Shadowhunters Review: Mea Maxima Culpa (Season 2 Episode 11)

Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 11, “Mea Maxima Culpa,” is a delightful start to the second half of Season 2. It’s action packed, drama filled, and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as this season’s villain makes his way on screen.

Right off the bat, the episode starts with Alec and Jace sparring, something I didn’t realize that I had missed before now. My favorite thing to come from their interactions (other than the brotherly love you can feel from a mile away) is when Alec mentions that Clary would dump Simon for Jace the moment she found out they weren’t related.

I’m not saying I want Simon’s heart to break, he’s one of my favorite characters, but if Clary did break up with him for Jace I would cheer. The entire chemistry between Clary and Simon is off, but we’re still being handed these scenes that are supposed to make us like them together. It’s not working.

The only magical thing to come from Simon and Clary lounging around on a park bench in the middle of the day is when Jace strides in and ruins it. Simon making it known that he has Jace’s back and won’t tell anyone about his angelic blood is one of the cutest moments.

Simon tries so hard to be on a mutual friendship level with Jace but is always shutdown. I get it, Jace is jealous that Simon gets to date the girl of his dreams. But even before that Simon got over his hatred towards Jace, and part of me feels like Jace has done the same but won’t openly admit it.

While we’re still on Simon + relationships, when will Maia and Simon happen? I’m ready as all get out. Maia’s first response to Simon’s new Daylighter status is something that Clary should’ve told him. He needs to be careful about how he goes about being able to be out during the day. It’s dangerous for him.

I can see where Clary is coming from when talking Simon into going back to his daily life; she knows he misses it. But, when you’re the only vampire in town who can now walk in the day you have to take more precautions because that’s how you end up dead. Raphael’s warning, in the end, solidifies Maia’s precautions to him. Other vampires will eventually break him into spilling how he got his new abilities.

Speaking of Maia, I’ve missed the father-daughter bond that she and Luke share together. Luke is having a rough patch with the pack as they deem him unfit to lead, but Maia isn’t going to turn on him like that. And let’s be honest, with how she was treated during Season 2A she easily could walk away with no troubles.

Luke’s new partner worries me with how interested she is in his private life. Why was she taking photos of Maia and Luke talking? It makes me feel like she’s secretly working for someone to keep tabs on Luke. You don’t document who he speaks with unless you’re hiding something.

Meanwhile, Izzy is on another bender after being left along by Alec to see to a demon-spotting. Rule #1, don’t trust a drug user going through withdrawals when they say they’ll stay home and be okay. That never happens.

Izzy has finally hit her rock bottom, and as much as it makes me sad, it also brings me joy to know that now she can only go up and get better. If only the help weren’t from Sebastian.

Sebastian knows how to get what he wants and knows how to get people to see him how he intends to. Being that guy that helped save Izzy’s life from Azazel, helped her break her Yin Fen addiction, and broke down with a sob story about his mother is what’s going to make Izzy be on his side later on down the road.

All of his ‘heroic’ acts are going to make Izzy think highly of him and when it comes time for his true intentions to come to light she’s going to be conflicted. I’ve never read the books, but I know that Sebastian is not this cheerful man that he’s portraying himself to be.

The end of the episode is one of my favorite scenes from “Mea Maxima Culpa” because it foreshadows what might go down between Jace and Clary. Clary can make her own ruins thanks to the angelic blood in her, and Jace has no idea what special ability he has, until now.

All it takes for Jace’s angelic side to come out is to see Clary on the floor in pain, screaming out his name. Clary is the sole reason that he overcame the compulsion of Azazel and was able to save them all. If that isn’t foreshadowing, I don’t know what is.

“Mea Maxima Culpa” is a fantastic start to Season 2B and already has me anxious for next week’s episode.

Other Thoughts:

• Alec hugging Jace as he finds him crying on the balcony in the very end has me in tears. Jace finally got too overwhelmed and let it all loose.
• What exactly was Sebastian burning into his hand at the very end? It looks like he might turn sooner rather than later.
• Azazel has already proven to be the most tenacious villain they’ve ever gone up against, and it’s frightening.
• Was the flashback of Valentine being burned as a child supposed to make us feel sorry for him? Because we don’t.

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

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Shadowhunters airs Monday’s at 8/7c on Freeform.

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