Before this season started I was planning on writing a top ten list
of the best moments. But now we have come to the end of 3a I feel like just
writing about the seasons best moments would not be an accurate representation
of the season as a whole. These 12 episodes gave us some of the best Teen Wolf moments ever, but the thing
is, it also gave us some of the worst. This season is difficult because when it
was good it was brilliant but when it was bad it was terrible. For that reason
I have decided that instead of the top ten best moments I would give you the
best and worst of the most polarizing season (or half season) of Teen Wolf yet.
Worst: The opening sequence of the premiere (301)
This is strange because I actually admire the sheer ambition behind
this sequence but it also just kind of sucked. It was certainly ambitious to
start the series with a motorcycle chase sequence, especially when they really
didn’t have the budget to pull it off. It’s the first moment of the season and
it is supposed to set the tone for the next 12 episodes and in a way it does
because this season is full of ambitious experimentation that fails most of the
time.
After I first saw this moment I wanted to give everyone involved a
big “You Tried” sticker but as the season progressed and continued to give us
these over the top and ineffective action sequences I lost patience. They were
trying, but they were trying the wrong thing consistently and it all started
with Isaac and The Girl on that motorbike.
Best: The opening sequence of the final (312)
This sequence was beautiful, I could probably go on for hours about
how fantastic it was but the point is that it’s just a perfect example of what
this season could have been. The cinematography is brilliant, the use of
location and music is phenomenal. The Season 1 footage is seamlessly integrated
into the sequence and despite the lack of dialogue and action it is still
incredibly gripping.
The thing that distinguishes this moment is that it’s grounded by
the characters emotional journeys. Yes, this sequence is visually stunning and
technically great but really it’s all about the characters. It might look epic
but it’s really a simple moment that is essentially about three of the main
characters and how far they have come since we first met them. This is all I
wanted all season – ambition and experimentation grounded in coherent emotional
character arcs.
Worst: Deucalion
Deucalion is one of the most benign big bads I have ever seen. For
the entire season we are told repeatedly that he is the baddest guy around. Most
of this season’s narrative revolves around the fact that everyone is terrified
of Deucalion. In fact the other big bad Jennifer/Julia’s motivation is
essentially fear of Deucalion.
The problem is Deucalion isn’t all that terrifying. All he really
does is stand around making dramatic speeches while Kali beats people up. He
didn’t really do anything. His motivations were confusing and he had the most
generic backstory ever (he was a pure soul until tragedy struck sending him
down the path of evil). And in the end they just let him go and I was left
wondering what was the point.
Best: Jennifer Blake
I may have a weakness for female villains but Jennifer/Julia was
without a doubt the most interesting character introduced this season. Unlike
Deucalion her motivations were clear and there is nothing more terrifying than
a righteous villain. Fear and revenge might not be the most original motivators
for murder but they’re classics for a reason and the Darach mystery was
incredibly engaging and made for great watercooler TV.
While the romance between Derek and Jennifer was poorly executed
Jennifer was always an incredibly intriguing character. She was likable yet
mysterious and although it wasn’t particularly shocking when she was revealed
as the Darach it was still somewhat satisfying. She wasn’t a perfect character
but she was genuinely threatening and a hell of a lot more entertaining than
the entire Alpha pack combined.
Worst: “Visionary” (308)
“Visionary” is basically a demonstration of everything I hate about
flashback episodes. As I always say flashbacks are an excuse for lazy writing
and this episode was lazy and pointless. It added nothing to the story (in fact
parts of it were actually detrimental to the overall narrative), it disrupted
the flow of the season and it just was generally boring.
I will forever be wondering why this episode happened because there
is no reason for it to exist. Derek already had a tragic past and Deucalion’s
generic backstory added nothing to his character. The timeline was confusing
because Peter Hale was about 10 years younger than everyone else. To top it all
off it included a textbook manic pixie fridging. I’m not sure I can accurately
demonstrate how much I hated this episode but I would like to know if everyone
is okay if we just eternal sunshine this crap pile.
Best: “Frayed” (305)
I know I said I hate flashback episodes but that’s because they are
very rarely done well, “Frayed” is the exception that proves the rule. This is
a great episode that uses this technique in a way that enhances the drama and increases
the suspense. The flashbacks work to inform the story as it progresses in real
time – which is how flashbacks should be used – proving this show can use
flashbacks well if it makes the effort.
Although it was pretty clear that Derek wasn’t dead the use of
flashbacks helped the audience understand Scott’s emotional state and despite
the non-linear structure it was actually fairly easy to follow. This episode
was not perfect (the excessive use of slow-mo is strong with this one) but it
was intriguing and exciting and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Worst: Derek and Jennifer
People come up with all kinds of excuses for why this romance fell
short and I’m aware that the romantic relationships were pushed into the
background this season (I actually liked that). The thing is, the relationship
between Derek and Jennifer wasn’t in the background it was one of the key
storylines for the season (and it played an important role in the epic
conclusion). There was no excuse for not taking the time and effort to make
this romance believable.
Just piling romantic clichés on top of each other does not make for
a believable romance and love at first sight only works for teenagers (not
adults with severe trust issues). It doesn’t matter that Jennifer turned out to
be the bad guy, we still needed to care about this relationship. If I were at
all invested it would have made the conclusion of this narrative so much more
emotionally gripping.
Best: Lydia and Allison’s friendship
This wasn’t a particularly good season for female characters. Three
regular female characters were introduced and only one survived (and she was an
incredibly underdeveloped character). So yeah it was not a great time for the
ladies but I will give credit where credit is due because the relationship
between Lydia and Allison was great.
There aren’t that many depictions of real female friendships so the
fact that Allison and Lydia’s relationship exists at all is a pretty big deal.
In the first two seasons it was slightly iffy but this year it was the
relationship I always wanted it to be. They spend all their time together, they
trust each other, they openly admit that they care about each other and when
Deaton said they had to be paired with someone they had a deep emotional
connection with they instinctually moved towards each other.
Worst: Boyd’s Death (307)
Sighs, we were promised a death so they gave us a death. By killing
off a semi-regular background character they are trying to suggest that anyone
can be killed but most of the audience is genre savvy enough to know that if
they’re in the opening credits they are pretty safe. That doesn’t mean that the
death of a background character has to be meaningless as long as it has an
emotional impact on the main characters.
Boyd’s death is basically meaningless. There was no build up, we knew
next to nothing about the connection between Boyd and Derek and his death
doesn’t add anything to the season narrative. As far as we saw there was no
impact, which suggests that it held no meaning beyond the event itself and that
makes his death kind of exploitative and definitely emotionally unsatisfying.
Best: Scott and Stiles Yellow Crayon Moment (306)
For those of you that don’t know the term yellow-crayon-moment comes
from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and refers to the speech Xander makes to Willow
in the Season 6 finale. Because Scott and Stiles friendship is the heart of this
show they were perfect candidates for a yellow-crayon-moment and it doesn’t
disappoint.
A few people have argued against my unapologetic love for this
moment. And yes I am aware that there is no way Scott could hold a lit flair
without exploding but it doesn’t matter because it felt real. These kids love
each other and it’s nice to see their relationship cemented in such a beautiful
way. The performances were brilliant and apart from the fact that they cut away
to the most boring sex scene ever a couple of times I thought the direction was
solid. It was a fantastic moment that I continue to love every time I watch it…
and I’m crying again.
Worst: Cora Hale
For me Cora Hale was the most disappointing part of this season
because she should have been fantastic.
The Hales are such a huge part of Teen
Wolf’s history but we know almost nothing about them. Introducing Cora was
a great opportunity to explore the history of the Hales and gain important
insight into Derek’s character… but we saw none of this.
Cora did two things all season – she flirted with Stiles and then
she almost died of some unknown illness so that Derek was forced to give up his
Alpha status. The rest of the time she just kind of stands awkwardly in the
background. We learn nothing about her or anything that happened to her. We
don’t see her relationship with Derek and now that Adelaide Kane has been
poached by the CW, Cora will never be anything more than a shell of wasted
potential.
Best: The introduction of Agent McCall (311)
Although I have no real desire to get to know Scott’s absentee
father (as far as I am concerned Melissa is the only parent he needs) I did like
the way they introduced him. When the FBI agent first entered it was pretty
clear he was being set up as an antagonist for the second half of the season.
His interactions with Stiles suggested that he had a past with the Sheriff but
then it might have just been Stiles being a dick.
It was a great reveal when Stiles said to Scott that his father was
in town and suddenly it all made sense. I know fandom has been set on the idea
that Scott’s dad was at worst abusive or at best a deadbeat but I actually
really like the idea that he is just a regular person that is a terrible
father. Bad parents are not always abusive.
Worst: Excessive Slow Motion
Considering how many important moments are rushed or ignored
entirely it seems bazaar that this season wastes so much time by using the slow
motion effect. Everything happens in slow motion: running, growling, fighting,
kissing, everything. In fact the third episode of the season, “Fireflies” is at
least 40% slow-mo. I don’t know if there was sale on or someone just got over
enthusiastic about a shiny new toy but the amount of slow-mo this season is
ridiculous.
After re-watching the season to write this list I can say that when
you see it all in a row it’s even worse. There is no defense for this, it was
entirely gratuitous and everyone involved needs to go sit in the corner and
think about what they have done.
Best: Stiles Panic Attack (311)
Stiles slowly losing control of his emotional state was one of the
most consistent aspects of this season and it all culminated in this moment.
Stiles’ panic attacks have been a huge part of fanon since he mentioned them
way back in Season 1, but I was always kind of wary of them actually happening
in canon because panic attacks are very rarely portrayed well – especially in
teen dramas.
Again Teen Wolf defied my
expectations because this was one of the best depictions of a panic attack I
have seen. Apart from the way Lydia cured Stiles by kissing him (don’t do that
okay) it was pretty much spot on. It’s also one of the only times this season
that slow motion is used effectively.
Worst: Death to all Women
The moral of Season 3a is that all women must die (except for a
select few). You might think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. In 301 we were
introduced to The Girl, then she was killed. In 302 we met Heather, then she
was sacrificed for being a virgin. In 303 Erica’s death was revealed and we
also met Emily who was sacrificed (her gf survived though so that’s something).
In 307 a nice lady Doctor was killed. The whole point of 308 was to
introduce and then kill a girl – Paige no-last-name – for Derek’s mangst. Then
in 309 the lovely lady deputy – called Tara Graham – was killed (also an
unnamed female teacher). Then in the finale both Jennifer/Julia and Kali died
while all the male villains were allowed to live. By the end of the season
there are only three (five if you count Cora and Morrell) female characters
compared to eleven male characters. I’m not saying this show is sexist, but
this show is sexist.
Best: Melissa McCall and Allison Argent
Although I’m upset that most of the female characters died and Cora
turned out to be nothing more than a plot device, I don’t want to ignore the
few fantastic female characters Teen Wolf
has given us. Melissa McCall and Allison Argent were amazing this season (Lydia
is more problematic but I won’t go into that here).
Allison was the true hero of the season, constantly showing up to
get those silly boys out of whatever mess they got themselves into this week. Melissa
McCall’s relationship with Scott is uniquely solid and she was consistently
shown using the skills and knowledge she processes to save the day. Melissa and
Allison are dynamic characters that continue to grow and I enjoyed everything
about them this season.
Worst: Derek Hale’s Manpain Limit
There is a limit to the effectiveness of manpain and Derek Hale
reached his limit in Episode 3. Anything that came after this was basically
pointless. It added nothing to Derek’s character or the overarching narrative
arc and by the end of the season it was just a joke. Everything is Derek’s
fault again and it’s hilarious. That’s not really the response you want to what
is supposed to be an emotionally traumatizing event.
So much of this season is tied to Derek’s pain, which is why it
fails to achieve the necessary emotional impact. But I mean really, Derek’s
whole family died in a fire he thinks he’s responsible for and then his uncle
killed his sister, it doesn’t get any worse than that. Pain is relative, and
compared to his whole family dying killing a beta that he hardly knows doesn’t
really rate.
Best: Scott McCall is a True Alpha
In the age of the tragic anti-hero Scott McCall’s unapologetic heroic
decency is refreshing. When the idea that Scott might be more than just a
werewolf was introduced in the first episode of the season I was worried that Scott
would turn out to be the hero of some cliché prophecy quest. So I was
pleasantly surprised to find out that Scott’s true Alpha status was something
that was earned rather than destined.
Scott McCall is an amazing character that I never expected to love
as much as I do (considering how much he annoyed me in Season 1). If anyone is
going to become an Alpha by sheer force of will and genuine goodness it’s got
to be Scott McCall. While I would have liked to have seen more of Scott
struggling to reconcile the supernatural with his everyday life I really
enjoyed Scott’s journey towards become a True Alpha.
And there you have it. I was going to do 2 more (just to make it ten
each) but this pretty much sums up everything I loved and hated about this
season. So what did you guys think? What did you love and/or hate about this
season? Will you be coming back for 3b?
Don't forget you can relive this season through my recaps here.
