Alec and Izzy: Brother and Sister Relationships
This is such an interesting post to write and I have been putting it off but I believe that the timing is right to do it. So we will look at the dynamic between Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, as this is an interesting one to do as they both take on very different roles in the show over its run we see that they are brother and sister yet they are in a very dysfunctional family yet we see that Izzy does try to look out for Alec as much as he looks out for her.
We see that she is protective of him but at the same time, he tolerates her attention-seeking behavior in the way that they are productive for intelligence in the Shadow world. We see this in Alec when they are on a hunt we see him notice the little things like faerie dust on her dress when they are at the packer's entrance to the hotel Demort when they are on the hunt for answers for Clary.
In the first season, we see that Alec notices physical things but has to be taught to notice social cues, something that people with Autism and Adhd often can struggle with. I am not saying that Alec has Autism but it does play into a very introverted person who hasn't had the opportunity to have personal growth in relationships to notice the disconnect when someone due to playing the social game says that they are ok when they aren't and that he needs to be a bit more aware of what is going on around him.
Yet at the same time, we see that Alec in being so focused on work that he hasn't made time for a real relationship and is quite naïve in this world of intimate relationships as we see that he has to be guided by Izzy we also see this protection at play working both ways. In that, she is trying to take some heat off Alec, due to the heat from the clave about the unsanctioned missions to find Clary some answers for what sent her into this world.
However we yet we see that Alec is more suspicious and isn't relieved when she says she broke up with Meliorn a down world and a Seely. So we do see that this protection works both ways an the scene before this one she covered for Alec to protect him as she knew where he was but didn't want to tell their father where he had been. As he had been with a Downworlder as well Magnus Bane as we do see that he was helping to heal Luke's injuries and it was revealed that he is a wear wolf. Shadowhunters Reduced BGMusic 01x07 - Alec and Izzy talk - YouTube Shadowhunters Reduced BGMusic 01x07 - Alec and Izzy talk - YouTube
But we do see that Alec is masking being ok as well, yet she isn't ok at times. Izzy at this point in time is a high-functioning addict. Shadowhunters | Season 2, Episode 7: Izzy and Alec Have "The Talk" | Freeform - YouTube
We do see that Izzy is the first one to pick up that Alec has what we would call imposter syndrome where we shrink our achievements or cover up who we really are if you notice the little details that as Alec is walking up the stairs he is actually discreetly checking another adult out. I would like to believe that it is Underhill as we see him much later in the series talk to Alec about how inspiring he is as a (leader and there will be a post around this coming in the work but it may be for patrons only) However Izzy masks in a different way pretending that she is fine when she isn't, as asking for help as an adult is scary and we see that this can be difficult to do. I know that I had to do it as a person with a disability and several chronic health conditions, and I got into what is called learned helplessness. Where it can be difficult to separate what is an excuse from what is a reason you can't do something like my own functioning is very variable from day to day. I have what are called support workers and they help me in my daily life in very basic ways so eating with me, getting me out of the house, prompting me to eat at times, making medical appointments, and getting me to them. As well as providing emotional support for me and my family and sometimes practical help like light housework.
In Izzy's case, she is high functioning but has learned helplessness in that she can't function without the yen fen, a drug that is quite addictive, and in the show, it is supplied by the vampires in the books is supplied warlock. We do see her making excuses to get her to fix from vampires talking to Magnus when she was lying about being on work time, and trying to track down an illegal drug trade but she was looking for her fix. I have done a post on Izzy and addiction and will put a much more in-depth post on my Patreon site.
Shadowhunters 2x16 Alec Izzy Find Portal & Broken Glasses - Izzy Talk With Dad Season 2 Episode 16 - YouTube So in this clip we see that Izzy has recovered from her addictions with various help. If you struggling with the post on Izzy and addiction I put some resource's in the reading for this post section. I will also do a post on Robert as this will link into the Lightwood family dynamics in the first and second seasons and it shows that we are social creatures and need social support, that living in the way that the Shadow hunters do with people around but places to escape to is a good thing. What he mentions about what the messages were about.
Yet from my previous career I remember and from talking to my support team that the basics of treating a substance abuse disorder are that we would keep the person occupied and into a community so having Izzy as Max's ( the littlest Lightwood) trainer is a good thing as it keeps her focused. Yet in the second scene in this clip, we do see that Clary has discovered the ability to create portals, and be able to help, in this way as we do see that this is a theme throughout the books and the show because of Valentine's experiment's on both Clary and Jace they have pure angel blood and that this gives them unique abilities in the Show it's Clary that suffers the punishment but in the books, it is Simon that makes the sacrifice to be able to stay in the shadow world he becomes a shadow hunter.
I do like that we can see a bit of a plot twist as it wouldn't haven't gotten through the rating's they stuck to the plot of the books due to the ages of the characters in the books and the relationships as let's all take stock her if you have read the books they don't exactly portray healthy relationships for teens but if you take it for what it is an escape from reality it seems that this is a great escape, but we have to be mindful that to guide our young people on what is a healthy relationship and that they don't need to look to books but to other people in their lives around what is healthy. I currently have a lot of time on my hands and have in the past so reading has been an escape for me at times, and it doesn't matter what "age group," you are reading as reading is reading if it is a novel good and remember that reading is good for the mind and can make you question the world around you.
Shadowhunters - Isabelle Got Arrested - YouTube This is after Izzy acted without authorization and I see that this is something that the Lightwoods have a history of acting and then asking permission second, to act as it was a massive breach of the accords to send a Seely to the City of Bones, so we see that Izzy has the intelligence to pull a massive mission off and work with the down worlders not against them like the older generation of Shadow hunters do or at least to tolerate them.
So this shows that she has the brains to be able to keep up with things and had people willing to help her as she knows that I was just following orders isn't an excuse as sending a Seely to the city of bones is a death sentence. However we know that Lydia did lose her husband to a mission going in blind without accurate information so this is where this cruelty came from it came from an ability to separate what was happening now in their lives, as Lydia is going on what she had dealt with in the past. I will also do a post on Alec's relationship with Lydia and how it was never going to be a healthy relationship.
Shadowhunters 2x20 ~ Alec, Izzy asks Magnus for help. Consul Malachai is a member of the circle - YouTube This is a great clip and as well as other things in my life it has helped me in a lot of ways as it makes me smile whenever Magnus is so reluctant to help Alec because of his arranged marriage to Lydia and this again is a nod to the books in that it links into the relationships ( Platonic that Magnus had with the Barnwell family and this is where the glitter came from) yet we do see that in some interview's that the actor that played Magnus ( Harry Shum jr ) it became a health issue for him so they had to tone it down a bit, yet he was willing to try different styles of makeup and fashion. Yet we do see that Magnus is aware of the Shadow hunter's own history and is willing to advocate for Izzy yet we do see that Magnus is still annoyed with Alec, so is using Izzy's trial to get close to Alec.
We also see Clarry's impulsivity here at play and we see that the Consul is a member of the Circle a group that was a break away from the Clave I see direct parallels from this to the rise of some political ideologies, and this deserves its own post.
Reading for this post
The Accords | The Shadowhunters' Wiki | Fandom
The Covenant | The Shadowhunters' Wiki | Fandom
Learned helplessness - Wikipedia
Illegal drug trade - Wikipedia
Nuremberg: A Fair Trial? A Dangerous Precedent - The Atlantic
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