Shadowhunters S01E01 Recap: The Mortal Cup

After a less than stellar big screen adaptation of Cassandra Clare's delightful Mortal Instruments series, its getting a second chance on the small screen over at Freeform, the dumb new name for ABC Family. We're starting over at the beginning with a whole new cast, lets just hope they get more right this time around.

We start with Alex tracking a man, some cheesy building leaping, and the focus shifts to Isabelle watching the same man. He's obviously a demon as he bumps into someone else on the street and changes into him. As Isabelle reaches Jace, the demon shifts to the form of a woman. Our trio of Shadowhunters have hit the screen together. Jace bumps into Clary outside of Pandemonium, and he's surprised to find that she can see him. I'll admit, I don't hate this so far. At the very least, Dominic Sherwood looks the part of Jace.

Eight hours earlier. Clary heads to an interview at the Brooklyn Academy of Art. She presents her artwork to a trio of judges, but they're less than impressed with what she presents them. At Java Jones with Simon she gives him the news, and its good news. She's accepted. They liked her graphic novel ideas much better than her landscape. Simon wants to celebrate after his show. Clary asks the deal with him and Maureen, he's obviously friend zoned pretty hard, but there's no deal. He just sings with her. Simon is oblivious to Maureen's affections, just as Clary is oblivious to his own. Clary is confused over her missing biscotti, which may, or may not have turned into a drawing. It totally went into the paper, but she'll figure it out later.

Luke looks over a crime scene. The victim was completely drained of blood, the seventh. He declines Jocelyn's call. His captain thinks that he should marry Jocelyn, but he can't, they're different.

Clary heads home. Dorethea, (Dot) is looking over some tarot cards. I love Vanessa Matesui in this role, she's always been a great seer, hint hint Lost Girl, she's very different from the book Dorethea, but I'm willing to roll with this one. She already knows that Clary got into the academy, because Simon is already boasting on twitter, not because she has mad tarot card reading skills. Tarot card reading is hard. Dot gives her a nice sweater for her birthday, and she seems a little sad, but sends Clary up to her mom.

Her mom congratulates her on her admission, she too is a Simon twitter follower, and she gifts her with a Steele. Whoa, they're falling more and more off the books. Jocelyn tells her that its a family heirloom, and Clary notices a symbol on it similar to what she doodled that morning. Clary figures that she must have seen it somewhere. Jocelyn wants to have a talk with Clary, but she's gotta run. Birthday plans and all. Clary wears her new shirt, and takes along her Stelle.

Ten years ago. Clary sits next to a stream playing, watching a frog when a monster rises from the water. Jocelyn runs the stelle over her arm and a rune appears turning her invisible. Is this how we're doing the runes, they're not drawn? Whatever. She springs into action, to vanquish the creature. After its followed by a trip to Magnus. Magnus thinks its a bad idea to take Clary's memories, but Jocelyn wants her to forget, she doesn't want her to be a part of that world yet.

Jocelyn looks over Clary's graphic novel sketches, as Luke comes home. It's happening, she's remembering, which they knew would happen eventually. He tells her she needs to tell her and to do it soon, they're both in danger the longer Clary is in the dark. He gives Clary her gift, spray paint, while warning her against painting any city walls. She's planning on using it on Simon's band when she insists on a new name. She's not a big fan of the name Champagne Enema, no one is a fan of that name. Luke notices the steele, and asks about it. Clary doesn't see how turning eighteen is a big deal. Simon plans on taking her out, even though Jocelyn wants them to come home instead. It's not going to happen, but Clary promises to have breakfast with her the next morning.

Clary notes that her mother is being extra over protective lately. Maureen thinks that Clary should turn to her relatives and get some dirt on her mom, but there isn't anyone else. Clary's dad died before she was born, and there is no one else. Maureen finds it odd, that her mother could be hiding some deep dark secret. Clary thinks her mother is incapable of hiding anything from her. She couldn't be more wrong though as her mother opens a hidden compartment at home, and pulls out one heck of a light sword, which I'm guessing is her angel blade.

Isabelle gets ready, white wig in hand, because demons prefer blondes. The shadow hunters have a very high tech looking set up, as Jace goes over the recent demon kills, which look a lot like the normal vampire ones. Isabelle figures that there is something that the demons are looking for in the mundane blood. Jace isn't sure what it is, but is sure that they need to find out who the demons are working for. The trio set out on their unsanctioned mission.

Simon and Maureen perform at Java Jones, for a small crowd. Simon only has eyes for Clary, while Maureen is clearly pining over Simon. After the show, they both thank Clary for her artistry and for being their roady. Clary brings up the band name, but Simon is feeling Rock Solid Panda. Clary goes to repaint the side of the van, and accidentally paints the angelic rune, the second time she's done that today. Jace bumps into her. Time wise, we're back at the start now. Jace tells her that she has the sight, and he wonders how he doesn't know her. Clary thinks its a bad pick up line, and neither Simon nor Maureen saw nothing. They think shes a little crazy, and Clary strips off her sweater, intent on getting some answers.

Isabelle, Alec and Jace follow the demon into the club, where she drops off the mundane blood she had. Clary, Simon and Maureen head into the club with the latter two headed to get some birthday drinks. Magnus warns off some circle members from his club. He uses a small power display to encourage their leaving. Jace disappears behind a curtain, and he sends Isabelle to do some distracting. The demons flock to her. Clary grabs the arm of a muscular demon and heads back behind the curtain. Jace approaches the pretty demon they've been trailing, asking about the mundane blood. She points out to him that he's outnumbered, but Jace likes their odds. He gives the demon one last chance to give him the information he wants, as he pulls out his angelic sword. Clary pushes the “girl” to safety, and Jace does the same to Clary as he kills the attacking demon. Isabelle's silver whip extends into motion. Jace checks on Clary, as he throws his sword aside. It becomes a handle, until Clary wields it. A demon falls onto the blade, vanishing. Isabelle and Alec both continue to cut through the remaining demons. Clary runs in fear, bumping to Magnus on the way through the club. She heads out without so much as a look back, leaving Simon behind as she jumps into a cab. The guys from the circle are watching, and waiting outside.

At home, Clary tells her mother her crazy story. Clary is sure she must have been drugged, but Jocelyn is more concerned over Jace's markings. Using the steele, Jocelyn reveals marks on her arm, asking Clary if that is what they looked like. Clary looks at them in horror. Jocelyn has dreaded having this talk with Clary, but its a must. The protections are wearing off, and Clary needs to know the truth. Clary is having a hard time processing what her mother is saying. Before she can say more, Dot tells Jocelyn that she's been found. She tells Clary that she cannot be near her, she angered a very powerful man by hiding something from him, and that the only police man she should contact is Luke. She places a necklace around Clary's neck, telling her to think of her. Clary wants answers, but Jocelyn speaks in riddles. She tells Clary that she is more powerful than she knows. Dot gives Jocelyn a glowy bottle, in case she needs it, and then opens a portal. The men outside prepare to take Jocelyn alive. Jocelyn tells her daughter that everything she's done is because she loves her more than words can express, that Luke can hide her and explain everything to her. She asks her where Luke is, and Clary answers her, as she pushes her into the portal and poof, she's at the police station.

Luke is in an interrogation the Captain tells Clary. Clary is a little out of it, but the Captain buys her guy trouble muttering.

The circle members enter the shop below the Fray home. Dot sits in hiding, waiting for them. She runs up the stairs as the men begin grabbing antiques. One of them pushes her out of a high window, and she falls to the street dead. Jocelyn sets fire to Clary's things, vowing to keep her safe. She pulls out her sword and prepares to meet her attackers head on. They want the mortal cup, but she's not handing it over. Jocelyn refuses to let Valentine create an army. She drinks down the glowy bottle, and falls to the ground.

A couple sit with Luke, telling him that he can have Clary and Jocelyn so long as he just hand over the mortal cup. Luke doesn't want the pair, he's been after the mortal cup the entire time he tells them. Clary overhears the entire exchange, which sends Clary out into the rain, after he mother.

At Chernobyl, Valentine is conducting some experiments. His henchmen return with Jocelyn, floating in the air, like some odd sleeping beauty. He's sorry that things ended up this way. He wanted Jocelyn unharmed. His minions tell him that Jocelyn was in league with some downworlders, that she's under the protection of a warlock, living among the mundanes. One calls her a coward. Valentine points out that she hide from them for eighteen years, that takes courage. Valentine doesn't appreciate his words or tone, and he kills him.

Clary returns home to find it in ruins. She cries out for her mother. She finds a fallen axe, and grabs it as she heads upstairs. Dot is there, and the ax falls to the grounds. Dot tells her that rogue shadowhunters took her, that they were looking for the mortal cup. Dot asks her if she knows where it is, describes it to her, but Clary doesn't know anything about a cup. Dot thinks Clary knows more than she's saying, and goes to attack her. Clary stabs her with her Steele. Dot begins to fully transform, luckily Jace is there, and he kills her. Clary has been injured by the demon though, and her vision goes blurry, as Jace looks over her. She collapses in his arms.

Clary dreams over her mother, and her necklace glows. Valentine is trying to draw Jocelyn out of her coma. Clary wakes up to find Isabelle watching over her. Isabelle thinks Clary is a distraction, but finds it interesting how interested Jace is in her, thinking she's just a mundane. Alec doesn't think that Clary should be there, as a mundane, but Jace knows she isn't a mundane. Alec wants to make a report, but Jace isn't hearing any of it. Isabelle escorts Alec out. Alec is in a tizzy, but Isabelle thinks that Clary is a good thing. Jace is finally interested in someone other than himself. Alec tries to make it about duty.

Jace looks over Clary's wound, its already healed. Clary finds it all unbelievable, but Jace takes not credit, and doesn't want to be confused with a warlock. None of anything is making sense as he mentions warlocks, vampires, downworlders. Jace simplifies it. He's a shadowhunter, and they kill demons to protection humanity. Clary isn't interested in becoming a member of their supernatural fight club, she just wants to find her mother. She begs him to help her, and he thinks he may be her best option. Simon calls her, she's been unreachable for two days, and now her phone is showing that she's in an abandoned church. He's outside he tells her, and she's revealed. Clary tells him that she needs to dress, and Simon worries that she has a drug problem, which would explain her needing to get dressed in an abandoned church. Jace points to some revealing clothes Isabelle left her, and Clary notices the new tattoo she's sporting. It's not a tattoo, but a rune, that was used to save her life. Runes hold powers. Good for shadowhunters, lethal for mundanes. Looking at her sketchbook, he at first thinks she knows something about them, but then realizes she knows nothing, which makes her all the more interesting. Jace heads out with her, as he explains that he uses a rune that allows him to be invisible. Simon thinks she's talking to herself again, while scantly dressed. A man calls out to Clary, and Jace grabs him. The pair tussle, but only Clary can see it. Jace kills him, and Simon can see the body at Clary's feet. She asks him to deglamor, so Simon won't think she's losing her mind. Jace appears before them, and Simon wonders if he's losing his mind too. Simon thinks that they should go to the police, but Clary knows that they can't go to Luke. Both Simon and Jace beg her to let them protect her, but its clear Simon is in over his head.

Valentine still doesn't have the mortal cup, and he's not exactly happy about it. Is it too much to get a Valentine close to the source material, I mean, at least blonde? His men searched, but couldn't find it in the loft. Valentine knows that just because they didn't find it, doesn't mean its not there. The man tells him that the daughter may know where it is. Valentine is surprised to hear about a daughter, and he wants to talk to her.

And that's it for the pilot. As far as pilots go, Shadowhunters isn't a horrible one. There were more than a few changes that seemed unnecessary, and hearing of the lack of author involvement (even though the author wanted to be involved) is never a good thing. Faithful adaptation, not completely, but not all is lost either. The pilot was a little on the slow side, but all in all, its a good start to the series. What do you guys think? Will you stick around?