'Shadowhunters': Harry Shum Jr. Explains Magnus' Moving-In Hesitations & Plans Malec's Dream Date! (Exclusive)

Shadowhunters Malec
Freeform

We called up 'Shadowhunters' star Harry Shum Jr. to shed some light on Magnus and Alec's "romantic" future.

What's the moving-in status with Malec?!

ET was the first to bring you an exclusive Shadowhunters video of Alec asking if the couple should move in together, but the sneak peek clip cut off right before we could hear Magnus' highly anticipated answer. (Darn you, Freeform!)

Luckily, fans were treated to the whole scene on Tuesday's all-new episode and we watched with bated breathe as Magnus agreed that moving in together would be a "wonderful idea." And just as all Malec fandom prepared to do a happy dance, the 600-year-old warlock added a heart-wrenching ending to that sentence -- "for the future."

"We've been seeing each other for less than two months," Magnus explained to his demon-killing beau. "If there's one thing I've learned in the course of my long life, it's to take your time."

We know that many of you Malec fans out there are feeling disappointed by this bait-and-switch scenario, so we called up Shadowhunters star Harry Shum Jr. to shed some light on Magnus and Alec's future. Plus, we asked Shum to plan his dream date for Malec, and his answers will make you swoon!

ET: We saw in this episode that Alec was taking a peek at Magnus's "ex box," which is a pretty common thing for people to have from their past relationships…

Harry Shum Jr.: Oh! [Laughs] I thought you said Xbox, [like the game console] and I'm like, "What?! Where did this come from? What did they put in Magnus' place that I don’t know about?" [Laughs] I was like, "Is he mad that Magnus has an Xbox and not a Playstation?" I bet Alec is more of a Playstation guy.

[Laughs] Sorry, we were referring to Magnus' box full of mementos from his past relationships that Alec sneaked a peek at. What did you think about the conversation that Magnus and Alec shared during that scene?

Well, I think that's always the hard part. With people in a relationship, you just have to realize that whoever you're with, they have a past and it's up to you on how you'll react to it because there are probably going to be things that you don’t like about it. But what's hard for Alec is that he hasn’t really experienced much else, and here’s [Magnus], this guy who has experienced pretty much everything, which doesn't always level the playing field. But I think if you can be open to that and realize, "Well, this is the situation that I'm in and I need to be open and understanding," then that could work. I mean, I've being very therapist about this, but that's really my only way of looking at this for them to keep going on and keep being with each other.

When you read in the episode script that Alec was going to be snooping through Magnus' stuff and looking through the box, what was your initial reaction?

Oh, that's a no-no! [Laughs] I think snooping around is never good, but everyone has snooped around on their own to some degree -- whether you're in someone else's medicine cabinet because you're in the bathroom or whatever. But I think sometimes it's like, well, would that [conversation about exes] ever have gotten out if he didn’t look? But at the same time, you're invading someone else's privacy. Both [situations] will have different outcomes at the end of the day, and with Alec, that was his curiosity getting to him.

Freeform

At the end of the episode, Magnus basically says, "I love you, but I'm not ready to move in with you just yet. Let's take our time." Can you talk a little bit about what Magnus' mindset is like at this point?

Well, I think [on some level] he wants to pull the trigger -- I don't think Magnus doesn't want to pull the trigger, but I think it's a timing issue and he has his reasoning for doing that. I think for Magnus he just knows, "Let's take it slow. Let's take our time," because he's been in positions where it's like he's seen where this goes when it happens too fast, and I think, at this point, that's what his mindset is. Things are going to happen in the future and minds might change, but I think, at that point, he's seen where this road leads to.

He definitely has experience and time on his side, and I feel like, at his point, it just seems like Magnus doesn’t want to jeopardize what they have by moving too fast.  

Yeah, he likes where it's at. I think it's a hard thing because you can't predict that future, but for him he just wants to be wise. He just doesn't want to mess this good thing up.

So for all the Malec fans out there who have just watched this episode and are probably freaking out over the fact that Magnus and Alex are not moving in together just yet, should they still have hope for this couple's future?

Oh, Malec? They're going to be fine. They're going to be just fine [Laughs] They're going to be happy, and they're going to go on a roller coaster ride -- and I think that's what you want. If you're going uphill the whole time you're like, "OK, when are we going back down?" And then when you're down you're like, "OK, when are we going back up?" So you've got to have those hills and valleys and I think for this couple you'll always be satisfied -- I hope. They're two good people that are together and feel like they are, at least, understanding of each other's past and also the position that they're in work-wise -- or in their works of hoping that the world doesn’t fall apart around them.

Let's end this interview on a fun note! This couple has had so many ups and downs, so let's plan Malec's dream date. What would a nice, normal, fun date be for the two of them?

You know, I think normalcy in their fun date would, obviously, be going around the world like three times in two days. [Laughs] You know how you go on a pub crawl? They would go on an international crawl. They'd hop over to Paris, to Japan, to Indonesia to Brazil. They'd just hop around everywhere just how you would hop around in, like, a food court and try different cuisines -- and I think that's the beauty of this sci-fi world is that they're able to do that. They'd spend a romantic dinner on the beach, and then go back home that night and not have to stay over at any hotel.

What do you think Malec fans? Would you like to see this magical couple jet-set around the world on a romantic rendezvous? Share your thoughts with @LeanneAguilera on Twitter!

Shadowhunters airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform.

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