Best . . . gynecologist appointment . . . EVER!
How’s it hanging, Werebangers?
This week on Teen Wolf, we got a little lesson in “family values.” Every family has some . . . even the really awful ones. For example, if you’re an Argent, you value the Code, and cutting things in half . . .
. . . even if those “things” happen to be your own arm.
You also value that oh-so-fun family trip to the Gas Station, where you bound and gag one another to chairs, while you taunt eachother using that machine that makes your voice sound like the Ghost Face Killer from Scream. Conversely, if you are part of Derek’s werepack, you value ice skating . . . and Derek . . . and . . . well, so far, that seems to be about it.
Let’s review the episode, shall we?
(As always . . . the awesome screencaps are all Andre’s. The boring words are all me!)
“Would you like a complimentary window-washing with that kidnapping?”
Oh those Wacky Argents! They sure know how to have a good time! We begin the episode by joining Allison Argent at a rather familiar looking gas station.
Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I think we’ve spent more time at the gas station on this show, then we’ve spent at Stiles house . . . or even Scott’s house for that matter. (I guess the set’s a bit cheaper.)
We know right away that something VERY BAD is about to happen to Allison. After all, why else would we spend three minutes of a preciously limited-time episode, watching her fill up her gas tank? This isn’t reality TV!
Allison’s not entirely alone. There’s a hot African American guy at the station, who seems to be checking out Allison. I only mention that he’s African American, because he’s the first African American “Argent” we’ve seen.
But more on him, in a bit . . .
The lights go at the station, and Allison, sensing danger, rushes back inside her car. (Did she pay? I hope she paid! Gas station attendants have to feed their children too you know . . . even the gas station attendants who work at fake movie set gas stations.) It’s too late though, she gets tackled by someone in a black hoodie . . . the official uniform of Bad Guys in Teen Shows everywhere.
Allison awakens in some sort of a woodshed near the handy dandy gas station. She’s bound and gagged to a rather uncomfortable looking wooden chair . . . though I guess any chair would be uncomfortable, if you were bound and gagged to it.
Kinky!
Her father is facing her, looking similarly screwed.
“Happy Father’s Day!”
A disembodied voice taunts the pair, while they struggle to get unbound.
Ghost Face Killer voice poses an interesting question, especially in light of all the different responses we’ve been seeing to one single Alpha Wolfbite, this season. Namely, what happens to an Argent, when he or she gets bitten . . . you know, aside from the fact that her family disowns her, and may or may not try to cut her in half, while she hangs from a tree. Would her body reject the bite, like Jackson’s seems to be doing? Would she experience wacky hallucinations, like Lydia? Or would she just become your garden variety werewolf, like Scott and now Isaac?
Unfortunately, we don’t get to learn the answer to that question, because Papa Argent breaks out of his binding, like he’s that magician dude, Criss Angel. He smiles and bows. Then, the Hot Black Argent returns, carrying an iPhone with a Ghost Face Killer voice app.
Allison Argent . . .
“Is this how we’re doing daddy-daughter talks from now on?” Allison pouts.
Probably. But the purpose of this little fun gathering was “training.” Papa Argent quizzes Allison on some basic werewolf fighting techniques, and informs her that the Argent family is a matriarchal society. The men kill, and the women “lead” . . . and also kill. Hooray, for feminism . . . I guess. Hot Black Argent sets the timer on his iPhone, as he and Daddy A, exit stage left, while Allison uses the tip of an arrow to cut herself free.
She does it in two and a half hours. And Hot Black Argent, who’s been waiting for her, all this time, thinks that’s just awesome. It took him three hours during his “training.” Unfortunately for Hot Black Argent, that extra half hour, might have caused him his life. We see some snake like thingy, that may or may not be the Lizard Thingy from last week, trip him up, and nip him in the neck.
“This is the part, where I point my gun out in front of me, even though it’s quite obvious that my attacker is making his move from below.”
Then, in a distance, we see . . . the claws. Oh, Hot Black Argent, we barely knew yee . . .
Hitting the Wall
We’re in gym class now. Allison is kicking ass on the rock climbing wall, while flirting with her beau Scott, to boot.
“Stop looking at my bum. You dirty bum looker!”
Who knew the littlest Argent possessed so many talents, aside from making out with Scott, and busting out of faux-kidnapping situations faster than Hot Black Argent? Allison knocks Scott off the wall, and everyone laughs, especially Coach Crackpot.
Next up is Stiles and New Character Erica. New Character Erica kind of looks Drew Barrymore’s character from all those flashbacks in the movie Never Been Kissed . . . and not just because she’s probably a 25 year old playing a teenager . . . but because she’s clearly an attractive girl that the costume designers have tried really hard to “ugly up” for character development purposes.
In other news, Stiles is like the best wallclimber ever. He trounced Scott and Allison, and nobody noticed.
Who knew he had that in him. Maybe Stiles IS secretly Spiderman, after all . . .
But back to New Character Erica, she has a little panic attack on the wall. Allison informs Coach Crackpot that she’s epileptic, and he lets her come down. No big deal right? You know that’s not the end of that story.
Back in the locker room, Scott and Stiles gossip about their upcoming evening plans. While they talk, Stiles takes off his shirt, a sight which is conveniently hidden by an open locker.
I’m starting to be convinced that Stiles naked body is like Neighbor Wilson’s mouth on that old show Home Improvement. They are going to taunt us with the idea of it, constantly. But never actually show it to us.
Scott then gets a weird shaking feeling in his hand. Turns out, New Character Erica had the dumb idea to return to the rock climb on her own, and with out a harness. And then . . . wait for it . . . she suffers a seizure, and falls off the wall. Scott catches her, before she hits the ground. “My hero!”
“They always make this look a lot easier in the superhero movies.”
Allison, who runs back into the gym with a bunch of other girls wants to know how Scott knew New Character Erica was in trouble. I want to know how Allison and the other girls knew . . . but that’s just me.
Perhaps, Erica’s seizures made the entire school shake . . . kind of like that T-Rex in Jurassic Park.
Scott says “he just felt it.” Because apparently, being a wolf allows you to sense other people’s epileptic seizures. Groovy!
Now we’re at the hospital. Scott’s mom is telling New Character Erica that she still has hot legs, despite being a mom. It’s always about YOU, isn’t it, Mama McCall?
“Don’t worry, Erica. Some day soon, you too will be able to play a mom on a teen show, who has nice legs.”
Mommy leaves soon after. Then Derek, who’s dressed in a super sexy grey tank top, appears to wheel New Character Erica to the morgue. (I guess he “felt” her too.)
DEREK TO ANDRE: “Hey! You cropped out my sexy tank top. What gives, buddy?”
Again . . . this hospital has the Worst Security Ever. You would think, after the whole Alpha Thing, that Derek would at least have to don a pair of scrubs to gain access to patients rooms. But noooo . . . I guess hot people like Derek can do whatever the f*&k they please, just because they wear droolworthy grey tank tops.
Derek seduces Erica, which isn’t that hard, considering he’s Derek . . .
He reminds her how crappy her life is, because she has epilepsy, by reading her the side effects of the medication she’s clearly not taking. At least now we know why she’s not taking it. Derek offers her a better life, then, presumably gives her a nice big ole fang-making stomach hickey, when she accepts.
“Golly. I sure do wish MTV could afford to put red eye reduction on its camera lenses.”
It seems we are learning more and more “cool things” about werewolves with each passing episode . . . like the fact that becoming a werewolf seems to cure human diseases.
But what about diseases to which animals are susceptible? Like rabies. I mean, you could argue that the werewolves on this show, act like they have rabies already. So, getting it again is no big deal.
I’m getting off track again. What’s important is this . . . New Character Erica has just become the newest member of Derek’s wolf pack. Umm . . . yay?
Speaking of cures . . .
The Healing Qualities of Sex with Lydia
In biology glass, Jackson learns about vaccines, and decides that all those times he’s schtupped Lydia, over the past few months, have rendered him “immune” to werewolfism.
“Daydreaming of Wolfy.”
This is probably the first time, Jackson actually successfully applied something he learned in class to his real life . . . you know, aside from that time in Sex Education, where the kids practiced putting condoms, on small, shriveled rotten bananas . . .
Out in the hallway, Jackson screams at Lydia because her Super Vag has apparently ruined his life.
“You killed my inner wolf with your magic winky, AND you made me watch The Notebook. You are like SOOO evil!”
Then, she runs off to the bathroom to cry.
I don’t know. If I had a Super Vag, that made asshats like Jackson have a miserable life, I sure as heck wouldn’t be crying. In fact, I’d be doing this . . .
Anyway, while Lydia’s weeping in the bathroom, a pair of really gnarly bare feet can be seen from outside the stall. Wow, you must be some kind of idiot to walk around barefoot in a public restroom . . . especially a girl’s public restroom. Do you have any idea what kind of crap ends up on that floor? Forget Athlete’s Foot. We’re talking Athlete’s Gangrene!
All dogs may, in fact, go to Heaven. But clearly, they don’t offer pedicures there.
Of course, by the time Lydia emerges from the potty. (She didn’t even wash her hands!)
Big Foot is gone. But wait, he’s walking around the school, checking out Peter Hale’s old athletic trophies. So, Lydia isn’t actually seeing Dead People. She’s just seeing Dead Peter.
As far as Super Powers, that’s kind of a lame one, don’t you think. Now, having a Super Vag, on the other hand . . .
The “Fa” Sound
We’re starting to piece together what Scott and Stiles’ Fabulous Secret Plans are. They apparently involve a set of keys that only New Character Boyd possesses. I immediately like Boyd, because he’s a loner, who knows how to negotiate.
$50 for a single set of keys is kind of pricey! So, you can understand why a poor soul like Stiles, wants to whittle the asking price down to twenty. “The price is fifty, with the Fa sound,” Boyd repeats, unmoved.
It’s like Sesame Street. This episode has apparently been brought to you by the letter “F.”
As in Stiles is totally f*&ked, if he thinks he can get those keys for less than half the asking price.
“As in Forty?” Stiles tries again. (At least he has the Fa sound right this time.)
But Boyd is unmoved. Ultimately, Stiles coughs up the cash. That’s a lot of money for a high school student! What kind of allowance is Sheriff Stilinski giving his son?
Speaking of things that make you go “Fa,” New Character / New Wolf Erica, makes her grand slo mo entrance into the cafeteria, complete with background music that basically consists of the word “Hot,” repeated over and over again. (Because that’s not too obvious at all!)
Speaking of cliches, she eats someone’s apple off his table. I think there’s supposed to be some Adam and Eve reference there.
But to me, that’s just plain RUDE!
Erica then leaves school, and rides off into the sunset with Derek.
Hmm . . . I wonder if, when they screw, it’s in wolf form, or human. These are the things I think about, while I watch Teen Wolf. . .
After this, we get two little seemingly random scenes, both of which will have more importance later. In the first, Scott tries to broach the whole “werewolf discussion” topic with The Vet, who demures, and ends up giving Scott a raise instead. Then Papa Argent asks Allison to “look out” for Lydia, i.e. find out if she’s a wolf, so Grandpa can hack open her body . . . ah . . . friendship!
ALLISON: “You would look SOOO pretty with your appendages cut off!”
LYDIA: “You really think so? That’s SO sweet!”
It’s a Petercicle!
Armed with Boyd’s keys, Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Allison head off to the old ice hockey rink for “Date Night.” We watch Stiles’ adorably awkward seduction techniques, as he plies Lydia with ugly orange jackets and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. (Hello, Product Placement.)
“Hi boys. You should TOTALLY buy Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, because they will help you get laid by girls like me.”
Stiles seems to think he’s striking out, but us females know that Lydia’s seeming ambivalence toward Stiles is starting to crack at the surface. In other words, he’s growing on her in a big way . . .
We are then treated to some “cutesy skating montage scenes.”
Then Lydia has another freak out, because she hallucinates wolfsbane (pretty) . . .
and Peter (not so much) growing out of the ice . . .
“Hey girlfriend. Got an extra Reeses Peanut Butter Cup for your old pal Petey?”
“I guess that’s a no?”
If this was a different show, I’d say Lydia was simply suffering from a serious case of PTSD. But there’s clearly something wolfy going on here . . .
Speaking of something wolfy . . .
B*tches ARE CRAZY!
In the hallway at school, Scott tries to get Erica to tell him, who’s the next lucky candidate for Team Derek’s Hickey of Dreams. Erica doesn’t answer, instead she aggressively hits on Scott, while Allison looks on pouting.
*Pouts* “Maybe if I got hairy every full moon, Scott would look at ME that way.”
It kind of makes you wonder if Derek chose Erica, specifically, because he thought her Little Lost Girl with Epilepsy Story would lure Scott away from Allison. And it might have worked too. After all, Scott has always been a sucker for a damsel in distress, and Allison certainly isn’t that.
What Derek probably didn’t count on, was that Wolf Erica would undergo a complete personality transformation, upon being bitten, and start channeling Lindsay Lohan, in that awful movie where she plaid the dead stripper. Also, if two pack members screw, isn’t that kind of like incest?
Speaking of aggressively unlikeable ladies, Allison’s Bat Sh*t Crazy Alien-Looking Mom finds a love letter from Scott in Allison’s books, and then proceeds to SLICE A BIG FAT HOLE IN HER ARM WITH A KNIFE, just so that she can have an excuse to interrogate Scott’s mom at the hospital.
“Hmm . . . I wonder if these knives need to be sharpened again.”
“Yep, definitely need to be sharpened . . .”
I don’t know. To me, that seems like a lot of pain for not much reward. Scott’s mom basically doesn’t tell Allison’s mom anything she (or we) don’t already know. When you really think about it, aside from being super creepy, it was kind of a useless scene. (And seriously, is Scott’s mom the ONLY nurse in this place? No wonder Scott can run around every night, in faux canine form, without his mom suspecting anything! She’s always working!)
“But I thought all teenage boys ran on all fours and barked at the moon!”
Snow Dogs on Ice!
Back at school (The time jumps in this episode are making my head spin.), Scott and Stiles find New Character Boyd’s lunch table empty, and they know right away, because he must be the new pack recruit. (Why? Can’t a guy have a sick day?) Stiles finds Scott impulsive need to save every wolf man in Beacon Hills very sexy . . . stupid . . . but sexy. “Can we just try to make out for a few minutes?” Stiles asks hopefully . . .
Now, THAT’S something I’d like to see . . .
Elsewhere, Jackson tries to confront Derek at his Crapbox House, only to be accosted by a boatload of Argents with guns. I’m thinking someone’s going to need a dry pair of pants, after that experience.
Back at the rink, Stiles and Scott find Boyd driving the Zamboni, which is pretty much the most awesome high school job you can have EVER.
“I sure am one bad mamma jamma!”
Scott tries to convince Boyd that Being a Wolf is BAAAAAAAD, which prompts Derek and his new pack of puppies to pop out, and illustrate the other side of the debate.
Meet the Douche Squad.
Eventually, all this philosophizing starts to get really dull. And that’s when things really pick up. I smell a WOLF FIGHT. Wolfy Scott literally wipes the icy floor with Isaac and Erica.
Naptime for wolfy . . .
(I guess Slippy Scott got that “balance”problem on the ice straightened out.)
But then Derek wolfs out, and promptly wipes the floor with Scott, thus proving that all is fair in love and werewolfism.
“Dammit! Why do I always miss out on the good stuff?”
Once he regains consciousness, Scott makes one final plea with Boyd to stay on Team Human. But it’s too late. Boyd lifts up his shirt, and there, clear as day is his tummy hickey. But Boyd assures Scott that he doesn’t want to be just another member of the pack, like LAME Isaac and Erica. He wants to be like SCOTT . . . a lone wolf. Except, then he follows Derek off into the sunset like an obedient puppy, thereby proving he’s exactly like Isaac and Erica . . .
Now, that’s faaaaa . . . ucked up.
In other news, Hot Black Argent finds himself on The Vet’s table, as a seriously mutilated corpse. I’m betting HE wishes he had Derek’s Hickey of Dreams Right now.
Dinner is served!
Bites from that Lizard Thing just aren’t as sexy. Upon seeing this, The Vet decides it’s time he had that Werewolf Birds and Bees talk with employee Scott, after all . . .
Smart choice.
Oh, and I almost forgot. Jackson can lift up cars with his bare hands now.
How nice for him. I guess Lydia’s Super Vag isn’t quite as effective as we once thought . . . go figure.
Until next time, Werebangers!
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TV Recappers Anonymous 
Regarding Scott saving Erica:
Some persons with epilepsy have reported that their dogs are able to “sense” when a seizure is coming and therefore able to reduce their seizure-related injuries.
I am impressed with the amount of research the authors behind Teen Wolf does.
Also did you notice that Jackson seemed sorry after he screamed at Lydia?
They really need to tell Lydia the truth about what happened to her.
That was my second thought! It just proves how much of a puppy Scott really is (first the sniffing out the window now sensing seizures) my first thought was that he was someone connected to Erica since (spoiler) in the previews it shows Erica hitting on Scott later on.
Hey Johan,
You know, I’d never heard that about dogs and epilepsy patients. That’s really interesting. And it makes the whole “Scott felt Erica” thing make a lot more sense. Thanks for the scoop! 🙂
As for Jackson, I did notice a bit of remorse on his part, after he screamed at poor Lydia for her “vaccination vag.” It still doesn’t make me empathize with him though. It’s definitely a situation of “too little, too late,” as far as I’m concerned.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! 😉
I find it funny that the Argent’s are using Derek’s old house for a hideout now hoping to catch other werewolves looking for Derek I guess. At first I thought that Alison and Papa Argent were kidnapped by Derek because the phone voice sounded a lot like Derek’s echoing voice in Pack Mentality, but no just some twisted training plan of the Argent’s.
The whole thing with the women being leaders means that in the end Allison will be the one making calls about whether to kill the werewolves or let them live. Plus the producers revealed something important here that even if Grandpa Argent wants to kill all the wolves unless Alison’s mom says okay they say alive. So, ultimately she was the one that made the call to kill Isaac. Kind of liking the female empowerment the show is featuring.
With the whole seizure thing Johan is right because their are service dogs for people with seizures.
Anyway I have a fear that the writers are trying to make the Scott-Alison relationship more interesting by adding in the camera-guy to compete for Alison attention and Erica going after Scott, which could be the command of Alpha Derek.
Derek is acting a douche. Derek is letting his new found Alphaism get to his head like Jackson and his newfound werewolfism. He didn’t even train his ‘guard dogs’. They’re in a pack and got their asses kicked by an Omega, that means they really can’t fight because being in a pack makes them stronger than if they were on their own. Plus they lost in a two-on-one fight to Scott. I love how when Scott said that it wasn’t a fair fight he just knew he was gonna kick their asses. Then Derek went and beat Scott up. Let’s face that didn’t really prove anything because as an Alpha I hope that he’d be able to take a Beta in a fight. Not to mention why beat up Scott and knock out Stiles they helped you out last season and Stiles helped save a member of your pack this season, then next week you’re just going to need their help again. Then Boyd was all like ‘I wanna be like you’ and then left with Derek. Am I the only one not digging their love of Derek. Isaac barley made it through his first full moon and even then Derek need the help of Alison and Stiles. Erica hasn’t even wolfed out yet or faced a full moon so why are they already so loyal.
And I’m guessing that Jackson would be able to wolf-out now. Maybe he just needed for the wolfsbane and the antibiotic to leave his system before he could wolf out.
Glad that the Vets finally going to start talking and by the sounds of it he has no clue what that thing is.
Hey Jmae! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! Good point about the females in the Argent family making the ultimate “life and death” decisions. It’s actually a sort of interesting twist, since Mama Argent is presumably (hopefully) not an Argent by blood. And yet she supposedly yields all this power. I predict that by the end of this season, Allison will be forced to make the decision of whether to let a wolf in Derek’s pack die or live, after he or she makes a rash decision that ends up hurting a human.
You are also right about Derek, so far, having not done a particularly good job, training his new wolves, or fully explaining to them the downsides and dangers of werewolfism. In that sense, I think Scott would probably be a more effective Alpha than Derek. And who knows, that may ultimately be the direction in which the show is heading . . . (though I honestly can’t imagine Teen Wolf, without Tyler Hoechlin. That would be a sad state of affairs, indeed).
I’m still not 100% sure Jackson will convert into a regular wolf. Just like with Lydia, I suspect there was some reason his body reacted to the bite in the way that it did . . . perhaps, something about his genes. I suspect we’ll find that out in the coming weeks.
So the hunters kinda remind me of Hyenas, the women are the leaders there stronger than males so that´s cool.
Though Mama Argent reinforces my idea that the human antagonists are more monstrous than the monsters with fangs and claws.
According to a spoiler Derek doubts his leadership guess they don´t teach you how to be a good Alpha. I also believe Boyd, Isaac, and Erica will not be Derek´s only pack I think there going to screw up majorly and endanger the pack. Next time Derek might choose carefully who he turns. Though I think Scott might eventually join the pack if there too stop this lizard thing.
I have no idea why Scott is fighting Derek, I know he wants to stay away from all the trouble but sometimes trouble finds you instead.
Judging from what happened to the Black Hunter, I think no amount of training will prepare the hunters for the lizard thing since they seem to hunt only werewolves.
Though its a very interesting plot point, you are sick or dying supernatural creature like vampire or werewolf offers you a chance to get better and be much better than you were before.
That is interesting they should have worked more on Erica´s make up she clearly is a pretty girl who they tried to make ugly but actually she´s 18 according to her bio.
I had no clue that the actress who plays Erica is 18. Go figure! Now I feel bad for saying she looked “old.” (Not that being in your early 20’s is old by any means, of course.)
I too liked the idea of werewolfism as a cure for common human diseases. If a scientist somehow got hold of those genes, and could somehow repress the werewolf aspect of them, it could presumably cure a lot of sick people. I wonder if the series will ever address that aspect of the show, by having scientists discover one of the wolves, and attempt to bring him or her in for testing.
I think Scott fought Derek, because he thought it would somehow convince Boyd not to complete the transformation, by showing him what a bloody business being a werewolf could be. Little did Scott know (1) he was already too late; and (2) the ice brawl actually ended up having the opposite effect on Boyd, in that it showed him how strong and athletic he could become as a Beta. I suspect Boyd also assumed that he would never subscribe to “pack mentality” like Isaac and Erica. He would be a lone wolf, like Scott . . . easier said than done.
my question is mama Argent really the one calling the shots. In all the conversations she had with her husband she seems subservient to the grandad saying things like it was not her idea at the funeral. Also wouldn’t the leader be an actual Argent not one that married into the family.
Good point, Coin. I was thinking the same thing about Mama Argent. It’s possible that there are multiple wolf hunting families. Lizard Victim Number 1 showed no evidence of being an Argent. (Allison clearly didn’t recognize him.) If that’s true, than Mama Argent could have been raised in another one. It’s also possible that she pretends to be subservient in public, so that she can get the upperhand over people who underestimate her, like Scott’s mo clearly did. Just a thought . . .
You know when I saw that gas station I instantly thought that this would be the scene of another murder. Well happily I was wrong. As for the whole time at the station: perhaps it’s another sort of product placement or advertising. Possible.
And I asked myself, these Argents must have a lot of high-tech to fake Derek’s voice like that. But then again, I am not an expert so what do I know what you can do at your computer from home these days.
I didn’t think in the same way as you did about the bite stuff. I just assumed that an Argent would be killed immediately.
Personally I think that your hesitation regarding the whole matriarchal things is well founded. Papa Argent’s speech about who makes the difficult decision might seem progressive and in a way it is progressive to show such a thing, but I think it’s still sexist. Assuming moral and cognitive superiority based on biological sex is still sexism, only this time it’s reversed. After all his “wars have been started by men” comment obviously confuses virtue with lack of chance. Seriously, how many women in our written history had been in the position to even start a war? Not many, not many known that is, who knows who actually held power at courts and harems, but were these few who openly held power really that peaceful? Elizabeth I wasn’t exactly a pacifist. Neither is Mama Argent.
In addition one could also argue that someone never on the battlefield might send lives to slaughter far too quickly. On the other hand I am a victim of the “you haven’t been there” argument myself, but there is a difference between actual fights and war and pointing towards research on Australian wild dogs.
When I saw Allison leaving with the car and the dude stayed I instantly thought “the black guy dies first.” And this time I was right. Maybe that was just the racist in my speaking and the actor was only black (well whatever that word means in America that is) by chance and not on purpose.
But in the end I was more asking myself: Why didn’t the guy shot the Lizard? Or at least tried to.
Erica looked more like a drug addict than an unpopular and anxious girl. I mean seriously, that didn’t look very realistic in my eyes.
And actually nobody said that she was epileptic. Except for the coach and he was instantly “corrected” by Lydia, who again showed her brain and told him flat out that Erica was freaking out. The epileptic seizure came later when she tried to climb the wall without security and Scott had the whole shaking hand thing. I also thought of the whole dog thing but I wonder whether this was really a reference to that. I mean such detection dogs bark alarm; they do not actually feel the signs they simply notice it before the afflicted human does. So perhaps the answer is more mystical or maybe there will never be one.
Of course personally I would like to have weredogs, especially since this would be a loophole for Stiles that is just about right (you know the whole wolf not wolf thing with dogs). But such a thing will never happen because a) dogs are not considered predators in the everyday mind and b) considered that most people have no idea about the actual age of modern day breeds and what actually is a healthy dog the show might come up with degenerates and travesties, respectively dog forms that couldn’t possibly be among a race hundreds of years old, and I couldn’t stand that.
I guessed you would be pissed by Stiles not being seen shirtless. Now that is an actual tease, not those imagined Sterek moments. I personally think you are right, or at least the chances are high, that Stiles will never be seen shirtless in the show.
You know Derek’s little “speech” with Erica seemed to me more like sexual harassment actually. I guess that’s the whole romanticizing the bad boy image that this show clearly also sells with Derek. Seriously there is no denying that.
Well becoming a werewolf is practically genetic modification, albeit I wonder how strong. I mean if it could cure epilepsy (do anti-epileptics actually have the mentioned side-effects?) it could be rewriting the whole genome of the person.
But perhaps there could be werewolf specific diseases. Albeit considered their seeming rarity I guess it would be more plausible if some diseases could also infect them. And it is possible that rabies could be one of them. They are still mammals after all, now the Lizard on the other hand…
I also share your hesitation about Erica becoming a pack member, but more on that later and instead let’s go to a related topic.
Hearing the video in the class room about vaccination: I am sure that was a hint to what happened to Jackson. Mr. Argent had said to Kate that if a scratch goes deep enough a human can be turned by scratch. But what if it didn’t? Maybe the dose of “infectious agent” via claws is not usually enough to deliver a successful infection and so Jackson got immune and couldn’t be turned. It would fit neatly into the whole thing Peter had said to stiles. After all if the bite wasn’t an infectious agent, why should it have the power to kill someone and since this is not TVD I think this is a consistent concept.
Albeit I wasn’t so stupid as Jackson was. I actually thought he got it when he suddenly paid attention to the video but blaming it on Lydia only proofs how stupid he is. It didn’t even seem to occur to him that it was Derek’s scratch. I hope the writers won’t make it the way that it really was Lydia’s saliva or anything. Because that would a) be lame and b) bring us to the question why Scott is still a werewolf, the exchanged lots of fluid. What if that was the first dose for Lydia? And would that mean that Allison is now immune too?
It is true that a part of him seemed to regret what he did to her but I guess he is too far gone now and someone like Jackson is very unlikely to simply admit a mistake, not an overachiever like him. As for Lydia, well… come on she would have needed a whole lot of romanticizing to even be with Jackson, I wouldn’t be surprised if she never even knew him respectively that without him she might be in college already. Or at least a school for the gifted.
Of course the moment you saw him from the back it was clear that it was Peter (I knew it was his hand in the shower) Lydia was seeing, not showing the face didn’t really do anything to hide that simple fact.
The apple probably was an Eve reference in the show but personally I was more a bit annoyed that being confident turned Erica into a sex-bomb. Seriously, that is so cliché. Not to mention that I can’t help it but the more I saw of new Erica in this episode the creepier she looked. I mean that face, the google-eyes and the smile is even creepier than Derek’s in the last episode.
Erica might just well be another time bomb. Sure Derek did chose the ones who were less likely to rebel and more likely to be accepting, for now. But I doubt he understand human minds.
The Vet on the other hand seems to know teenagers by distracting Scott with a raise. I mean how many teenagers would not take that money?
Interesting that the snack worked with Lydia. When was the last time anybody saw a girl eating a snack on a Teen show?
Of course O’Brian’s acting was great as always, you really feel Stiles’ frustration, to bad Lydia doesn’t see how good looking the guy actually is. He is like the Baby Sinclair of Teen Wolf you gotta love him:
And it was good that Stiles was finally better at something physical than Scott. Looks like being a werewolf is not a cure against clumsyness. Seriously the guy was two seconds on the ice, all “I am the man” and then without Allison he can’t stay on his feet for longer than five seconds. And no I am sure he didn’t get better on ice, the later fight was simply less clumsy because he didn’t have skates on.
If just your comment regarding Erica’s hairiness would be true. 😦
“Douchebag Squad” was pretty much fitting for the terrible three. With their dark clothes Derek and his cronies looked like the biggest losers on the planet. That’s not gonna be pretty when they break once more. Especially Isaac had a face you simply wanted to punch.
Luckily they got handled by Scott.
So far Erica’s werewolf look is … well not disappointing since I never really expected it to be different, but the fact that she was only shown with fangs and some claws but barely anything else seems typical for the mindset that female werewolves who really look threatening are simply too horrible. No idea why since that look seems to make the males sexier. To some extent that is since Derek and Scott look like copies of Hugh Jackman in the X-Men movies.
I hope one day Derek will get the ass-chewing of his lifetime. This wouldn’t be pretty, well not for him if you ask me. He seems too smug.
Maybe a fight like this one:
The big guy is Derek and the little one Stiles (I know you would love that). Of course unlike in the video Stiles would win.
Oh great Jackson has superstrength, now it’s time for superdouchebag.
I have bad news for you I think:
Another reason why Stiles might never become a werewolf is because werewolves in Teen Wolf as well as their new found popularity in-show is based on physicality. Peter didn’t actually have a good plan when he wanted revenge; his man-wolf form simply gave him opportunities a normal human would not have had. Similarly Derek hasn’t shown much of restraint and actual leadership or planning qualities, as I wrote in another comment, he only has an edge in lycanthropy because he grew up with it. The same is true for Scott, Erica, Isaac and Boyd, ultimately Jackson as well. All define themselves now via physical strength or in Erica’s case physical appeal (well according to the show that is) –which leads to their newfound popularity (except Isaac) – and not via cognitive abilities. The Omega didn’t seem smart as well, considered his physical strength he at least could have made it as a thief or maybe illegal wrestler instead of ending up a tramp.
This is the reason why neither Stiles nor Lydia could become a werewolf in the show, since werewolves, or beast-men in general (except maybe those that turn into domestic cats) stand for brute force and untamed passion in modern day fiction and not intelligence. Especially those stories depicting a sort of internal dichotomy usually have the beast site as pure instinct and passion, it is always the human side that does the cognitive work. A werewolf that is smart simply can never be more than an oddity for the average reader. A shame in my eyes, think of what Peter would have been able to do had he had more brain.
Hey Andre! First off, thank you for the Shirtless Derek video. That workout scene just never gets old . . . EVER! In fact, if I could watch it on a continuous loop throughout my day, I suspect I’d be a much happier person, in general. Regarding the voice talking to Allison at the beginning of the episode, I assumed it was one of those voice changer apps on iPhone. It WAS quite loud though. The Argents must have had some pretty good speakers hiding underneath those chairs.
You do bring up a good point about Papa Argent’s “women don’t start wars” comment to be a bit of a fallacy. There are plenty of matriarchal cultures where the women are just as warlike as men. And, as you mentioned, female leaders HAVE led their countries into war in the past. It still makes for an interesting dynamic amongst the Argent family, and explains a bit about why Kate and Mama Argent act and think the way they do. Plus, they are still teaching Allison how to fight, and defend herself. So, it’s not as though they are only training her for “decision making” and wolf-slaying politics.
I’m actually really disappointed that they killed the Black Argent. He was hot and sexy, and (assuming they weren’t directly related), I liked his chemistry with Allison. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like Boyd too (as I mentioned in my recap), but not for the same reasons I liked Black Argent . . . who I wish got a name before he died, so I wouldn’t have to call him that. 🙂
My verdict is still out on Erica. I do hope they do more with her character than make her the stereotypical nerd turned vixen b*tch. But since they have managed to successfully flesh out Lydia’s character, a bit more this season, I remain optimistic. As for the school’s knowledge of her epilepsy, if I recall correctly, it was actually Allison who noted it to Coach Crackhead. Lydia simply noted that Erica’s panic attack was not the same thing as “vertigo” (an inner ear disorder that causes one to experience extreme dizzyness, disorientation, and room-spinning . . . I know, because I suffer from it on occasion, unfortunately, and it’s no picnic . . . But I’m sure it’s not nearly as devastating as epilepsy.).
As for Stiles, Dylan O’Brien did note in Season 1 that his character would never take his shirt off, never get a girlfriend, never turn into a werewolf, and never have sex. So, this whole “hide the shirtlessness” thing might very well be the running joke of the series. I hope he was wrong about the girlfriend and the sex though. The dude has EARNE some loing. That’s for sure!
You’re right about Derek’s wolfpack in their matching clothes, looking more pathetic than intimidating. I kind of hate that Isaac seemed to lose the individuality, hidden rage, and vulnerability that made him so interesting in the first two episodes. If that’s what becoming part of a wolf pack means, I would turn down that bite in a heart beat. (I also wouldn’t like being so hairy. It’s not attractive on a girl :)).
I loved your theory about wolfiness representing pure brawn, as a contrast between Stiles’ and Lydia’s brains. That said, I think it would be really interesting to have an “intellectual wolf character” on the show . . . someone who’s a little awkward and nerdy, and who remains that way even after the transformation . . . someone who is just as interested in the scientific elements of werewolfism as the physical ones. In the SyFy show Being Human, the character of Josh is that type of wolf. Interestingly enough, he actually shares a lot of similarties with Stiles on this show. I’d actually kind of love to see those two interact with one another. 🙂
Actually I expected that Erica would become the stereotypical vixen. You could also argue that so far they had restricted themselves to the … I forgot how that is called in English, it’s simply that when people in America choose the “average” person that person is always “white” or better “anglo-american” (my own personal definition of “White” means the indigenous population of Europe and not simply the pale variety of my continent’s population, in addition to that I regard the One-Drop rule as nonsense and circular reasoning at best).
Perhaps your optimism is justified but on the other hand Lydia is a main character and Erica probably is not. And so far we do not even know whether Boyd will survive the next episode. He was never mentioned before as a new werewolf.
Did they actually state that Stiles would never have sex? I can’t remember that.
And personally I don’t understand your dislike of being hairy in wolf-form. After all since when are these wolf-faces attractive? I would wish for a more hairy werewolf-women, this smooth look is sexist in my eyes and a clear example of double standard. The wolf-faces are meant to be scary, so why should a female one be attractive?
I think your hopes are displaced. The stereotype of the brawny-no-brainy werewolf is too deeply rooted in film-makers and everyday people’s minds.
So until the next episode. 😉
Thanks so much, Ikainica! I’m so glad you enjoyed the blog. This brings the concept of Team Derek to a whole new level, doesn’t it? 🙂
Well, before I contribute a 1,000+ word essay on episode 4, let me contribute a 1,000+ word essay on this one… 😉
If the following if slightly off-kilter…I had very little sleep last night, had six of hours of teaching and am currently coasting on one litre of green tea. So ‘booyah!’ for German insomniacs…
I found “Ice Pick” to be a good episode as filmed, but the writing was a bit bumpy. I’ll adress things bullet-pointedly:
> Sooner or later, I’m certain Allison will come to [i]really[/i] resent her family, what with her father fake-napping her (and her mother in all likelihood masterminding this).
> BTW – the Argh-ents go through red shirts like, uhm, I go through a mall. Fast and without regrets. I wonder if these guys can be found on Craigslist? I wish there was consistency regarding these guys, I especially like JayR Kalis from season 1 (http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/4675/55077569.jpg).
> “Maybe I was admiring the view!” That McCall guy can be funny if he doesn’t plan to be… As for climbing, when the Stiles become the resident monkey? I’m rather in awe at this development, also because I lack the biceps, triceps, anyceps necessary to do such a thing like climbing. His facial expression was, of course, AWEsome.
> Coach Finstock. They could make an entire spin-off based on Coach’s life as a, uhm, coach. And YAY for Greenberg! 😉
> F*** you, lockerblocker!
> “In several different positions…” LMAO. He didn’t specifiy with whom, though, so I can keep dreaming.
> Not quite sure if I agree with the way Sour Wolf’s gone so far, but if his story arc (according to JeffD) is indeed one of hubris this season, I’m on tenterhooks/hentertooks/a word like that for what’s down the road. Also: “Ulcerative colitis? Eugh…” 😀 (And I didn’t even need to look up how to spell that…and I’m German!)
> Poor Jackson. Cheated out of his dreams of wolfliness, drawing -as usual- the wrong conclusion and upping his douchebaggery to almost unbearable levels. “YOU RUINED [b]EVERYTHING![/b] Thaaaat was a bit too much, though… Still, to get some backstory on Jacks would be nice, especially if there’s a connection with either the Hale family or (and I’m just throwing this out) the Argh-ents.
> Nice and subtle cameo of Mr Ian “Used-to-be-the-Alpha” Bohen, even though it didn’t quite look like him being frosted.
> Stiles…THE F*CK?! Trying to pull one over the (supposedly) unpopular kid? Not COOL, dude. Your AWEsomeness points dropped by, like, 100…still 99900/100000 ain’t that bad.
> So I think Boyd is the worst name in the English language…right after Keith. While that’s a minor drawback, Sinqua Wall’s is rather likable so far. “The Fuh-Sound?”
> Getting bitten must come with a coupon for a free black leather jacket. Derek’s must be a regular with that store… And thank God for these Aviators: they are the only thing enabling Sour Wolf to pull off a grin like that. Also: I think I liked the growly-scowly Derek of last season much better. Less bad things happened…
> Deaton: heh!
> Chris Argent/JR Bourne: the only Canadian who actually scares me, apart from our PM, Stephen Harper! :O
> Orange and Blue…not a good combination. Not on Derek last season, not on you, Stiles. Listen to your girl.
> It’s actually not Scott being on the ice in these scenes…that’s me wearing a Tyler Posey-mask behaving real life-like on skates. I’ve mastered these “Kiss the ice within moments of stepping on it” moves. It’s borderline embarrassing. BTW – Tyler and I don’t share an off-centre jawline…large nose, yes.
> Will we get an explanation as to why Derek picked Boyd? And if Derek and Erica are doing the nasty (cf. Derek’s “gotta get laid” grin above and Erica’s somewhat disturbing SM-moment with Scott)?
> Mama. What. The. F*ck. Argent. Do you do that often?!?
> I hate these stupid ceiling tiles. And yes, please God, let Stiles get his wish.
> Oh Jackson. Firstly, what is it with these plaid shirts (taking a page out of Stiles’ book?) and woolen (?) vests. Doesn’t match your perfect hair. Not that it matters, because I can’t see you lasting beyond this season. Amazing how you’ve got no redemptive qualities (anymore).
> Stiles/Erica: LOL. And what the flipping flop is it with people demolishing Stiles’ jeep. Are they trying to send him a message? AND YOU DON’T EFFIN’ KNOCK MA BOY OUT WITH HIS OWN JEEP’S MOTOR PARTS, [b]YOU HEAR ME???[/b]
> Boyd & Zamboni FTW. What does FTW stand for, anyways?!
> Scott vs. the Betas: 1-0. Derek vs. Scott: 5-0 (I think). That power play Sour Wolf’s got going on, while being quite RAWR-inducing (what’s with these bordering-on-insanity grins), is making me worried that he’s going down the Way of Peter. Which, as we all know, ended in fire. Again, the Hubris Arc…or was it because he didn’t wanna lose his face in front of his pack. Either way, it was surprisingly violent.
> YEAH, BITCH!
> [b]RAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRR!!!!![/b] Jackson rage-lifts his new car…with the old license plate? Dude, enjoy your little moments of triumph…they’re all you’re going to get. And maybe see a doctor…your breathing is worse than that of an asthmatic!
# # #
And I should really stop reading all these awesome Blogs and Tumblrs…I wanna be on my tenterhooks/that kinda word and going in blank. Even the previews are too much…
Anyways, I needa catch that ship called “Sterek”. And how about these new photos of Tyler H.? Oh-my-friggin’-sweet-Baby-Jesus… 😀
All the Best from Canada’s West, Christian
You could do a trans-universe slash thing where it’s Jackson vs Prometheus with the black goo coming out og his ears being the same black goo the destroyed the first Engineer, ah fugheaboudit. If you’ve a moment, I just got serious people to publish my opinion that TW is, like, the best freaking show on TV. I say this with much more complexity and nuance, but that’s still the major take-away
http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay/grey-matters-the-haunted-suburban-world-of-teen-wolf
That’s awesome, Ian. I’ll definitely have to check out your work. Us werebangers have to stick together, right? 😉
[quote]Ghost Face Killer voice poses an interesting question, especially in light of all the different responses we’ve been seeing to one single Alpha Wolfbite, this season. Namely, what happens to an Argent, when he or she gets bitten . . . you know, aside from the fact that her family disowns her, and may or may not try to cut her in half, while she hangs from a tree. Would her body reject the bite, like Jackson’s seems to be doing? Would she experience wacky hallucinations, like Lydia? Or would she just become your garden variety werewolf, like Scott and now Isaac?[/quote]
OMG, how did you know? I’m intrigued.
I know I am late to this but I just did my not so funny review of this episode and I wrote the exact same thing about the product placement. Between this Reeses and the freaking Nike I was so done.lol