Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (2016) is a drama and fantasy series from Freeform. It has built a run of 55 episodes at roughly 60 minutes each. It premiered on January 12, 2016. Viewers rate it 6.7 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 3 seasons.
What Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments Is About
Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters follows 18-year-old Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother, Jocelyn, is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace and her best friend, Simon. Now living among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, Clary begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her past and what her future may hold.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 60 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, the full run covers 55 episodes, spread across 3 seasons and it leans into its drama/fantasy roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Katherine McNamara, Emeraude Toubia and Alberto Rosende to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Katherine McNamara, Emeraude Toubia, Alberto Rosende, Dominic Sherwood, Matthew Daddario and Harry Shum Jr lead the cast.
Key roles include Katherine McNamara as Clarissa "Clary" Fray; Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood; Alberto Rosende as Simon Lewis; Dominic Sherwood as Jonathan Christopher "Jace" Wayland; Matthew Daddario as Alexander "Alec" Lightwood.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of drama, fantasy and supernatural have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside Freeform’s other originals, a 6.7/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2016 and carried by Freeform with the series still ended, it lands hardest with drama and fantasy viewers.
How Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments Compares
If Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments lands for you, the next stops are Breaking Bad, Firefly and The Wire, which share its drama/fantasy lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments comes from Freeform. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Katherine McNamara and Emeraude Toubia doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its drama/fantasy roots, It has held up since 2016 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments is a safe bet for anyone already inside the drama and fantasy lane, at 55 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 6.7/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 6.7/10. Watch it if you want drama/fantasy you can settle into.
