I’m probably going to
regret saying this but I’m pretty sure “Frayed” was the best
episode of Teen Wolf ever. Considering the episode was almost
all flashbacks that is a big deal because I am really not a fan of
flashbacks (I think they’re often lazy and very rarely done well).
As a warning this review is going to be obnoxiously positive but I am
just so excited that after a few false starts Teen Wolf Season
3 is finally starting to live up to my expectations.
Scott and Stiles are on
the bus heading to an out of town cross-country meet. Scott was
injured in a terrible confrontation that happened the night before.
He’s not healing and that’s not all, he believes that Derek is
dead. As the episode progresses the events leading up to “Derek’s
death” are revealed through a series of flashbacks.
Logically I knew that
Derek wasn’t going to die. Tyler Hoechlin in the opening credits,
and the synopsis for future episodes show that Derek is around for a
while yet. But the part of my brain that enjoys Teen Wolf
isn’t all that logical so there were a few brief moments when I
started to wonder if maybe this was the end for my favourite brooding
alpha. It wasn’t but it is a testament to this episodes excellence
that there was a moment that I thought Derek might actually be dead.
Tucked between the
emotional trauma were some of the funniest moments of the season.
Coach Bobby Finstock (Orny Adams) is always a wonderful addition to
any episode and he had some fantastic lines this week, especially his
hilarious interactions with Stiles (Dylan O’Brien). The star of the
episode though was without a doubt Crystal Reed who acted the hell
out of Allison’s stress induced emotional breakdown.
The time shifting format
could have been incredibly confusing but the use of colour, lighting
and music made it reasonably easy to follow. It also added to the
overarching feeling that nothing is as it seems. It’s pretty clear
that the audience is missing some vital clue that will help decode
the increasing web of mysteries threaded through this season. The
answer is there we just don’t know how to find it yet. I’m not
sure yet who is behind the mysterious happenings in Beacon Hills but
I know enough not to trust anything or anyone.
Words can’t really do
this episode justice because much of what was great about it is
indescribable. All I can say is that I was literally on the edge of
my seat the entire time (I almost fell off at one point). Before this
season began I said that it looked like Teen Wolf had finally
grown up, well with “Frayed” it proved me right.
Next week promises to be
an emotional rollercoaster sending us swinging from slight arousal to
debilitating despair. Bring it on.
Review by Yvonne
Popplewell
More of Yvonne’s work
can be found at her
blog.
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