Shadowhunters: A Severe Lack of Luke

There are so many things I’m loving about Season 2B of Shadowhunters. Some things not so much. One of my biggest gripes however is a severe lack of my favorite wolf pack leader, Luke Garroway.

While Isaiah Mustafa, who brilliantly and honestly portrays Luke, is listed as a main cast member, he is usually second fiddle to his younger cast mates. Even though I very much enjoy the scenes he’s in, they are few and far between. Most of the time he is featured for only a few minutes, if he’s in the episode at all. When he is featured, it’s usually to propel other’s storylines and not his own.

I know this series features an ensemble cast and Clary’s arc will take precedence, but does that mean Luke isn’t deserving of an arc of his own? He barely had time to grieve the loss of Jocelyn—the love of his life—and when he did it seemed only Maia and Simon cared about how he was feeling. Majority of the time the other characters only interact with him if it furthers their own agenda.

I’ve always found Luke to be a fascinating character with a complex backstory. He was once a Shadowhunter until his parabatai Valentine turned on him and was the sole reason he was forced to live the rest of his life as a werewolf. He helped to raise Clary and has always been a father figure to both her and Simon. He is the leader of his own pack and treats Maia as if she is his own flesh and blood. Not to mention his new partner is making things complicated for him at precinct, as he has to hide his werewolf side from any mundanes.

There’s plenty of story to tell with Luke and since we’re barely halfway through this season, I am going to remain hopeful the latter episodes feature more of this powerful leader. I do have my reservations however, as he was featured very little in the first half of the season. Time will only tell if they utilize Mustafa to his full potential.

All I ask is if an actor is top-billed, treat him as such and give him the screen time he deserves. Especially one as talented as Isaiah Mustafa. The series will be better for it.

Photo Credit: Freeform/Justin Stephens