Courtesy of MTV
Teen Wolf does a slow roll-out for its latest villain as unexpected new information is revealed about a background character with a big surprise.
Let’s bitch it out…‘Riddled’ features one of Teen Wolf‘s trademarked non-traditional narratives. Things begin quite suddenly as Scott (Tyler Posey) receives a late night call from Stiles (Dylan O’Brien). The latter is breathless and desperate, speaking in panicked whispers about being imprisoned in the cold, wet dark and he’s not alone. As far as set-ups go, it’s a doozy, trading in equal parts horror, psychological thriller and action feature as the group desperately converges to find Stiles before he expires from hypothermia on the coldest night of the year.
Of course, as an audience we’re privy to information that the characters don’t know, namely that Stiles is a budding villain. He may not know it yet, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s possessed by some dark entity and it’s safe to say that his imprisonment is likely related. Early on we see that his foot is caught in a bear trap and his cell mate is a hulking brute with a head wrapped in bandages and a mouth full of jagged teeth. As soon as the creature speaks, like an old friend but also in riddles, it’s clear that we are dealing with some kind of hallucination. After Scott’s father Rafael (Matthew Del Negro) deduces that Stiles is sleepwalking and he and Melissa (Melissa Ponzio) discover Stiles near the Nemeton, my suspicions are confirmed: the mysterious captor is actually Stiles himself.
Suspecting this doesn’t lessen the impact of Stiles’ diagnosis at the hospital, however. In an episode that masterfully balances shifts in tone and how information is doled out, the slow reveal that Stiles has been overtaken by his evil shadow self is thrilling. It’s kind of shocking: Teen Wolf has actually gone through with turning its most likeable (arguably highest profile break-out) star into the principle villain.
In the final scene Stiles (now fully corrupted) confronts Kira’s (Arden Cho) mother, who is revealed to be in cahoots with the Oni. It’s a badass scene considering the two basically just stare each other down in front of the elevators, but it’s awesome because these developments are so unlikely. A secondary character we’ve only met once is suddenly in charge of the creatures we thought were the villains, but who are actually trying to protect people from one of the main characters. In just two episodes, we’ve done a complete 180 on the conflict for this second half of the season. It’s pretty amazing. Kudos to Teen Wolf for pulling it off.
Courtesy of MTV
Other Observations:
- The episode also succeeds admirably by activating diverse characters in service of the A-plot: in addition to Rafael and Melissa, Aiden (Max Carver) and Lydia (Holland Roden) use her siren powers to track Stiles while Scott and Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) follow his scent to the hospital rooftop where an exposed powerline lies waiting. It’s a strong ensemble episode that gels because there aren’t any distracting B-plots.
- The sole exception: Allison (Crystal Reed) who misses most of the episode because someone turned her phone off and she sleeps through everyone’s calls (ohhh mystery!). In what could be a cool or completely disastrous development, she also receives a series of calls consisting of instructions from Japanese internment camps following Pearl Harbour. Um…what? Clearly this has something to do with Kira’s mom.
- At one point Derek explicitly lays out a key piece of information: Barrow’s attack on Kira released her foxfire and that somehow opened Stiles up to demonic possession. I have no idea how he got that from Stiles’ magnetized bat.
- I’ll be interested to see how fans react to Scott and Stiles’ incredibly emotional talk before Stiles is tested to see if he has an atrophied brain (aka what his mother died of). Their hug is surprisingly touching; it’s a nice moment of levity among the usual Teen Wolf madness.
- Question: Why is Lydia’s siren power linked in to Stiles? And does her scream suggest that Kira is about to die from the exposed power line? Or is it Stiles that she’s screaming for as the demon once again takes possession of his body? Does this mean that Stiles is going to die?
- Finally, how hilarious are the sketches of the Oni on the wall of the police department? One is an ancient samurai and the other is Zorro. Good to know that despite the shizz that happens these cops have a sense of humour.
Best Lines:
- Derek (when Ethan asks if Stiles was just sleepwalking): “In this town there’s always something more.” Too true
Your turn: did you enjoy an episode mostly centered around a single plot? Did you figure out who Stiles’ captor was before the reveal? Who is Lydia screaming for? Is Kira dead? (she can absorb electricity after all) Who is her mother? And what does any of this have to do with Japanese internment camps? Sound off below
Teen Wolf airs Mondays at 10pm EST on MTV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VASRTkmfzE4
Q) Did you enjoy the an episode mostly centered around a single plot?
A) Why the hell wasn’t THIS 3A instead of the whole lame Alpha bit? I’m fully invested in the show again, especially as Stiles is my favorite character. He’s always been the one who does more than toe the moral line so this is both an incredible decision and a credible one as well.
I’m so glad the Sheriff is in on the secret because now he has so much more to do instead of just drink or look disappointed in Stiles. The camera angle of his face when they first told him about Stiles was incredible – you could see the anguish of the father mixing with the frustration of a small town sheriff who can’t keep a handle on what the hell is going on in his town. And the parental unit love kept on rolling too, as we find out so much more – what actually killed Stiles’ mom and why Melissa probably left Rafael (I’m wondering if the secret Stiles alluded to was Rafa being emotionally or physically abusive as a result of his drinking).
Q) Did you figure out who Stiles’ captor was before the reveal?
A) I’m highly skeptical of Stiles’ lucidity lately, so I figured from the first moment he was still asleep or under the purview of the Void Kitsune, and it paid off when I noticed the trap switching feet before the Nogitsune pointed it out. And the shadow riddle is one I learned in elementary school, so I knew the answer right away.
Q) Who is Lydia screaming for? Is Kira dead?
A) I think Lydia was screaming about the death of “good” Stiles and the emergence of “bad” Stiles; as to whether or not his physical host dies, we shall see. (Also, Lydia has banshee powers, not siren (hence the screaming bit)). It is highly doubtful Kira will bite the big one as the power line is a tenth the electricity she absorbed at the power station, so Lydia is most likely twanging on Stiles’ wavelength (especially as the bangs she kept hearing were the MR machine).
Q) Who is her mother? And what does any of this have to do with Japanese internment camps?
A) Her mother is obviously the source of Kira’s kitsune powers (as evidenced by her reaction to the light bulb when she was changing it). I’m assuming the family moved back to BH because Mama Kitsune was on the trail of darkness – after all, with the Nemeton activated, it’s made the town an even bigger beacon for the supernatural. Her family has a long history in the town, so she probably felt the return of power or something like that. At least now we know who plucked the growth off the Nemeton and called the Oni forth a few eps ago.
The Nogitsune obviously has a link to the Oak Creek Internment camp, or WWII at the very least, if you go by his jacket with the military patch on the sleeve. I’m guessing Oak Creek was more a supernatural thing than a human thing, hence why it was never officially documented. Also, there must be a reason why Lydia was so sure Stiles was in the nut house basement – it’s gotta be important because there was a “self” kanji scratched into the wall exactly where Stiles saw him do in his dream. Maybe that’s Oak Creek? And who were the voices Lydia was hearing – the cold cases or other dead people? Can she actually hear Stiles while he’s dreaming? (Remember, she was his link back to the real world when he ice-tubbed at the end of 3A).
Sounding off:
Did you notice Kira was suddenly wearing a leather jacket when they went to the hospital? Makes me wonder if Derek keeps a stash in his car to hand out whenever he goes somewhere with someone – excepting Scott and Stiles, of course, since they’re the plaid/cotton gang instead of leather fetishists; this is how you know Isaac is in Scott’s pack now since he no longer wears leather.
The scene between Scott and Stiles was as emotionally packed as the one in the 3A ep when Stiles stepped into the pool of gas to save Scott. You definitely get a sense of brotherly love between them, a soul-deep bond, and it brings a tear to your eye (and pretty much the best acting I’ve seen of Tyler Posey ever). It has to be love for Scott to ever even consider biting Stiles given his own issues with werewolfdom (would the bite even cure brain atrophy?). It was a nice round up having the small moment between Scott and Derek afterward, showing how each has grown since they first met (and slipping the tidbit about where Cora went).
Also drinking game points – gratuitous shot of the locker room and kids being at the high school late at night (okay, I buy Lydia’s explanation about why there isn’t any security, but seriously – why break into school just to do art? What’s wrong with her house?)
That drinking game is dangerous!
Best Line(s): (I forgot to add)
Doctor: I’m not sure I know how to pronounce this. Or if it’s not actually a misspelling.
Sheriff: Just call him Stiles.
Kira:You’re going to tell Scott that Barrow might have used foxfire created by me to jump start the Nogitsune’s power inside Stiles. Basically that I helped the dark spirit take control his best friend.
Derek: You should probably wait here.