The Institute is in upheaval after Jace departs with Valentine. Clary, Alec and Isabelle are desperate to find Jace. Jocelyn has a lot to catch up on, now that she’s awake.

This Guilty Blood:

Warning: This will contain spoilers from season 1.

Last year I started reviewing each episode of Shadowhunters week to week. It was something that I enjoyed as it let me really think about the show. So I have decided to do it again. There are going to be over 20 episodes this season, so it’s going to be some hard work, but I cannot wait. I hope to get each review up, every Wednesday.

New Season, Some Changes

I didn’t know what to expect with this new season. Season 1 was okay, there was a lot of problems, but overall I still enjoyed. And then there was a shift in direction for the show. There are new showrunners, new directors and new things all round. However, Iquitet enjoyed episode 1 of season 2.

This Guilty Blood starts off where season 1 ended. With Jace (Dominic Sherwood) leaving with Valentine ( Alan Van Sprang) and the Institute on High Alert. I really enjoyed jumping straight into it. Normally when a new season starts, it has been a couple of months and we are ‘recapped’ on what has happened.

I felt there was an improvement in the way the camera moved and CGI. I liked the way the weapons have changed and they no longer look like lightsabers. They look more like swords.

This Guilty Blood sets the stage from what I expect for the first half of season 2 – the chase for Jace. With Jace off with Valentine, the Institute in on high alert. They not only need to find Jace, but Valentine who is also in possession of the Mortal Cup. But, not everyone is who they seem and not everyone wants Jace to come out alive.

New Leadership

With the fall of leadership at the New York Institute, the Clave has sent in someone new. Victor Aldertree (Nick Sagar) in This Guilty Blood. We hear his name briefly in City of Glass, but his never mentioned again. The writers have taken him and melded him to a Clave Soldier.

Victor Aldertree, is, like my little sister put it a ‘bum head.’ He has this demeanour about him that rubs me the wrong way. He was walked in like he owns the place and even Maryse Lightwood (Nicola Correia-Damude) is somewhat on high alert. Victor not only ‘request’ that all Downworlders leave, but puts the institute on lockdown.

Clary (Katherine McNamara), Isabelle Lightwood (Emeraude Toubia) and Alec Lightwood (Matthew Daddario) don’t take this kindly and they all want their brother back.

Standout

One of the standout scenes from This Guilty Blood would have to be when Simon (Alberto Rosende) is in the Jade with and there is a little disagreement with Luke’s (Isaiah Mustafa) wolves. It was this classic Simon scene and it put a smile on my face.

There is also a scene with Simon and Clary, where they reminisce on how much their lives have changed. How they have gone from being normal teenagers to drinking blood and killing demons. They scene now only showed the friendship between Simon and Clary that we love from the books, but also Simons feelings bubbling to the surface.

Tension

Jace and Valentine. Alec and Magnus (Harry Shum Jr. ) Clary and Jocelyn (Maxim Roy). It’s building and building and then it’s going to explode.

I don’t really love the tension between Alec and Magnus so soon after they have gotten together, but I totally understand the reasoning behind it. Jace is trying to show his worth to Valentine, while being conflicted with his inner thoughts. I loved the tension between Clary and Jocelyn. It was perfect. So much so, that I disliked Jocelyn as much as I did in the books.

Not only is there tension between these pairs, but with Jace’s disappearance everyone is on high alert. Most of this season should be dealing with Jace joining the dark side and this tension will add to everything. And layer upon layer it’s going to create a bang.

In The Mortal Instruments there is a lot of character driven scenes as well as being focus on their wellbeing and relationships with others. I hope they keep this tension up and show the ‘human’ problems that people from this world can have.

Dialogue

As much as I did enjoy this episode, I still feel that the dialogue needs some work. Although it was better than season 1.

The dialogue isn’t lose enough, it still feels forces and sometimes out of place, it’s like they are reading from a script at times. But, I don’t think it’s the acting. The dialogue is just jarring and knocks me back a little. Hopefully this will get better as the season goes on.

Overall

I really enjoyed this episode. I have loved the changes from season 1 and I cannot wait to see what season 2 brings us. I am really for tension, heartbreak and banter.

Have you watched Episode 1 yet? Did you enjoyed it as much as me? What are you looking forward to most from season 2? Lets’s Chat!