The Shadowhunters' two-hour long finale gave fans everything they wanted with nostalgic references to earlier seasons, action-packed bad-ass fight sequences and the marriage and first kisses of long-awaited couples.
The announcement of the show’s cancellation a while back was welcomed by some viewers as people went to Twitter to talk of the terrible acting and questionable changes made to the storyline when adapting the books. However, now that the show has landed its conclusion, I and no doubt many others feel a bittersweet sadness toward the cancellation of a series that will most definitely be missed.
But the finale made sure that in every way, fans would be satisfied. Old enemies returned, wedding bells were ringing and characters we thought would end up with their happy ending went through hell and back, literally and figuratively, to save their loved ones. The finale managed to bring in some of the best moment from Cassandra Clare’s series that book fans were delighted about while also changing moments that surprisingly brought more heartbreak than expected.
So, what were some of the best bits of the finale? Firstly, we finally have Sizzy. What an epic first kiss and most definitely worth the wait. Although I have to say I will be sad to not see this relationship develop, but I guess that’s what the books are for.
Then there was the marriage of Malec, which after the first failed wedding of Alec had high expectations to live up to and it most definitely ticked all the boxes for me. Alec and Magnus deserved the happy ending they got and it was beautiful to watch them grow as people and in their careers at the end of the episode.
As for the plot, the introduction of the binding rune between the Downworlders and Shadowhunters and the little trip to Edom was very exciting to watch. If anything, I wanted more but it played tribute to the books and watching Alec attempt to wield magic was extremely entertaining.
Finally, I did not expect Clary to be the one to lose her memories and although I hate Katherine McNamara’s acting in the show, it was heart-breaking to watch her lose her runes and the new family she had made.
The main criticism I have regarding the conclusion of the finale is that it almost felt like because the show wasn’t expecting the cancellation, they tried to ram too much into the two hours. As a result, it felt over-packed and messy in parts. Yet, still, I will miss watching Malec and Sizzy clichéd romance and maybe, even the plot although the bad acting will not be missed.