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‘Shadowhunters’ Recap: Moo Shoo To Go

Trying to speak for all
Shadowhunters fans is a dangerous
thing, but one thing that the
entire fanbase can probably agree on
is that it’s
nice to see the show finally able to keep up its momentum from
week to week.
Episode 4 was a
solid ride from start to finish, and this week’s offering, “Moo
Shoo To Go,”
is no slouch either. New
characters, new relationships, and new
one-liners make this a high week for
just about everyone. No episode
is ever
perfect, and this one has its low moments too, but it has more to
offer than
just really cheap
cocktails.

The highs: Alec and Simon. It’s getting
pretty routine to
see the eldest Shadowhunter claim
the episode with his
tortured gazes and 15,000 layers of meaning behind
every word, but that doesn’t
mean
it needs to stop. Alec’s protector complex and crippling self-doubt is

unique among his siblings, but when
Momma Lightwood blazes onto the scene, it
becomes clear where all that
mental tension is coming from. Viewers
get only a
couple of minutes of Maryse this episode, but her relationship to
each of her
children is
crystal clear from the start. The references to younger brother Max
are a
huge nod to fans of the books, and
give viewers more Lightwood family
drama to look forward to.

Simon
also wins the week, and also not
for
reasons that he’s enjoying. Before and after he delivers the quote of
the
episode, “You may know the
Shadow World, but I know Brooklyn,” Simon gets to
spend more quality time
trading quips with Alec. Jace can,
and has, crushed
Simon with a single word, but Alec won’t stoop to that
level in front of Clary.
Simon
seems equally unwilling to cut Alec as deep, leaving viewers with an

entertaining war of words but none of
the bloodshed. There are a lot of growing
parallels between these two
characters, both in terms of unrequited
love and
seeking to hide who they are, so here’s hoping that means there are
many more
scenes with them
on the horizon.

The lows: Hmm. Usually Luke ends up
here, but
everyone’s favorite werewolf/NYPD
detective actually has a pretty good
week. He gets up from his desk, he
finds Clary, he explains exactly why
he’s
been sitting at his desk for the last 4 ½ episodes, and he earns
himself a brand
new title. Sure, he
ends the episode in a less-than-ideal state of health and
wholeness, but the
man finally wolfs up and acts
like he ought to. He’s still
got a lot of explaining to do, as does second-
in-command and fellow werewolf/

NYPD detective Alaric, but it’s a whole lot easier to hear him when he’s not

hiding behind his
desk.

The actual low is going to have to go to Meliorn.
There’s a lot
going on with the Fairie Knight
this episode, but somehow it
doesn’t quite all jive together. He’s in
mourning for his friends who were

killed at the hands of Valentine’s thugs, he’s deeply distrustful of all

Shadowhunters (even the one he
is sleeping with), and he never gives up
information without exacting his
fee. Despite all this, he willingly
divulges
information to Izzy for the promise of some time together later on,
sans-Jace.
Izzy has already
shown her ability to literally charm the pants off Meliorn, but
he falls
under her spell surprisingly easy
for someone as emotionally-distracted
as he should have been.

Final
verdict: a whole heap of character

development with a dash of foreshadowing is on the menu for tonight.
Previous
episodes burned through
character development and exposition, leaving viewers
with a bad taste in
their mouths. Tonight, though, the
two most interesting
characters finally get the bulk of the screen time. The
supporting plot lines

weren’t thrown away like week-old leftovers, either. A somewhat mercurial

Merliorn is the only weak spot
in the entire hour, and even then it’s not enough
to noticeably slow down
the episode. All in all, “Moo Shoo
To Go” delivers a
tasty treat to viewers.

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