Thoughts On...Jace (As Seen On TV)

As the title suggests I'd like to talk about in this Thoughts On...blog about Jace as he is portrayed on the tv show by Dominic Sherwood.  Let me start off by saying that I think that Dominic makes a fantastic Jace.  Besides a few physical differences he's an amazing actor who truly brings a beloved character to life.  The main physical difference to Jace is his eyes.  In the books Jace has gold eyes like his ancestor James Herondale, but the actor actually has multicolored eyes.  This is a big deal to some fans, and that's their right to their opinion, but personally I think he plays the part so well that it doesn't effect my opinion.

In the show we see Jace going far out of his way to help Clary in anyway he can, even when it inconveniences both himself as well as Alec and Isabelle.  Which is exactly what we see in the books as well.  Jace is drawn to Clary in a way that he doesn't understand, mostly because he's never felt these feelings before.  Outside of his adoptive brother and sister.

One problem I have with the shows Jace is the way that in season one the show has chosen to portray Jace and Alec's Parabatai bond.  In the books this bond is one that surpasses any other relationship.  The love between Parabatai, while not romantic (at least it's not supposed to be), is a love that surpasses family and spouses.  Except for a rare few parabatai's, a Parabatai would never betray, fight against, turn on, or abandon his or her Parabatai.

That being said, that's not entirely what I've been sing in season one of the Shadowhunters tv show.  We've seen Jace tell Alec that his best wasn't good enough, and I don't think there's anything that Alec could do to make Jace ever say anything remotely like that to him.  Also, he see Jace openly saying he doesn't want to call Alec for help, because they had an argument.  This is also wrong.  No matter the problem Jace would always call Alec for help when he needs it, just like Alec would always come when Jace needs help.  I don't think anything, except being physically incapable, would stop either Jace or Alec being at each others side.

The way that we see Jace shamefully shying away from Clary after learning they a "siblings" is nearly exactly how I imagined it from the books.  Even though at this point Jace believes that he and Clary are siblings he is still in love with her, just as she is with him.  Jace believes because he feels a romantic love for his sister that he is evil.  He even goes so as thinking that he loves Clary, his sister, because of the demon blood that Valentine has told him he has.  In the show we see Jace acting this way as well.  He thinks himself evil because of the demon blood.  Just as in the books we see Jace trying to do the right thing, even though he believes himself evil.  In the show we see Jace willing to sacrifice himself in order to destroy the Mortal Sword in the midseason finale.

Despite some differences that the show has made I think some of the most important parts of what makes Jace Jace are still there.  He's strong and brave, yet still vulnerable, while using his ego and sarcasm to hide that vulnerability.  In the show, as well as the books, Jace comes off at times an arrogant ass, and it takes a true fan to see  through Jace's bluster to the character that so many love.

Till Next Time Friends