Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 19 Review: Hail and Farewell
Justin Carreiro
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The Seelie Queen might be a royal pain to some, but she is on fire!
Her royal highness made her intentions clear on Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 19. She wants change. However, that change could come with the cost of war.
The Seelie Queen has been mysterious for a while now. She's usually coy and subtle about her objectives; however, she came right out with her demands on "Hail and Farewell."
When she assumed the vocal leadership for the Downworlder faction, it was obvious she's been planning this for a while. In fact, she could've been Kayleigh's accomplice in attacking the Shadowhunters on Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 13. Every little move to get the bigger prize.
Poor Raphael, Luke, and Magnus. They're caught between a rock and hard place.
Aligning with the Seelie Queen shows unity between the Downworld, and she isn't wrong in saying they need to stand together. However, giving up the power must hurt. They don't want to be fully against the Shadowhunters.
Seelie Queen: For far too long, the Downworld has depended on the Clave, and your Institute, to protect us from men like Valentine. It's time we learned our lesson and started fighting for ourselves.
Alec: We can't do this alone. Valentine is a threat to all of us.
Seelie Queen: The answer, Shadowhunters, is no.
Why is the Seelie Queen so obsessed with Simon?
Sure, he's cute and has a fun, dorky personality to him, but this is a strange one. She wants him bad. Enough so that she turned into an adult version of herself to meet him (played by Modern Family's Sarah Hyland).
There must be another reason why instead of just having a crush on him. The Daylighter aspect could come into play in this.
Simon: You don't want things to end well, do you? You want war?
Seelie Queen: I want change. And you, Daylighter. Join me in my court, give me what I ask, and I'll grant you whatever your heart desires.
Simon: Thanks, but no thanks, your Highness.
[He starts to leave]
Seelie Queen: You've refused me twice now. No one in my very long life has ever dared do such a thing.
Simon: Well, considering you're trying to get vampires, warlocks and werewolves to play nice, might wanna get used to some rejection.
Side-note: Is it weird that I found the child version of the Seelie Queen more authoritative than the adult version?
Sure, Sarah Hyland did a good job with the British accent and tried to exude the same aristocratic confidence the child version had. Though, something seemed a tad off.
This may be due to the "creepy child" trope. (I blame my love of horror movies.)
Valentine is a terrible father/leader. He only cares about himself and getting what he wants. Jonathan is no exception.
Jonathan is so determined to get his father's approval that he's going against his better judgment. He should know better than to follow the man who sent him to Edom. It's only led him into a never-ending battle.
It would've been amazing if Clary had gotten the chance to turn her brother to the side of good.
There was a question that's been stuck in my brain for the most of "Hail and Farewell": How did Valentine discover the real identity of the Mortal Mirror?
This isn't to say how it happened; he got it from a source within the Clave/Institute who told him the truth. The nagging was surrounding the "how." How did this source get the information?!
Alec and team told the Inquisitor that only a few people knew of the Mortal Mirror's true location. Chances are Alec kept it hidden to only a choice few, particularly the core four (Alec, Jace, Izzy, and Clary) and very select Clave higher-ups (like the Inquisitor). So, who was this all-knowing person who found and then spilled the beans?
Did they overhear the information? Was it someone we've seen before? These open-ended, quick fixes are lazy solutions to push the plot. It's a bit of a plot hole.
On the other hand, as Lucy Lawless once famously said, we could shrug this off and just go with "a wizard did it."
The reunion between Isabelle and Raphael was so heartbreaking. Emotions were strong with this scene. And having it paired with the perfect choice of background music hit me right in the heart.
It's a shame these two can't make it work, but after everything that happened, it's best they're not together.
Both have grown since Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 10. Raphael is more of a leader, and Isabelle is more confident and stronger as a person. I love when character development works positively for the characters after a break-up.
Raphael: I'm truly sorry for everything. Our worlds turn against each other...it's not quite how I pictured our paths would cross again.
Isabelle: How did you picture it?
Raphael: I made a mistake, Isabelle. And whatever there is between us, it's not just about craving each other's blood.
Isabelle: I know...I know.
Raphael: Well, if there's any good at being at the brink of war, it's being able to stand in front of you.
Speaking of growth, Maia has grown a lot since her introduction on Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 1. She's not just the cool bartender anymore. (But she's still always cool.)
Kudos to the development of becoming the top Beta of the pack. She's clearly strong enough and has been the most level-headed for a while now. Except, of course, the time she tried to kill Clary on Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 9. That judgment was a tad dangerous...
Luke and the pack trusts her. That's all that matters.
Maia: Greek alphabet, huh. Who knew dating a college boy would come in handy?
Simon: Oh no...
Maia: What...was it the word "dating"?
Simon: No, no, it was the word "college". I mean, I haven't been in school in forever. Classes started a week ago and my mom already paid the meal plan, and I don't eat anymore so she's out like three grand. And then...wait...are we dating?
Maia: Would that be a bad thing?
Simon: No. I just, things like going to class and boyfriend/girlfriend, they feel very...
Maia: Mundane.
Simon: Yeah.
Maia: Considering how insane everything's been...
Simon: We should just stick with, "I like you and you like me."
Maia: But what if I "like" like you?
Simon and Maia actually defined the relationship. And successfully, I might add.
Their "dating" state isn't perfect (no relationship is), but they're heading in a healthy direction. These two characters complement each other. Hopefully, they're able to get over the Clary and Seelie Queen hurdle.
Simon needs to save Maia before the Seelie Queen does something to hurt her. It's clear she wants to be with him. And from seeing what she's done in the past, she'll do anything to get what she wants.
Why didn't Clary and Jace kiss during the rune-lighting scene? The moment was so perfect, and you could feel the chemistry between them.
I loved how visually the lighting scene came together. The slow-motion of the editing, the runes lighting up and the intimacy shared between the actors make this one of Shadowhunters' most memorable and best scenes. This is a treat for the Clary and Jace shippers.
Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 19 is probably the first time, in a REALLY LONG TIME, that Clary and Jace just explored their feelings with no barriers. And it came with the payoff of their kiss during the recovery scene. Finally!
Sure, the brother/sister storyline took up half the series, and Clary's relationship with Simon held things up. However, even before then the flirtation was minimal. It took two seasons, but they can finally be together.
I LOVED the battle against the Forsaken. It had a great mix of fighting choreography and monster design.
There was always a curiosity of what would happen to a Mundane if they wore a rune. We got that answer.
The creatures looked terrifying! This strange demonic hybrid between vampire, zombie, and demon; it felt like something out of The Strain on FX. Shadowhunters delivered, yet again, on a darker side to their demons.
Jonathan is dead. I'm sad.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy the team defeated a dangerous monster, and we witnessed a great fight scene on the bridge with Jonathan, Jace, and Isabelle. However, it's bittersweet to lose Will Tudor. (I will accept any GIFs as condolences.)
The character of Jonathan has been a great addition. He was complex, had depth, and he was always emotionally conflicted with his many relationships. It's sad to lose both, but that's the break in the world of villainy.
Villains don't last long.
Jace: You care to find out who's the best J.C. once and for all?
[They arm their weapons]
Jonathan: It would be my absolute delight.
[They begin fighting]
What could Valentine have said to the Seelie Queen that convinced her to help him?
It must've been something to do with the wish. She wants something that is mutually beneficially for Valentine as well. This could be dangerous for our heroes if they get the Mortal Instruments together.
That is, of course, Valentine doesn't betray her. This sounds like something he would do. It is his nature, after all.
What did you think of "Hail and Farewell"? Is this truly the end of Jonathan? Will Valentine reunite the Mortal Instruments?
If you missed the latest episode of Shadowhunters, you can watch Shadowhunters online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and let us know what you think.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
