Shadowhunters is a TV series following the story of Clary Fray, an 18-year-old art student from Brooklyn. On her 18th birthday, her life gets flipped upside down as her mother gets kidnapped, and Clary finds out that she is a shadowhunter–a human-angel hybrid–who hunt demons. Disoriented, Clary begins her journey to discover who she really is.
Based off of the bestselling series “The Mortal Instruments” by Cassandra Clare, the show has been highly anticipated since it was announced in 2015. The book series is filled with twists and turns and keeps readers on their toes, and many hoped to see the same from the TV show. Unfortunately, the first few episodes discouraged many fans. The actors seem to have been chosen for appearance rather than skill, and the dialogue is clunky and awkward. Time skips and scene changes don’t flow, leaving the viewer confused and frustrated rather than captivated.
After the first season, the show’s plot is a little more coherent, and the dialogue flows more smoothly. The characters are easier to follow, and the show overall improves significantly. However, the show still lacks several key elements–the actors seem awkward and don’t deliver their lines very smoothly, which can sometimes ruin the intended drama of the story. The special effects and use of props slowly improve, but still look a bit cheesy and often overdone.
Overall, Shadowhunters was disappointing. Despite starting out with a solid storyline and a sprawling fan base, the first season was weak at best. Although it does pick up slowly it’s difficult to get through the dense first season. Even after, the show has a long way to go.