Courtesy of MTV
After a few weeks off, we’re back to regular coverage of Teen Wolf as the gang cooks up a plan to ensnare the Benefactor by killing Scott (Tyler Posey).
Let’s bitch it out…
The last few episodes have focused almost exclusively on the threat posed by the Benefactor, with last week’s viral outbreak during the SATs acting as a particularly engaging bottle episode. ‘Time Of Death’ feels like a much more traditional episode as the crew “kill” Scott in order to trick the Benefactor out of hiding. We dip into very familiar territory when we see the details of Scott’s “deathly” dream walk, which details his subconscious effort to grapple with the implications of being the Alpha, specifically the need to kill. It’s clearly on Scott’s mind when he talks with his dad (Matthew Del Negro) about murdering the assassin last week, and it’s evident in the dream walk when he sees the Mute repeatedly murder Liam (Dylan Sprayberry). Scott’s admission that he’s becoming some kind of monster speaks to these unsaid fears and the climax of the dreams – when he murders Liam – pays off the mentor/mentee relationship the two have been exploring in real life. Since dreams are often used in television narratives to reveal character details that are not explicitly addressed, I’m sure that we’ll revisit these ideas in the coming weeks.
On the whole the episode suffers a little for me because the plan feels foolish and hastily conceived. The fact that Kira (Arden Cho), Liam and Kira’s mother are all wounded (in the latter case almost fatally) there’s a clear suggestion that these people can’t even handle a minor threat like Kate (Jill Wagner), so how can they possibly hope to defeat the mysterious Benefactor? At least we have now identified this season’s villain now that we know than Lydia’s (Holland Roden) never before mentioned grandmother is behind everything (Side Note: Scott’s realization that the only person who could verify a death without visual confirmation is a Banshee would have carried more weight if Lydia’s realization had not immediately followed it – one or the other would have sufficed).
Other Observations:
- Father/daughter bonding time for werewolves apparently involves idle threats and punching through concrete columns. In other news: I still don’t care about Malia (Shelley Hennig) and Peter’s (Ian Bohen) relationship, nor her search for her birth mother.
- In other B-plot news, Braeden (Meagan Tandy) and Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) finally act on their chemistry and make with the sexy after she instructs him on how to survive encounters with supernatural creatures. I’m sure that fans shipping other Derek couples were disappointed, but this feels like a pretty natural development.
- Good to see the hospital roof set get some additional screen time. Kira and Liam head up their to investigate a camera outage while waiting for the Benefactor to arrive and encounter a Berserker. After she’s knocked out, we get a cute, brief scene (flashback?) to Kira and Scott on the bed ruminating about normal things they’d like to do when the madness dies down. It’s a nice reminder of what these kids are missing thanks to their supernatural adventures, which has been a recurring theme this season (coupled with the money troubles that have come as a result of so many supernatural attacks in Beacon Hills).
- We knew that Peter and Kate were in contact, but did we know that they’re working together? Feel free to refresh my memory in the comments about why she would answer to him.
- Finally, I would totally watch a spin-off featuring Mrs. McCall (Melissa Ponzio) and Kira’s mom. It could be like an older, female version of Supernatural.
Best Lines:
- Braeden (to Derek, shortly before they get it on): “I’m going to teach you how to bend”
Your turn: how is this season of Teen Wolf faring for you? Are you intrigued by the idea of Lydia’s grandmother being the villain? Is Scott in danger of becoming a killer? Do you have any interest in discovering who Malia’s mother is? Sound off below.
Teen Wolf airs Mondays at 10pm EST on MTV