The Shadowhunter world is powerful. Not because of magic, steles, demons, or potions but of the emotions tied to every single character. Cassandra Clare wielded such heartening characters in her books that bringing the world to the big and little screen seemed almost too much. When the movie came out, it didn’t live up to the hype of many dedicated fans. Now with the show having gone through its 1st season (and the 2nd season on the horizon) the question is the same: can the producers of the show keep Clare’s world in tact and please everyone? That is a resounding no.
When the news first broke that The Mortal Instrument books series would be turned into a television show I was optimistic. The feature film had a lot of buildup and hype. Unfortunately it did not live up to the majority’s expectations and fell flat when it was released. I enjoyed it from a movie and entertainment viewpoint but when comparing it to the book it left something to be desired and changed too much of the story. With the show being created, I hoped that it would learn from the mistakes of the movie. In some aspects the show did get right what the movie got wrong. But on the other hand, the movie got right what the show got wrong.
When the news broke which actors were playing the main characters - Jace, Clary, Alec, and Isabelle - I was skeptical from the start even after being optimistic. Watching a few episodes, I changed my mind on 2 of them - Jace and Alec. Both actors play the characters very well and really embody the traits of each character to a T. Clary and Isabelle I feel missed the mark.
At first the actress who plays Clary - Kate McNamara - seemed too flighty and did not carry enough strong confidence as an actress to give Clary the proper portrayal that Cassandra Clare did in her book. In the book, Clary is strong-willed and doesn’t embody the “damsel in distress” characteristic. The TV version of Clary acts like the entitled generation that she is from where everything comes easy and when things get a little tough, she falls into the “oh i’m a woman i need a man to help me.” She seems very flighty, too flighty for the version of Clary that Clare had created. The funny part is that Clare has been a part of the show and writing and character development since the beginning of its creation. So my question is why would she be OK with this version of Clary when she created such a strong, well-minded character that every young girl could look up to? Kate McNamara feels like she is trying too hard and can’t find the balance between strong and unsure.
Having read the books, watched the movie, and now enjoyed the show it is hard to like anything but the books. If you take the show just by itself not having read the books it is a great show. The creators established a different shadowhunter world than the City of Bones. Taken by itself it is still a great story but this reviewer loves the books and like so many other fans cannot stand the way they have changed the story. With that being said, I do believe the story had to change for the small screen. The Mortal Instruments world needed to get a little more flashy - a little more Magnus Bane-y - for people to like it. The books were of a darker world, like the movies and in order to keep people coming back for more they needed to get more light, more flare into the television series and they did.
I kept coming back every week (mainly to see if they would change it back to the main story). The story line still grabs me no matter how far from the book it goes. Some actors keep me pulled in week after week (and in January when the 2nd season starts). Those actors play Alec and Magnus. Matthew Daddario (Alec) is incredible to watch. His acting range was more evident towards the later episodes when he was divided on this feelings for Magnus. Matthew showed the world his acting skills. A part of me keeps imagining him with blonder hair and he could have been a good Jace.
Despite my lack of approval for the casting of some of the characters, the show does bring a fantasy world to life that entices you to come back week after week. I hope that in the 2nd season the creators and writers try to go back to the book storyline now that they have laid the foundation of the shadowhunter world. One can only hope that the shadowhunter world won’t get lost in the Hollywood lights and lose the magic.
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