Big reveals and some awkward getting-to-know-you moments made up the majority of this week’s awesome Shadowhunters episode, “The Descent Into Hell Isn’t Easy.” So in case you missed it, here’s our complete breakdown. But be warned, there are spoilers ahead!

The week’s episode picks up right where the pilot left off: Jace has just taken out the Circle member who followed Simon to the Institute and Simon is doing his best to convince Clary that he needs to take her to the police. Clary decides her best hope for finding her mom is to work with the Shadowhunters and she and Jace lead Simon into the Institute.

The building is like a command central with high-tech monitors and Shadowhunters going through their physical training. It’s like a supernatural La Femme Nikita scene with more tattoos. Simon is warned to stay put when Jace tells him that if he goes into any areas with runes carved into the floor, he’ll die. Isabelle explains to Simon what runes do for Shadowhunters and volunteers to look after him while he’s inside the institute.  

Jace goes into a more detailed explanation of Shadowhunters and The Circle. The Circle was a group of Shadowhunters who led a revolt and his father was killed during the uprising. Jace introduces her to Hodge Starkweather, a trainer, and someone with intimate knowledge of The Circle. Hodge recognizes Clary immediately but calls her by her mother’s name, Jocelyn. He is imprisoned inside the institute for his affiliation with The Circle and marked with a rune on his neck that burns him if he speaks of it. But he endures the pain and tells Clary the story of her mother and Valentine. Clary is shocked to learn that her mother was a member of The Circle.

Clary reveals that her mother talked about a cup before sending her through the portal to Luke. Hodge warns that the Mortal Cup can create more Shadowhunters and control demons. Hodge warns that she must do everything in her power to stop Valentine from getting the Mortal Cup. 

Clary is determined to find the cup and save her mother. Jace warns her that what she wants to do is too dangerous since she doesn’t have any real training. He asks her what she remembers about her life or Shadowhunters and she reveals that everything is just blackness. Jace realizes her memory has been wiped by a warlock. When he describes the purple sparks that come from the hands of warlocks, Clary realizes Dot is a warlock and becomes determined to find her.

Meanwhile, Luke is confronted by a warlock in an underground parking garage. She accuses him of killing Conrad but of course, we know it was Valentine that killed him. They fight, she raises her blade and suddenly there is a growl and a splat. Well, Shadowhunter fans, do we have an inkling of what Luke could be?

 Luke returns to Jocelyn and Clary’s house where he sees Dot. She reveals they sent Clary through a portal and is angry because he says Clary could be in limbo somewhere. He collects some relics from the apartment, saying they aren’t safe with anyone but him and warns Dot that she can’t trust anybody.

Simon and Isabelle get to know each other over some scary looking dip and it is clear that Isabelle should not be allowed in the kitchen…ever. They talk more about runes and how they will kill or drive mundanes insane if they are marked with them. Simon becomes concerned when Isabelle tells him that Jace was “almost certain” Clary was a Shadowhunter when he marked her with the rune to save her life in the last episode. Isabelle defends Jace, saying there is no one better to protect Clary. Simon asks about The Circle and Isabelle suddenly turns very serious and it is clear that she is deathly afraid of them.

Back at the police station, Luke realizes Clary was there before when the Captain asks about her. 

Isabelle loans Clary another skin-tight outfit and Clary awkwardly asks if there’s a “thing” between Isabelle and Jace. But Isabelle assures her that he is like a brother to her. Isabelle offers her some words of encouragement, telling Clary that she is meant to be a Shadowhunter and she needs to believe in that. Isabelle confesses she thinks Simon is “nerd hot.”

Against Alec’s objections, Clary and the gang gear up and head out to find Dot when Clary has a vision of where Dot might be. 

At Pendemonium, Magnus is in the process of evacuating warlocks from the city to protect them from Valentine. Dot refuses to join them, deciding she needs to stay behind and fight and Magnus disappears through a portal. And Dot is captured by The Circle and she is taken to Valentine where he locks her in a cage and questions her. She refuses to give up any information on Clary or The Cup and denies that she put the spell on Jocelyn. Valentine injects her with a serum to try to make her talk.

Clary and the group arrive Pandemonium where Dot was grabbed. And she realizes that Dot could have been her only chance of getting her memories back. But Jace suggests the Silent Brothers might be able to help. Alec and Isabelle both warn against it, saying it’s too dangerous. But Clary decides it’s worth the risk to get her memories back and they go to find the Silent Brothers.

Clary and Jace make the trek underground to find the City Of Bones and meet with the Silent Brothers. Jace warns that the Silent Brothers only communicate telepathically and the process of getting memories back will be extremely painful. 

Luke is confronted by images of the Circle members who were murdered. One of the pictures is of the one Jace killed outside the Institute and the other is the dead warlock in the parking garage.

Jace is visibly unnerved being in the City Of Bones. They come across the sculpture of an angel with a sword pointing the way. On the sword, the phrase “For Shadowhunters, The Descent Into Hell Is Easy” is carved. Clary and Jace bond…sort of, when Jace reveals that his mother died when he was a baby and his dad died when he was 10. And although Jace’s father left the Circle, his father isn’t buried in the City Of Bones with the rest of the Shadowhunters. Clary recognizes a symbol she’s drawn before that means “clairvoyance.” And the Silent Brothers arrive. The Silent Brothers warn Clary of the dangers ahead but she says she is ready.

Simon worries about Clary. Isabelle tries to be…er…reassuring? I guess? And Alec is being…well, Alec. Simon tells Isabelle that he’s in a band and has some music on his phone. Isabelle walks back to the van with Simon to get his phone. Isabelle hears a noise and tells Simon to stay in the van while she investigates. Simon is grabbed from behind by a set of hands with some gnarly looking fingernails.

Clary starts the process of recovering her memories with the Soul Sword dangling over her head. She sees flashes of Luke telling Jocelyn that she needs to tell Clary the truth. And the big reveal; Valentine is Clary’s father. Stunned, she opens her eyes. She’s shaken and tries to deny it, but the Silent Brothers tell her that her memories don’t lie and she needs to accept it. Clary tells Jace what she saw, turns on her heel and runs away, leaving a shocked Jace behind.

Dot manages to magic her way out of her handcuffs and breaks out of the cell Valentine put her in. She tries to make her way to Jocelyn, telling her that Clary is fine and that she is brave and strong and she knows that Clary won’t let Valentine win. A Circle member attacks Dot but she fights him off, leaving him slowly dying. Valentine comes along and finishes him off. He draws his blade as Dot is crawling away and raises it, presumably killing her.

Jace and Clary emerge from the City Of Bones and Jace tells Alec that Valentine is Clary’s father. Alec asks if this is part of a plan and suggests Clary could be a spy. Clary notices Simon is missing screams at Alec and Isabelle. But a voice calls down from the bridge above. The Night Children have taken Simon and will only return him for the Mortal Cup.

That’s it, kids! Overall, it was a really good episode and we can’t wait to see what happens next week! Are you a Shadowhunters fan? Leave a comment below and we can nerd out together!