Last week I claimed that
“Frayed” was the best Teen Wolf episode ever it seems I
spoke too soon because this episode might have been even better, it
was certainly more traumatizing. Not that I’m complaining, I want
Teen Wolf to keep getting better and for a dramatic television
show causing your audience emotional trauma is basically the goal.
After the meet is
postponed the cross-country team, as well as Allison and Lydia, are
forced to spend the night in a motel that looks at though it belongs
in a CSI cold-open. It turns out about as well as you might expect.
The werewolves, Scott, Isaac, Boyd and Ethan all suffer from
hallucinations that drive them to attempt suicide. It’s left up to
Lydia, Allison and Stiles to save the day. Meanwhile Derek gets a
little sexual healing from Beacon Hills High’s new English teacher,
Jennifer Blake.
There were two seemingly
unconnected storylines in this episode. The first was The
Shinning-esque horror plot at the suicide hotel and the second
was Derek’s recovery process and romantic interlude. I say
seemingly unconnected because there is more than likely a very
significant reason that these storylines were placed side-by-side but
as it stands, with the information we have now, the shift in tone was
jarring at times. That said it was nice to see a softer, not to
mention sexier, side to everyone’s favourite brooding alpha Derek
Hale.
While there were a number
of exceptional performances in this episode, it was Tyler Posey (who
plays the teen wolf himself, Scott McCall) that stole the show for
me. His emotional breakdown, and the beautiful broment between Scott
and Stiles, had me in a puddle of tears for far longer than I should
probably admit. The powerful moment is also a perfect example of the
jarring cuts between the murder motel and Derek’s loft. As a said
above, I’m sure there is greater purpose for this but sometimes
it’s better to stay in the moment and leave the significant edits
for another time.
The other fantastic thing
about this episode is that the female characters were in charge of
driving the plot forward. Lydia, Allison and even Jennifer were all
in the position of power throughout the story. The men had things
happen to them, the women actually did things, which is a fabulous
reversal of gendered expectations of narrative agency. I also have to
give them kudos for a make-out scene between two male characters. I
complain about the soap opera dramatics and excessive slow motion but
Teen Wolf actually does some seriously cool stuff.
I think it’s pretty
safe to say that I enjoyed this episode, if you can call crippling
emotional distress enjoying, which I do. Anyway if things are heading
the way I think they are this season is going to be amazing and I
can’t wait to watch it happen.
Review by Yvonne
Popplewell
More of Yvonne’s work
can be found at her
blog.
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