(Now, let’s be clear. This is a guilty pleasure like The Bachelor. It is not quality content that will make you a better person. Binge Sweetbitter for better TV.)
#4: Fans of the Shadowhunters book series will love the first two seasons
I’m a full Shadowhunters junkie when it comes to the books. I loved the Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices series (my fave), and her newer Dark Artifices series which are all part of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter universe. I saw the terrible movie starring Lily Collins and I’ve watched the TV show since its inception. It’s not perfect but the TV series is way better than the disastrous movie.
Better cast. By the angel, this is a huge upgrade from the movie. Some of my personal favorites are Simon, Magnus, Alec, and Maia. Katherine McNamara plays a decent Clary and Dominic Sherwood is an improvement over Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace. But that isn’t sayn’ much. Jamie was a terrible awful Jace. Dominic plays Jace a touch too meathead for my taste and I want to smack his duck face in almost every scene. I don’t know why these actors can’t get Jace right, but they can’t. Ironically, Dominic plays his best Jace in the third season. He finally found the right balance of tortured intellectual badass, only to be canceled six episodes later.
The series follows the first three books pretty well. They take a few liberties but the first two seasons follow right along with the books. So if you want to see the series come to life, binge it.
The production value increases with each season. They really hit their stride in season two. Better weapons (we will not speak of the cheesy swords and demons in season one), better acting, and better chemistry between the cast. Approved.
#3: There’s man candy for all
My girls and I often argue who’s the hottest guy on Shadowhunters. And it can vary from episode to episode. There’s a lot to choose from in every flavor. (Seriously, I’m really giving you 8 good reasons to watch the show.)
You’ve got the intellectual, Simon:
The gay best friend, Alec:
The father-figure werewolf, Luke:
The misunderstood vampire, Raphael:
The tortured badass, Jace:
The villainous brother, Jonathan:
The kill’n it as a warlock, Magnus:
And the ex-boyfriend werewolf, Jordon:
Who would you pick? I loooove Magnus (he’s my favorite character on the show) but Alec and Jordon are tough to beat.
#2: The unintentional humor on Shadowhunters abounds.
Like Riverdale, there are many unintended laugh-out-loud moments. They can’t help it if the writing, demons, swords, over-acting villains, or situational drama is funny. It just is. It’s a big hat—it’s funny.
So if you like watching and laughing at shows that take themselves too seriously, Shadowhunters is golden.
The third season is particularly funny. Like the episode where Simon gets the Mark of Cain removed and his vampire bite sucks on Isabel’s wrist like a nursing baby. It’s cringy hilarious.
#1 (the biggest reason and sometimes the only reason): The music on Shadowhunters is definitely my vibe.
Seriously, I’m mostly watching season three just for the soundtrack. Yeah, that’s normal. Don’t judge it till you binge it. Whoever they hired for sound is a music maven. Not all the songs are winners, but I’ve scooped some of the best alternative/indie bands from watching the show. Shadowhunters played Dizzy’s Arcadia six months before their debut album released. (It was a small torture waiting for Dizzy’s album to drop.) I owe some of my favorite bands right now to Shadowhunters:
Jome
Dizzy
Nova Amor
Billie Eilish (before everyone else)
And Freeform knows the soundtrack is great because they have a Spotify playlist on their website. So I could probably just follow this instead of season three. But I’ve gotta see how this train wreck ends.
