Five Best Moments of “Shadowhunters” Episode Four, “Raising Hell”
In the fourth episode of Freeform’s hit supernatural drama Shadowhunters, the characters really do succeed in “Raising Hell” as they continue to search for Clary’s lost memories. This episode features Clary (Katherine McNamara), Jace (Dominic Sherwood), Isabelle (Emeraude Toubia) and Alec (Matthew Daddario) getting their first solid lead as to who removed Clary’s memories in the first place. As it turns out, it was the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr). The group track him down, only to discover, to their dismay, that he fed the memories to a memory demon. In order to recover them, the team must embark on their most dangerous mission yet, which results in the discovery of many deep-seated secrets.
Many of the characters shined in this episode, but Harry Shum Jr. as Magnus Bane shined the brightest. He brought a charisma to the character that more than did justice to the books and succeeded in making him complex as well as compelling. Since I’ve been craving more Magnus Bane scenes since the pilot, I was ecstatic that he was featured so prominently in “Raising Hell.” I was also overjoyed that this episode included the birth of one of the most impactful ships of The Mortal Instruments series: Magnus and Alec, otherwise known as “Malec.” In all honesty, the chemistry between Magnus and Alec throughout this episode was so tangible that it could be felt through the screen during any of their scenes together. It was, in every sense of the word, magical. However, the dawn of Malec in this episode is important to more than just the show. It should come as no surprise that there is a lack of queer representation in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, so the introduction of a main queer ship in Shadowhunters is incredibly important. I really hope that we get to see more of them and that they aren’t sidelined in favor of other ships.
Altogether, this episode was mainly about exploring the characters. Although it didn’t advance the main plot as much as it could have, it succeeded in adding more depth to their relationships. In addition, we were able to find out more about the characters with which we identify and what motivates them to act the way that they do. While there were many noteworthy scenes in this episode, here are my selections as to the Best Five Moments of Shadowhunters episode four, “Raising Hell.”
1) Clary Barges Into Jace’s Room (And Finds Him Shirtless)
Let’s be honest: any scene in which Dominic Sherwood (Jace) is shirtless is going to make this list. In fact, there should be an entire post dedicated to his fit torso, and I’m sure Clary agrees. However, this scene was memorable for more than just Jace’s toned physique. It also showcased the burgeoning attraction between Clary and Jace as well as the growing sense of trust between them. Clary and Jace are beginning to turn to each other and rely on each other more and more, which is an important aspect of their developing relationship.
2) Simon is Confronted by Maureen (And Then By Something Much Worse)
To say that Simon was acting odd in this episode would be an understatement. He was aggressive, on edge and altogether sulky–and in the bedroom scene with Maureen, we find out why. Maureen, while in the process of confronting Simon about staying out all night with Clary, knocks over a picture frame and breaks the glass. As she tries to clean it up, she cuts her finger (a massively overused move in young adult fantasy fiction, but I’m willing to overlook it) and Simon has a very interesting reaction. After she leaves, Simon hurries to the frame, touches the drops of blood and licks them off his finger. I guess Simon didn’t escape the vampire nest as unscathed as we first thought! Whether or not he turns all the way is something that we’ll hopefully find out in future episodes.
3) Clary and the Gang Track Down Magnus (And We Get Our First Malec Interaction!)
In this scene, Clary, Jace and Isabelle try to entice Magnus into helping them recover Clary’s memories by offering him the necklace that he once gave to his ex-lover Camille. However, Magnus isn’t biting. Instead, he proposes that Clary abandon this quest and accompany him through a portal to safety. Right after Clary turns him down, they’re interrupted by an attempted assassin, a member of the Circle, whom Alec luckily sees sneaking up on them and strikes down before he can do any damage. As a result, Magnus sees Alec for the first time–and it’s just as epic as we all hoped it would be. If the heart eyes that Magnus sends Alec’s way aren’t enough to get shippers’ hearts fluttering, Magnus’s entranced “Who are you?” is destined to do the trick!
4) Jace and Alec Perform Parabatai Tracking (And Make Clary Uber Jealous)
“This whole parabatai thing seems oddly intimate if you ask me,” Clary says to Isabelle as they watch Jace and Alec hold hands and stare into each other’s eyes. In a nutshell, Clary is right; it is intimate, in the best possible way. After Jace fails to track Magnus on his own, he calls on his parabatai, Alec, to bolster the rune’s power, because when parabatais join together, their power grows stronger. For Clary, this serves as an awakening of sorts. Before this scene, I don’t think she fully understood what being parabatai meant. In many ways, it’s akin to having a soulmate in and outside of battle, a fact that this scene highlights. With that said, I can’t wait for the hilarious parabatai tracking bloopers, because you know there are going to be some!
5) Magnus and the Others Summon the Memory Demon (And Expose a Big Secret Along the Way)
Once again, kudos to the special effects department for being able to pull off this scene without overdoing it! The summoning of the Memory Demon was beautifully orchestrated and resulted in some of the most tense moments of the entire episode. However, before I get ahead of myself, let me explain what happened.
Magnus agrees to help summon Valoc, the Memory Demon possessing Clary’s memories. However, there is a catch: as payment for Clary’s memories, Valoc requires Magnus, Clary, Jace, Alec and Isabelle to relinquish a memory of the person that they love the most. For Isabelle, that is her brother; for Clary, that is her mother. But for Alec? Lo and behold, the memory that Alec is forced to give up is of Jace, a fact that Alec doesn’t handle very well. He breaks the circle after his secret is exposed for all to see, putting the others in danger. This leads to the second most nail-biting moment of the episode: Valoc seizes Jace, and Clary has to choose between saving Jace and retrieving her memories. Luckily, Clary chooses the former and, in true bad-ass fashion, slays the demon and saves the day. Way to go, Clary!
Honorable Mentions
Hodge Briefs the Team on Magnus (And Clary Find Out David Guetta is a Downworlder)
I love this scene because it gives us our first taste of Magnus as a character. Apparently, Magnus has a reputation for hedonism and decadence–which results in Clary calling him “the Downworld’s David Guetta.” Much to her surprise, Clary then finds out from Isabelle that David Guetta himself is a Downworlder. In fact, he’s a vampire because, as Isabelle states, “Ever see him in the daylight?” Naturally, Alec responds to this turn in the conversation by encouraging everybody to get back on track, which results in Isabelle saying “Someone needs to get slayed.” Gotta love Isabelle and her classic one-liners!
Magnus Gives Isabelle the Ruby Necklace (And Calls Alec a “Pretty Boy”)
This scene is intriguing for several reasons. For starters, when Magnus gives Isabelle the necklace as payment for defending the Warlocks, he mentions that the Lightwoods have been wearing it for years; for fans of City of Bones, this detail about one of Isabelle’s trademark accessories is an added bonus. Furthermore, this leads to cute banter between Magnus and Isabelle, in which Magnus inquires about Alec and in which the audience first sees that Magnus has a romantic interest in him. Finally, this scene gives us the hilarious moment in which Jace misinterprets Magnus’s “pretty boy” comment to be referring to himself and is corrected by Magnus, who makes it clear that he actually meant Alec. I can’t wait to see more of Malec in future episodes!