MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE SHADOWHUNTERS‘ SERIES FINALE
Just over a month ago, the Freeform adaptation of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters, came to an unfortunate end after only three seasons.
Despite the cancellation, Shadowhunter fans were promised closure with a planned 2-hour ending to the series. Thankfully, the writers delivered, particularly with the exquisitely romantic (if somewhat bittersweet) ending between Clary and Jace.
The Shadowhunters finale gave us romantic payoffs, emotional conversations between friends (anyone else super disappointed that Izzy and Clary never got to be parabatai?), the Malec wedding, and an epic angel standoff between brother and sister.
But what about Clary and Jace? Despite their eternal devotion, would the angels give them a happy ending?
The Build Up: Clary and Jace
“I love you.”
JACE HERONDALE AND CLARY FRAY
“Until the day I die. And after that.”
Over the years, Clary and Jace persevered through terrible obstacle after obstacle. Destiny and fate just seemed to be against these two. They even thought they were brother and sister at one point in the series…
Still, through every trial and every loss, Clary and Jace’s love stood strong. Their feelings would never falter no matter what fate had in store.
Then, near the end of our story, Clary’s mother returns as an angel to warn Clary the angels weren’t happy with her ability to create runes, runes Clary made to save her friends from Edom.
She promised Clary that if she creates one more rune, the angels would take her gifts from her. Just one more time would end everything for Clary. Her runes are against the natural order after all.
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At the same time, Clary’s brother Jonathan, now a dark demon with black angelic wings, goes on a killing spree throughout the Shadowhunter Institutes around the world. Mundanes and Shadowhunters alike die at his hand. The only person who could stop Jonathan was Clary.
Therefore, she has a terrible dilemma: lose her Shadowhunter memories and friends by making a rune or else everyone would die at her brother’s hand. It was no choice at all. Clary sacrifices everything to save her friends.
So, she portals to her brother’s location and tells him that she loves him. With one last hug for a brother destroyed by his upbringing, Clary draws one last rune. She knows her love for Jace and her friends would soon disappear from her memories forever.
In the rune, Clary creates white angel wings and uses her lightness to suffocate her brother’s darkness for good.
With the world saved, Clary tells no one of her secret choice to go against the angels. It’s only a matter of time before everything in the Shadow World becomes lost and unseen.
The Romantic Moment: Clary and Jace Fight Their Fate
“Do you think the angels are capable of forgiveness?”
CLARY Fray
Soon after, Clary attends Magnus and Alec’s wedding as gradually each rune disappears from her body. Her life slips away with each rune. But she has time for one last dance with Jace. He tells Clary how important she is to him as she quietly cries.
“You know, being at this wedding, it’s made me think I was brought up to believe I had to be perfect. The perfect warrior, the perfect soldier, the perfect son. Even when I came to live with the Lightwoods, I believed that if I wasn’t perfect, they’d send me away. I didn’t think anyone could love me unconditionally, no matter what mistakes I made. And then you showed up, and you broke everything I believed into pieces.”
– Jace
“I’m sorry,” Clary says touching his face.
“Well, don’t be. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Clary Fairchild.” But Clary has a speech to make of her own. One last chance to tell Jace how much she loves him. In a way, she’s also saying goodbye.
“Every single cell in my body loves you. And when those cells die and new ones are born, those cells love you even more. So, Jace, no matter what happens, my love for you will never die.”
– Clary Fray
She tells Jace she loves him, kisses him, and walks away for the last time. The runes disappear and when the last one is gone, she can’t remember why she’s crying. The New York Institute, her friends, and Jace are lost to her.
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Meanwhile, Jace finds her goodbye letter:
“By the time you read this letter, my memories of you and the Shadow World will be gone. It was the price the angels made me pay for the runes I’ve created. But I have no regrets. Even if I don’t remember you, you will always be in my heart.”
– Clary
Do Clary and Jace End Up Together?
One year later, everyone but Jace has moved on. He watches Clary from the shadows knowing she can’t see or remember him.
“You know, I pray every day every day to the angels that they will see that our love is stronger than their spite.”
JACE
Jace can’t walk away because there will never be anyone else. So, he attends her art show at the Brooklyn Academy of Art and stares at her from across the room. This time, she looks clearly back at Jace even though he’s glamoured.
“You can see me?” He asks Clary in surprise, their ending circling back to their very beginning when Clary first saw him in a club.
“Yeah, of course, I can see you,” Clary says. In shock, Jace walks out of the building but Clary isn’t far behind. Even though she can’t quite remember, her feelings for Jace are stronger than her punishment. She’s fighting her fate.
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“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Clary asks him. “No, I don’t think so,” Jace says thinking that he could hurt Clary more if he goes against the angels.
Nevertheless, Clary definitely remembers him. “You’re Jace, right?” Jace smiles, realizing their love really was stronger than spite.
“Yeah, I’m Jace,” He says.
“I’m Clary.” Plus, she has one last question: “What are these tattoos on your neck?”
They smile at one another as the camera pans up to the sky.
Did the angels forgive Clary or did they just fight their fate through their endless love for one another?
It’s a beautiful way to end their love story by starting once more at the beginning, proving that no matter the obstacle, the love between Clary and Jace would never die.
What are your thoughts on the ending of The Shadowhunters? Did you love the romantic ending between Jace and Clary or did you wish Clary Fairchild never lost her memories in the first place? Sound off below…
Photo Credits: Freeform
damn did they bastardize that book series
I wish clary didn’t lose her memories in the first place.