The Shadowhunters series finale held no punches bringing about an epic conclusion to a fantastic series that will be missed.
The cancellation of the beloved adaptation is weighing a bit heavier now that all things are said and final tasks and missions are done. Even summoning Raziel and tossing away our one wish only secured two and half extra hours of Shadowhunters.
But what a ride it was — old enemies return, new threats rise, wedding bells ring, and we get a better look at the full potential of our favorite characters. For a finale that had many loose strings to tie up, it achieved the impossible, even bringing back someone we thought long gone!
The finale was a labor of love and it was felt in the dialogue and performances of every scene. For now we’ll go through our favorite moments and unpack how this episode elevates an already stellar series.
‘Shadowhunters’ series finale best moments
- Before we dive completely in here, I’d like to call out all of the team scenes. We’ve never experienced an episode where so many characters were together in the same room, making plans, consulting one another, and (thank you, writers) finally having a chance to play into their humor and fighting skills.
- “The last thing you want to do is listen to a vampire.” Simon speaking at Jordan’s memorial shows just how much of a person remains even after a transformation. Simon is still the person who throws his whole self into the relationships in his life. Even if everyone in that room hated him, Simon took that moment to be there for his friends both alive and gone.
- Forget pinky swears, we finally have SIZZY TAKEOFF, PEOPLE! Of course their contact reveals that Isabelle is infused with Heavenly Fire and upends her new relationship and her life. An awesome way to incorporate more about Heavenly Fire into the series, but terrible to see it come between our long-awaited couple.
- After Clary creates the rune to bind the Downworlders with their Shadowhunter counterpart, Jace feels a little sad that he got stuck with the less-flashy Seelie powers. Too bad he can’t lie about how much it bothers him.
- When Alec begins to spiral in Edom, he touches his wedding ring to calm down and gain control (😭). While Jace and Meliorn were my favorite pairing in Edom, watching Lorenzo suddenly change his tone around his sworn Shadowhunter enemy to provide help, not harm, elevated the scene.
- Jonathan’s rebirth, though gross, opened the floodgates of his true potential. His demon powers need some sharpening, but his cheekbones certainly do not!
- Alec vowing to stay in Edom as if there were no other choice in his life was just the right amount of fuel to drive the team to attack the demons, destroy Lilith and take the risk of absorbing the Heavenly Fire to save Isabelle. Everything was worth it. It always is.
- Did anyone else want to just stop the episode at the opening of the second hour? Happy couples! Kissing! Nothing can go wrong!
- Jace’s pep talk to Clary ahead of the wedding about why they fight. There are always going to be demons lurking, but they fight so that others (and maybe Clace) can live and love in peace.
- Luke Baines in every single scene sends chills down my spine. But watching Jonathan take down the Seelie Queen and completely slip away from any connection to humanity was particularly unsettling. What an outing for this character!
- Parabatai FOREVER! Alec and Jace have not had much screen time together where one or the other has not been in mortal peril. Alec asking Jace, formally, to be his best man (again) brought up all the moments these two have shared over the series. From the flashbacks to their youth, to stepping in to save the other in the most dire times, to standing at each others side in their happiest moments, watching the strength of the bond between this duo has been one of the highlights of the series.
- SPEAKING OF PARABATAI! Have we ever seen Clary more vulnerable? Clary and Isabelle have been through it on this show. Never actually enemies, the two have simply skirted around one another as the series has progressed. Season 3 took more time to dig into establishing an unspoken trust between the two that ultimately took the shape of Isabelle being the one tasked with stabbing Clary to save her life. Of course, circumstances changed that encounter, but here we get the ultimate seal of approval that these two are parts of one whole.
- Jocelyn arrives in an emotional moment to remind Clary that her compassion is a gift, but Raziel sees it as a child breaking the rules. Clary has done everything with her powers selflessly, and yet the Angels are not pleased with her breaking their rules. Taking away her connection to the Shadow World is one thing, using Jocelyn to deliver the message was another level of cruel.
- Lorenzo preaching the message of the series: families can be made. What he saw in Edom, the power of people who love and support one another unconditionally, is something he wants to find in his long life. But also he wants his drink stirrer and portrait. He’s not a man who changes overnight!
- WE ACTUALLY GO TO TORONTO. What a blessing this show has given us by tapping into the locations they already film and not making it be a stand-in for New York City. This is, perhaps, my favorite location this series has crafted.
- The Clary and Jonathan standoff (if you do not count the bodies on the street or in various institutes around the world) is void of violence. It is not a battle. There are no tactics, no plans, just sacrifice of a brother and the connection to the family that is not a source of pain. Could Clary have just been luring Jonathan in to trust her? Possibly. But the scene was played with such care and shared pain between the siblings that it filled the moment with empathy rather than rage.
- Alec’s parents walking him and Magnus down the aisle, Brother Zachariah being the officiant, Alec getting choked up, Magnus speaking with tears in his eyes, their first dance, Raphael showing up, it was all so much. 😭
- The moment where Maryse tells the family about her relationship with Luke brought the entire collected group together for one shot — Magnus, Alec, Jace, Isabelle, Clary, Maryse, Max. There is so much shared love and trust in that circle, it hurts my heart a bit.
- And that trust boils down to exactly what Jace says to Clary as they dance at the reception. She took away his deepest insecurity — that if he was not perfect, if he wasn’t the absolute best, that the people around him would reject him.
- I LOVE A TIME JUMP! One year later, Luke pays a visit to the Inquisitor, Alec, in Alicante where he resides with Magnus, who is helping people allow for Downworlders to enter rather than keep them out. Maia is mixing up craft blood, and Seelie fare, to bring together the Downworlders. Simon is finishing his graphic novel and training with Jace.
- I DON’T LOVE A CLIFFHANGER! The end of Simon and Jace’s training session leaves a lot of sweat and emotional baggage on the floor. They are both trying so hard to keep Clary close, but also let her go. And Clary… well, she can see Jace’s face. (Bonus points for excellent music choice: Ruelle’s “Where We Come Alive.”)
To rewatch Shadowhunters, you can stream it on Hulu and Freeform and internationally on Netflix.