SHADOWHUNTERS – ABC Family’s “Shadowhunters” stars Matthew Daddario as Alec Lightwood, Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland, Katherine McNamara as Clary Fray, Alberto Rosende as Simon Lewis and Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood. (ABC Family/Bob D’Amico)
A few years ago Sony Pictures tried to give Cassandra Clare’s popular The Mortal Instruments book series the blockbuster treatment. They put a lot of money into it and planned on turning the film into another big franchise. It got panned by the critics and audience, I think I was probably the only one who liked it. Now ABC Family (I refuse to call them Freeform! Grr…) is taking a stab at brining this property to life in a brand new series called Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments, which airs Tuesday nights after their juggernaut Pretty Little Liars. It’s a nice one/two punch for the newly rebranded network. ABC Family is officially changing its name to Freeform, January 12th, 2016.
Shadowhunters’ producers include a lot of film veterans including McG (I will always hate his name, but the guy has come a long way in the last few years), J. Miles Dale (The Strain, Mama, Harold and Kumar), Kelly Makin (Smallville) and several other producers. So the pedigree is promising.
This is one of the first shows that will showcase ABC Family’s new branding efforts and hits the sweet spot for the new market that Freeform is going after. Do I have to call them “Becomers?” What the hell is a “Becomers” and I hate that name just as much as I hate any artificial marketing name for an entire generation of people. I hate Baby Boomers, Gen X, etc… Anyway, I digress, where was I? Oh, Shadowhunters.
The look is typical ABC Family blue sky. Very glossy, pretty people, doing stuff. And it’s a formula I fall for and get burned by every single time. There’s a shine and sheen to everything, even though most of the first episode was shot at night. There was no grime or dirt anywhere. Even the monsters who spout large crab like tentacles for mouths, or when someone’s glamour goes away and you see the true monster in all it’s gruesome glory, looked cleaner than my apartment.
A Network like AMC or FX would have made these creatures terrifying, Freeform doesn’t go all in with the scares or creep factor a show like this probably should have. I’m sure many will probably lament this but I for one kind of appreciate that. Don’t we have enough serious gore on cable these days? I’m sure people will disagree me and lament the fact that it’s not “dark,” and comes across a bit as a teen show, even though the young cast are all supposed to be over 18.
One thing I’ve always loved about ABC Family programming is it does emphasize the family aspect. Meaning there are always adults involved and they always have their own mysteries, intrigues and reasons for doing things. It makes shows like this feel a little more realistic. On other Networks or shows like Buffy, I’m always wondering where the heck are Xander and Willow’s parents? Even though we did have Joyce and Giles.
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – “The Mortal Cup” – One young woman realizes how dark the city can really be when she learns the truth about her past in the series premiere of “Shadowhunters” on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family is becoming Freeform in January 2016. Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, “Shadowhunters” follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend Simon in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother. Nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke who knows more than he is letting on, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane who could hold the key to unlocking Clary’s past. (ABC Family/John Medland) KATHERINE MCNAMARA, ALBERTO ROSENDE
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – “The Mortal Cup” – One young woman realizes how dark the city can really be when she learns the truth about her past in the series premiere of “Shadowhunters” on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family is becoming Freeform in January 2016. Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, “Shadowhunters” follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend Simon in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother. Nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke who knows more than he is letting on, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane who could hold the key to unlocking Clary’s past. (ABC Family/John Medland) KATHERINE MCNAMARA, ALBERTO ROSENDE
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – “The Mortal Cup” – One young woman realizes how dark the city can really be when she learns the truth about her past in the series premiere of “Shadowhunters” on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family is becoming Freeform in January 2016. Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, “Shadowhunters” follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend Simon in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother. Nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke who knows more than he is letting on, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane who could hold the key to unlocking Clary’s past. (ABC Family/John Medland) MAXIM ROY, KATHERINE MCNAMARA
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – “The Mortal Cup” – One young woman realizes how dark the city can really be when she learns the truth about her past in the series premiere of “Shadowhunters” on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family is becoming Freeform in January 2016. Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, “Shadowhunters” follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend Simon in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother. Nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke who knows more than he is letting on, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane who could hold the key to unlocking Clary’s past. (ABC Family/John Medland) KATHERINE MCNAMARA, MAXIM ROY
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – “The Mortal Cup” – One young woman realizes how dark the city can really be when she learns the truth about her past in the series premiere of “Shadowhunters” on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family is becoming Freeform in January 2016. Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, “Shadowhunters” follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend Simon in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother. Nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke who knows more than he is letting on, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane who could hold the key to unlocking Clary’s past. (ABC Family/John Medland) KATHERINE MCNAMARA, MAXIM ROY
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – “The Mortal Cup” – One young woman realizes how dark the city can really be when she learns the truth about her past in the series premiere of “Shadowhunters” on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family is becoming Freeform in January 2016. Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, “Shadowhunters” follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend Simon in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother. Nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke who knows more than he is letting on, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane who could hold the key to unlocking Clary’s past. (ABC Family/John Medland) MATTHEW DADDARIO, EMERAUDE TOUBIA
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – ABC Family’s “Shadowhunters” stars Matthew Daddario as Alec Lightwood, Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland, Katherine McNamara as Clary Fray, Alberto Rosende as Simon Lewis and Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood. (ABC Family/Bob D’Amico)
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – ABC Family’s “Shadowhunters” stars Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood, Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland, Katherine McNamara as Clary Fray and Matthew Daddario as Alec Lightwood. (ABC Family/Bob D’Amico)
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – “Dead Man’s Party” – Clary, Jace, Alec and Isabelle must hatch a rescue plan that takes them into the heart of a vampire lair in “Dead Man’s Party,” an all-new episode of “Shadowhunters,” airing Tuesday, January 26th at 9:00 – 10:00 p.m., EST/PST on Freeform, the new name for ABC Family. ABC Family is becoming Freeform on January 12, 2016. (ABC Family/John Medland) ALBERTO ROSENDE, KAITLYN LEEB
-
- SHADOWHUNTERS – “Dead Man’s Party” – Clary, Jace, Alec and Isabelle must hatch a rescue plan that takes them into the heart of a vampire lair in “Dead Man’s Party,” an all-new episode of “Shadowhunters,” airing Tuesday, January 26th at 9:00 – 10:00 p.m., EST/PST on Freeform, the new name for ABC Family. ABC Family is becoming Freeform on January 12, 2016. (ABC Family/John Medland) KATHERINE MCNAMARA, DOMINIC SHERWOOD
Our heroine Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara) just discovered the existence of a secret netherworld and lost her mother Jocelyn (Maxim Roy) on her 18th birthday. It seems she’s part of a secret society and her mother’s enemies are after a mysterious cup that she stole from them when Clary was born. The leader of the cult that Jocelyn betrayed wants it back. By the end of the first episode he finds out Jocelyn had a daughter and you can already tell that the guy is going to end up being Clary’s presumed dead father.
Once Clary goes on the run, she gets recruited by another Demon hunting group that comprises the standard two hotties, because hey, what’s a teen show that doesn’t involve an inevitable love triangle? This time we have the hot, too serious blond guy Jace Wayland (Dominic Sherwood), his fellow hunter the mellow, not so serious brunette guy – Alec Lightwood (Matthew Daddario) and his hot sister Isabelle (Emeraude Toubia) who will probably become the object of Clary’s best friend, a “normal” named Simon’s (Alberto Rosende) affections.
The show has it’s own complex mythology that it’s going to build up. I’ll admit I didn’t understand half of it, but at the end of the day they are still demons, so I don’t need some fancy lexicon to know a demon is a shape-shifter or vampire.
ABC Family/Freeform only made the first episode available for review, but it’s fairly easy to see where a lot of this show is going to go and unless they push the envelop a lot of the building blocks are laid out where you can see the telegraphing from a million miles away. The cast chemistry needs work and people need a chance to grow into their parts but the show moved at a nice clip, the effects where a bit cheesy, but I’m holding out hope that it’ll improve as the season progresses.
My primary issue is the show is on ABC Family and a name change isn’t going to make me forget the fact that the network has an itch trigger finger. I’m leery of investing time in their programming when they don’t give things a chance to find it’s audience. Is this a show that deserves that chance? Despite it’s flaws, I enjoyed it and am prepared to go on the journey.
Final Grade B