Shadowhunters season 3 episode 3 recap and review: 'What Lies Beneath'

The identity of The Owl has been revealed, and now there’s more questions than ever. Spoilers ahead for this week’s episode of Shadowhunters!

Shadowhunters dropped its first big reveal of the season last night, and we might need an Iratze rune to get over it. The Owl has been unmasked and ironically enough, it left audiences screaming “WHO?!”

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s take it from the top.

This week, we open on another unexpecting mundane who comes face to face with The Owl (as the Shadowhunters took to calling him).

This mundane was prepared though; she’s a woman, walking alone down a dark street in New York — of course she had pepper spray. And, as it turns out, mace works. She manages to escape and get the help of two police officers.

The Owl is getting less discreet, and it’s not just mundane police he needs to worry about now. Though let’s get honest, they were never really a threat.

But Jace is, and he’s taken over where Isabelle left off, studying the footage of the demon constantly. Between his work and his nightmares, Jace hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. Cocky Jace is one thing; cranky, crazed, sleep-deprived Jace is a whole different bear.

SHADOWHUNTERS – “What Lies Beneath” – The Shadowhunters try to track down the new imposing threat, while Jace has a suspicion that Jonathan is back and behind the mundane attacks. Simon tries to figure out what The Seelie Queen did to him during his time in the glade. Alec decides to host a Lightwood family dinner at MagnusÕ house after a surprising visit from Maryse. This episode of “Shadowhunters” airs Tuesday, April 3 (8:00 – 9:00 p.m. EDT) on Freeform. (Freeform/John Medland)

DOMINIC SHERWOOD

So, when Jonathan suddenly appears in the flesh (the human kind, not the charred, demon variety) it begs the question: is Jace hallucinating?

Regardless of if he was actually there or not, Jace is convinced Jonathan is the Owl. As he explains to Clary, the Clave has no record of a demon that looks like an owl, which means the face must be a glamor.

Now that that mystery is on its way to being solved, it’s time to face the “mystery” of Simon’s mark. After seeing the damage it can do, everyone is scared. The blow delivered by the mark broke Glenn the werewolf’s hip and shattered his knee. Normally wolves heal quickly, but not this time.

Glenn is in rough shape, and Russell is none too pleased. Color me shocked. (This Hulk-tempered werewolf act really is getting old). Of course, he’s still getting in Luke’s face, begging him to exile Simon from the boathouse.

In the end he does, which is a bit surprising but realistically the right call. Russell may be chauvinistic and impulsive, but he’s got a point. Watching over the Pack is Luke’s main job, and Simon has a lot of uncontrollable power.

He’s working on that though, with the help of Maia. She got a good look at the Mark when it flared up, and with her sketch in hand, they’re off to see the wizard.

Okay, Clary’s not a wizard, but she is good with runes. Unfortunately, this particular rune isn’t in the Grey Book, which means it isn’t a Shadowhunter rune. Not even Magnus, an actual wizard, recognizes it. So, after a quick stroll down mundane memory lane, Clary advises Simon that this might be a “vampire question.”

It’s been a minute since Simon has talked with Raphael, and they didn’t exactly part on good terms. But this is important, though the timing couldn’t be worse.

After a heartbreakingly adorable scene with her, Raphael is dealing with his sister Rosa’s death. He really wasn’t lying to Magnus about her health after all. Sadly, he can’t even go to her funeral, because it’s during the day. The bright, albeit dim, spot in this is that it briefly reunites Izzy and Raphael.

On top of all that, Raphael is trying to handle a psychotic newborn named Heidi — remember that random unconscious girl from the premiere? — who’s determined to meet her sire. So he’s not really in the mood to deal with the Daylighter who refuted his help … twice. Can you blame him?

Simon’s not taking the hint though, so Raphael winds up and the Mark rears its ugly (fore)head again.

Clary does promise to look into it before Simon left, but for now she’s focused on Jace.

Thanks to Luke’s police connections, Morgan Young’s escape from the Owl didn’t go under the radar. As it turns out, no, mace would not work on a demon (doesn’t mean I won’t still try it in the event I’m attacked) unless he’s part human.

For Jace, all signs point to Jonathan being the Owl — especially his dreams. Channeling his inner Anakin Skywalker, Jace tells Clary about his fear that the dreams are indeed real, like hers were about the Mortal Mirror.

Clace might not be having the most physically intimate season, but their communication skills are improving in each episode. Malec could take a lesson or two.

Speaking of Malec, they have another wonderfully domestic episode. When Izzy and Jace bail on having a family dinner with Maryse Lightwood, Magnus steps in to support Alec — both emotionally and in the kitchen. Alec isn’t a great cook.

Usually when the Lightwood matriarch drops in, it doesn’t mean anything good. That held true as Maryse reveals she is being stripped of her runes due to her involvement with Valentine and The Circle. In yet another bombshell, she confesses that she was instrumental in planning The Uprising. As a result, she’s accepted the punishment as fair.

It wasn’t the most ideal dinner for Jace and Isabelle to miss, but they had good reason. Morgan escaped the Owl once, and they know that the odds of her doing it again are slim. She needs protection, especially since she’s going to be out in the open at a party she’s throwing. At least there’s an open bar — can Shadowhunters drink on the job?

It was a nice callback to the series premiere, when Clary sees Jace, Isabelle and Alec at Pandemonium.

KATHERINE MCNAMARA, EMERAUDE TOUBIA

Only this time, Clary’s part of the action as they keep an eye on Morgan. Say what you will about Jonathan Morgenstern, he’s anything but sloppy. He’ll come back to finish the job.

And so he apparently does, after stealthily side tracking Jace. While Jace is off fighting potential hallucinations, Clary and Isabelle get to Morgan, only a few seconds too late. Still, they managed to keep her in custody and learn something important about the Owl: he’s not Jonathan.

Cue everyone’s head spinning in confusion like an actual Owl. How could it not be him? Well, when Izzy briefly traps him with her whip, he isn’t electrocuted like Jonathan was. So he’s not actually back … yet.

Lilith is still hard at work to make it happen, using the blood of her disciples to raise him. She’s amassed seven in the last 48 hours alone, thanks to the Owl — aka Jace.

Yes, in the final minutes of the episode, the Owl glamor is stripped to reveal Jace at the feet of Lilith, and the tomb of Jonathan.

So … that’s interesting.

Looking back, the clues are indeed there. Throughout the episode, Jace’s eyes are bloodshot or watery. When Jace interrupts Clary, Simon and Maia, the camera focuses on him rubbing his eyes. We just assumed it was from the lack of sleep. Sneaky sneaky writers room over at Shadowhunters.

“What Lies Beneath” does bring some forward motion. But the list of questions this season continues to grow. Now at the top of that list is whether Jace is fully conscious that he’s the Owl.

Shadowhunters airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Freeform.

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Shadowhunters season 3 episode 3 recap and review: What Lies Beneath

By Andi Ortiz | Apr 4, 2018

The identity of The Owl has been revealed, and now there’s more questions than ever. Spoilers ahead for this week’s episode of Shadowhunters!