I wrote
about Shadowhunters a while back when
I did an Asexual Sighting on Raphael.
While it’s very much a teen supernatural show, with all manner of
silliness and romantic angst, there are still some reasons beyond Raphael that
I enjoy watching it, and Magnus is definitely the biggest one (some
Magnus-related spoilers.)
Part of
the “Downworld,” an underground society comprised of people with mixed
human/demon heritage, Magnus is a warlock.
He’s been around the block many
times, as he’s an immortal – I believe he’s currently over 600 years
old(?) This means he’s worldly, with
knowledge and experience of most things civilization has to offer. He’s rubbed elbows (and often more) with
plenty of famous people from history, he has an extensive list of Downworld
contacts that he can sometimes persuade to help the Shadowhunters in a pinch,
and he carries himself with the self-assured air of a man who’s seen and done
it all.
Being a
warlock, naturally, he has magical powers, and he makes a living mixing potions
and performing spells for hire. Over the
seasons, his personal ties have aligned him much more closely with the
Shadowhunters, but this was initially how he associated with the other main
characters – freelance magic. The New
York Institute would bring him in to open the odd portal, perform a protection
spell, or provide some magical intel, knowing all the while that he extended
the same services to vampires, werewolves, and the like for a similar fee. And like any of the “good” Downworlder
characters, Magnus does continue to have a foot in both sides of the Shadow
World, which definitely complicates things.
He’s no stranger to having both his intentions and his loyalties
questioned, whether it’s a Shadowhunter doubting his trustworthiness or a
fellow warlock accusing him of turning his back on his own kind.
Now, I
don’t want to say all this is entirely
undeserved – Magnus his more than his share of secrets, and while, on the
whole, he works to bridge the gap between Shadowhunters and Downworlders, there
are times when he sneaks around on one group or the other – but it is
interesting, given how generally open Magnus is. Despite these aforementioned secrets, Magnus
is usually a wear-his-heart-on-his-sleeve type in his interactions with others,
incredibly frank in his affections and loyalties. This is in part to make him a foil for his
main love interest Alec, who begins the series very tight-lipped about his
inner feelings, and probably in part a byproduct of “flirty bisexual” tropes
(Magnus is no Captain Jack Harkness or Oberyn Martell, but he isn’t the least bit shy about flirting.)
But I’m
getting away from the point I started to make, which is that the people Magnus
loves, romantically or otherwise, very definitely know how much he cares about
them. I really enjoy his relationship
with Alec, a fan-favorite ship on the show, but to be honest, I like seeing all
of Magnus’s close relationships. Whenever
he’s interacting with Clary, or Izzy, or Raphael, he just radiates this warmth
and care that’s so honest and wholehearted.
As an immortal, his relationships with mortals, to him, are always
fleeting, but that doesn’t make him any less attached to them for those brief
stretches when their lives intertwine with his.
Finally,
the warlock needs props for his style. I
love Magnus’s flair and sophistication, his eyeliner and jewelry, the
flourishes with which he performs spells.
I like that he’s both effortlessly cool and mildly feminine (without any
suggestion that it makes him less formidable when he gets his magic on,) and I
appreciate that Alec loves that about him.
It’s so great to see.
No comments:
Post a Comment