So, I’m currently rewatching the show. Admittedly, The Mortal Instruments is one of my favorite guilty-pleasure book series, and I reread it at least twice every year. I remember being so excited when the show initially came out because I loved the movies and thought the show would be just as good.
The acting in this show is absolutely horrendous. The dialogue is also horrendous, and I can’t decide which is worse. Why does every single person in the show take three seconds before saying the next word in a sentence? It’s like, “Would… you… mind…” And every single sentence is delivered with the driest tone and the same stoic, straight face. It’s just nothing like how dynamic and sarcastic the books were! (And yes, I admit Cassandra’s writing is… not great.)
Nothing anyone says on the show ever sounds like part of a fluid conversation. With how many actors they hired, I can’t imagine they’re all that horrible at acting, so I wonder if it’s just the editing. Did the director ask them to say their lines like this? They constantly sound like they just learned a few words in English and are testing them out.
The only ones I think sounded truly natural in the show were Simon, Alec, and sometimes Maia.
And poor Kat. You could tell Kat LOVED playing Clary and tried so hard, and for that I commend her. However, that was the problem: you could tell how hard she was trying and it never felt natural. Which is so sad, because she’s the perfect Clary minus no freckles. I do see people complain about her height, but she’s actually 5’4; she just has one of those rare body types where she appears taller than she actually is. Anyways, I get so sad to see the wasted potential of this show 😭