In this episode of Shadowhunters, “Parabatai Lost,” Magnus and Izzy race against the clock to save Alec because the ritual he took part in to find and help Jace went terribly wrong. Meanwhile, Jace runs for his life, and plenty of people are on the lookout for him — from those who want to help him to those who want to see him dead.
Shadowhunters Season 2 Premiere Recap: Whose Side is Jace On? >>>
Alec’s Memories
Alec is somehow trapped in his mind or something since the magic used to help him track Jace through their parabatai bond went wrong, and Magnus’ magic is the only thing keeping him alive. And in this episode of Shadowhunters, we get a glimpse into Alec’s past while he’s “stuck.”
Early on, there’s a scene showing what appears to be the first time Alec and Jace meet. Alec is training when Jace walks in, and Jace shows off a little while giving his new friend a lesson in confidence. In the real world, Izzy frets over whether Alec being stuck like that means that Jace is the same way somewhere else, but Magnus doesn’t seem to think so. It’s only Alec who has a part of his soul “stuck” somewhere between himself and his parabatai.
In another memory, we witness the bond that Jace and Alec forged as children and proof that they were a great team even then. They even discuss how their teamwork may lead to them becoming parabatai and becoming brothers once and for all. But even then, Alec seems a little unsure of the possibility. Why?
Another memory later on in the episode happens after Magnus has tried just about everything to draw Alec back, then kisses him to see if that works. It doesn’t, sadly, but it is immediately followed by a memory in which a younger Izzy and Alec are discussing his chance to get a parabatai bond with Jace.
Alec says it doesn’t feel right, and Izzy questions why he would want to call such an amazing opportunity off. She quickly realizes that it’s because Alec has feelings for Jace and warns him not to throw away a chance he might never have again to have such a rare bond because of those feelings. She reassures him that someday, someone will love him, heart and soul, exactly for who he is. Could that someone be Magnus?
Simon’s Worries
In the present, Clary walks into the Institute, dripping wet and looking to speak with Izzy. Her mother and Aldertree both want to speak with her, but she’s determined to speak with Izzy — only to hear that the girl is with her brother, who’s in a bad way.
Elsewhere, Simon gets worried listening to multiple voicemails from his mother, who still doesn’t know the truth about what happened to him. He finally calls back, leaving a message for her telling her not to worry, that he’s been on tour and he’ll stop by to see her.
But before he can leave, Raphael shows up and warns him that he needs to find Camille instead. He also reveals that Simon is the only one of the vampires left that Camille sired who hasn’t gone to the “other” side of the war that’s sure to erupt in their world. He also taunts Simon with the knowledge that one day his mom will die and he’ll eventually forget all about her, but Simon won’t hear of it, determined that that won’t happen with him.
After getting away from Raphael, Simon manages to get home, only to find a (clearly) recently used vodka bottle in her mother’s bedroom and the house empty. As his mother is apparently an alcoholic, he’s very worried and calls Clary for help. Though she kind of has a lot on her plate, she agrees to help her friend find his mother, instructing Simon to bring something of his mother’s to track her.
When they meet up, Clary convinces Simon that he needs to tell his mom the truth about what’s going on, stating that she’s sure she will accept her son in the end. And though at first she’s unable to track Simon’s mother, recalling memories of her helps and they finally find her sitting alone in a restaurant.
Simon goes in alone, and his mother is of course thrilled to see him. But Raphael got to her first, claiming to be his band manager who explained that they’d been on tour. This means Simon doesn’t have to tell her his secret, and he backs out. When she steps away, it’s clear that Simon is furious with Raphael, but the other vampire uses the moment to threaten Simon’s mother and remind him that Camille is still free and on a killing spree.
When she comes back, Simon’s mom invites Raphael to dinner at their place, and Simon seems to realize that his mother won’t be safe as long as he’s in contact with her and she, in turn, is connected to his new world. When they get home, he tells her he wants to move home, he just has to go get some stuff and it’s unclear what he really intends to do about the situation. Poor guy has a lot to think about.
Jace on the Run
Jace wakes up face down on the shore of the river early on in this Shadowhunters episode, quickly realizing he doesn’t have his stele and there’s a dead body nearby. It’s Gretel, the werewolf, and not Clary, and he’s quickly spotted by a passing woman who freaks out and yells that someone should call 911. He runs, but when Luke and Alaric investigate the scene later, there’s a sketch of him that shows he was clearly identified and is now wanted in connection to the dead body. Luckily, Luke can make it so the pack handles the whole thing, but it doesn’t make Jace’s life any easier.
Though Clary is questioned by Aldertree about what she and Jace went through, she lies about it, claiming to remember nothing. Izzy and Clary are determined to find him to save Alec, but they’re also concerned about Jace being wanted by the Clave, so they make their own plans to try to find him on their own.
Elsewhere, Jace wanders into a bar that conveniently has a werewolf as a bartender and asks to use their phone. She allows him to, and he calls Izzy, conversing quickly with her and Clary about where he is and learning about Alec’s condition. They agree to meet at Magnus’ loft, but when he hangs up, the bartender, Maia, and another werewolf nearby, Taito, don’t exactly make it easy for him to leave.
Quiz: Which TV Bad Boy Would You Date? >>>
Still Running
The werewolves want Jace’s help in finding Taito’s goddaughter, who was taken by the Circle, but Taito soon reveals that it was in fact Jace who kidnapped her. The wolves are angry, and Jace gets into a major fight in the bar that he only narrowly manages to escape. Later, Luke comes to the bar and, as Maia and Taito’s pack leader, promises that if it’s revealed that Jace had anything to do with Gretel’s death, under their “blood for blood” rule, he’ll kill the shadowhunter himself.
Eventually, Maia chases after Jace again, but he runs into a populated street and bystanders call him an ambulance. This lands him in the hospital. where the doctors have no interest in listening to him ramble about his dying brother. However, Luke and Maia track him down there, and just as the doctors are questioning Jace’s strange blood results, he runs again.
Jace is found in the hallways by a doctor who’s angry with him for trying to leave, and as they’re talking, Maia tracks him down. She transforms behind the doctor, and Jace tells her to leave the mundane alone, then runs from her yet again. Luckily, Jocelyn, desperate to make amends for her role in the situation, finds him and is able to keep the werewolf out while she tells him she’s there to help.
Though Jocelyn tries to reason with Jace and apologize to him, he’s having none of it, and he quickly runs from her too. But soon enough, he’s found again, and it looks like he’s not able to run anymore when Clary, Luke, the other wolves and Izzy show up for the showdown.
Can Alec Be Saved?
Despite everything Magnus has done, he’s unable to save Alec at the Institute, and Aldertree won’t let him be transferred to Idris, where he can draw on different magic to save the shadowhunter. Once Aldertree reveals that they think he killed Gretel and is now on the run from the werewolves as well, the situation is even more dire. And Izzy makes a deal with Aldertree: give her a portal to get to him before the pack does, and she’ll turn Jace over to the Clave once she finds him.
Later, Izzy explains the deal to Clary on the phone, and after leaving Simon with his mom at the restaurant, she’s free to try to get to Jace first. In the end, Jace is tracked down once more by Maia and some other wolves, but Clary and Luke show up and Luke tells them to stand down.
Clary confirms that it wasn’t Jace that killed Gretel but rather Valentine, but the wolves still won’t totally back off until Izzy shows up and sort of lassos one of them before they can attack Jace. Finally, Maia and the wolves submit to Luke’s command, and Jace thanks Izzy, only for her to reply that he shouldn’t do so yet. Uh oh.
The Parabatai Bond
At the loft, Alec is still clearly slipping away, and Magnus’ magic still isn’t pulling him back. Clary and Izzy watch when Jace walks in, and Magnus gives him the stone that started the entire tracking ritual. And he steps back and witnesses Jace try to bring his parabatai back from the edge.
Jace grabs Alec’s hand, and in a memory we see their parabatai ceremony. They recite an oath to one another, which Jace repeats while begging Alec to come back. But it doesn’t seem to work at first, and at one point, it even seems like Alec completely slips away.
Jace begs Alec not to leave him, and finally Alec repeats a part of the oath and wakes up. But there isn’t time to celebrate, as Aldertree and a Clave posse walk in just then, sentencing Jace to the City of Bones for his crimes. Much to Alec’s confusion, his parabatai is taken away just after he wakes up, and the others are left with him to figure out what to do next.
Was Alec’s memory about finding love connected to Magnus kissing him? What will become of Simon’s relationship with his mother? And will Valentine track down Jace and get him to come back to the Circle after all? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Shadowhunters season 2 airs Mondays at 8/7c on Freeform. Want more news? Like our BuddyTV Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of Freeform)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
