Shadowhunters: Season 1- Episode 1 | Review

Shadowhunters' pilot makes an average impression and calls into question the sense of watching this production. Rather for fans of Cassandra Clare's work.

Angel's Gifts is a popular series (started with the novel City of Bones) by Cassandy Clare, intended primarily for teenagers. The cinematic The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones 1 volume from 2013 did not collect the best reviews, but it did not discourage the creators - it was decided to restart and present this story from the beginning in the form of a series entitled Shadowhunters.

The series is about Clary Frey, who discovers on her 18th birthday that there is a magical world in which Shadowhunters are the guardians of people from demons and hostile forces. Her world collapses instantly, and a mysterious past and supernatural abilities are just being born. How does this happen? The pilot's viewers will find out. It is true that the way the plot is run is a bit chaotic (probably to reflect the feeling of being lost), but even people unfamiliar with the literary prototype should understand what and how at the end of the episode.

Shadowhunters' storyline is generally in line with Clare's novels so far. Of course, there have been a few shifts in chronology, Shadowhunter adversaries (they're obviously kitschy and dark) have been shown, some scenes have been added and some plots expanded. The first glance at the Institute, i.e. the Hunters' seat, may also surprise readers. However, the writers have not made any major plot changes so far.

In the pilot, a lot of time was spent on introducing key characters and introducing basic threads. The first information about the nature of the magical world was also revealed. This comes at the cost of dynamic action, although at least two fight scenes have been included in the episode. It seems that the creators wanted to squeeze too much into those 40 minutes - as a result, it is not particularly interesting, and the viewer is not able to get a clear view of the situation.

What else does the new series Freeform bring (former ABC Family, which, among others, because of this production changed its name to less associated with family cinema)? Honestly - not much good. First of all, the acting is mediocre: the actors were chosen for their beauty, not their skills. Added to this is poor fight choreography and some scenes directing, as well as kitschy special effects. It makes it funny sometimes when it's going to be dramatic. The scenography, which may not be very original, but harmonizes well with the atmosphere of Shadowhunters, can be considered a subtle plus.

Despite the negative assessment of the pilot, it is not possible to clearly exclude this production or state whether it is aimed at fans of Cassandra Clare's novel, or whether it will be appreciated by a wider audience. The first impression rather indicates the first group, but the authors' statements and announcements of the next episodes suggest that maybe it will actually be a bit darker and more interesting than in the books.

Nevertheless, there is nothing to cheat - it will rather be nothing more than a youth fantasy production, in which the most important role is played by pretty faces and possibly complicated romances between the characters. Already in the premiere episode, several possible relationships were outlined, and yet some important characters appeared only for a moment.