Differences in Season 1 Episode 3: Dead Man's Party

I'm going to start off by giving all my readers a Spoiler Alert.  Each one of these blog entries will be going over events in both the show and the books, while discussing the differences.  And giving my opinion on those difference. If I agree, disagree, or understand but prefer the original.

The first thing from episode 3 that I want to take note of is the fact that Raphael, in the books, was like 14 when he was turned into a vampire.  Yet, in the show the actor that plays Raphael appears to be older than our Shadowhunter heroes.  Not that I have anything against the actor David Castro cause I think he does a phenomenal job.  Just a thought.

More Vampire business, this time Camille.  The show seems to have brought in Camille Belcourt way too early, since she doesn't appear until book 4, City of Fallen Angels.  I mean Simon is already 3 important things: A Vampire, the Daylighter, and he has the mark of Cain. I guess I kind of get it, but every time they change one thing in the show it effects later events.  Like Lilith"s plans for Sebastian and tumulus events that effect Magnus and Alec's relationship.

I've noticed that in the show our Shadowhunters need approval for every little thing that they do.  From going on missions to just talking to downworlders.  But in the books I feel like the Shadowhunters, while getting into trouble after the fact, didn't really need to ask permission to do their demon hunting and fighting.

One thing that I'm a little sad that the show hasn't done is when the Shadowhunters give the Seraph Blades angels names to activate them.  This was always something that I felt added an extra dimension to the Shadowhunter world in which angel was chosen to name a blade.  Some names were purely just random angel names, but other times the angel chosen was meaningful to the scene taking place in the books.

I feel like the way the show has made the viewers aware of Jace and Alec being Parabatai, and what it means, isn't done organically.  I feel like they are mentioning it purely for the viewers sake, and it kind of takes away from the serious and meaningfulness of being Parabatai.

At the Hotel du Mort I feel like the way that Camille uses the Encanto on Simon is more like magic than Vampire powers.  She essentially freezes Simon like a Warlock would, but Vampires are not supposed to have magical powers.  This is more of an inconsistency within Downworlder powers as a whole.

I feel like Hodge would never counsel Alec not to trust Jace just because Hodge couldn't trust Valentine.  From the way that Hodge was portrayed in the books, even though he ultimately betrays Jace and the Lightwoods, he thinks of them as if they were family.  Which is why I don't feel like this scene with Alec and Hodge would actually have happened.

In both the show and the movie when the Shadowhunters go to the Hotel du Mort to rescue Simon they all go, but I feel the need to point out that it is only Jace and Clary that go.  I get why they made this change, because it's a way to not only put more characters into the scene but also a different variety of action that they wouldn't be able to do with just Jace and Clary.

So, what's with the Vampire's being able to smell Shadowhunter blood?  Is that weird for you too, or is that just me?  I feel like if the Vampires were going to be able to smell angel blood it would be with the ones that have a special connection to the angels.  Like Clary and Jace since they have extra angel blood, due to Valentine using Ithuriel.

In the show, unlike the books, Izzy is constantly making reference to Alec's sexuality.  I believe that this isn't necessary, the show seems to be doing this so the viewers will know that Alec is gay without outright saying it.  But what was great about the books was that it didn't need to be said, you could simply see who Alec was through his actions and speech.  I think it's not needed if it's done right from the start.

This last one relates directly back to what I was saying about the conversation between Alec and Hodge at the Institute.  At the end of the episode Alec, very annoyingly, tells Jace that he is older and not in Jace's shadow.  Yet, I feel like this wouldn't be how Alec shows how he is feeling.  In the books Alec goes along with Jace's crazy ideas and missions to make sure that Jace doesn't get killed, he protects Jace.  I believe Alec would show his feelings through his actions like when, in the books, he saves Jace from the Greater Demon Abaddon and gets infected with demon venom.  Alec doesn't get vocal about his emotions and feelings till after he grows through his relationship with Magnus Bane.

Till Next Time Friends