Courtesy of MTV
Teen Wolf has always been an oddball genre mish-mash: zany physical comedy frequently mixes with horror with occasional saccharine romantic interludes. More often than not the show successfully pulls this off.
This week? Well, this would be a “not” week.
Let’s bitch it out…
Embedded somewhere between Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) being impaled in his high-rise apartment, the slow-motion track and field chase scene and Aidan’s (Max Carver) motorcycle related suspension, my notes include the following question: “Am I watching True Blood?”
Perhaps that not entirely fair (it’s not as though there are eighteen concurrent plotlines), but wow did I ever get tonal whiplash from ‘Unleashed.’ There are a few interesting elements, but most of the time – specifically anything involving the Carver twins – I felt like I was watching an amateur production down at the local annex. The majority of the high school scenes are laughably bad and completely silly. This isn’t that unusual for Teen Wolf, but it’s hard to take the garotted bodies too seriously when we’re watching slow motion track and field chases. Like, seriously…I think I saw the same sequence in a 1980s slasher film called Graduation Day! (The guys may have been just as hairy, come to think of it)
For me, the best scenes of the night are those involving the unlikely investigative trio of Stiles (Dylan O’Brien), Lydia (Holland Roden) and Dr. Deaton (Seth Gillam) as they seek out clues in piano recordings, strangely graded papers and creepy The Dark Knight Returns-like chanting. The problem is that we keep cutting away to silly elements like the twins superpowering up in the middle of the freaking high school hallway or Scott (Tyler Posey), Isaac (Daniel Sharman) and Alison’s (Crystal Reed) convoluted motorcycle revenge plan. Hopefully now that the second set of ritual sacrifices have left another trio of bodies laying around, someone will finally take poor Stiles seriously.
Only then can we get to the bottom of the serial murders, which are the most interesting aspect of the current season. Because this new Alpha pack? Not doin’ it for me
Courtesy of MTV
Other Observations:
- I don’t know about y’all but if I heard creepy whispering from under a garbage dumpster to “come closer”, I would get the eff out of there. Perhaps Kyle deserved to die considering how stupid he was
- So the big Alpha plot is that Deucalion wants Derek to kill one of his pack so that Derek will take the group’s power? That’s it? ‘Cause that’s kinda lame
- Although Stiles’ locker room panic attack over his virgin status is amusing, Danny’s (Keahu Kahuanui) jokey offer to sleep with him is a little creepy. I know it’s played for laughs, but…don’t go there, Danny. You’ve got a hot/angry twin eyeing you up – hold out for the actual gay guy you can sleep with
- Thank goodness Isaac’s time trapped in the freezer was included in the “previously on” otherwise I wouldn’t have understood why he panicked when trapped in the supply closet with Alison <sarcasm> Considering his freak-out is cross-cut with his time in the freezer, I’m unsure why we need this spoon-fed moment
- Isaac and Alison? Ugh…just don’t
- Derek’s been having a few sh*t weeks, no? Last week he was nearly mauled and this week he gets impaled by a pipe? What’s next: run over by a cement truck?
- Alas poor Mr. Harris (Adam Fristoe). This is a character who’s appeared in nearly half of the episodes who many assumed was destined for bigger storylines. Instead he’s garroted like some day player. Naturally there’s a suggestion that he’s involved in the sacrifices, but whatever his role was, it’s over now
- This episode is really heavy on the teachers, huh? In addition to Mr. Harris, we check in on Mrs. Blake’ (Haley Webb) frayed nerves, covet naked torsos in the locker room with Coach Bobby (Orny Adams) and learn a bit of French with Mrs. Morell (Bianca Lawson, looking scarily skinny). Is this a hint of things to come in the season’s remaining episodes?
- Finally, oh hey Boyd (Sinqua Walls)! Nice to see you. No? No…you’re gone. Okay, well thanks for the drive-by line delivery. We miss Gage Golightly, too
Best Lines:
- Kyle (when his dog is scared of Scott): “Looks like he knows who the Alpha is.” Woh woh
- Deucalion (entering Derek’s after the scuffle): “Everybody done? Because just listening to that was exhausting.”
- Stiles (trying to get Lydia’s attention): “What day is today? Dead baby day. Everyday is dead baby day. Yay”
What did you think: was this a tonally challenging episode? Did you laugh at the campy stuff with the twins or are you just constantly waiting for them to take off their shirts? Were you disappointed with the Alpha plan? Who is the dark druid leaving a body trail around Beacon Hills? Sound off below
Teen Wolf airs Mondays at 10pm EST on MTV