Hello! I am here with another New Yolk Times post for you and today I am going to discuss the series that I've been waiting for, Shadowhunters. As some of you know, The Mortal Instruments series has been rebooted as a TV series on ABC Fami--- I mean, Freeform. So the plot is basically the same as the one you read in the book or seen in the movie.
To be honest, I was not looking forward to this. Yes, I got excited until I learned ABC Fa--- I mean, Freeform has decided to adopt the show. The promos to me were not too flattering but I was ok with the casting choices. And when I saw the pilot episode I gotta say... I was surprisingly okay with it.
You heard me right, guys. It's actually not that bad, but it's not the best YA-adaptation I've seen. If this whole series was like an exam, it would receive a passable grade. The acting is so-so, but dialogue for the first time, is not that corny or terrible. It is engaging and creative. So whoever wrote the script, I give props to you. Also, for an adaptation, I had no problems with the minor tweaks being put into the show mainly because the main elements were still there. There were also many things that they were able to do things that I think the movie and even the books failed to show.
First, I like the sudden change of personality for Clary Fray. Before the TV series even existed, Clary was perceived as this rebellious and stubborn person who just does whatever in order to get what she wants, even if she claims that she wants to save everyone. Here, they established her as a girl with pure determination and she is not really being a whiny bitch about it. Her acting may need some work, but other than that I am okay with Katherine McNamara's take on Clary's character. Her friendship with Simon Lewis is more defined here and I feel like I am able to see what their interaction is like even if I've already read the books. The episodes were able to convince me that they are really good friends. Also, I like Simon's character only because he was very Simon. Alberto Rosende was able to give an exceptional performance and I think he was able to understand what his character is like. Another surprising performance was Harry Shum Jr., who plays Magnus Bane. Like, holy cow! He actually did a pretty decent job of playing the most popular warlock and I think it's his best performance yet.
Like I said earlier, I had no problems with the parts that were changed. As usual, the props, prosthetics and make-up are on point. The special effects are not so impressive, but it is something that I anticipated for a TV series. Whatever I pictured in the books were seen in the TV series. But the world of the Shadowhunters as far as I know is very old-fashioned. While reading the books, the only technology they rave about are cellphones and it is constantly being mentioned that they have freakin' cellphones like it is a huge deal for them. Shadowhunters gave the setting a modern twist, which was something I didn't mind. At the same time, it really felt like I was watching Arrow or The Flash again because of how modern everything was. If you've read all The Mortal Instruments series books, then brace yourself with the looks of The Institute. Just saying.
I also had a few problems with the directions they were taking for the series. I don't know if it's the acting or the script, but Jace was just a little off. I'm not saying he's terrible, he was okay. But, he was just okay and I don't know with you guys, but that's not what Jace is like. Sometimes he would say something witty or sassy, and it doesn't come off as that mostly because Jace here is way too serious. Dom Sherwood, if you're reading this, I'd like to say I believe you can make a very good Jace. You look the part, but I think you're playing it too safe. Jace Wayland is anything but safe. So step it up a bit, I think it can get better.
Will I watch the next episode of Shadowhunters? Of course. This series is not wasting it's time to get things dirty and serious. Overall, I think it's a fine show to watch and hopefully, it will get better and better. Shadowhunters will appear every week on ABC--- I mean, Freeform on Tuesdays. If you're a fan and a Filipino, no worries. Now that we got Netflix, Shadowhunters can now be viewed every Wednesday. So give it a try! The next series I will be contemplating on will be The Flash so please stay tuned for that. For now, till the next post~
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