Freeform’s Shadowhunters is about to return for its third season this week, and judging by the season trailer, things will be getting quite dark for the Shadowhunters and Downworlders after the events of Season 2!
It has been several months since the Season 2 finale, so we’re here to present to you a run down of what happened over the season, in case you don’t have time to go back and binge it all over again on Netflix! You can also click the episode title to see our full recap of the majority of the episodes!
Read on to discover what happened and tell us what you are looking forward to this season in the comments below!
2.01 This Guilty Blood
The season premiere saw Jace leaving with Valentine after he and Clary found out that they are siblings. Clary and Jocelyn reunited after her season-long coma, Isabelle and Clary engaged in an epic training scene, the introduction of Victor Aldertree (the new head of the NY institute) and the episode ended with Jocelyn trying to kill Jace.
2.02 A Door Into The Dark
Jocelyn’s attempt results in her hitting Valentine and then having to explain herself to Clary with some flashbacks of Jonathan as a child. After speaking with the other Shadowhunters, Clary feels lost and decides to leave when she later runs into a sickly looking Dot who transports her to Valentine. They try to track Jace via Alec’s parabatai bond despite there being potential repercussions when some great fighting ensues between Jace and Valentine, which leads to Clary and Jace jumping off the ship.
2.03 Parabatai Lost
The episode contains several flashbacks to Jace and Alec establishing their friendship over the years as unfortunately Alec is facing severe consequences from tracking Jace via their parabatai bond. Meanwhile, Clary and Jace wash up onshore separately, and the Clave is hot on Jace’s tail due to the crimes he has committed. We are introduced to Maia Roberts when he stops by the Hunter’s Moon, and she later helps her pack leader Luke rescue Jace from the other werewolves and mundane hospital. Jace makes it to Alec and recites the words of the parabatai ritual to help Alec before he is taken away by Aldertree and the Clave.
2.04 Day of Wrath
Jace is being held at the City of Bones and he discovers Hodge is prison buddy. Jocelyn and Luke share their first kiss, while Alec and Magnus attempt to plan their first date. However, a demon attack means they are off to save the day and much to Alec’s dismay, Clary joins to complete their team. In a Supernatural-like manner, the smoke demon can enter the body of a mundane or Shadowhunter, and eventually it makes its way into the Institute. Alec becomes possessed and kills Jocelyn, and later, it’s Izzy’s turn and Clary gets the demon out and kills it. Valentine turns up at the City of Bones to retrieve both Jace and the Soul Sword, but Jace doesn’t go with him and instead returns to the Institute.
2.05 Dust and Shadows
Alec isn’t handling having Jocelyn’s blood on his hands, while Clary is in denial and decides to find a way to bring her mother back to life. She turns to Magnus, but he won’t dabble in dark magic, which leads Clary to search the Institute files to find a warlock that will help her and Alec decides to help her because of his guilt. Meanwhile, Izzy’s demon wound isn’t healing and she wants in on the upcoming Iron Sisters visit, Aldertree offers her yin fen (an addictive warlock drug and demonic poison). Clary’s mission takes a turn when she is almost impregnated by a demon, but she is saved by both Jace and a mysterious light-bringing rune that appeared to her.
2.06 Iron Sisters
We see a brief montage of the Iron Sisters at the Citadel forging weapons and training, before Clary and Izzy leave to go there—but not before Aldertree gives her more yin fen. They meet with Sister Cleophas, who is Luke’s sister, and they must face a purity trial before they can enter. Clary passes with flying colours, but Izzy does not because of the yin fen. Afterwards, Clary learns about Valentine’s plans for the Soul Sword and we later see Cleophas pack her bags before revealing she is a Circle member. Meanwhile, Simon and Maia team up to search for Luke who was unable to shift back due to his emotions, and then Alec and Magnus also had their first date.
2.07 How Are Thou Fallen
Cleophas reveals to Valentine that Clary can create runes and they try to draw Clary in, but Luke is suspicious of his sister. Cleophas then realises an angel is trying to communicate with Clary, which happens to be the angel (a.k.a Ithuriel) that Valentine has in chains, so she turns against him. Jace and Clary manage to rescue Ithuriel who then shares a brief vision with them before he flies away. Meanwhile, Alec tries to kick things up a notch with Magnus, but Magnus wants to take things slow; Izzy’s addiction continues, but with no yin fen available, she tries to find a dealer when Magnus questions her actions; and lastly, Simon and Maia go on a date!
2.08 Love Is A Devil
Izzy heads straight to the vamps for a quick fix, and Raphael has to save her from them and then Izzy manages to convince him to bite her. Maryse and Max Lightwood return for Max’s first rune ceremony, so Alec asks Magnus to help plan the party. Simon confesses his feelings to Clary, and they later attend the party together, much to Jace and Maia’s dismay. Things go awry when Clary sees Maia and Simon kissing and Alec is ready to jump off a ledge after Clary accusing him over her mother’s death, which is when Magnus realises something is wrong. He realises it is the warlock Clary went to see and so they engage in an epic warlock showdown before she escapes with his spellbook. Clary and Jace reveal what occurred with Ithuriel and Clary’s runes, and they discover she has pure angel blood meaning she can activate the Soul Sword.
2.09 Bound By Blood
Clary’s hand turns black, so they head to Magnus’ and discover it’s a side effect of the blood oath she made with the warlock. If Clary doesn’t find the warlock’s child, she’ll die. They start to form a plan when Clary is attacked by Maia who thought she was doing the right thing to save the Downworlder race. Jace tracks down Valentine and informs him of the blood oath, so Madzie returns with Jace but then Madzie takes Clary through a portal to Valentine. They then track them down again, but now Simon is the one taken through the portal with Valentine. Meanwhile, Magnus reveals what he knows about Izzy to Alec and he is so not happy.
2.10 By The Light of Dawn
Episode 10 marked the winter finale so it was all action with Valentine infiltrating the Institute so he can activate the Soul Sword and threatening Simon’s life if Clary didn’t come to the Institute. Dot pops up again to inform them of a way to destroy the Sword, but Valentine slits Simon’s throat for her tardiness. A Clary-disguised Jace gives his blood to Simon while the real Clary searches for the Sword. When they do, Clary is stopped from touching the Sword so Jace does, except he activates it revealing he has angel not demon blood. They stop the Sword and capture Valentine, except the Sword is taken away by a hooded figure. It is also revealed Clary and Jace aren’t related and that Simon can now walk in the sun.
2.11 Mea Maxima Culpa
Inquisitor Herondale returns to torture Valentine while a suave-looking demon is on the prowl (and kill) to find the Mortal Cup. Izzy tries to detox from her yin fen addiction, but goes to Raphael and a group of vamps for a little to help her get through, when she’s attacked and then saved by a British Shadowhunter by the of Sebastian. The demon is revealed to be a Greater Demon known as Azazel, Prince of Hell so they summon him with Valentine present to offer up his knowledge. Azazel breaks free and causes a little damage plus also swaps the bodies of Valentine and Magnus, plus Clary also learns that her and Jace aren’t actually siblings.
2.12 You Are Not Your Own
Izzy tries to help Simon with his Raphael problem by meeting with his sister until a group of vampires approach them causing Simon to run into the light, which reveals his secret. Inquisitor Herondale wants to test the abilities of Jace and Clary. A Valentine-looking Magnus tries to convince Alec that he is Magnus, and upon his near execution, Jace discovers what happened and they stop it in time. Valentine reveals that Jace is the Inquisitor’s grandson, and the pair later connect with one another. Sebastian and Clary also connect in this episode over Clary’s family.
2.13 Those of Demon Blood
There’s a killer on the loose with several bodies turning up bearing various marks of Downworlders. Meanwhile, a lovers quarrel between Alec and Magnus causes Magnus to reminisce over his past loves with Dot, and when she tries to kiss him, he confesses his love for Alec. The vampires believe Simon to be a ‘great leader’ and the Downworlders are being implanted with chips to track them. The killer is revealed later on to be Kaelie while Jace’s first act as Head of the Institute is to give the position to Alec and then he later hooks up with Maia.
2.14 The Fair Folk
As his first act, Alec sends Jace and Clary to the Seelie Court, and Simon tags along with them. They meet with the mischievous Seelie Queen who holds them captive until Clary kisses the one she desires most, so she kisses Simon but it ends up being Jace. Alec tries to bring the Downworlders and Shadowhunters together by meeting with representatives, but it doesn’t go so well. At the end of the episode, it is revealed the real Sebastian is locked up, so just who is this person?
2.15 A Problem of Memory
Poor Simon is devastated over the Clace kiss in the previous episode, so he hits the clubs and winds up drinking some potent blood that leaves him only remembering that he was drinking from a girl’s wrist. After a few mishaps, Simon discovers the killer vampire and winds up killing him. Sebastian’s cousin Aline visits as he has been missing, so fake Sebastian interrogates real Sebastian to put her at ease. Lastly, Valentine is transported to Idris, however, he escapes and its revealed that fake Sebastian is his son.
2.16 Day of Atonement
Clary and Jace decide to search for Valentine in Idris, and Clary makes a portal with a rune she sees, however, Alec discovers they are missing and sends Izzy after them. Clary and Jace get separated and she runs into a younger version of Ithuriel who informs her Jonathan is alive, but she can’t make sense of it due to not feeling well. Izzy finds Jace and reveals Lake Lyn has hallucinogenic properties when ingested and Jace manages to activate one of Clary’s runes with his abilities. They later learn that Jace and Jonathan were on opposite ends of an experiment and that Jonathan is alive. Meanwhile, Simon and Maia have dinner while Sebastian (now Jonathan) threatens to banish his father, but Valentine convinces him not to.
2.17 A Dark Reflection
Jonathan searches for the Mortal Mirror, however, its whereabouts are being protected by a warlock who helped Jocelyn hide it and a protection spell transfers to Dot after Jonathan kills the warlock. Clary is on the hunt for her brother, and at one point, Sebastian/Jonathan kisses her. Clary and Jace discover the location, but Jonathan has tracked her and a fight ensues with Dot pushing Jace and Clary through a portal. The hand mirror shows Clary visions of Lake Lyn, however, Jonathan is later seen searching for it in the Institute when Max runs into him.
2.18 Awake, Arise, or Be Forever Fallen
Max reveals he knows that ‘Sebastian’ is actually Jonathan, and the poor little guy winds up in a coma, so the group realise that he knows and that Jonathan must be in the Institute. He finds the ‘Mortal Mirror’, but he is stopped by Clary who is making everyone hold a piece of electrum as it will burn them if they have demon blood. He hides his pain, but Clary realises and gets the Mirror back from him just before he escapes. Max wakes up, while the discovery is made that the Mirror is actually Lake Lyn. We also see quite a few sweet flashbacks between Alec and Magnus, however, Magnus believes his feelings for Alec are preventing him from doing what he needs to do.
2.19 Hail and Farewell
Jonathan and Valentine flee Jonathan’s apartment while the Shadowhunters discover the very real and dead Sebastian. Alec meets with the Downworlder leaders, however, it seems Magnus is allying himself with the Seelie Queen, while Raphael and Luke are more suspicious as it could mean a war with the Clave. The Seelie Queen meets with Simon as she wants him on her side and meanwhile, Clary and Jace use their angelic connection to track Jonathan. The Shadowhunters face a group of Forsaken and Jace is taken captive by Jonathan just before Jace gets the upper hand and stabs him. Lastly, the Seelie Queen is seen meeting and making a deal with Valentine.
2.20 Beside Still Water
Jonathan creates a rift for demons to come through, while news of the Seelie Queen aiding Valentine reaches the Shadowhunters. Alec and Magnus manage to close the demonic rift and Clary and Jace reach Lake Lyn when Valentine stabs Jace in the heart, with Alec feeling when Jace dies and seeing the parabatai rune disappear. Clary sees Valentine summoning Raziel, but Clary manages to kill him first and so she requests Raziel brings Jace back. The Shadowhunters and Downworlders celebrate, however, Jace is seen screaming in pain along with a strange woman caressing Jonathan and calling him her son.
