Izzy is on trial on this episode of Shadowhunters, “Bloode Calls to Blood,” and a familiar face acts as her defense attorney. Meanwhile, we learn more about Jace’s father, and Clary and Jace learn a shocking secret that could change their relationship — literally.
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No Time to Waste
Izzy and Alec argue about her upcoming trial, with Alec making the case that Lydia had no choice but to prosecute her, and Izzy making the point that people always have a choice — she made hers in the Meliorn situation and she’s not backing down from it. She argues with her brother that the Clave doesn’t even really want her; she’s just a scapegoat. What they really want is the Mortal Cup, but since Alec was unable to find Jace using their parabatai bond, they have no way of finding it or him and Clary.
The start of the trial is rushed, though Alec tries to to delay it, and things look even more bleak for Izzy when the Inquisitor shows up and clearly has no time for things like bias from Lydia thanks to her upcoming nuptials to Alec. The trial begins the same evening she arrives, and Clary and Jace, along with the Cup, are still nowhere to be found.
Izzy is still standing her ground, and she’s allowed any legal counsel she pleases, so Alec goes to Magnus to ask him to act as her defense attorney in the case. Thanks to a loophole in an old law, she is allowed to choose Magnus as her advocate, despite the fact that Downworlders are not supposed to defend Shadowhunters. Magnus agrees and says he wants Alec in return, but the Shadowhunter negotiates with him and agrees to give Magnus his bow and quiver if he agrees to help his sister. This is quite the sacrifice for Alec, which Magnus recognizes.
Izzy on Trial
So Magnus makes Izzy’s case before the Inquisitor and a crowded room of onlookers, and he does so with his usual style and charm. He argues that Izzy wasn’t acting against the Clave in rescuing Meliorn but instead working to save Meliorn from death — a possible violation of the Accords that would have been incurred by his certain torture at the hands of the Silent Brothers was avoided thanks to her actions. He further makes the case that Izzy shouldn’t be on trial at all because what the Clave really wants is the Cup, and he says the whole trial should be dismissed.
When Izzy is on the stand, she holds fast to her claim that she acted alone in the rescue, despite the fact that Lydia brings up that Clary was seen at the scene as well. When it’s implied that her actions were to help Valentine, she fires back that she doesn’t want to see Valentine succeed, but that Downworlder lives can’t be seen as worthless.
Izzy argues that Shadowhunters should remember that they are part mundane and that the fear they can feel as a result can make them cruel. She warns that if they continue this way, they’ll turn on each other. And the Inquisitor asks if she thinks that’s what’s happening to her, but it’s clear that that was Izzy’s point.
Finally, Magnus calls Lydia to the stand. He only has one question for her — why, he asks, is she even prosecuting this case? At first, she gives her usual “the law is the law” answer, but she quickly surprises everyone when she continues and says that that doesn’t make it right. And after arguing instead for loyalty and love and justice, thanks to what she’s learned from people like Alec, Izzy and Magnus, it’s obvious she’s changed her mind about the whole thing.
Lydia dismisses the charges entirely, but after a brief celebration in the courtroom, the Inquisitor calls for order. She says Izzy is guilty anyway and announces that unless the Mortal Cup is found within 24 hours, the young Shadowhunter will be stripped of her runes and exiled. Yikes.
Saving Jace
So where are Jace and Clary anyway? Well, after Jace’s father tells him it really is him and that he didn’t die years ago like Jace thought, he and Clary determine that Jace desperately needs help because the Ravener venom is killing him. Luckily, Valentine has a standing portal, so they are able to go back to Jace and Clary’s world for help.
They find Luke and Simon, and Luke is shocked to see Michael Wayland alive. They all come up with a plan to get Jace fresh blood for a transfusion from Rafael, so Clary and Simon go while Michael and Luke stay with Jace at the Jade Wolf.
Using a clever bit of blackmail involving threatening to reveal Rafael’s involvement in Simon’s turning, Simon and Clary get him to reveal a stash of chilled bags of blood behind a painting and quickly pick out some for Jace. But Rafael orders Simon to stay, as he was impressed by his negotiating skills, and instead of arguing with him since they don’t have the time to lose, Clary goes without him.
New Plan
Jace is saved by the transfusion, and he has vowed to go after Valentine for trying to kill his father. But before he and Clary have a heart-to-heart after he is healed, she and Michael talk alone. He tells her that he knew Jocelyn was pregnant when she left Valentine, but Clary can’t figure out how he would’ve known that. He also tells her that Valentine always loved Jocelyn, no matter what.
When Clary does go to Jace, she questions how the man from Jace’s story, the one who killed the little boy’s falcon, can be the same as the one who clearly is so loving towards his son. Jace argues that his father had needed to teach him a lesson, nothing more, but Clary is still skeptical. Ultimately, they agree, Meliorn did say he would help her find her father; they just seem to be taking a few twists and turns in the journey first. They also kiss, again, because of course they do, because with the sudden appearance of dead relatives and near death experiences, there’s a lot of emotions flaring up.
Anyway, after their conversation, Michael tells the others that after he was injected with Downworlder blood by Valentine, he gained enhanced vision and hearing so he was able to learn of Valentine’s next moves — his plan was to relocate to Renwick’s, an abandoned smallpox hospital near the Institute. And when he left, he took Jocelyn and left Michael behind to die. So Clary and Luke go to investigate the hospital, while Michael and Jace stay behind.
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More Questions
Clary asks Luke how he first that knew Michael was dead, and he claims he only ever heard rumors that seemed to be fact. But she notes a time discrepancy in his story and stores it away for later when they come upon the hospital and find it overrun with demons. They inform Jace and Michael later of what they found, so they eventually all go back to take the demons on.
But first, while Clary and Luke are away, Jace and Michael spar, and after learning about Jace’s weakened state thanks to his diminished parabatai bond, Michael notes that Clary seems to mean more to his son than Alec. Jace denies this, but Michael presses him and tells Jace he shouldn’t get too involved with Clary or any girl, as that attachment won’t make him stronger. But then he tells him he wouldn’t deny his son happiness, so mixed message there.
Showdown
The three men return to the hospital to fight the demons, and Clary sneaks her way past the melee with the Cup to get inside. Eventually, Valentine’s right hand man shows up and confronts Luke, who tells the other two to go inside and help Clary while he takes on Blackwell and a few others outside.
Inside, Clary drops her weapon when she sees her mother and rushes over to her, but she can’t wake Jocelyn up. When Michael and Jace make their way into the room and barricade it against the demons attacking them, they say they have to take Jocelyn and go, but Clary doesn’t want to leave without Luke. She tells them she can’t wake her mother up, but Jace promises her they will; they just have to get out of Renwick’s before they all die.
Revelation
Clary takes out the Cup and commands the demons to find Valentine, but nothing happens. So Michael tells her to give it to him and he’ll give it a try, and she hands it over. He then cuts into a rune on his arm, and his disguise melts away to reveal that he’s not Jace’s father at all, but rather Valentine himself. (And really? Was this actually a surprise to anyone?)
Valentine commands the demons to attack his enemies, but Clary still has a trick up her sleeve. As it turns out, she knows how to use a glamour too, and she still has the real Cup, while Valentine just has a crappy World’s Best Dad mug.
But most important, Valentine reveals that he wasn’t lying when he claimed to be Jace’s father. He says that he and Michael are actually the same person, so he is, in fact, Jace’s father — but he’s Clary’s too. Whoa. I did not think the show would actually go there, but maybe there’ll be another twist coming up? Maybe? Hopefully? Otherwise, all that kissing Jace and Clary did is pretty weird in hindsight.
Back at the Institute
Valentine correctly guesses that Jace won’t kill him when the younger Shadowhunter threatens to, and he makes his way through the portal before Jace or Clary can stop him. Just then, Luke bursts in, seemingly unharmed, but he only has eyes for Jocelyn. And apparently, they get her back to the Institute because the next thing we see is Clary looking down at her mother while Jace and Alec look on.
As it turns out, Clary gave Lydia the Cup when they returned, so Izzy’s freedom is secured. But Alec and Jace still clearly have some stuff to work out, and they briefly argue about who betrayed the other. Jace says Alec almost killed him by weakening their bond, and Alec argues that Jace risked his sister’s life by siding with Clary instead. It doesn’t end well, and Alec storms off.
Finally, Jace asks Clary how she knew Michael wasn’t really who he says he was, and she notes that things like him knowing about her mother’s pregnancy tipped her off. Jace argues that she should’ve told him, but she questions whether he would’ve believed her, and he doesn’t answer her.
All You Need is Love
Magnus apologizes to Izzy for losing her case, but she harbors no ill will. And before long, Alec comes in and informs them both that Jace and Clary have returned and that Lydia has the Cup, so Izzy is free. After a brief celebration, Magnus asks Alec to walk him out, which the Shadowhunter agrees to.
When Alec goes to give Magnus his bow and quiver, the warlock makes his case again that Alec shouldn’t marry Lydia. He tells Alec that both of them will live lonely lives, and they don’t deserve that — and neither does he. He tells Alec to keep his weapons and then he leaves, and again all the Malec shippers are left hanging.
Later, Luke and Simon are chatting again, which seems like it’s becoming a regular thing, and the werewolf fills the vampire in on everything that happened. He also talks about seeing Jocelyn again and how when you find the one, that’s it. Simon explains that he thought he had that with someone once. He babbles a bit about how the person found someone else and how he’s over it now, resigned to being alone.
But then Luke reveals the whole “Jace and Clary are siblings” thing because he clearly knows who Simon was referring to, and Simon’s hopes for a relationship with Clary are renewed. Yay for Simon, boo for Clary and Jace, I guess! Just before the end of the episode, there’s a quick shot of Jace looking all sad and broody, so I’m guessing we’ll pick up with that next week.
Shadowhunters airs Tuesdays at 9pm on Freeform.
(Image courtesy of Freeform)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
