Shadowhunters season 3 opens the seedy underbelly of the Shadow World. Katherine McNamara teases what’s ahead in the “dark, cold” season ahead.
If the demons in the season premiere are an indication of what’s ahead in Shadowhunters season 3, this cast better strap in for a while ride. Between Lilith’s arrival, Simon’s deal with the Seelie Queen, and Luke’s restless partner, everyone needs to be on their guard to face whatever uncertainty lies ahead.
Clary, a newly initiated Shadowhunter has her own struggles to deal with. Following up on the events of Lake Lyn, her closest friends are on her case about the details of that fateful night. Sure, Valentine is dead, but being in the presence of the Angel Raziel is what is turning more heads.
Katherine McNamara spoke with Hypable about where Clary finds herself at the start of season 3 and the long journey of discovery that lies ahead for herself and everyone around her.
‘Shadowhunters’ season 3 Katherine McNamara interview
Let’s kick off the season with where Clary is at. She’s officially initiated as a Shadowhunter, but she is carrying around this immense burden — the secret of Lake Lyn.
The only thing Clary has ever wanted since she became a part of the Shadow World is to really find her place at the Institute and to really become an essential member of the team. And have them accept her as a Shadowhunter. Even though she wasn’t raised a Shadowhunter, she is by blood.
Now that she’s been through all of this struggle and has really fought for the efforts of the Angel is you will, they finally accepted her as one of their won through the rune ceremony where she finally gets her Angelic rune to officially be a Shadowhunter, to choosing her weapons. You know, she picks up these daggers that she is drawn to and yet we find out that they have even greater significance to not only the Shadow World but to Clary specifically.
‘Clary’s gone from this little girl who looks at the Shadow World with wide-eyed wonder to this woman who sees it for the cold, cutting, deadly world that it is.’
Continuing through that she is a member of the team now. She has responsibilities, she works at the Institute and that’s wonderful. It’s everything she could have ever dreamed. She and Jace finally have a chance to let their relationship grow. They are free to love each other the way they always wanted to. BUT all of that is ultimately tainted by what happened with Valentine and with Jace and bringing him back to life. These after effects will continue to affect them both moving forward.
Clary’s gone from this little girl who looks at the Shadow World with wide-eyed wonder to this woman who sees it for the cold, cutting, deadly world that it is. Not only that, but feeling some responsibility for what Jace is going through and the guilt of trying to do the right thing, but having dire consequences.
There is a moment when Clary is fighting the first demon Lilith summons, where we see Clary struggle. Her new go-to rune isn’t quite as reliable in the heat of battle. In spite of all the training and advances Clary has made in such a short time there still is this learning curve that she must overcome when faced with more powerful adversaries. Can you speak to how Clary, and everyone, must reassess their place in season 3.
Exactly. Up until this point, we’ve all been so focused on defeating Valentine that we haven’t be able to realize that there are greater evils that lie in the shadows of this world. One of them is Lilith, who is literally the mother of all demons.
She is one of the Queens of Hell and as we encounter her wrath and her fury at hurting basically the closest thing she has to a child, we have something to face that we could never fathom before this. And it is going to have lasting effects for every single character in our world as they deal with this new world order.
Yes, Valentine is gone. The immediate threat has been vanquished.
But there is so much more out there. Ultimately for Clary, it’s sort of a humbling experience. ‘Oh, I’m here. I made it.’
But there is a whole other chapter, a whole other world to learn about and there’s also a responsibility that has to be taken and an atonement that has to happen for everything that she’s caused and everything that she’s done. Even unintentionally up until this point.
The consequences for all of her actions for the past two seasons are going to come to fruition in season 3.
You mentioned Jonathan being the closest thing Lilith has to a son and that makes me think there is this sense of the chosen versus the obligatory families at work in season 3. Clary has the Shadowhunters, but she also has Simon and Luke and Magnus. How are these relationships of the chosen versus adoptive family going to play out, in Clary’s life particularly, as season 3 progresses?
That becomes a huge part of it. Clary now has the family at the Institute, but she’s lost her mother, she’s killed her father. Her brother is who knows what. Ultimately she has no biological family left. She is alone in this world.
Who does she have to lean on? She has Luke. She has Simon, she has Jace, she has the Lightwoods, she has Magnus. She has those people around who have supported her through her journey up until this point. And Luke in particular is a huge grounding force for Clary right now. Simon and Clary are sort of stranded away from one another as he deals with the Seelie Court and she deals with what’s going on with Jace and Lilith.
Luke is the one rock who has always been there for her and will always be there for her. He is the one person who sees her for who she is and who she always has been and will always accept her. That is going to become a central part of Clary’s journey this season. Yes, his responsibility is to the werewolves, he will always be there for Clary.
Plus, he knows the most about Clary’s biological history, he was Valentine’s parabatai, he knew Clary’s mother very well, he is a vault of information for the future of the series. What will set season 3 apart from seasons 1 and 2?
I think the show continues to build upon itself and keeps growing, but the big difference this season is we see the Shadow World for what it is now. The glamour, the magic if you will, is gone now. And this world really rears its ugly head as something that is bloody, deadly, dark, and cold. It’s a very unforgiving world.
If you incur it’s wrath, it will come after you and it will be unrelenting until you either break or you defeat whatever is chasing you.
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Whoa. Get ready Shadowhunters fans.
Shadowhunters season 3 airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on Freeform.
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