Shadowhunters airs on ABC Family tonight with an all new Tuesday January 12, season 1 premiere called “The Mortal Cup,” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, in the series premiere, a woman discovers on her 18th birthday that she comes from a long line of Shadowhunters, human-angel hybrids who hunt demons.
Shadowhunters is based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, “Shadowhunters” follows Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons.
Now thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother is kidnapped, Clary must rely on the mysterious Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters Isabelle and Alec to navigate this new dark world. With her best friend, Simon, in tow, Clary must now live among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves to find answers that could help her find her mother.
On tonight’s episode as per the ABC Family synopsis, “nothing is as it seems, including her close family friend Luke, who knows more than he is letting on, as well as the enigmatic warlock Magnus Bane, who could hold the key to unlocking Clary’s past.”
Tune in to ABC Family at 8PM EST to watch “The Mortal Cup” we’ll also be recapping it all live for you right here. In the meantime head to our comments section and tell us your thoughts on the new show and enjoy the sneak peek down below!
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
#Shadowhunters begins in Brooklyn. We see Alex follow an Asian guy down the street. The guy looks back and Alex leaps up high out of sight onto a ceiling. Isabella is up there in a blonde wig. She puts a rune on her arm with her stele and then follows the guy from on high.
The guy bumps into someone else and shifts into a black dude. Jace watches as the target then bumps a girl and switches to her. Jace, Alec and Alec leap down from above. Jace bumps into Clary and he’s stunned she can see him.
Eight hours earlier, we see a newspaper headline that reads “Demonic Murders.” Clary goes into the Brooklyn Academy of Art. She meets a board of three people. She sits and introduces herself the opens her portfolio.
They ignore the landscape and look at some darker work she did for a graphic novel. Simon sees her looking glum and she says she got in – she was only playing sad. He fist bumps her and she smiles. She says they really liked the drawings for their graphic novel.
Clary says best 18th birthday ever and he says they’re celebrating tonight with Maureen. She says Maureen has the hots for him. She had a biscotti but then it’s gone into a drawing in her sketchpad. She looks at it strangely. Luke meets with some cops about a drained body.
He glares down a police dog and makes it whine. Alaric says it’s the seventh body. Jocelyn calls but he ignores it. The cop asks why he doesn’t marry Jocelyn and he says they’re different. He mentions it’s Clary’s birthday. She says he’s acting like a husband.
Clary goes home and Dot is looking at her Tarot cards. She says the cards tell her she got into the advanced program. She flips a card and we see a cup on the card. Dot hands her a present – it’s a dress. She says her mom is her boss so keep it on the down low.
She asks if Dot is okay and she says she is and go see your mom. She slips a closed sign on the door and shuts it. Clary goes up and her mom is thrilled – she read Simon’s tweet. Her mom hands her a box and says it’s a family heirloom and is called a stele.
Clary says she doodled something like this today and must have seen it before. Her mom says things will change now and they need to have a talk but Clary says she has plans. She runs out and thanks her for the heirloom as she goes. Clary gets changed.
Ten years ago, we see a young Clary playing with a doll by the water. Jocelyn sits nearby. A creature comes out of the water at her and Jocelyn draws a mark on her arm with the stele, goes invisible and kills the creature that threatens Clary.
Jocelyn takes Clary to see Magnus and asks him to protect her. He says it’s not a good idea but Jocelyn says she doesn’t want her to be part of their world and begs him to take her memories. He does.
Now, Jocelyn sits glum when Luke comes in. She shows him Clary’s drawings and says it’s happening. He says they can tell her soon but she says she’ll do it. He says her life is likely in danger. He gives Clary an eight pack of cool spray paint.
He sees Clary has the stele in her pocket. Jocelyn asks her and Simon to come back early but Simon says it’s her birthday. Clary hugs her mom who makes her promise they’ll talk at breakfast. Clary says lovingly – I’m an adult, let go.
They leave and Jocelyn tells Luke he wants her to be a kid one last day. Clary complains to Maureen and Simon how over-protective her mom has been. Clary mentions them having no family and her dad dying before she was born. Simon says he’s closest to family.
Maureen says it’s suspect and her mom could be hiding deep dark secrets but Clary says no way. We see Jocelyn pull a huge sword out of a locked case. Alec tells Isabelle it’s time to go and she has a blonde wig in her hand.
She tells Alex demons dig blondes. He says of course. The hall is busy when they come down and Jace says the demons are draining mundane blood but it’s not vampires. They wonder why they want mundane blood.
He says they need to figure out who the demons are working for – they weapon up. Jace shows them a pic of the target – the Asian guy. Alec wants to get mission approval but Jace and Isabelle are ready to go.
Simon sings – Forever Young – Maureen stares at him obsessed. Later, Clary helps them pack up from the gig. Clary asks about the band name Champagne Enema. He says now they’re Rock Solid Panda. Clary goes to spray paint the van to match.
There’s a club nearby called Pandemonium but lights flash out and it says Demon every now and then. Clary spray a symbol on the van she says just came to her. Jace bumps into Clary and he says – you can see me.
He says she has the Sight. She has no clue. He asks how he can not know who she is and she says it’s a bad line. Alec calls to Jace who rushes off. Neither Maureen or Simon saw him even though she still can.
She says they’re making her feel insane and they ask what was in her latte. She follows Jace and says she’s getting answers. The shapeshifter walks by them done up as a sexy woman. Jace, Isablle and Alec look around the club.
The shapeshifter hands something to someone else and says – more mundane blood for your boss. Simon and Maureen go to the bar while Clary goes looking around. Magnus is there and tells two Circle members they’re not welcome in his club.
He chokes one while the other watches then tells the other to leave. Jace goes into a back room and closes the curtains. Isabelle is with him. She gets on a stage and pulls off her wig. She starts dancing. A couple of men approach.
Clary grabs a guy’s arm who has glowing eyes. Jace grabs the woman and says he heard she was peddling mundane blood. She says he’s outnumbered but he says he likes the odds then whips out his sword. Clary warns the girl and shoves her out of the way.
Jace shoves her out of the way and the girl shifts into something awful. Clary picks up the sword Jace drops and accidentally stabs a guy who vaporizes. Alec, Jace and Isabelle finish off a room of them. Clary goes running.
She bumps into Magnus and says sorry. She has a déjà vu moment but runs past Simon who calls her name. Clary hops into a cab out front and says drive. The two Circle members watch her leave.
Clary tells her mom about the craziness at the club and the vaporizing people. She asks what the tattoos looked like on the guy and then her mom shows her a mark on her own arm. She says she’s been dreading this conversation.
She tells Clary that the protections are wearing off and she needs to know the truth. Dot runs in and says Magnus called – they found you. Jocelyn says it’s time then tells Clary she has to go and says she made someone powerful angry.
She puts a necklace on her and says think of me when you need it. Dot hands her a bottle of goo and says only if you need it. The men coming say to keep Jocelyn alive and find the Mortal Cup. She tells her she loves her and pushes her through a portal that Dot opened.
Clary lands with a thud at the police station. Captain Vargas is there and asks why she’s there so late. She says Luke said he would drive her home. Vargas says it could be a while and Clary says she’ll wait in the lunch room.
The men from The Circle head inside Jocelyn’s place. Dot attacks them and one starts grabbing cups off a store shelf. One grabs Dot and throws her out the window. Jocelyn sets Clary’s room on fire with magic saying she won’t let them find her.
She pulls her sword and goes out to do bottle. She has a bottle of the goo too. She fights the men, stabs one, then knocks down several more. One says hand over the Mortal Cup. She says no way. He says it’s for “him” and she asks if Valentine is still alive.
She says she won’t let Valentine start an army. She says they’ll never get the cup. She drinks from the bottle as the guy screams no. She collapses in a heap. Clary spies and sees Luke talking to a couple of people asking about Jocelyn Fairchild.
They tell him he can keep them if he gives up the cup. He says kill them both, he doesn’t care. He says his people want the cup for themselves. He tells them to get out. Clary is horrified. They used a last name for her mom she doesn’t know. Clary hides then runs out into the rain.
In Chernobyl, we see Valentine lurking. Three of his mean appear. Jocelyn lies in stasis. He says he’s sorry it had to be this way. He says to the men he told them to bring her unharmed. They tell him that she was hiding amongst the mundane like a coward and took a potion.
One says she smells like a mundane and betrayed the Circle. Valentine stabs the guy who screams in agony as his skin bubbles and he froths at the mouth. Clary runs for the house screaming for her mom. She sees blood and everything knocked over.
She screams for her mother and collapses crying. She goes and grabs an ax left in the shop and heads deeper into their place. She looks around and gasps when she sees her room is burned up. She finds Dot who says they took Jocelyn.
She says it was rogue Shadowhunters looking for the Mortal Cup. She asks what that is and Dot asks if her mom ever mentioned a cup and tells Clary to think. Dot morphs into something scary and Clary stabs her. She turns into a beast that comes at her.
Then the creature is stabbed by Jace who comes up behind it. He says – what, no thank you. He says the demon got a piece of her. She says she thought it was Dot. He says it was a shapeshifter. She says the room is swirling and he says it’s venom.
She collapses and he picks her up and carries her out. Clary thinks of her mom as she touches the necklace. She sees her mom with a man. She wakes alarmed and Isabelle is there and she says she’s never seen Jace into a mundane. Clary asks who Jace is.
She says psychos took her mother then they took her. Alec comes in and says no mundanes should come her. He says she’s not mundane and says the stele lit up. He tells Alex to dial it down. Jace says give him a minute.
Alec is annoyed but Isabelle drags him out. Alec says they don’t know her and there’s no such thing as a new Shadowhunter. Isabelle says he doesn’t like the way Jace is looking at her. Alec says they blew the mission to find out who bought the blood.
Jace says her wound is healed and Clary asks if it’s magic. She doesn’t know what he means when he says warlock and Downworlder. Jace says all the rumors are true and Shadowhunters protect the mortal world.
She says she doesn’t want to be in his supernatural fight club and wants to find her mother. She begs him to help her find her and he says he’s the best chance she’s got. Simon calls ranting about her not answering her phone for two days.
He says her find a phone app says she’s in an abandoned church. She sees him and says she’s got to get dressed and will be down in five. He asks if she’s doing meth. Clary asks for her clothes but he says demon venom and says Isabelle left her clothes.
They’re skimpy and Jace says Isabelle is comfortable with her body. There’s a tattoo on her neck and she gets mad. He says it’s a rune and saved her life. He says it has enormous power and says she knows about them and holds up her sketch book. She’s clueless.
He says that makes her very interesting. Jace tells her he saw something behind her friend Simon and pulls a sword as they walk out. She asks why Simon can’t see him and he says a rune makes him invisible to mundanes.
Simon freaks over what she’s wearing and says they need to go home. She says she doesn’t have one. A man is there and says Clary Fairchild. He and Jace get into a violent confrontation and she gasps – Simon can see nothing.
Jace kills him and then Simon can see the body. She asks Jace to deglamoor and he does. Simon is stunned. He asks what’s happening and Jace says get inside. Simon asks if that’s her meth dealer.
Jace says he has to keep her safe and says Simon led the guy there. He says she’s one of them and is a Shadowhunter. Simon says let’s call Luke but she says they can’t trust her. They both pull at Clary.
Valentine’s men tell him they can’t find the cup but tell him about her daughter that looks just like her. Valentine is thrilled. He says he needs the girl.
THE END!
