Fact: No one is less excited about Tuesday’s Shadowhunters finale (Freeform, 9/8c) than Jace Wayland — or whatever last name he’s going by these days.

“There’s darkness within him, and for the first time, he doesn’t know how to stand on his own two feet,” Dominic Sherwood (aka Jace) tells TVLine. “His past was all a lie, so everything he relied on in his upbringing and training is all fabricated. He’s really struggling with his identity, and he believes the only way he’s going to get answers is through Valentine. You can definitely expect us to explore the dichotomy of good and evil within Jace.”

Below, Sherwood expands on Jace’s inner turmoil, discusses his relationship with Alec and teases a cliffhanger so good that he was “almost in tears” while reading it.

TVLINE | Jace seems to actively support Alec and Magnus’ relationship on the show, whereas he was more passively accepting in the books. Do you appreciate that tweak?

I do, and I think it comes from Jace’s relationship with Alec, which changed throughout the season. They started off very close, like one unit, but when Clary entered the picture, there was suddenly this damaged link between them. You only really ever see that kind of turmoil from passion. They have passion for each other, and they love each other dearly. Whatever makes Alec happy makes Jace happy, regardless of whether or not Jace likes Magnus; he’s kind of an ass to Jace all the time. The relationship between Jace and Alec is unbreakable.

TVLINE | Jace, however, is apparently breakable on his own. What was that about a “slow death” for Hodge I heard in the finale promo?

There is mention of a slow death, yes. Whether or not that happens, I can’t say, but this episode is going to be darker than you might expect. It’s definitely darker than anything we’ve done on the show so far. Jace goes kind of rogue in order to sort out this betrayal.

TVLINE | In your mind, is it the darker the better? Or do you enjoy those lighter moments, too?

As an actor, it’s always fun to play both sides. You don’t get to appreciate the sunshine without the moon; light and dark don’t exist without one another. Jace is going down a dark path now, so it’d be nice to see him come back in the future and bring back some levity.

TVLINE | Can you offer any hope to fans of Jace and Clary’s seemingly hopeless relationship?

[Laughs] Other than reading the books and having a cheat sheet ahead of time, I can’t. We actually don’t know what’s happening in Season 2; we just know that we have one. As far as what the new story is going to entail, we don’t know. For now, though, the sibling situation is secondary in Jace’s mind. He has to sort this Valentine problem out, get back the Mortal Cup and deal with Hodge. Even in Episode 12, Clary asked, “So, we’re going to be work buddies now?” And Jace was like, “Yes, this is it.”

TVLINE | Lastly, let’s talk cliffhangers. Can we expect a biggie?

Oh, you’re getting your cliffhanger. I almost feel bad because you’re going to have to wait a decent while for Season 2. I was almost in tears when I read the script. I’m excited for people to be on the edges of their seats.

What are your hopes for Tuesday’s finale? Drop ’em in a comment below.