Shadowhunters Review: Malec (Season 1 Episode 12)

When you name an episode after the ‘ship name of a hugely popular couple, you better be planning on delivering an epic one worthy of the name. Luckily, “Malec” is a mostly strong installment of Shadowhunters that finally (FINALLY) gives us movement in that titular relationship and throws in some really nice character building and one interesting (albeit not earth-shattering) plot twist.

It’s Alec and Lydia’s wedding day on Shadowhunters and Izzy transforms the Institute into a worthy venue accordingly. And she’s right, royal blue is elegant and masculine, just like Alec. Good call, fam.

Izzy is lowkey the most important part of this episode, though she isn’t actively featured much. She both arranges Alec’s “bachelor party,” thereby orchestrating Alec and Jace making long overdue amends, and invites Magnus to Alec’s wedding. By the latter, she has a hand in one of the absolute best moments of the series so far. She also has a semi-cute moment with Simon when she rather inexplicably goes to Hotel DuMort to ask Simon for bachelor party advice, though it comes across as Izzy being like an alien who’s just come to Earth and needs to be educated about the concept of “fun.” In what universe are we meant to believe that Izzy doesn’t understand what a bachelor party is?

I wish the scene could have shown any kind of sparks between the two, but it really doesn’t. The most I’ve ever enjoyed “Sizzy” has been their alt-universe pairing. Nerdy AU Izzy forever!

There’s something incredibly stilted about the way Izzy’s portrayer delivers her lines. She’s not a bad actress exactly, but I sense absolutely zero chemistry between her and any of the rest of the cast. Maybe friend-chemistry with Clary, sometimes, though those two have criminally few scenes together. Seriously, they couldn’t have thrown in a “gals getting ready for the wedding together” scene for good measure? This show has an abysmal track record with passing the Bechdel test so far.

Alec is fully prepared to marry Lydia and be sexless, romanceless, and miserable for the rest of his days, but Magnus isn’t prepared to let him go without a fight. Weirdly enough, “Malec” also reveals that, going into it, Lydia is fully, 100% aware that Alec isn’t into her (and is, in fact, fully into Magnus) and claims that she’s totally OK with it. This makes me incredibly sad for Lydia, but it also fits with what we’ve seen of her character. She’s completely done with romance after the tragic death of her first husband.

On the other hand, she’s not a heartless hag, and she straight up encourages Alec to leave her at the altar in her GORGEOUS dress to go kiss his maybe-sorta-almost boyfriend in front of all their wedding guests. Sure, it’s a little bit too doormat-y, but it gives us the show’s most satisfying romantic moment yet, so I’m into it. I also enjoy Lydia far more than either Izzy or Clary, to the point where half of me had been hoping Alec would go through with the sham wedding, if only for Lydia to stick around a bit longer. There, I said it. Lydia’s great!

Once Alec leaves her at the altar, it seems like the show makes a quick attempt to chem-test her with Jace. Did anyone else notice that, or am I reading too far into it? I still don’t feel like I know Jace all that well, but I could easily see him “distracting” himself from Clary by getting busy with another woman he doesn’t have real feelings for.

Unfortunately, Lydia is possibly dead after having the Mortal Cup stolen from her, as she’s en route out of the Institute, by none other than reformed Circle member Hodge, who has agreed to take the Mortal Cup to our pal Valentine in exchange for V removing the punishment rune that keeps him trapped in the Institute. This is the not-groundbreaking twist I was talking about. Guess you can take the guy out of the Circle but not the Circle out of the guy. Oh, well. RIP, soon-to-be-dead Hodge. You were kinda cute, albeit woefully underdeveloped.

Clary and Jace realize there’s a potential mole in the Institute once a Shax demon kills Magnus’ pal and fellow warlock Ragnor Fell. They assume it’s Lydia and for a minute there, so do I. It would’ve put an interesting spin on her suddenly very easygoing behavior when it comes to matters of the heart. But alas, it’s not Lydia. I really hope Hodge only bonked her on the head, but why would he risk her being able to ID him? Then again, people on this show behave illogically near-constantly, so I wouldn’t be too surprised.

The introduction of Ragnor Fell is a great way for the show to pull double duty. By indirectly leading them to the book that will allow Clary to awaken her mother, Ragnor serves as a convenient plot device. As Magnus’ bro for centuries, he also manages to give us some insight into why Magnus is the way he is. Even after his demise, he manages to serve as an undead horned wingman for our favorite glittery eyeliner-wearing warlock, encouraging Magnus to allow himself to open up the heart he’d kept walled up ever since Camille broke his heart. Lucky for all of us, Magnus takes Ragnor’s advice and shows up to interrupt Alec’s wedding. Alec takes that moment to grow a pair, stand up to his scandalized awful mother, and kisses Magnus in front of everyone. I believe I speak for all viewers when I say that this is a “YES YES YES” moment. Malec forever, y’all.

Of course, their moment of bliss is short-lived. Magnus finds out, via vision, that the current owner of the book of magic previously owned by Ragnor that can save Jocelyn is none other than… his ex, Camille, who is currently trapped in a coffin in Hotel DuMort courtesy of Raphael. Lucky for the Shadowhunters, they have a vampire in their corner who I’m sure will be important in the next part of the mission. Fingers crossed that this means for more action for Simon! And yes, I do mean allllll kinds of action.

Maybe the euphemistic action will be helped along by Jace turning to the Dark Side. I’m getting big Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader vibes from this Jace/Valentine set up.

Other thoughts:

• Maryse Lightwood really is the worst. She’s so one-note and awful. Props to Papa Lightwood for being kind, if a bit confused, in reaction to Alec’s big moment.
• Simon looks dapper as hell in a suit. He should make borrowing Raphael’s suits a regular thing. I’m glad Clary noticed.
• Everybody looks super pretty at the wedding. I’m undecided on whether I love or hate Jace’s weird pleathery looking blazer, but I think I hate it.
• We get to see Camille again soon! And she’s not dead! Woo-hoo!
• I dig Izzy’s make-up look. The lipstick she wears to the wedding is on point.
• Shax demons have come up a few times and every time I can only think of Shax, the demon that killed Prue in Charmed. Bad memories.
• Ragnor’s sudden death is laughably staged. “Let me run off quickly to grab this very important plot thing. Agh, oh no, I am now dead after surviving for centuries! Alas!” Stupid.
• Ragnor’s horn headgear looks like it was purchased from the clearance rack at Party City and slapped on him. Seriously, they couldn’t have even blended the edge of the prosthetic a little bit, to conceal where it met his actual face? It looks ridiculously fake!
• I’m already very much over Clary and Jace exchanging tortured “we are in love but can’t be together because incest” glances. Can we move along? Though I will say that I do enjoy seeing Clary try to reassure Jace that “their” mother loved him and didn’t abandon him. It shows that she does care for his wellbeing, even platonically.

What did you think of this episode of Shadowhunters? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Shadowhunters airs Tuesday at 9/8c on Freeform.

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