Speculations on Shadowhunters 3B – The Perils Of Guilt
With less than a month to go before the return of Shadowhunters, we thought we’d get involved in the fandom-press working to promote the show. The spell-binding two-hour Spring finale beautifully set-up future storylines and left just the right amount of cliff-hangers to keep our interests peaked, hearts aching and minds questioning. As with any hiatus and this show, the conspiracists have emerged from the woodwork and predictions run wild. Here at TalkNerdyWithUs, we don’t want to miss a single moment so we’ve made a few speculations of our own regarding the role guilt will play.
The Perils of Guilt
As usual in the Shadowhunters universe, heart-wrenching sacrifices were made as our group of heroes fought a greater evil – possibly the biggest yet. The finale saw Magnus give up his magic, Alec on the brink of death, Jace returned from Lilith’s influence, and Simon believing he killed Clary.
The course of guilt never runs smooth – Upon his return from Edom, Magnus found a possessed Jace trying to drive an arrow into Alec’s heart. Magnus used his magic to do as originally intended: save Jace from Lilith’s control, but this would be his final spell as relinquishing his powers was the price he had to pay. Now magicless Magnus went to his lover, bleeding out and in severe pain, and could do nothing more than hold his hand and hope it wouldn’t be the end. The one moment Alec needed him and his magic the most was the one moment he couldn’t offer it, leaving him a useless bystander. We have a feeling that inadequacy may weigh on Magnus’ conscience, and we’re interested to see how his guilt manifests with his powerlessness.
In 3B, we expect to see Magnus try and fail to adjust to his new circumstances. Whilst he could always die by a cruel hand before — time would play no part in his demise — we’ve heard whispered rumors that it’s not only his magic that has been taken… but his immortality too. The aftershocks of his new reality are also likely to hit his boyfriend (aka the reason Magnus did any of this), Alec, and the man Magnus gave his magic up to save, Jace. Both will feel responsible and saddened by Magnus’ newfound state and its unfortunate finality (his surrendered magic isn’t something they can steal back). This may trigger the question a possessed Jace asked in the 3A episode, “A Heart of Darkness” – who would Alec Lightwood pick? In the finale, Magnus made the choice for him, and over the past three seasons, he’s lost virtually everything for Alec. It will be interesting going into the second half of the season to see how both sides of “Malec” come to terms with this dynamic.
Undoubtedly, Jace is one character having the most visible struggle of late, and we don’t think this will let up as 3B gets underway. With many of his friends essentially giving up their lives for him, and the tortured memories of Lilith’s influence and what he did as the Owl, Jace’s already PTSD riddled-mind might be triggered again.
As for Simon, the guilt of Clary’s death seems to fall on him as he believes it was his Mark of Cain explosion that triggered Clary’s demise. The final two episodes of 3A were particularly heart-breaking for Simon, a young boy who loved his best friend so much he would follow her to the ends of the earth.
Perhaps 3B will give us further insight into the bonds of friendship and the lengths we’re willing to go for those we love, but if the title of 3×11 is any hint it’s not going to be easy – “Lost Souls” indeed.
We’ve also covered the (too) long-awaited trailer for 3B. Stay tuned for more predictions as we near the release of Shadowhunters 3B, airing on Freeform February 25th and worldwide on Netflix on February 26th. And we’ll have more Shadowhunters content once the final season is underway….
Who do you see as suffering the most guilt from the outcome of 3A and how will that impact the character’s storyline? Let us know in the comments below!
SAVE. THE. DATE. The final episodes of #Shadowhunters begin Monday, February 25th on @FreeformTV. #ShadowhuntersLegacy pic.twitter.com/AP9bWQSMtW
— Shadowhunters (@ShadowhuntersTV) November 3, 2018