Shadowhunters Season 3 Episode 7 -- Salt In The Wound -- Review
Welcome to another Shadowhunters review. Here I go with another torture session. And when I say torture, I mean torture from sheer boredom. How does a show about a group of stronger than average humans fighting the forces of evil manage to be so bland and dull? Don't ask me. Ask the writers. They're the ones writing this show. But anyways, this week we have Season 3 Episode 7, Salt In The Wound.
So some weeks back, I made a post about my thoughts and opinions on the Dom Controversy and I got a lot of new followers because of that. Apparently, some of you think I'm really wise and mature for saying the things I said in that post. And whereas I'm honored that you're showing an interest in me, I would like to preface this review with saying that I am NOT a huge supporter of this show. I do enjoy certain elements of it but I'm not what would be classified as a devoted fan. For me, Shadowhunters is not a good show and I do get very critical of the show in my reviews. Honestly, for me, I watch the show because 1) I'm too curious not to and 2) I find that this show can be so bad its funny and that's how I reap enjoyment out of it. I am not at all invested in this show or its characters anymore. If you're a die hard fan and you lash out at everyone who has a different opinion than you, you might want to skip these. I'm just saying. My reviews may not be for you. If you do decide to be a total troll, well then pay attention to the below disclaimer.
This is going to be an honest review of my thoughts and feelings regarding this episode. If you're the kind of Shadowhunters fan where you only want to hear positive things about the show, this is not the place for you. If you decide to stick around and get offended by what is said, then that's on you. I warned you. Just know that if you send me any rude comments or messages, I will 100% ignore you. I find that's the best way to deal with bullies. I work 14 hour days. Do you really think I want to waste my incredibly valuable free time dealing with derogatory comments? Hell no. This review will consist of my honest opinions. Opinions are never right or wrong. I'm not telling YOU how to think and feel. I'm telling you what I, quirky and socially awkward me, think and feel. So please, lets discuss with dignity and respect. If I'm critical about this show, it's only because I want it to get better. There is, in fact, a difference between hating a show and being critical of it. I do not hate Shadowhunters, I am being critical and analyzing the flaws as I would with any other show. There are positives but there are also negatives. It's great if you want to promote positivity with this show (and I encourage you to do so) but that doesn't mean I'm not going to point out the things that are legitimately wrong with it. Also, keep in mind that despite the fact that I do like the books, me being critical of this show has nothing to do with my fondness for the books. I don't really care if the show deviates from the source material as long as the changes are good, it makes sense, and it doesn't create plot holes within the confines of the world the show has created. My problems with this show are problems I would have with any show or book for that matter. I think it's perfectly reasonable to take issue with a show that has plot holes, shoddy world building, and inconsistent characters. There will be spoilers for the books and movie.
You know, for an episode that essentially has plotlines reaching its culmination point, you would expect it to be more interesting than it actually was. Basically, this show has the same problem it always does. It over-simplifies things and it takes the easy way out. I was bored with this episode because there was literally nothing interesting going on. The episode's entire main plot was completely unsurprising. And it's not because I have knowledge of the books. It's because I have knowledge of basic fantasy tropes and this episode progressed in a way I would expect any fantasy book or show to progress with these kinds of issues and it was boring to watch. And whereas I don't mind if the show does get tropey, I do want the show to have complex and dynamic characters so I won't mind when I see these tropes being used and that, unfortunately, did not happen in this episode.
The A-Plot Boring and It Needs to Hurry Up and Get to the Point
Problably my biggest gripe with Season 3 right now is just how boring the A plot is. I honestly don't know how many more times I can say it. Probably until this plot ends but that's beside the point. Lillith is boring. Owl Jace is boring.
Owl Jace is an example of the show over-simplifying something and taking the easy way out. What's interesting about Jace in the second half of the book series is just how "Jace" he is but yet how unlike Jace he also is. He feels like Jace but there's also something a little off. He loves and cares for the same people he always has but then there's this disconcerting edge to him that makes you feel like you're prey to him. Then we got Owl Jace here who's basically a mindless zombie that does anything and everything Lillith tells him to. Put these two characters side-by-side and I'll tell you which one I'd prefer to see. I can’t even fathom a guess why it was decided to write Owl Jace like this. It’s so dull but then again most of the show is dull so maybe this really falls more on the producers of this show than the writers, themselves. I wish the show could learn that you don't have to go all the way left or all the way right. The audience can handle characters who live in shades of grey. Or at least I like to think they can. Some of the things this fandom does really makes me question whether or not they can handle a shades of grey situation. I mean, the childish fandom wars that start whenever Malec gets into a conflict leads me to believe maybe not. But I'm going to stay optimistic and believe that the majority of the fandom is more complex than the small group of die-hard trolls that so permeate this fandom lead me to believe.
The episode opens up with Owl Jace and Clary fighting and I really liked this fight scene. For one thing, there was a noticeable lack of bad techno music in the background and that's always a plus. #end the shadowhunters fight scene techno music please -- I know I’m terrible at creating hashtags but whatever. I really liked that there was essentially no music in the background. This scene was quite brutal and jarring and the lack of music really lended to that feeling. It was supposed to be brutal and jarring. Also, it was a very nicely choreographed fight sequence. Wasn't too short, wasn't too long. It got to the point. And it results in Owl Jace throwing Clary off the building.
Then the opening theme song starts and the show becomes jarring in a bad way again. We just had a high tempo scene then we move onto a very slow song with slow moving images? My greatest hope for 3B is that they will change the theme song or at least re-mix into something with a faster rhythm. It really kills the mood of the beginning of the episode.
Clary calls Simon for help and I'm not entirely sure why she would call Simon for something like this. First off, she supposedly couldn't move so how did she get her phone? Secondly, if she could get to her phone, why wouldn't she call someone like Izzy or Alec who could actually legitimately give her shadowhunter medical care upon arrival? Simon had to probably carry her to the Institute where she could've died while in transit. I'm not a doctor but I have been in the military and my military job was within the medical profession. I have basic medical know-how skills. And one of those things is you don't move someone who has gone through that kind of trauma unless you absolutely have to. You wait there for actual medical help and treat the patient with general treatments i.e. cover them up with a blanket for shock to keep them warm, put pressure on any open wounds because you want to try to keep as much of that red stuff on the inside as possible. By Simon moving Clary, he could've killed her instantly. For all we know, those pressure dents on the car could very well have been the only thing that was keeping her body together. So yeah, that's a general tip to anyone out there who may come across someone in a bad car accident or some other sort of physical trauma -- never move the patient unless you absolutely have to i.e. if you're in a dangerous situation like there's a shootout happening or you're in the middle of the road, that sort of thing. But it's also weird that she crashed into a car to begin with because we've seen on this show that shadowhunters have the ability to jump up great heights (as seen in the pilot) and jump from great heights (as seen in Season 2 Episode 5, Dust and Shadows), I suppose I can go with maybe Clary didn't have that particular rune or she was too caught off guard to do it. But whatever.
Clary makes it back and comes clean to everyone about what happened. And I really liked the moment when Alec hugs Clary and tells her he would've done the same thing. So yeah, Jace's fears about Alec knowing were completely unfounded like we all knew they were so it's really dumb the show made a big deal out of it. Also, what’s the time table between Clary attacking Owl Jace and this scene? Because if its only about an hour or so, wasn’t Alec drunk when he left the bar? He certainly recovered real quick. But while Magnus tries to find a cure for Jace's anti-love potion, Clary and company head over to Idris to get a weapon that can supposedly trap Jace known as the Malachi Configuration. They speak with Imogen about what happened, she gets them access to the weapons and they head off. But while they're heading off, Jace shows up at Imogen's place because he needs access to Valentine's grave, I guess. Apparently, it's very heavily guarded. But Imogen knows that Jace is not himself and attempts to defend herself but instead Jace kills her. Honestly, this was a whatever moment. I saw it coming as soon as the scene started. I didn't have any particularly strong feelings towards Imogen as a character. She was a pretty crappy leader to begin with. I mean, she did name Jace head of the NYC Institute based solely on him being her grandson, after all. Not a great leadership decision and I think we can all agree Jace is a horrible leader. But in Imogen's dying breath, she tells Clary and company that Jace is headed to the grave. They're able to very easily trap him but then some guards show up. And I have to say these guards are pretty damn bad at their job. I'm not entirely certain why Valentine has a grave to begin with, why there's a cemetery in Idris to begin with but whatever. I'm not going to dwell on it. Maybe it’s a cemetery that exists primarily for traitors. Who knows? This show explain world building inconsistencies?...not in this lifetime. But Clary tells them she's going to distract the guards and sends them through a portal and I'm pretty sure this isn't how portals work but whatever. Again, this is what happens when you don’t do proper world-building.
Also, it was kind of unnecessary for Clary to stay behind when she could've just jumped into the portal, too. But I have my own head canon on this. My head canon is that Clary feels a lot of guilt for what's happening, as she should. Technically speaking, everyone who has been possessed, everyone who has died, this all falls back on Clary's decision to use the wish and hiding that she used the wish. Everything that's happening is because of her and she not only wants to buy time for her friends to fix Jace (because we know they will) but also because by giving herself up to the Clave, she wants to find a sort of atonement, redemption if you will. She believes that she deserves to be punished for this and I am all for this kind of theme for Clary's character arc. Clary has done some very questionable things, frequently, and has faced very little consequences for them which aggravates me to no end. It just adds even more to the Mary Sue archetype she falls under. So I like the idea that she is finally holding herself accountable for her actions. I just hope this isn't going to be a character trait that disappears once consequences isn't a relevant theme in the show's plot. I totally get and understand that Izzy and Alec would have done the same thing she had but at the same time it also kind of feels like the show is sending this message that because you did the wrong thing for the right reasons it makes that wrong thing right. And that is something I don't want to see. Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons is still doing a bad thing and whereas your heart may have been in the right place, you still need to accept those consequences and hold yourself accountable for your actions. It should come as no surprise but I love the show Supernatural. It's pretty much my favorite show and whereas the characters consistently fall into this trope of doing the wrong things for the right reasons, it works because the characters always accept the consequences that stem from those decisions and that's what I want to see more of from Shadowhunters.
I guess I should talk about Lillith too. But I really don't want to. Talk about boring. But let's talk about this. What exactly is she doing with these humans? I'm very confused on what's going on with these humans. Are they possessed or is the point that their blood is being tainted? Because on one point, it appears that their blood is being tainted which would make sense in resurrecting Jonathon because demon blood is what tainted him. But it also feels like these humans are being possessed and don't have any control of their actions. I'm just very confused about what Lillith's master plan is here. The show needs to make a decision on their big bad’s end game.
And Ollie Watch: Unfortunately, she's still not dead. Damnit. I want her to die so badly. I do not care about this girl. And it's not because I'm not progressive. Ollie and Sam as characters aren't interesting and they eat up screen time that could be put to better use. Get rid of them. They're not adding anything to the story. Sorry guys, I guess I'm just not "woke" enough to care about characters who don't do anything for the narrative.
Jordan and Maia Love Story Revealed...And Flashbacks That Don't Suck
We got the Jordan and Maia love story this episode which was alright. I gotta say I was not looking forward to this show tackling this particular plot point. Shadowhunters is really bad at dealing with the hot button issues and I just didn't have any faith they were going to handle domestic violence all that well.
And they did alright. It could've been much worse. The flashbacks were nice. At least they didn’t hire different actors to play characters who are only a few years younger than their present iterations. I'm sure you all remember 16-year-old Alec and Izzy who were completely different ethnicities than their current iterations.
But once again, my problem lies with the show oversimplifying issues. And that being just how quickly the relationship turned abusive and then how quickly Maia left the relationship. I didn’t quite like the insinuation that if you don't leave an abusive relationship, you're not a strong woman like Maia. There are plenty of strong women who stay in abusive relationships for a variety of reasons and I feel like the show just oversimplified this kind of angle and really missed an opportunity to send a really strong message to those individuals who might be in this kind of situation.
But I did like the flashbacks. The ending scene in the present with Maia and Jordan...not so much. The dialogue was really cheesy and hurt my soul.
Malec Drama...Resolved?
I hope not but hey...at least Magnus apologized for their conflict. But I really hope this isn't the end of the conflict because apologizing for the fight and brushing it under the rug is not a healthy way to deal with relationship woes. Yes, you can sweep the dirt under the rug but it doesn't change the fact that the dirt is still there polluting the foundation. These two need to have a grown-up talk about these issues. Alec needs to believe that his relationship with Magnus is going to head somewhere and Magnus needs to hear Alec's concerns and think about the kind of relationship he wants with Alec. Immortality is not something that can be brushed under the rug and I sure hope the show doesn't try to do that.
But that's Season 3 Episode 7, Salt In The Wound, for you. It was pretty boring for the most part. Nothing this episode did surprised me in the slightest. Anyone who has a basic knowledge of fantasy story-telling could probably have figured out what was going to happen in this episode. This show, as always, has subtlety problems, shades of grey problems, over simplifying yada yada. I'm like a broken record, I know. I guess I'm just going to keep saying these things until the show actually fixes these issues or the show gets cancelled. I'm guessing the second option is more likely to happen than the first. I'd probably give this episode a C+ I guess. It really wasn't that great but the plot did slow down so I will give the show that. Also, as always the dialogue is bland and uninspiring. I didn't really talk about it much this review but just know the dialogue is still a problem. If the writers could scrounge up some decent dialogue, I could potentially not care as much about the issues with the plot.
Well, that's all I got for you guys. As always, I'm open for discussion. I only ask that you respect everyone's opinions. Don't be a troll. Nobody likes trolls. This is a troll-free zone. All trolls will be punished by my general bitchiness.
Shadowhunters Season 3A is apparently going to have a two-hour season finale...well, sort of. They say it's a 2 hour finale but really, they're just airing episodes 9 and 10 back to back. That's not a two hour finale. That's just premiering two episodes one after the other. An actual two hour finale would be episode 10 legitimately being 84 minutes long.
But anyways, semantics aside, I have no idea how I'll be able to sit through this ordeal. I can barely manage to focus on one episode of this show for a full 42 minutes. I don't know how I'm going to be able sit through 84 minutes at once. I'm no stranger to bingeing but this is not a show I can binge. It's just not interesting enough. Hopefully these final 2 episodes will be structured in a slightly more interesting way than these previous episodes have been. Lord help me but I know I'm going to have to watch these episodes as they air in order to not get spoiled. Also, the fact that Freeform is deciding to air two episodes back to back makes me feel like this show is in danger of being cancelled.
