hesitant, but agrees to it.  Maryse Lightwood (Nicola Correia-Damude) congratulates Alec on his promotion and tells him that she always knew that he would be successful.  After telling him that she and his father are proud of him, Alec asks whether she is leaving his father.  She admits that it’s complicated and that she can’t jeopardize her political career with a divorce.  Alec admits that he hasn’t told Isabelle about her father’s affair and recommends that she tell her before she finds out from someone else.

In the seelie realm, Simon and Clary are amazed how fairy tale like it is.  Simon notices a tree with blood on it and goes to inspect it.  Jace runs over as he touches the branch and knocks him away from the tree.  He explains to Simon and Clary that the tree can wrap its vines around a person and kill them and that everything in this realm is dangerous despite its appearance.  Isabelle angrily trains on a punching bag and tells Sebastian that her mom is in town.  When asked how that’s a bad thing, Isabelle explains that she doesn’t know how Maryse will react to her addiction.  Sebastian tells her that it might not be as bad as she fears and Isabelle explains her mother’s need for perfection.  She tells him that she doesn’t want to disappoint her and Sebastian tells her that it’s okay to struggle.  He tries to surprise attack her but she throws him to the floor easily.

Luke gets a flaming message that instructs him to go outside.  Outside he hears a phone ring and finds a burner phone near the dumpster.  The disguised voice on the other end offers to help him sneak into the Institute and murder Valentine without being detected.  The caller won’t reveal their identity, but tells Luke that his parabatai bond to Valentine gives him the best opportunity to kill Valentine.  Luke’s partner, Ollie (Alexandra Ordolis), interrupts him and wants his help with paperwork.  He tells her that he is busy and lies that he has a date.  As he pulls away, Ollie searches the dumpster and finds the phone gone.  Clary, Jace and Simon arrive at the seelie court and the seelies take their steles away.  The Seelie Queen (Lola Flanery) steps forward and Simon is surprised that she is so young.  The Queen questions Simon’s presence despite not being invited and Jace defends Simon.  The Queen declares that Simon can stay and leads them inside.

As Isabelle encourages Alec, Meliorn (Jade Hassoune) approaches them.  He is skeptical of the counsel and Alec shakes his hand, telling him he hopes to erase his skepticism.  Raphael Santiago (David Castro) arrives next and Isabelle greets him.  Magnus arrives and Alec thanks him for coming.  He tells him that he has great respect for the new head of the institute before going inside.  Luke comes in next and Alec promises that he won’t regret this.  Maryse approaches Luke and apologizes for Jocelyn’s death.  She admits that she wished that she could be at her mourning ceremony and Luke tells her that he couldn’t be there because downworlders were banned at the time.

Raphael asks how Max is doing and Isabelle tells him that he is fine.  Sebastian approaches them and Raphael is suspicious of him.  Sebastian introduces himself and asks how he knows Isabelle.  She quickly explains that their paths cross for work.  At the seelie court, Jace explains to Clary and Simon that the Queen is ancient but can manipulate her appearance.  The Queen joins them and asks about Valentine’s children.  Clary and Jace explain that Clary is the only child of Valentine, but the queen reminds them that they both have angel blood and asks them to demonstrate their powers.  Jace tells her that they’re still figuring it out and the queen asks Simon about being a daylighter.  She admits that she heard word from the creatures under her command, and Jace asks about Kaelie.  After discussing Kaelie’s effectiveness as a killer, Clary asks if Kaelie had any accomplices.  The Queen tells them that another knight helped, but he was killed for his actions.  She asks to speak to Simon alone and Simon reluctantly agrees despites Jace’s protests.

At the council meeting, Alec lays out his plans for weekly meetings to discuss issues of the downworld.  Magnus expresses his support for the plan, but Raphael points out that he’s biased.  Meliorn argues that the clave is not willing to compromise, but Alec says that he is.  Luke asks about moving up Valentine’s execution, but Alec says that they can’t start by doing the impossible.  Luke is furious, but Magnus insists that they need to be diplomatic about it.  Luke declares that diplomacy gets them nowhere and Magnus explains how he wants Valentine dead for what happened during the body switch between them.  Luke says that the clave needs to know about this and Alec informs him that they already do.  Frustrated, Luke leaves the room and calls the burner phone, committing to killing Valentine.  The Queen admits to Simon that she’s glad that she got to meet the daylighter rock star.  She offers to mentor him as she mentored musicians such as Sia and Bjork before him.  Simon asks why she would do that and she says that she wants to be friends with him.  She admits that she senses darker times ahead and wants him as an ally.  After telling him that they can’t trust the shadowhunters, Simon insists that Clary would never turn on him.  The Queen tells him that seelies always choose the winning side, but Simon rejects her offer.  However, she tells him that she will wait for him to accept her offer as long as it takes.

As he sees Sebastian talk to Isabelle, Raphael tells Meliorn that he doesn’t trust him.  Meliorn can tell that Raphael still cares for Isabelle.  Raphael approaches Sebastian and questions his intentions.  Sebastian insists that he wants to be friends with her, but Raphael believes that he is following her around like a predator.  Sebastian confronts him about his role in Isabelle’s addiction and Raphael says he cares about her.  Sebastian tells him to stay away from Isabelle if he truly cares about her.  Luke receives instructions from the mysterious caller, who tells him that he has five minutes.  Maryse sees him as he is about to begin and he lies that he needed to clear his head.  She tells him that she’s glad he decided to give Alec’s proposal a chance and that she’s trying to reconnect with the people she’s hurt before apologizing.  He tells her that she can’t do this at the moment and goes back to his mission.

Simon returns with the Queen, and tells Clary they need to go.  Jace tries to say goodbye, but the queen refuses to let them leave.  Vines wrap around Jace and Simon while Clary demands that she let them go.  The queen insists that they killed several creatures under her command and offers that they play a game.  She tells Clary that she must kiss the person she desires most in order to set them both free.  Clary kisses Simon, but the vines wrap tighter around them.  The queen reminds her that she has to kiss the one she desires most and that she can’t fool the vines.  Clary goes to Jace and tells him that this means nothing before kissing him passionately.  The vines unwrap and all three are shaken by what just happened.  The queen tells Simon that she told him so and Clary confronts her.  She tells her that it’s better to be honest.  When Jace asks if they can leave, the queen points out that Simon has already left.

Maryse tells Isabelle about her husband’s affair and Isabelle admits that she’s been keeping it a secret because it wasn’t her secret to tell.  Isabelle tells her to leave him as she deserves to be happy.  Maryse tells her to fight for love and Isabelle tells Maryse about her yin fen addiction.  She embraces Isabelle and blames herself.  Luke goes to Valentine’s cell and declares vengeance for everyone he’s lost at Valentine’s hand.  Sebastian tells Alec about the security breach.  Luke and Valentine fight, but Alec pulls Luke away before he can kill him.  Sebastian tells Valentine that he’s not dying today and Valentine asks if he knows him.  Alec interrogates Luke about the caller, but Luke doesn’t know anything.  Sebastian announces that there is no way of knowing who in the Institute helped Luke.  Alec tells Luke that he should be in prison, but removes his handcuffs as he is trying to gain the downworld’s trust.

Isabelle approaches Raphael and tells him that she wants to fight for their connection.  Raphael turns her down, saying that it’s dangerous for them to be together.  Clary demands to talk to Simon, but he refuses to answer the door as he starts playing his music.  Jace reports that a seelie knight was the accomplice, but still believes that there is more to the story.  Jace tries to talk to Clary, but she won’t talk to him.  Isabelle goes to Clary for comfort, but embraces Clary upon seeing her crying.  Ollie shows her girlfriend a wolf in a picture she took around the Jade Wolf.  Sebastian interrupts his piano playing to tell the man locked up in his closet to keep quiet or else he will punish him.