Shadowhunters has never been a show that has closely stuck to its source material, the book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Yet the most recent episode, “Day of Wrath,” took the biggest departure from the books yet. Though Jocelyn Fray survives the entire book series, Shadowhunters killed her off in “Day of Wrath.” TV Guide sat down with actress Katherine McNamara, who plays main character Clary Fray, and Shadowhunters showrunners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer to talk about the twist.
Shadowhunters Recap: A Shocking Twist Leaves Clary in Mourning>>> Katherine McNamara expresses what a lot of Shadowhunters fans are probably feeling about Jocelyn’s death. “Right at the point where Clary and Jocelyn have finally settled everything and they’re starting to reconnect and they’re finally starting to form a real relationship, Jocelyn dies,” McNamara explains, recapping the events of “Day of Wrath.”
McNamara goes on to explain her reaction to finding out her on-screen mother was going to be killed off. “When I first read the script where Jocelyn is killed, I was in shock. I had no idea. I didn’t see it coming,” Katherine explained. “It took me a minute to understand why.”
Katherine says that the show, cast and crew will miss Jocelyn and her actress. McNamara does seem to have a more positive outlook on the death after processing it. “I hope fans will see this as a beneficial element to the story,” Katherine said of the twist.
Shadowhunters Interviews: Cast, EPs and Author on New Sets and Characters and Honoring the Books>>>
“We have always made changes from the books and that’s what keeps our show exciting,” Katherine McNamara added. “It is what keeps it interesting. It is what keeps people guessing and what’s so great about this new perspective on the show is it allows people to experience these characters and the story in a new way.”
Showrunner Todd Slavkin explained the big change by saying, “In order for Clary to grow she has to face a lot of adversity in her life and that’s what the human condition is all about.”
“We’re shaking things up,” Slavkin continued. “Don’t worry, the show is still going to be the same, your beloved characters are still going to be there but at the same time people have to pass for our characters to move forward.”
So what do you think of the twist? Is it the right move for Shadowhunters to kill Jocelyn off? How do you think the show handled the character’s death? Did Jocelyn need to die for Clary to grow and evolve as a character?
Shadowhunters season 2 airs Mondays at 8/7c on Freeform. Want more news? Like BuddyTV’s Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of Freeform)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
