SHADOWHUNTERS: ALEC LIGHTWOOD 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 it so much I decided to share it 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 AND I REPEAT NOT MY words, just sharing it.

This is the TV SHOW CHARACTER ANALYSIS, not the book one, and are based on the sides of the TV show. Today we are going to be analizing my personal favorite and super awkward ball of sunshine yet amazing and badass shadowhunter Alec Lightwood. Remember every Wednesday is a new character!

ABC Family's Shadowhunters Character Analysis: Alec Lightwood

played by Matthew Daddario.

Alec Lightwood

Character Summary: Firstly, may I just say, that ageing-up the characters was the best idea the show staff could have had. Making Alec older actually fits his character dynamic better, and it adds years of frustration and resentment at having to grow up before his time into the grumpy, stern and unhappy young man that he is. He has to play big brother, mentor, parent, soldier and obeying son all at once, and he has such high, unrealistic and unreachable expectations imposed on him to live up to that it makes for a very miserable Alec Lightwood. As a Shadowhunter, he holds no purpose greater than the covenant of his people and the protection of those under his authority, though doing so is a daily struggle. Life as he knows it seems to be a crumbling mess, and he carries the responsibility of holding it all together. Everyone around him seems to be living their own lives, fulfilling their own desires while he is left to pick up the pieces. And he is not without his own issues – he feels unimportant to those he loves, his body wants what his covenant won’t allow and he must follow orders for the sake of his family at the expense of his own inner peace. Alec Lightwood is a very selfless character who puts the wants and needs of those around him before his own, no matter how detrimental it is to his own well-being. He adheres to the strict rules of the codex but bends the rules to protect the people he loves. An extremely self-deprecating, caring, lonely and unfulfilled soul just trying his best to hold everybody’s shit together – watching him come undone may be the highlight of the series.

In regards to Clary Fray: Kill it, kill it with fire. Not only is the mundane one more problem he has to deal with, but she holds the attention of his parabatai when Alec needs him most. She’s changing things and shifting the group dynamic and he wants her far, far away from them, but his desire to remove her are pushed to the backburner in place of following orders. There is an interesting hint of Alec defending her, in the vein of ‘who are we to tell her what to do?’ but it’s probably more to get Jace to leave her alone. Pretty sure he would throw her out a window if he was allowed.

In regards to Jace Wayland: Alec loves Jace deeply, and I find it far more satisfying that there seems to be no hints of romance involved – instead it feels more along the lines of that ‘us against the world’ ideal, as well as his fear that his parabatai may one day renege on their commitment to each other. His emotional dependency on Jace is rooted in his need for stability outside his family unit. There seems to be a solid history of being able to depend on him, and they both hold their parabatai bond absolute, but Jace becomes increasingly emotionally unavailable after Clary enters their world. He recites the same promises he’s always made to Alec, but his focus is diverted to Clary and her situation, and Alec realises his golden years of being Jace’s main focus are over. As the pressure of Alec’s world implodes, this may cause him to pull away and look elsewhere for the support he needs, which may prove detrimental to their relationship but ultimately necessary for Alec’s personal growth. As stated in Jace’s character analysis, I do see the foundations of an epic bromance here.

In regards to Isabelle Lightwood: An unconditional bond of love and acceptance. He worries about her choices outside of the mission and is probably also very envious that she does what she wants, when she wants.  He depends on her as an outlet for his frustrations, though he would never burden her with his problems, so instead he deflects away from his own issues by attacking her choice of clothes, her choice of sexual partners and by giving her the general ‘you have a job to do’ spiel. Theirs is a strong dynamic, however, as he is blessed with a sister who understands what he can’t bring himself to say. He is incredibly protective of her, almost fathering. He’d rather she remain by his side, safe and sound.

In regards to Magnus Bane: Malec fans are in for a treat. There isn’t much to go on, but their small interactions on the script sides are heavy with promise. Alec learns of Magnus before meeting him, and seems very intent as he absorbs what information he can, looking over photos of him with interest. Alec narrowly saves Magnus’ life early on, which puts Alec at an advantage within their dynamic – this of course immediately flips the first time Magnus flirts in his direction, and it may be the first time we see Alec crack out of his usual, burdened, stoic characterisation and into the delightfully embarrassed, flustered and intrigued boy we all know and adore. He is affected by Magnus in such a way that even talking about him renders Alec into a word-vomitty mess. I think Magnus will prove enough of a temptation that Alec may finally start breaking away from the restrictions and responsibilities of his Shadowhunter duties, and I believe when he gets around to finally fulfilling his own wants and needs, as all forbidden loves are, it will prove explosive. It is through this relationship I think that Alec will grow into someone who realises his own self-worth. This will sow the seeds of a very strong, mature relationship, and I can’t wait to watch.

In regards to Max Lightwood: This dynamic breaks my heart and is seriously so much better than the books struggled to portray. Alec plays the role of Max’s doting, caring dad figure in place of their hardened, soldier father. They are affectionate, there are cuddles, and Alec knows Max enough to see when he’s bullshitting his way through something – Alec’s stern but loving dad voice in response may just undo us all. If the show follows the overall path of the books, Max’s untimely end will be absolutely devastating for him, and unfathomable for us.

In regards to Maryse Lightwood: Alec gets more from his mother than his father in regards to a relationship, though the affection between them is minimal. His stubborn, stern and authoritive personality comes directly from his mother, and I don’t doubt that he would follow her orders, no matter how harming they may be to his own welfare. Hints of an ‘arranged marriage’ makes for an interesting plot device and may work to break him away from the control she exerts over him. Learning of his parents involvement in the circle also creates a deep resentment in him, so both plot devices will change the game completely. There is some much needed mending to happen here, and everything must first fall apart for that to begin.

In regards to Robert Lightwood: Their relationship sounds simple on paper – less father/son, more soldier to soldier, but there’s far more to it than that. Not a lot of interaction between the two is seen in the sides, but the small snippet that appears paints Alec in a very different light. He’s nervous, uncertain around his father, thrumming with the need to please him like a soldier would his commander, and can’t even look him directly in the eye. In fact, Alec seems to shrink in Robert’s presence, though it is understood through Robert’s interactions with Maryse and Isabelle that he deeply loves his son and will even go against his wife’s plans to do whatever he can to protect him. It will be heartbreaking to witness, though it leaves a lot of room for character growth on both sides.

Where ABC Family’s Shadowhunters could take Alec Lightwood: His character had the biggest scope in all of the script sides available, and there is a lot of pressure from all angles. Alec won’t be able to carry all of that weight for long, so I think we may see Alec rebel in fits and starts. I think the pressure-cooker that is the Lightwood family dynamic will force him on the path, and I think his growing attraction and interactions with Magnus may open his eyes to how out of touch the Nephilim world is from the 21^st century, as well as help to teach him the valuable lesson of self-love.

Overall Character Grade: A+++ (And no, it’s not because I’m biased)

Everyone seems to be afraid that Alec will be misinterpreted or miswritten or ‘straight-washed’ (what happened to all those people saying that Alec is more than his sexuality?), but fear not, grasshoppers. It is very apparent that the show writers have an invested interest in Alec Lightwood. He is sprinkled in large amounts throughout the script, so there will definitely be no shortage of him. If anything, his character foundation seems the most well-rounded so far, and dare I say it, he’s far more likable than we ever saw in the entire series, let alone City of Bones. The Shadowhunters rendition of Alec makes the Alec of the books look 2D at best – and as a starting point for a character, he is above and beyond even the highest expectations I had. The Clace-centric story telling of the first 3 books and the film version were never going to depict the character we all know and love, because lets be honest here, Alec’s character (like Isabelle’s) wasn’t fully-formed until the latter books. We are lucky enough to get a fully-formed, very real version of Alec Lightwood from the get-go, and I seriously cannot stress how much everyone needs to quit their fucking hand-wringing about it. In reading the available sides for the first 8 episodes, it is blindingly obvious that the show writers have read the entire series. They have done their research, they have invested their time in him and it will pay off. Even if Malec wasn’t a thing (which it very much is, don’t panic), the TV version of Alec Lightwood is a strong, mature, heavily burdened character who will connect with a multitude of audiences. I don’t think I’d be amiss in suggesting that this role may very well propel Matthew Daddario into stardom.

I don’t think fans have cause to worry in regards to the ‘arranged marriage’ idea either. In fact, it’s an incredibly clever plot device that will pull on the threads of the Lightwood family unit and cause some much needed re-evaluating from all sides. I don’t think this particular plotline is as cheap and nasty as people are worrying about, and I believe it will only strengthen the overall Lightwood storyline and give Alec a shove in the direction of finally doing something for himself. I am so excited to see our newest Alec Lightwood, and I can’t wait to see Matthew Daddario in his skin.