Shadowhunters – This Guilty Blood

By: Jessica Wolff

The premiere of the second season of “Shadowhunters” picks up not long after last season’s finale. Being forced to work with his supposed father Valentine Morgenstern (Alan Van Sprang), Jace Wayland (Dominic Sherwood) is surprised to see that Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara) has found him. Valentine thwarts their escape attempt and Jace fights him and stabs him. The death is a ruse as Valentine attacks them again as they try and escape. Jace fights him and stabs him again, falling off the railing. The body turns out to be one of Valentine’s henchman disguised as him and Jace finds himself in a room full of caged Downworlders. Clary disappears and Valentine appears, criticizing Jace for his lack of loyalty. He knocks Jace out with a drug and has his henchman drag him away.

At the institute, the shadowhunters work tirelessly to find Jace. Alec Lightwood (Matthew Daddario) is worried, but Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr.) is unable to track him using his magic. Alec orders everyone to increase their efforts and yells at Lydia Branwell (Stephanie Bennett) when she tries to take control. Both Magnus and Isabelle Lightwood (Emeraude Toubia) try to calm him down, but he snaps at both of them. Clary reunites with her mother, Jocelyn Fray (Maxim Roy), who apologizes for everything. Clary is upset that Jocelyn kept her shadowhunter identity from her and Jocelyn promises that she won’t lie to her anymore. Clary shows Jocelyn her box and tells her that the son that she thought had died is actually Jace, but Jocelyn can’t believe it.

Alec attempts to apologize to Magnus for his earlier behavior. Magnus tries to empathize with him, but Alec tells him that he has no idea what he’s going through. He explains that the strength of the parabatai bond that he shares with Jace is so strong that a part of him would die if Jace dies. Magnus offers his help and Alec demands that he help him track Jace with the rune. However, Magnus is worried that the rune will hurt him like last time and Alec yells at him for refusing to one thing for him after everything he’s done for Magnus. Luke Garroway (Isaiah Mustafa) checks in on Jocelyn and Clary and confirms that Jocelyn’s son is alive. Simon Lewis (Alberto Rosende) comes over and reveals that he is now a vampire after Jocelyn questions what he is doing at the Institute.

Maryse Lightwood (Nicola Correia-Damude) addresses the shadowhunters and tells them that the clave is taking over the search for Jace and Valentine. She introduces the new head of the investigation, Victor Aldertree (Nick Sagar). He promises to interview everyone involved in the last mission and announces that the Institute is now on lockdown. Isabelle assures Clary that Jace is tough and can deal with anything Valentine throws at him. Meanwhile, Valentine’s men have chained Jace up and torture him. Valentine stops the torture and tells Jace that they have a lot to talk about.

Clary goes to see Victor for her interview and is questioned about the night Jace left with Valentine. Victor believes that Jace is willingly working with Valentine, and Clary fails to convince him that his suspicions are wrong. He tells her that they will find Jace as he wraps up the interview. Jace finds Valentine cooking for him and Jace tries to stab him with a kitchen knife. The knife flies into the wall and Valentine tells him that he will answer his questions. Jace asks why led him to believe that Michael Wayland was his father and Valentine tells him that he wanted to keep him safe. Jace tells him that he considers the Lightwoods his family, not him. Valentine assures him that he loves him and that his mother abandoned him. He reveals that he injected Jace with demon blood as a baby to make him stronger.

Alec goes to see Magnus and asks if he’s leaving. Magnus tells him that he’s had a long day and that he’d rather be home eating steak and drinking vodka than dealing with the drama at the Institute. He tells Alec that everything Alec did in the past was for himself and tells Alec that he wants nothing from him at the moment. The alarm goes off and Magnus leaves before Alec can say anything. The clave sends out a warning that Jace is wanted dead or alive. Victor tells Clary that she gave him a clue to find Jace and tells all of the downworlders to leave the institute. Luke tells Victor that he can help with the search, but his offer is refused. Luke says goodbye to Jocelyn and he takes Simon with him. Victor tells the institute that he believes that Jace is a traitor based on the interviews. Despite Alec and Clary’s arguments, Victor insists that Jace must be stopped. Victor tells Clary, Isabelle and Alec that they are not allowed to participate in the search for Jace and that Victor will be keeping a close eye on Clary and Jocelyn. Alec and Isabelle try to plead their case for Jace, but Victor refuses to listen to them.

Luke takes Simon to the Chinese restaurant and Simon thanks him for letting him stay with him. They talk about how dangerous the clave is and Simon is worried about Jace targeting Clary. Luke encourages Simon to be bold and tell Clary how he feels about her. As Luke takes a call, the other werewolves confront Simon and he fails to push them away. They throw him in an abandoned warehouse and he uses a kayak as his coffin for the night. As Valentine’s army trains, he talks to Jace about the demon blood inside of him and how he is the ultimate weapon to fight demons. Valentine tells him that he believes that the clave has become soft in their leniency on downworlders and that downworlders are inherently violent. Jace considers escaping, but Valentine demonstrates that a force field surrounds the boat that will destroy Jace if he attempts to jump.

Clary and Isabelle continue their training, despite Clary insisting that they need to find a way to escape the institute and find Jace before the clave does. Isabelle uses the cover of the training session to tell Clary that to find Jace, she needs to know and become the enemy. Maryse follows Alec and tells him that he can’t search for Jace. Alec tells her that he can’t sit still as Jace is his parabatai. He insists that Jace is not a traitor and criticizes her for turning her back on Jace. Victor goes to see Luke and asks for his help. After Luke refuses to help him, Clary reveals herself and tells him that he escaped the institute disguised as Victor. Luke offers his help and tells her that Simon is staying with him.

Clary attempts to use Jace’s glove to track him, but is unable to. Jocelyn finds Clary who is annoyed that Luke called her. She tells Clary that she told Victor that she wanted to bring her back in order to escape the institute, but she really wants to help her find Jace. She asks Clary for her phone and Jace’s gloves and then runs out of the warehouse, locking Clary and Simon inside. Alec goes to see Magnus and attempts to apologize. Magnus refuses to stop his exercises and Alec demands that he stop. Alec continues his apology, telling him that he’s new to all of this. Magnus attempts to walk away and Alec grabs his arm and apologizes for taking his anger out on him. Magnus forgives him and tells him not to push him away in the future.

Simon attempts to break down the door and Clary tells him that it’s hopeless. Simon tells Clary that he misses their time together and they reminisce over childhood memories and talks about how crazy things have become. Before Simon can tells Clary how he feels, the door falls down. Clary rushes to continue her search. Jocelyn tracks Jace using his gloves and Magnus uses the rune to help Alec find Jace. Jace and Valentine appear on a street and Alec, Jocelyn and the clave all figure out where he is.

Valentine brings Jace to a vampire coven and tells him to give in to his urges. Jace hears a scream and runs inside. He finds the vampires feeding on mundanes and frees them before asking for Maria (Jessica Matten). She appears with several other vampires and Jace begins to slay them. Alec and Isabelle plead to Victor that they be the ones to bring in Jace alive, but Victor refuses their request and takes them prisoner. Jace and Maria take their fight to the street. Maria surrenders to the clave and taunts Jace for being unable to kill her. Valentine urges Jace to kill her. As Clary and Simon arrive on the scene, Jace gives into his urges and slays the vampire. Valentine congratulates him and Jocelyn reveals herself, aiming a crossbow at the two of them. Valentine jumps in front of the arrow and tells Jace to run. Jocelyn aims at Jace, but he escapes. Clary asks Jocelyn what she has done.