SHADOWHUNTERS: CLARY FRAY TV SHOW CHARACTER.

BEFORE I START: The following character analysis IS NOT MINE. This words belong to a blog i found on Tumblr and I loved so much i decided to share to the people who read mine. All the credit has to be given to - http://tinaliatum.tumblr.com/ so if you want to know more about it, you should definitely follow her on tumblr cause she is amazing, this ARE NOT MY AND I REPEAT NOT MY words, just sharing it. 

Having that clear I thought to make something really fun and that's that every Wednesday is going to be Character Analysis day, while we wait till the show airs, every Wednesday it will be a different character. This is the TV SHOW CHARACTER ANALYSIS, not the book one, and are based on the sides of the TV show. And I decided to start with Clary Fray since she is the main character. I really want more people to get to know this characters and how different they will be from their book characters.

ABC Family's Shadowhunters Character Analysis: Clary Fray.

played by Katherine McNamara.

Clary Fray

Character Summary: First and foremost, she’s a young lady enjoying her mundane life, ticking all the boxes, taking the necessary steps in order to live her dream – yet there’s a part of her that feels as if she is just going through the motions. She is very clearly a movie, manga and game nerd and her quips and mannerisms are very much in-sync with Simon, showing us that the two have been deeply involved in each other’s lives for some time now. She is quick-witted, sarcastic in places, and almost a little self-deprecating. She knows it’s unrealistic, but she wants the fantasy adventure – to be the hero of her own story, to meet the dashing handsome true love who will sweep her and her heart away. Her life is moving along as planned, but she wants more than the mundane life she has.

Upon being thrown into the shadow world, it’s clear she has no clue how to navigate her way through, but she’ll be damned if it slows her down from what she needs to do. She is strong-willed and absolutely no pushover which will prove endearing (to Jace) and infuriating (to everyone else). She is determined to save her mother no matter how many people are telling her it’s too dangerous, and in this aspect she is also naïve. She is, at heart, still a normal human girl, but I believe her inherent human qualities – her vulnerabilities and strengths and sympathies, so different to her Shadowhunter companions – will ultimately shape the way the Shadowhunter world will progress. The fierce determination and compassion that was seen in Clary in latter chapters of City of Glass is a driving point of her show depiction early on. She is determined to save her mother, but she is committed to doing it the right way.

In regards to Simon Lewis: The two are peas in the same pod. There seems to be a deeply ingrained bro-code between the two, especially from her end. Their conversations are so full of pop-culture references that they seem to speak their own language. Very in-tune, on the same wavelength, can read each other like a book. Their bond to her is very familial, and as such, she is oblivious to any other feelings Simon may have.

In regards to Jace Wayland: In her eyes, he’s annoying and stubborn as hell. She doesn’t wait around for him to call the shots, doesn’t put up with his bullshit and generally seems fairly unaffected by the fact that he’s the hot, blonde Shadowhunter boy she will eventually be head-over-heels for. There is a very strong sexual undercurrent between the two, and it is quiet but intense. She acknowledges he’s gorgeous, though she’ll never admit it, and in the moments he isn’t driving her mad with his blatant Jaceness, his proximity seems to light a fire inside of her. The show depiction of Clace is everything I like about them – they both acknowledge the fighter in each other, and when all the innuendos and banter dies away and it’s just the two of them, it’s utterly magnetic. I’m suddenly very excited about this pairing, and I can’t wait to see Dom Sherwood and Kat McNamara play off each other.

In regards to Jocelyn Fairchild: Clary seems to have a nice, friendly relationship with her mother, nothing like her painfully bratty character depiction in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. There is no resentment here –they share common interests, they banter back and forth like mothers and daughters do, and there is a deep trust between the two of them, despite the secrets. Clary very clearly loves and admires her mother, and it shows in her brute determination to get her mother back.

In regards to Magnus Bane: From the first moment she lays eyes on him as a child, Clary is fascinated. Clary sees his soul through his eyes and chooses her words with him carefully in order to better get through to him. She does not view him as a warlock or a downworlder, but as an equal person with a soul and a heart not unlike her own, and it earns her his admiration and protectiveness.

In regards to Isabelle Lightwood: Clary is equal parts envious and terrified of Isabelle. The sides do not allude to a lot between the two, so there isn’t much to go on, though Isabelle does seem to regard Clary like a lab rat in early scenes, as if trying to figure out what all the fuss is about. The two do fall into rhythmic banter that usually frustrates the men around them, so their dynamic so far seems entertaining. I imagine they will grow closer as the story progresses.

In regards to Alec Lightwood: True to City of Bones. Clary realises very fast that Alec does not want her around, so she goes to others for the information she needs. He seems to regard her rather coldly, often ignoring her existence and she’s smart enough that she chooses not to rock the boat further. There is a lot of room for growth here and I’m excited to see what kind of friendship they grow into.

In regards to Luke Garroway: Doting uncle/father figure. Not a lot in the sides to go on, but he’s clearly a dependable presence in her life. I do find it a little frustrating that the writing is quick to make Clary heartbroken when she overhears Luke’s out-of-context, true-to-book, true-to-film comments that he doesn’t care for her or her mother (spoken purely to protect both of the Fray women), especially considering the role he has played in her life so far. Surely if you’d known and loved the guy so long, you’d second guess overhearing that sort of thing. But, in the context of where she’s at mentally in such a confusing part of the show’s plot, such a thing can be forgiven. I think Isaiah Mustafa’s charismatic mix of big soft teddy bear and tough, pack leader will make for a truly handsome depiction of Luke Garroway.

Where ABC Family’s Shadowhunters could take Clary Fray: I painted Clary Fray above as the girl who wants the fantasy adventure. Well, she’s going to get what she wants, and I think it will be more than she can handle. I see Clary needing a breather, wanting her mundane life back when the adventure turns out more death-defying and dangerous than she’d hoped, and it could be what might eventually propel her into Simon’s arms. Every hero must suffer the identity crisis segment of their story, and I don’t think Clary is exempt from that. Plus, it will make for some great Clace angst, so who knows.

Overall Character Grade: A

For me, book Clary was 20% hero, 80% annoying flake. Movie Clary was much, much worse. It seems the show writers have not only flipped both ratios, but have also crafted TV series Clary into a solid independent character that may just take Jace along for the ride instead of the other way around, and I find that extremely promising. From someone who hasn’t been all that impressed with the little girl who stopped a big war so far, the television series rendition of Clary Fray seems to be setting her up as the hero we always wanted but never got.