Recapturing Teen Wolf: Jackson Has a Restraining Order

Previously on Teen Wolf… Lydia needs to open up so she opened up to the cute hipster boy, who is probably a hallucination and someone is controlling Jackson.

It’s night, a trailer is parked by a lake. Inside is a couple that have fallen on hard times. Oh goodie it’s been a while since we had a traditional horror cold open murder. They can’t even afford to stay in a trailer park. The woman is mad but that’s just because she’s scared. The lights go out and he goes out to check the generator.

The woman is sitting at the table crying when she looks outside and sees that her partner/husband/boyfriend/lover is talking to a mysterious hooded figure. The hooded figure points up the man looks up and the Kanima’s tail reaches down and picks him up… he’s dead.

Naturally the woman starts to freak and starts locking all the doors and windows in her very secure trailer, but the Kanima throws her dead partner/husband/boyfriend/lover through the window and climbs in after it. But then it stops. Looking down the woman’s body… she’s pregnant. The Kanima runs away.

Kanima's don't kill babies... apparently.

Opening Credits

Scott and Stiles are still at the Sheriff’s station but they’re on the phone to Allison explaining what happened with Jackson. He must forget everything. He has to get rid of the blood and everything – this is intercut with Jackson washing the blood from his skin. But he need help with one thing… the video. He doesn’t believe them he thinks he’s still turning into a werewolf and Lydia delayed the whole thing. They can try to convince him that they’re telling the truth, but will he talk to them. Stiles is like sure of course he’ll talk to them.

Cut to the Sheriff explaining the terms of the restraining order Jackson has placed on Scott and Stiles. Melissa and the Sheriff are noticeably upset and Stiles is doing what he does best, hiding behind a wall of sarcasm and humor.

The parents of Beacon Hills are 100% done with your shit Stiles

Outside, the Sheriff tries to get Stiles to grasp the severity of the situation, he’s lucky their not pressing charges. Stiles insists it was just a joke – and humor is subjective, he’s talking multiple layers.  Well there really isn’t a good way to interpret the stolen prison van.

Mama McCall is trying to be tough mom again and it’s not just this – although a restraining order is a new low – it’s everything. There’s nothing left to do, Scott is grounded… except for work.

Melissa: And no TV.

Scott: My TV’s broken.

Melissa: Then no computer.

Scott: I need the computer for school.

Melissa: Then no, no Stiles.

Stiles: What no Stiles?

Melissa: NO STILES.

I love that she's so proud of her punishment. She's like aww yeah no Stiles. Take that Scott.

Stiles relents and Melissa is pleased for a moment anyway. She’s on a role so she asks for his car keys but she can’t get the key of the key ring and she becomes increasingly frustrated. Scott grabs her hand and Melissa stops and looks at him. She asks if it’s about Allison and Stiles is behind her shaking his head vigorously. Scott asks if she really wants to know and she says yes but again Stiles is shaking his head at Scott. Then she asks if this is about Scott’s father and my heart breaks – and so does Scott’s – but Stiles nods his head because he thinks it’s a good excuse. Melissa looks broken but she says they will talk about it at home. I’m not sure what happened with Scott’s dad but something tells me it’s really not good.

Break my heart why don't you assholes! 

Scott is the worst son ever… Stiles points to where Mr Whittmore is yelling at his father about his behavior, Stile’s is not exactly winning any awards either. And I absolutely love this. In so many supernatural teen drama’s they never show how the lives of the parents are affected. It’s all well and good for the teens to do what they want but it’s their parents that have to deal with the very real non-supernatural consequences of their actions. This is just another reason Teen Wolf is more than just a trashy teen show about werewolves.

In Derek’s lair Derek is explaining to Isaac and Erica that they need Scott and Stiles help because it turns out this thing is harder to kill than he thought. So he needs either Isaac or Erica to get close to one of them. Erica asks which one but Derek doesn’t care. Also just feel the need to point out that Derek doesn’t care whether it’s Erica or Isaac that goes after them… Erica just assumes it’s her.

Isaac reminds Derek that the full moon is coming and they haven’t learnt to control the shift yet. Derek has a plan for the full moon, and he starts pulling chains out of what I can only assume his torture chest. Because Derek would have a torture chest. Not for interrogation or prisoners or anything. No he would use it to torture himself. Anyway Isaac is concerned, if they’re locked up then Derek will be alone against the Argents (aww Isaac I didn’t know you cared). Isaac suggests that maybe they just give up on the Kanima. That’s not going to happen because Derek, like Scott, has a hero complex and it is kind of his fault. Biting Jackson was probably one the worst decisions in a long line of terrible decisions.

At the Beacon Hills High library Allison is looking around the room casually checking out the security cameras before walking down one of the aisles. Scott and Stiles are waiting on the other side of the book shelf Allison pushes her tablet through to them. It has everything Lydia could translate about the Kanima… she was very confused. Allison told her they were part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures… Stiles is part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures.

There’s nothing in there on how to find out who’s controlling him, but Stiles was right about the murderers (Stiles win). The Kanima is a weapon of vengeance. There’s a story about an priest that used the Kanima to kill the murderers in his village. Stiles is like so he’s not all bad. Except that when the bond grows strong enough it starts killing whoever they want. That’s all bad.

The thing is, it’s supposed to be a werewolf but the wolf can manifest until it’s dealt with issues. Stiles could have told them that Jackson needed therapy. Allison wonders if it could have something to do with Jackson’s parents. None of them know what happened to them, but Lydia might. Seeing as Allison doesn’t have a restraining order she’s the one that’s going the go talk to Jackson. Scott wants to play the hero but he has a chemistry test and Allison insists for the hundredth time that she can take care of herself. Scott yields but says that if Jackson does anything weird at all she should call him.

Must resist urge to make snake in mouth joke.

Speaking of weird things Jackson does. He enters an empty biology classroom and starts looking at the spiders and snakes. He opens the snake tank and pulls out a snake letting it crawl up his arm around his neck and into his mouth. Gross. And weird. And why?

Scott sits down to take his make-up exam but his head it not in the game (he’s obviously worried about Allison). Mr Harris tells him that he has one hour. 

This is my fav Screencap of the Season

Mama McCall is grabbing the laundry out of Scott’s room... well that was the plan anyway but the temptation to snoop is just too much. She starts just kind of straightening things up but soon she’s throwing stuff all over the room as she riffles through his draws. She doesn’t find anything until she looks at Scott’s desk where there is a condom box sitting there (it’s not hidden or anything, Scott’s not doing a very good job of hiding his secret relationship). There were twelve condoms in the box (hehe) and there’s only one left (way to go Allison). Mama McCall is clearly upset but hey, at least he’s using protection.

Jackson wanders the halls of Beacon Hills before he hears something and slips into the locker room. Allison is following him and she’s taken her heals off so that she doesn’t make a noise. Before she can enter the locker room she’s stopped by her stalker creepy-camera-guy Matt, he wants to ask her to a rave of Friday night and Allison is so distracted by her mission that she said yes until after Matt leaves but then she’s quickly distracted from the noise in the locker room.

That's Allison's oh shit I just agreed to a date face.

Stiles is trying to get Lydia to tell him what happened to Jackson’s parents but considering Stiles won’t tell her anything about anything she’s not keen on giving him personal private information that is not really hers to tell in the first place. Maybe if he explained the situation she would understand but as it stands it seems like a ridiculous request.

I present a summary of their relationship.

Lydia: Was that a question?

Stiles: It felt like a question.

Lydia: Well tell me if this feels like an answer… no.

That little exchange pretty much sums up everything that is wrong with the nice guy trope. Erica accosts Stiles as he’s trying to chase after Lydia who is ignoring him. She pushes Stiles up against a wall and asks why he wants to know about Jackson’s parents. Stiles reminds her that she can’t do anything in front of the security cameras. And Erica tells Stiles that she knows exactly where Jackson’s parents are, they’re in Beacon Hills cemetery.

Stiles: That’s right you want to play Catwoman, I’ll be your Batman.

Very bad touch Jackson but still... damn boy. 

Allison walks into the locker room, she’s already uncomfortable because she’s in a space that she is not supposed to be then Jackson calls to her and she walks around to be confronted with him in the shower stark naked, starring Allison down. Allison’s jumps back and hides behind a wall, she’s freaked. She tells Jackson they can talk later. Jackson stops Allison from leaving backing her up against the wall, he’s still stark naked and dripping wet.

Let’s talk about how awful this is for Allison. I already pointed out that she’s in a space that makes her uncomfortable. The boys locker room is not exactly a space women feel save. Then you have Jackson who is using his nudity and the discomfort he causes as a weapon (remember male sexuality is a threat to women in patriarchal society so him standing there full frontal like that is scary not sexy). Make no mistake kiddies this is what sexual assault looks like.

Squirrel Allison

Meanwhile Scott’s doing his test and it’s not going great but it’s about the get worse because his Allison sense is tingling. Allison’s heartbeat is skyrocketing… I wonder why.  As soon as the hour is up Scott jumps up and hands his test over but Mr redherring Harris says he’s no allowed to leave until he’s filled out every answer. Scott answers B for every question he has left and runs out of the room.

Stiles chases after Erica but unlike Lydia she lets him catch her. He wants to know how Jackson’s parents died. Erica says she’ll tell him if he tells her why he wants to know so bad… but he doesn’t have to. She figures it out on her own. Jackson is the Kanima.

Back in the locker room things are getting steadily worse. Jackson is threating Allison, calling her a bitch, using her insecurities about her relationship with Scott to make her more upset. Then he starts to get physical pushing her up against the wall so that he’s right in her personal space and he starts caressing her. Allison is crying by this stage, she’s clearly terrified but she’s also crying about what he’s saying. She is scared that her and Scott are going to choose opposite sides of this war and that all this will end with one or both of them dead. Yet despite her fear she still manages to use her training to throw Jackson off her.

So so very gross. And proof that Allison Argent is better than you. 

Jackson lands on top of Allison but he’s Jackson again, not the Kanima (BTW so many issues with the idea that men have a monster within them that is a sexual predator but it’s not their fault and they have no control over it). He jumps off her confused he’s pulling on his pants when Scott bust through the door and he is not happy with what’s happening here.

It's exactly what it looks like.

Jackson: I have a restraining order!

Scott: Trust me, I restrained myself.

They fight, it’s actually one of the better choreographed fights in the series (it doesn’t hurt that Jackson’s wearing nothing but his lacrosse shorts… if you don’t know why I love those lacrosse shorts you should watch the opening credits again).

Erica and Stiles are both like OMG did my dreams come true?

Outside the locker room Stiles is begging Erica not to tell Derek that Jackson is the Kanima. He says that she can’t just go around destroying her… and she doesn’t see why not. Everyone made her life hell before the bite why shouldn’t she return the favor. Then she tells Stiles that she used to have a crush on him (I’m not sure if this is legit or just part of her plan to seduce him) but Stiles is not listening, he’s looking at the puddle of water leaking out of the locker room.

Scott and Jackson fall out of the door fighting each other. Erica grabs Jackson and Stiles and Allison pull Scott away. The ruckus they have caused draws a crowd including creepy-camera-guy Matt and Mr redherring Harris. Matt picks up Allison’s tablet and emails the stuff about the Kanima to himself before handing it back. Then Mr Harris gives Allison, Scott, Stiles, Jackson, Erica and Matt after school detention.

Mama Argent is watching the school security footage when Mama McCall interrupts her. She’s not here to see Scott, she wants to talk to you Victoria about the fact that Scott and Allison are not as broken up as they thought. Victoria tries to suggest that it’s some other impressionable girl with low standards but Melissa knows better. The only girl Scott has ever thought of that way is Allison… we’re aware of that.

Lydia’s talking to the cute hipster boy, he wants to show her something after school and she though they had gotten past the slightly rapey language (it’s funny you keep referring to him as rapey Lydia). He ignores her comment and tells her to bring the flower.

Detention time in the library but something tells me this isn’t going to end with new friendships and romances like The Breakfast Club. Jackson has a restraining order so he can’t be in detention with those tools. Not all of them. Just Scott and Stiles. Mr Harris moves Scott and Stiles to another table and figures that’s close enough. Jackson is not happy.

The Breakfast Club

Scott: I’m gonna kill him.

Stiles: No you’re not, you’re going to find out who’s controlling him and then you’re gonna help save him.

Scott: No, you’re right, let’s kill him.

But Stiles knows his friend better than that. He doesn’t want to kill anyone – just going to take a moment here to remind people what happened in the season one finale with Derek killing Peter.

If Stiles thinks you're evil... he will look at you like that.

Stiles thinks that creepy-camera-guy Matt is controlling the Kanima. Scott doesn’t think that makes sense. Why would Matt want to kill, a hunter, a mechanic and Mr Lahey? Stiles is like but it all started with the video and it was Matt’s camera and he could be trying to throw them off his scent by telling Jackson about the missing footage. Matt’s sitting there eating chips looking very non-threating so Scott thinks they should look into other options. Stiles just has a bad feeling about that guy and we should always listen to Stiles intuition because he’s usually right. He’s sure Matt’s evil… he has the weirdest faces.

Jackson gets a headache and goes running out of the room Mr redherring Harris follows after him and tells everyone else not to move until he gets back. Naturally as soon as he’s gone Scott and Stiles move to sit next to Erica to ask her about Jackson’s parents. It was a car accident but the weirdest part is that Jackson was born the day after his mother was pronounced dead. There’s announcement: Scott McCall to the principal’s office.

Seriously Colton did you lose a bet?

Meanwhile Jackson is in the bathroom and the snake he swallowed earlier comes out of his eye because that’s completely necessary and not at all gross… it also makes me wonder who is going to have something weird come out of them in Season 3.

Lydia is searching through her stuff. She lost the flower but it says a lot that she is even looking for it. She checks the back yard but there are no other purple flowers like that one… then she wanders out the back gate barefoot. I think the fact that Lydia is not wearing shoes is a pretty good sign that all is not right.

BTW I love the way they make Lydia look like she's in a Gothic romance - very nice.

Jackson returns the library but he’s not looking good but I guess that’s understandable since a snake just crawled out of his eye. Mr Harris gets up to leave and the students follow but he just laughs at them. He’s going home but they are not allowed to leave until the finish shelving the books. Lydia walks barefoot through the woods to the house behind hers. When she enters it’s clear the house has been abandoned for some time.

The pencil is your penis Scott.

Mama Argent is sharpening a pencil with an electric sharper when Scott enters. The principal didn’t want to see him, she did. She continues to sharpen her pencil as she tells Scott that she’s concerned, there was a sink ripped off during their fight, without her around to explain it that could have been bad. Then she just comes out and says… are you having sex with my daughter before sharpening the pencil some more. Scott denies the sex because even he can grasp the threatening metaphor that’s happening here.

This might be important... maybe... IDK it's pretty subtle. 

Outside Mr redherring Harris is in his car… as it drives away we see the bumper sticker on the back. It’s the car that met up with the Kanima for the friend!five.

Stiles explains that Jackson must have been born after his mother died… and they don’t know whether it was an accident or not. It might have been murder which fits with the Kanima myth. The question is, is it killing murderers for Jackson or murderers for the master?

I feel like this should be life rule number one: Never listen to messages that appear randomly on the covers of books.

A couple of aisles over Jackson is freaking out. He’s seeing messages in books and I think that now would be a good time to call for adult Jackson or you know doe exactly what the message tells you to. Whatever.

Scott goes to try to talk to Jackson but he’s gone and Matt is unconscious and possibly paralyzed on the ground. The Kanima is loose in the roof and it’s ripping out light sockets and knocking down shelves like it’s a game. Stiles covers Allison but Erica gets nicked.

It's funny because this is the last time we see them as a pack... actually that's not funny at all.

Jackson is half shifted, Scott places himself in front of Allison and Stiles (now that’s an alpha) and they watch as zombie-half-kanima-Jackson writes a message on the blackboard before jumping out the window. The messages reads: Stay our of my way or I’ll kill you all.

Scott runs over to take a closer look but Stiles spots Erica, the venom is causing her to have a seizure. Allison runs to check on Matt, he’s alive. Erica refuses to go to the hospital telling them to take her to Derek. Scott’s not keen on this idea but Allison tells him to go.

I don't think it gets much clearer than that.

Scott runs to Allison and tells her that he will wait with her but Allison reminds him that Stiles can’t carry Erica himself. He has to go. Scott says it’s not right but Allison insists that it doesn’t mean anything… Scott knows that it does though. This is the moment they pick sides. Human or wolf? Scott kisses Allison and carries Erica out of the school.

Lydia walks into the abandoned house and the cute hipster boy appears behind her asking if she brought the flower… she couldn’t find it. That’s okay but he’s going to need that kiss as retribution. Lydia gives in and lets him kiss her and even kisses him back. Until she looks in the mirror behind her and the illusion is shattered, she’s actually in the burnt remains of the Hale house and she’s kissing Peter Hale. Lydia freaks out and backs away – slow motion as her reality comes crumbling down around her. Scream.

In one of the abandoned train carriages, Derek sets to work helping Erica. He yells at someone to help her and Stiles complies (why Scott doesn’t do it when he’s closer and also has wolf strength I’ll never know). Derek breaks her arm to trigger the healing process then bleeds the poison from her system. It’s not a nice experience but it seems to do the job. Erica collapses into Stiles arms and tells him that he makes a good batman.

This is the third time Erica has been incapacitated... poor Erica you deserved so much better than this.

Then it’s time for a Derek and Scott moment. Derek already knew who the Kanima was he just needed Erica to confirm it. Scott tells Derek that he’s going to help him stop Jackson… as part of his pack and the look on Derek’s face when Scott says he’ll be part of his pack it actually the most heartbreaking thing ever. He’s so excited.

Derek dares to dream that Scott might join his pack.

Scott has some conditions though, they are not going to kill Jackson, they are going to save him and they are going to do it Scott’s way. Derek is ready to do pretty much anything to have Scott in his pack.

At the hospital Melissa (aka the only nurse in Beacon Hills) is tending to the woman from the cold open. She’s had her baby but she still a little freaked out by the monster that attacked and killed her partner/husband/boyfriend/lover she tries to tell Melissa but she just thinks she’s had a few too many pain killers and leaves her to sleep. As soon as Melissa leaves the hooded figure enters the room. The woman tries to make him stop but the figure places their hand over her face and suffocates her.

I hope Lydia kicks you in the balls Peter.

Peter sits down next to a very freaked out Lydia to explain the situation. He understand that this all must be terribly confusing but at least she knows she’s not crazy… not completely anyway. Of course there will probably been some residual effects but he’s confidant she will make a full recovery with minimal posttraumatic stress (and nightmares of course). You see, he always has a plan and Lydia’s immunity makes her the perfect plan B.

Peter strokes Lydia’s hair in away that is really disturbing and Lydia remembers everything. None of it was real. It was all happening in her head. The cute hipster boy was a young Peter Hale. When she comes back to reality Peter is gone and she’s holding the purple flower in her hand. She looks directly at the camera and smiles.

Damn she's scary sometimes... and I like it. 

The camera pans down past the floorboards to where Peter Hale lies buried… waiting for Lydia.

To be continued.