S01.E10: This World Inverted

[Stardancer Supreme]

 

Clary enters a new world in order to find Valentine and discovers she likes this alternate universe, because it's a place without the threat of demons or the need for Shadowhunters. Elsewhere, Alec and Isabelle deal with the ramifications of the Downworlder attack.

 

[GaT]

I am so glad there are only 3 more episodes in this season because I am done after that, and I will NOT be returning for season 2. I am flabbergasted that this crap show even got a season 2.

[dmeets]

I wish the show could move entirely to the alternate universe. Simon and Isabelle, nerds in love? Alec confident with his sexuality? Jace friendly with Simon and with an ego that fits within his own head? No love triangle? Yes to all of that! I also liked the nod to the books, with alt-Luke owning an antique book store.

 

Why is this Alec such an ineffective moron?

[HunterHunted]

I wish the show could move entirely to the alternate universe. Simon and Isabelle, nerds in love? Alec confident with his sexuality? Jace friendly with Simon and with an ego that fits within his own head? No love triangle? Yes to all of that! I also liked the nod to the books, with alt-Luke owning an antique book store.

 

Why is this Alec such an ineffective moron?

The only things I don't like about the alternative universe is that Magnus is so much less Magnus like and that they insist on filming in this hypersaturated color so Clary's carrot hair color is so much more carroty.

[sjohnson]

Two halfway decent episodes in a row? At this rate, I may get enough nerve to admit to my family I've been watching the show.

 

But...shouldn't werewolves like the smell of something dead?

[justcris]

Well, I've been liking the episodes more and more. I was afraid of this one because I thought it was too soon to be introduced to alt-versions of the characters when we've only known them for such a short period of time, I think it would have worked better in a later season.

 

One thing I didn't get was, where did Jocelyn get the portal shard from!? If it's from a portal that's in another dimension, does that mean that she went to that other dimension too at one point? How would she have known about it? Or did she get it from Dot?

[AudienceofOne]

I was afraid of this one because I thought it was too soon to be introduced to alt-versions of the characters when we've only known them for such a short period of time, I think it would have worked better in a later season.

 

And... you were right. Hey, let's invert characters we just met and barely know! Also, in this reality we got to see Jace and Clary together. Wait... aren't Jace and Clary already together? Wouldn't it have been more interesting to have gone a different direction. I was waiting to see her parents talk about her brother but no mention. Is the show not going there? Because that was by far the most interesting thing the books ever did

even if Jace's parentage was hilariously tortured to both do it and undo it. For a brief, brilliant moment I thought that Jace was going to join them at breakfast as her brother (and she'd never get the reveal he was adopted or something). But my hopes were dashed

Edited March 16, 2016 by AudienceofOne

[sjohnson]

By the way, the guy doing this Valentine was charming and charismatic, entertaining too, unlike the guy who does the regular Valentine.

[HunterHunted]

By the way, the guy doing this Valentine was charming and charismatic, entertaining too, unlike the guy who does the regular Valentine.

Alan Van Sprang really demonstrated his range on Reign and he delivered my favorite moment from that show when Henry banged someone to death by having sex against a window, which the woman fell out of. The scene was straight up cartoonish, but Van Sprang and Megan Follows played it with such seriousness and with an archness that let you know that the viewer should laugh at it.

[Stardancer Supreme]

What I found so galling is that even when the other actors are playing polar opposites of their regular characters they were still miles better than KM as Clary. 

[AudienceofOne]

What I found so galling is that even when the other actors are playing polar opposites of their regular characters they were still miles better than KM as Clary. 

 

I've found the actress playing Izzy one-note but will not complain about that after last night. She was great in the parallel universe and so it's obviously the writing and the appalling clothing that's weighing that character down.

[snakenax]

Isabella's weakness definitely seems more on writing than actress, the actress is perfectly fine with the brother-sister interaction but outside of that she's just not given much of a hook to hang a character off of her. I think that is a big thing for Jace too, he's only allowed to be a jerkass rarely(and mostly with Simon) which limits him to largely generic interaction otherwise. Alec gets the benefit that in being the non-villain antagonist he gets more characterization to bounce off of.

 

While the actress for Clary is doing really badly even with the material she has, IMO Clary was always a bit on the bland wet blanket side in the books too and those kinds of characters are just not good TV protagonists. In many ways I wish the show had taken the chance of the adaption to make more sweeping changes, including making Clary more of well.. something. Anything with a definitive personality trait to speak of.

[justcris]

So I just rewatched this episode and I really liked the AU, even though I still think it came too soon.

 

The Morgenstern family's happy breakfast, Java Jace being all sweet and loveydovey, Simon and Izzy being nerds together, Alec planning parties and hitting on Magnus, it all worked for me. I didn't even mind the filter.

Maybe we'll get to go back there in a later season, since Magnus said he wouldn't forget what Clary did for him. That struck me as an odd thing to say if we're never going to see AU-Magnus again. Who knows.

[treasaigh]

I try really hard not too think too much about a show like this.  It's better to just go along with the ride.  However, I can't get past the body problem.  Clary goes to the other dimension and joins the other Clary's body.  Where's the other body?  Her and Jace head back to their dimension... did they leave bodies (other Clary and Jace) behind?  If so, shouldn't there have been a Clary and Jace body left in the original dimension?  Just a little more thought would have made all this make much more sense.  Like make the other dimension totally a mental trip.  Or they keep their original bodies when they travel and then there would be two Clary and Jaces in the other dimension.  Total plot fail.