Mundie Moms

Monday, February 29, 2016

Shadowhunters TV: Episode 7: "Major Arcana" / Review #Shadowhunters



Happy Mundane Monday Shadowhunter fans! Once again I am late on sharing our thoughts from this last week's Shadowhunters episode. It was another crazy week, but better late than never. You can read our previous reviews here. What did you think of this last week's episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Please leave us a comment below and tell us what you thought. 

Katie's Thoughts


Wow, Shadowhunters gave fans a little bit of everything this week. We got action, suspense, a more detailed story arch, and finally a kissy scene! As always, I love this cast! I won't keep repeating who my favorites are, because I feel like I mention them every single week (Alec and Simon). I've really liked getting to see more of the characters each week, and I'm looking forward to each of their story arches progressing more, especially Simon's. 

Simon's story is killing me! I'm feeling some of the same heartbreak I felt for him in the books, right now. While I love Simon, his mom and sister scenes aren't cutting for me. I wasn't feeling it during their "intervention" part. I don't know if it was the way the script was written or the acting, but together, it didn't work, and I didn't feel it was believable at all. What was believable, is the range of emotions Simon was going through. Someone seriously needed to give him a hug or at least be there for him. 


We finally got more Clace! I have to admit, I really liked getting more of them together. I feel like I'm starting to see more of the Clace that's been missing from the series so far. Okay, let's talk about that kiss for just a second.... this by no means replaces that Greenhouse kiss! Yes, and am still bitter about that, because that scene is so crucial! While this kiss was good, it wasn't what it could have been.... there's something about the greenhouse kiss that needed to be apart of this series. How awesome was that scene of Clary killing demon Jace? I seriously had huge kudos to her, because for a moment I was afraid something was going to go wrong. Clary definitely showed off her fierce side tonight. I loved it.


Is it just me or does anyone else wish they would be a fly on the wall when Alec and Izzy are hanging out together? I love the moments when Izzy and Alec are together on screen. I'm curious to see what direction the series is going to go with all the drama surrounding their parents, and the burdens they've placed on Alec and Izzy. With the rumors flying around the fandom about Alec's forced engagement and possible marriage to a girl, I'm really worried about what's going to happen to Alec, as well as Magnus. I'm really hoping there's no truth to there rumors. However, it is obvious that their parents have something planned, and except their kids to follow through with it. 


While I'm a fan of the casting, and the acting, I'm still not a huge fan of the writing. I think it's because I have been looking for those same feelings I got from Cassie's writing (reading the books) to be felt while watching the series. Or even feel a spark of that. Two episodes ago I finally put aside hoping for/looking for some sort of faithfulness that the series is based on Cassandra Clare's books, (while it's inspired from her books, even mentioning that the series is loosely based on her books isn't totally honest). Once I did that, I started to see the series differently, and I even liked the previous two episodes. While I wasn't in love with this week, I liked it,
 though just not as much as the previous two. There was something missing from this week that was present in the last two weeks. Regardless, I like the over all improvements, and I'm looking forward to seeing what direction the story goes in this week.

Em's Thoughts


I am so glad that I'm really starting to like each episode better. This one had it all for me. Action, romance, suspense, and story! Lots of things going on in this episode but not too hard to follow for a change.

My husband is one of the biggest critics of these kind of shows. He hasn't read the books and doesn't know the myths so ends up picking on everything. One of his biggest criticisms of the show in early weeks was that it was hard to follow. It was dialogue and  information heavy. Ok for those of us who know the characters and back story already, not so good for new people to this world. But tonight didn't seem like that. We understood what was possibly happening to Simon, and how this would seem to his family & Maureen. We understood who has the hots for who and how this makes Clary and Jace tricky. We understood that there were demons and other elements not to be trusted at the police station and that anyone could be an enemy.

I'm not sure what order each episode was shot, but I do think that the acting is getting better with each episode. The script is too which may be why, giving them something to work with.

The one thing I didn't like so much was Simon's mum and sister. I'm sorry, I don't find Simon's mum and sister believable, they are too clean cut for me. I expected his mum to be a bit more relaxed and less polished. Way to housewife for me, maybe the Aussie in me seeing too much American soap opera mother and not the one I remember from the books. But that is a little criticism and I think their storyline was ok although the dropped pasta plate a little dramatic.

Keep up the good work again, please for us.



Sophie's Thoughts

The episode title "Major Arcana" really should be titled "Pretty Little Shadowhunters". At this point, I have no qualms in saying that they should just subtitle it "very loosely based on Cassandra Clare's series".

Putting my fandom feelings aside in the name of #shadowhuntersfandomunite (the trending hashtag reminding fans that we are a united fandom after all), the show wasn't all that bad. No really, it wasn't.

We got a Clace moment that we've all waited breathlessly for -- of course, it didn't have the heart-thumping sweetness of the Midnight Flower chapter. It wasn't the adorable moment when, in the middle of chaos, Jace decides to celebrate Clary's birthday with a feast of a soggy grilled cheese sandwich, a shared apple and viewing the Idris grown flower magically blossom. The book scene unfolds with perfect pace and ends in a passionate kiss with these lines that still make me sigh after many re-reads:

Clary: Aren't you tired?
Jace: I've never been more alive in my life.

See how I put them into script format? It's truly not hard to do. I wish the screenwriters would give us a few more true book moments.

But, Pretty Little Shadowhunters on its own does hold up as a story. And I'm curious to see it unfold. The actors are bringing a story to life. It's just not quite the story I wanted to see.  Are you guys hanging in with me?


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