I've been a fan of the books years before the TV show started, so I had high expectations. But I also saw enough book to TV adaptations to know what expectations were realistic. Did Shadowhunters blow me away? No, but it did manage to pull me in, very slowly. The show begins with a lot of potential but also with a lot of issues. It's cheesy, the acting was a bit off for some of the actors, it doesn't have the best special effects and the script lacks here and there. And yet I didn't give up on it and I'm so glad I didn't.
While season 1 certainly has it's issues, the show also proved that it keeps evolving. It keeps getting better. And when you see the progression they made from the first episode to the finale, you can be sure that this show will deliver once it returns for season 2.
Compared to other book to TV adaptations, Shadowhunters stayed very loyal. They stay true to most of the characters and the story, they just told it in a different way so that even book fans can be surprised, which is a good thing in my opinion. The first few books are (mostly) from Clary her point of view, so I was very happy to see characters that I love get more attention. To give an example: the show made us part of Simon his journey to becoming a vampire every step of the way, we got to delve deeper into the Lightwood family dynamic and the parabatai bond between Jace and Alec. But mostly, we were part of Malec (Magnus & Alec) their love story from the first time they saw each other to their first kiss. The episode of the same name – 1x12: Malec - is probably one of the strongest they did.
There is a great balance between the books and the TV show; some things I like better in the books, other things in the show. Which makes both enjoyable for different reasons.
In a lot of ways Shadowhunters reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Maybe people won't remember this but Buffy didn't have a great start. Season 1 was cringeworthy and it needed time to find it voice, and it did. There is a reason why Buffy was the pioneer of this genre. I feel the same way with Shadowhunters, not that it will ever get the same impact as Buffy had, but that it needed a bit of time to find its strength.
Cassandra Clare created a wonderful world, where the characters and their relationship are the beating heart and the show was able to bring this to life. And mostly, Shadowhunters is fun. It has a great sense of humor and likable characters.
I wish people wouldn't have rated the entire series based on the pilot alone. Hopefully people will give it a chance. Just binge-watch season 1 and by the end of it, I'm sure you're gonne wanne see what happens in season 2. If the books are any indication it's gonne be one hell of a roller-coaster.
While season 1 certainly has it's issues, the show also proved that it keeps evolving. It keeps getting better. And when you see the progression they made from the first episode to the finale, you can be sure that this show will deliver once it returns for season 2.
Compared to other book to TV adaptations, Shadowhunters stayed very loyal. They stay true to most of the characters and the story, they just told it in a different way so that even book fans can be surprised, which is a good thing in my opinion. The first few books are (mostly) from Clary her point of view, so I was very happy to see characters that I love get more attention. To give an example: the show made us part of Simon his journey to becoming a vampire every step of the way, we got to delve deeper into the Lightwood family dynamic and the parabatai bond between Jace and Alec. But mostly, we were part of Malec (Magnus & Alec) their love story from the first time they saw each other to their first kiss. The episode of the same name – 1x12: Malec - is probably one of the strongest they did.
There is a great balance between the books and the TV show; some things I like better in the books, other things in the show. Which makes both enjoyable for different reasons.
In a lot of ways Shadowhunters reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Maybe people won't remember this but Buffy didn't have a great start. Season 1 was cringeworthy and it needed time to find it voice, and it did. There is a reason why Buffy was the pioneer of this genre. I feel the same way with Shadowhunters, not that it will ever get the same impact as Buffy had, but that it needed a bit of time to find its strength.
Cassandra Clare created a wonderful world, where the characters and their relationship are the beating heart and the show was able to bring this to life. And mostly, Shadowhunters is fun. It has a great sense of humor and likable characters.
I wish people wouldn't have rated the entire series based on the pilot alone. Hopefully people will give it a chance. Just binge-watch season 1 and by the end of it, I'm sure you're gonne wanne see what happens in season 2. If the books are any indication it's gonne be one hell of a roller-coaster.