Five Best Moments of “Shadowhunters” Episode 11, “Blood Calls to Blood”
As Shadowhunters rapidly approaches its season finale, it’s only fitting that certain bombshells start being dropped in order to shake things up—and that’s exactly what happens in the eleventh episode, titled “Blood Calls to Blood.” After learning that Jace’s father, Michael Wayland, is alive, Clary, Jace and Luke team up with him to try to figure out where Valentine is and where he’s keeping Jocelyn. Over the course of their interactions, it’s obvious that something isn’t right. Michael Wayland knows a little too much about Valentine, his movements and his relationship with Jocelyn, so much so that Clary begins to suspect that he isn’t who he says he is. Despite her reservations, she plays along until the group infiltrates Valentine’s headquarters at Renwick’s. Surrounded by demons, Clary pulls out the Cup to protect them, and when it appears to not work, Wayland asks her if he can try. Once he has the Cup in his possession, Wayland’s demeanor changes and he drops his façade, revealing that he is, in fact, Valentine. Luckily, Clary is one step ahead of him. In an impressive move, she takes out the real Cup, which she has kept concealed in her bag. Furious, Valentine smashes what he thought was the Cup—a mug with the words “World’s Greatest Dad” written on it—and then proceeds to smash all of Clary and Jace’s hopes and dreams by telling them that they are brother and sister.
In the meantime, Isabelle is put on trial for high treason against the Clave and calls on Magnus to defend her. Ultimately, Isabelle and Magnus are at least successful in swaying Lydia, who is so moved by Isabelle’s impassioned testimony that she agrees to withdraw the charges. The High Inquisitor, however, has other plans; to everyone’s horror, she declares that unless the Mortal Cup is delivered into the hands of the Clave within 24 hours, Isabelle will be stripped of her runes and cast out of the society of Shadowhunters. With resignation, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus and Lydia wait for the clock to run out, hoping for a miracle.
Luckily, a miracle does occur in the form of Jace and Clary returning to the Institute with the Cup and Clary’s comatose mother. But their arrival is bittersweet. Even though Isabelle is saved and Jocelyn is found, Clary and Jace are left reeling after finding out they are siblings and have yet to discuss what this means for their relationship. As the episode comes to an end, it’s obvious that the emotional impact of that revelation is going to last long into the show’s second season and maybe even beyond that. In the long run, I expect that it will help shape them into the people that they will eventually become and prepare them for the challenges that they will face in the future.
Altogether, “Blood Calls to Blood” was one of the most shocking episodes of the show so far, containing many developments that are sure to have a profound effect on the characters. While the entire episode was exceptional, however, there were some moments that stood out more than others. Here are my picks for the Best Five Moments of Shadowhunters episode eleven, “Blood Calls to Blood.”
Luke Teaches Simon How to Eat Inconspicuously (And Is Interrupted by a Frantic Clary)
In an episode rife with emotional surprises, I was glad that the writers gave us this Simon-Luke scene because it provided me, and probably many others, with a moment of comic relief. In a lot of ways, Luke has become a mentor to Simon and is given the responsibility of teaching Simon the Downworlder ropes, which is what he is attempting to do in this scene. In reality, I question how discreet it would truly be for a vampire to go out to dinner, order a raw steak and consume only the blood on the plate, but I think it’s smart that Luke is instilling Simon with skills that he can use to adapt to his surroundings. Unfortunately, this moment is cut short by Clary, who comes rushing into the Jade Wolf with a barely conscious Jace and Jace’s thought-to-be-deceased father in tow. From that point on, it’s all about the drama surrounding Clary, Jace and Valentine. Hopefully, however, the writers give us more Simon-Luke scenes in the future because I love watching Alberto Rosende and Isaiah Mustafa interact when it’s just the two of them.
Jace Has Some One-on-One Time with His Father (And Receives Some Unwelcome Advice)
If Michael Wayland’s conversation with Clary didn’t send up a red flag for viewers, then his training session with Jace, in which he tells Jace to break up with Clary but then says that Shadowhunters mate for life, was bound to do the trick. In this scene, Adam Harrington does a marvelous job of playing Valentine disguised as Michael Wayland; he is every bit as devious and manipulative as Alan Van Sprang’s Valentine, which makes this scene a pleasure to watch and dissect. Plus, we got more shirtless Dominic Sherwood! Who doesn’t love that?!
Alec Asks Magnus for Help (And Magnus Propositions Him)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we need more Malec in this show. The few scenes that they have given us so far haven’t been nearly enough, especially since the writers have been so generous with Clace scenes. Hopefully, that will change soon. For the time being, we will have to spend our time ruminating over moments like this one, in which Magnus makes it clear that he still wants Alec. I can’t be the only one whose heart skipped a beat when he asked for Alec as payment for representing Isabelle in court and then followed that up with saying that he’d do Alec pro bono. It gives me hope that Magnus’s feelings for Alec run deep enough that he will be able to forgive him when the time comes.
Lydia Finally Comes to Her Senses (And Everyone Celebrates)
One of the most surprising moments for me in this episode was the one in which Lydia dismisses the charges against Isabelle. Considering how adamant Lydia has been about following the Law and respecting the Clave, I didn’t expect one impassioned speech to affect her so much. Nevertheless, it does, and for one brief moment, Isabelle, Alec and Magnus bask in happiness, thinking that the danger to Isabelle has passed. Sadly, this happiness is short-lived, thanks to the stern High Inquisitor who is apparently serving as judge, jury and executioner. Although everything turns out all right for Isabelle, I do wonder if Lydia will have to face any repercussions for her insubordination. Hopefully, we won’t be left wondering for long.
Valentine Drops His Glamour (And One Helluva Bombshell)
Ever since Clary and Jace found Michael Wayland in a cabinet, I’ve been imagining how this storyline would play out. Therefore, I wasn’t really shocked to learn that “Michael Wayland” was really Valentine in disguise. I was proud, however, that the show didn’t shy away from one of the books’ most controversial storylines—the one concerning Jace and Clary being siblings—and chose instead to embrace it and all of the angst that it’s bound to bring. Considering how intense Clary and Jace’s relationship has become, it was only a matter of time before the writers threw a serious obstacle like this one in their way. Moreover, it is also certain to cause show fans a substantial amount of emotional turmoil as they try to reconcile their love for Clary and Jace’s relationship with this new information. And for Clary and Jace? All viewers have to do is take one look at Jace’s devastated face and Clary’s horrified expression to know that this revelation has effectively turned their world upside down to the point where they might never recover.
Honorable Mention
Luke Tells Simon that Clary and Jace are Brother and Sister (And Simon is Gleeful)
Oh, Simon….you’ll never give up hope, will you? I wasn’t surprised that Luke would be in the Team Climon camp; after all, Simon’s unrequited love for Clary has to strike a chord with Luke. Nevertheless, I wish Luke hadn’t encouraged Simon because, unlike Jocelyn, I don’t think that Clary will ever return Simon’s feelings. Simon and Clary are like Xander and Buffy—BFFs until the end, but nothing more than that.
New episodes of Shadowhunters air on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET/PT on Freeform.