MovieChat Forums > Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (2016) Discussion > Simon irritating

Simon irritating

posted 7 years ago by coljjr
14 replies | jump to latest

Just begun watching Season 1 (just finished Episode 6) and wanted to check around if I'm the only one who finds the character of Simon really irritating?

For me it's because his character is the kind of geeky best friend pining for the hot girl cliche that we see so often in these kind of young adult dramas, personified the most by Stiles in TW. In particular with these sorts of characters, and as we see with Simon in S1, that we see them being quite pushy, pining, creepy and not taking no for an answer even when its abundantly clear the girl isn't interested in them romantically and wants somebody else. Its for this reason that I'm not keen on Simon's character and also am finding the Jace/Clary/Simon triangle tiresome as I feel Jace/Clary aren't atm being allowed proper development without Simon having to irritatingly crash the party every scene.

Thoughts?

[–] isundling 7 years ago

Simon and Clary have been best friends since childhood...Clary has never had a boyfriend, so it was never a problem...and as soon as she showed interest in Jace, Simon has been mooning...and then Luke told him Jace and Clary were brother and sister.and he thought he had another chance with Clary....pretty accurate on how Simon is portrayed in the book and the actor has all of his quirks down quite well...this all has happened in a short period of time..both their worlds have been turned upside down, but I do think Simon's more so..but Simon does find love...just takes a while..

[–] sgibbons192 7 years ago

I agree completely. All the things you said are things that I really hate about his character. The fact he comes across as a creep who won't take no for an answer, is annoying and a whinny pushover who let's clary boss him around and follows her around like a puppy dog. I'm sad to say that so far his character has not improved. So brace yourself for annoying creepy Simon for the rest of season 1 and the beginning of season 2.

I honestly think his character would be so much more likable if he was away from clary for a long time. Being around her only bring out the bad character traits in him, jealousy, obsessiveness, creepy stalker etc. let him stand on his own two feet and become a man instead of having his whole works revolve around a girl who has zero interest in him whatsoever and is frankly just as annoying and unlikable as he is. Putting two unlikable characters together so much is not going to make the audience like them.

[–] Skipmaus 7 years ago

They definitely made him less likable in the show (and I basically hated him in the book). With the constant creepy smirk on his face and how disgustingly he gloated when he found out about the sibling thing, when he is supposed to care for Clary's feelings.

I can't think how they will get those two together in any believable way in the show. I hope they do it like the books, where it is clear she never felt more than friendship for him. I'm afraid that they want to play it as a triangle though and give her actual romantic feelings for him. Yuck.

GRR...ARGH!

[–] coljjr 7 years ago

I really hope they don't succumb to fan pressure (is there a big Climon base amongst the fans online?) or random whim and make Climon a romantic thing in the show. I hate how Teen Wolf succumbed to fan pressure and made Stiles and Lydia a canon thing despite the writing for the first 4-5 seasons indicating no feelings from Lydia for Stiles at all.

With Shadowhunters, as per the books, the endgame person for Clary should be Jace once its revealed they're not actually biologically related siblings.

[–] coljjr 7 years ago

Its like I found his puppy dog/whiny demeanour a minor irritant for the first two eps but now I'm nearly done with Season 1 and there legitimately cannot be a scene with Clary and Simon in without some reference to him creeping/pining on her I'm finding it detracts from my liking of the show.

I agree with you and hope that his character develops away from Clary, and it goes how it did in the books with him developing a relationship with Izzy.

I hope the writers don't succumb and put Climon together for a cliche love triangle plot.

[–] isundling 7 years ago

With the author on set, I am sure they will go with her.

[–] coljjr 7 years ago

That's what gives me hope that they'll stick to book canon rather than do fan pandering as other TV shows do

[–] tbjohnso-806-746700 7 years ago

Keep watching, his character gets some really juicy stuff coming up. He can read a little annoying cause everyone is doing cool stuff and he's supposed to be the comic relief.

[–] coljjr 7 years ago

Got nothing against the character, e.g. like the vampire conversion plotline, comic relief is good - it's just I feel so much of his character is defined by this nauseating pining for Clary which is detracting a lot from other plots that could be explored

[–] R_Kane (15828) 3 years ago

Okay, but here’s the thing: “comic relief” is supposed to be, y’know, FUNNY. Simon IS a joke of a human being, but he’s not funny at all. He’s pathetic.

[–] kaoko 7 years ago

I totally agree with you. He just seems whiny and a little pathetic. I fast forward pretty much all of his scenes.
Heck this season i fast forward half the show- just watching the scenes with Izzy, Alec, Magnus or Jace. The rest of the actors are atrocious, or their characters are boring. Last season was much better when it focused on the 4 shadowhunters. Way too many characters diluting the storyline now :(

[–] smoriol 7 years ago

Big ups to Alberto for making the character work. Simon irritates the heck out of me too.

[–] iluvthadrama 7 years ago

Aww,Simon is actually my favorite character in TMI books outside of Magnus, Alec and Izzy. In the books Simon is clever and witty but TV Simon is not that at all. He also saves everyone's ass a few times in the books and has a great story arc.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 3 years ago

Fine; but TV Simon is a living stink bomb.

They make him a fucking VAMPIRE, and he’s STILL boring, needy and ball-less!