Teen Wolf Season Two
Overall Rating: 3.5 / 5
If you're a child of the 80s or early 90s, you may have grown up with Teen Wolf starring Michael J Fox. Based on the hit movie, Teen Wolf the TV show has stepped in to fill the void. First the country went crazy for vampires, now for werewolves. The show follows Scott McCall, a shy teenager, as he copes with life as a lycanthrope. He is joined by his best friend, love interest, and rivals in high school.
Season two kicks it off with a slew of new characters and the hint of a lot of new storylines to come. Picking up from last season, Allison and Scott are forbidden to see each other. The two have to learn to navigate not only a clandestine love affair but also this dangerous new world to save their friends. Derek Hale is trying to build his pack as the new alpha, hinting of impending threats to come, and a mysterious new lizard monster is on the the scene. It was an exciting season with a lot of new twists.
Scott & Allison: After the drama of last season, Allison's family has forbid her to see Scott. This works as well as you'd expect it to, especially when the two have to constantly team up together to save their friends which is not at all. Sometimes they can use their friends to help them with minimal problems. Sometimes they just act like asses. The scene in episode 5 where Allison asks Lydia to not say anything, not because it could prove harmful even fatal to them or put Lydia in danger, but because Allison wants to keep her relationship in tact was just so full of asshole that I hated her right then. However, there were other moments that they realized that it might be better for people to find out than to risk someone's life so they weren't completely without insight.
Who is a villain and who is innocent: On one hand, you have the Kanima and whoever is controlling it. The master here is obviously a villain, but is the Kanima? Is Jackson? Plus, we had a moment where Gerard (a villain) was with the Kanima. Are their stories intertwined. Normally, we would look at this situation as a double feature since we have two villains counting the Kanima and his master as a unit. However, their stories started to intertwine. Then you have a whole family (who I still proclaim to be nuts) trying to protect humans by killing other innocent humans. Teen Wolf doesn't delve as deeply into the topic as other shows, but it does bring it to light a little.
Derek's pack: Derek, you still make very poor choices. Power-hungry, emotionally disturbed teenagers that now have super powers and a chip on their shoulders is not a good idea. It reminds you of when Stiles said that Derek wasn't much older than them; he can't be but in his early to mid twenties. Think it through, buddy. Scott wisely chooses his more level-headed and good-intentioned friends over his pack most of the time.
Peter Hale: Again. He's just the bad smell that won't go away, but probably one of my favorite storylines. Ian Bohen makes for a pretty good bad guy and I think that both he and Holland Roden, Lydia, give their best performances together. Separately, they tend to be just side characters that don't get much attention, but together they create an emotional and scene-stealing pair. As Lydia searches for the truth to her dreams and immunity, Peter keeps getting closer to life. It's also pretty funny because it felt like the writers just went, "Ian's hot? What else can we cove that up with?" Dirt, burns, worms, whatev. His hair is also much less Ken doll, which we all appreciate. Though I get how the alpha thing heals burns, but magically regrowing hair exactly the way it was before? Really?
The whole situation with Derek's pack was probably supposed to have more meaning and emotional punch, but I felt that it really just fell flat. Part of that was because the characters are so one dimensional. In order to give any credit to them, you have to feel something for them as well which I feel wasn't as much of a priority and not handled well.
Speaking of one dimensional, I think Michael Hogan gave a hell of a performance despite his character. Granted, they paid more attention to Gerard's story so there were interesting elements to him. When you add Michael's acting, it helps to flesh out the character. The Argent family is just over the top in general, but this season it felt like they were a massive cluster-fuck where Chris seemed to be the only sane one caught in the middle. He had to deal with the loss of his sister, his wife, the betrayal and madness of his father, and almost losing his daughter the insanity and single-mindedness of hunting. JR Bourne gets massive points for his work and for bringing not just depth but a feeling of real humanity to Chris Argent. I'm not into the whole Allison/Scott romance very much or Allison's inability to be rational when it comes to being "strong", however Crystal Reed does bring a lot of charm and sweetness to her character. She uses more subtlety than she gets credit for with her character and makes her feel more relatable and commiserable.
Holland Roden, is the breakout teen here. I attribute a lot of this to the way her character was written this season, since the writers just didn't give her a chance to shine and show her talents in Season One. Lydia gets to break out of her strictly type-casted role and start to push her boundaries as a person. The immunity to the bite comes with other fun side effects like hallucinations and naked hikes in the woods. Watching her try to function when he mind is being highjacked was interesting. She even brought out the best in Jackson (the character - Colton Haynes did a pretty good job).The burning question though: did Lydia drag Derek all the way to the Hale house? I buy my potatoes individually because I don't like to carry a 5 pound bag. I don't know how I'd shove an entire Derek Hale in my trunk.
The Stilinski family gets another round of applause this season with both Dylan O'Brien and Linden Ashby doing commendable jobs. I find them not only to be some of the greatest actors on the show, but also some of the best characters. They're down to earth, believable, and just generally sane, good people. It's a very needed element in the show.
I was also excited to see Bianca Lawson join the cast as an emissary. Granted, she's been in other things, but I've never seen them and she will always be Kendra to me. I get tickled anytime an actor from a fantasy or sci-fi franchise ends up on another one. There is also the added mystery of what her connection is to that world and Deaton. Plus, she really just plays coy so well.
You can purchase Teen Wolf: Season 2
from Amazon. If you are an Amazon Prime member, the first two seasons are free on Prime as well as the first half of Season 3. All seasons are also theoretically on MTV.com, but it seems like half the episode are "not available" at any given time. I don't understand why as it's their TV show, but I don't get paid to ask questions.
Here is also a link to a website that lists the songs played in the Season Two episodes.
If you're a child of the 80s or early 90s, you may have grown up with Teen Wolf starring Michael J Fox. Based on the hit movie, Teen Wolf the TV show has stepped in to fill the void. First the country went crazy for vampires, now for werewolves. The show follows Scott McCall, a shy teenager, as he copes with life as a lycanthrope. He is joined by his best friend, love interest, and rivals in high school.Season two kicks it off with a slew of new characters and the hint of a lot of new storylines to come. Picking up from last season, Allison and Scott are forbidden to see each other. The two have to learn to navigate not only a clandestine love affair but also this dangerous new world to save their friends. Derek Hale is trying to build his pack as the new alpha, hinting of impending threats to come, and a mysterious new lizard monster is on the the scene. It was an exciting season with a lot of new twists.
Big Bad of the Season:
- Kanima - the new lizard demon thing that's been terrorizing the citizens plus human pal who likes to sic it on people. It's a dynamic duo!
- Gerard Argent - The Grandpa that likes to stab people with hugs. Plus, the rest of the Argent family, minus Chris and Allison on occasion, are fucking nuts. Except when Allison is fucking nuts. Give us a break, guys!
Top 8 Favorite Moments of Teen Wolf Season Two
- S2.E4: Stiles repeatedly correcting people about the bestiary and playing telephone between Scott and Allison. Seriously, why doesn't he call Allison on her phone and let Scott talk to her?
- S2.E4: The manly display of aggression over dessert, see below.
- S2.E5: Allison using the Kanima venom to paralyze Erica. Smart cookie.
- S2.E6: Scott and Stiles in the gay club.
- S2.E8: Sheriff Stillinski not yelling at Stiles for losing his position + the dancing between Jackson, Erica, and Isaac.
- S2.E10: Deaton "Don't worry, you're still an Alpha. Though, as usual, not a particularly competent one." Deaton knows what's up.
- S2.E11: A touching scene where Isaac learns he can help alleviate others' pain swiftly followed by the best sassy summary of the season by none other than Peter Hale. Also, I love Coach. And I love Coach's speech. He delivers it with such passion.
- S2.E12: Everything about Stiles and Lydia in his room, and everything about Peter and Derek freaking out over what Jackson's turning into.
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| Manly cake sliding. |
Major Story Arcs
Scott & Allison: After the drama of last season, Allison's family has forbid her to see Scott. This works as well as you'd expect it to, especially when the two have to constantly team up together to save their friends which is not at all. Sometimes they can use their friends to help them with minimal problems. Sometimes they just act like asses. The scene in episode 5 where Allison asks Lydia to not say anything, not because it could prove harmful even fatal to them or put Lydia in danger, but because Allison wants to keep her relationship in tact was just so full of asshole that I hated her right then. However, there were other moments that they realized that it might be better for people to find out than to risk someone's life so they weren't completely without insight.
Who is a villain and who is innocent: On one hand, you have the Kanima and whoever is controlling it. The master here is obviously a villain, but is the Kanima? Is Jackson? Plus, we had a moment where Gerard (a villain) was with the Kanima. Are their stories intertwined. Normally, we would look at this situation as a double feature since we have two villains counting the Kanima and his master as a unit. However, their stories started to intertwine. Then you have a whole family (who I still proclaim to be nuts) trying to protect humans by killing other innocent humans. Teen Wolf doesn't delve as deeply into the topic as other shows, but it does bring it to light a little.
Derek's pack: Derek, you still make very poor choices. Power-hungry, emotionally disturbed teenagers that now have super powers and a chip on their shoulders is not a good idea. It reminds you of when Stiles said that Derek wasn't much older than them; he can't be but in his early to mid twenties. Think it through, buddy. Scott wisely chooses his more level-headed and good-intentioned friends over his pack most of the time.
Peter Hale: Again. He's just the bad smell that won't go away, but probably one of my favorite storylines. Ian Bohen makes for a pretty good bad guy and I think that both he and Holland Roden, Lydia, give their best performances together. Separately, they tend to be just side characters that don't get much attention, but together they create an emotional and scene-stealing pair. As Lydia searches for the truth to her dreams and immunity, Peter keeps getting closer to life. It's also pretty funny because it felt like the writers just went, "Ian's hot? What else can we cove that up with?" Dirt, burns, worms, whatev. His hair is also much less Ken doll, which we all appreciate. Though I get how the alpha thing heals burns, but magically regrowing hair exactly the way it was before? Really?
Pros and Cons
We got new characters! Of course, they're almost all bad either because they are annoying overly cocky teenagers or obviously evil hunters. However, the acting was better. So it was a trade off - it's the second season traction. I feel like the actors are getting the hang of their characters and the writers are getting into more challenging storylines, but the characters are still suffering a bit. Still, it's growing as the seasons progress and this season finale was way better than the last one. It not only gave some good wrap up that was very smart, but set up the next threat for Season Three that is more titillating than Derek just becoming a new Alpha.The whole situation with Derek's pack was probably supposed to have more meaning and emotional punch, but I felt that it really just fell flat. Part of that was because the characters are so one dimensional. In order to give any credit to them, you have to feel something for them as well which I feel wasn't as much of a priority and not handled well.
Speaking of one dimensional, I think Michael Hogan gave a hell of a performance despite his character. Granted, they paid more attention to Gerard's story so there were interesting elements to him. When you add Michael's acting, it helps to flesh out the character. The Argent family is just over the top in general, but this season it felt like they were a massive cluster-fuck where Chris seemed to be the only sane one caught in the middle. He had to deal with the loss of his sister, his wife, the betrayal and madness of his father, and almost losing his daughter the insanity and single-mindedness of hunting. JR Bourne gets massive points for his work and for bringing not just depth but a feeling of real humanity to Chris Argent. I'm not into the whole Allison/Scott romance very much or Allison's inability to be rational when it comes to being "strong", however Crystal Reed does bring a lot of charm and sweetness to her character. She uses more subtlety than she gets credit for with her character and makes her feel more relatable and commiserable.
Holland Roden, is the breakout teen here. I attribute a lot of this to the way her character was written this season, since the writers just didn't give her a chance to shine and show her talents in Season One. Lydia gets to break out of her strictly type-casted role and start to push her boundaries as a person. The immunity to the bite comes with other fun side effects like hallucinations and naked hikes in the woods. Watching her try to function when he mind is being highjacked was interesting. She even brought out the best in Jackson (the character - Colton Haynes did a pretty good job).The burning question though: did Lydia drag Derek all the way to the Hale house? I buy my potatoes individually because I don't like to carry a 5 pound bag. I don't know how I'd shove an entire Derek Hale in my trunk.
The Stilinski family gets another round of applause this season with both Dylan O'Brien and Linden Ashby doing commendable jobs. I find them not only to be some of the greatest actors on the show, but also some of the best characters. They're down to earth, believable, and just generally sane, good people. It's a very needed element in the show.
I was also excited to see Bianca Lawson join the cast as an emissary. Granted, she's been in other things, but I've never seen them and she will always be Kendra to me. I get tickled anytime an actor from a fantasy or sci-fi franchise ends up on another one. There is also the added mystery of what her connection is to that world and Deaton. Plus, she really just plays coy so well.
Where to Watch
You can purchase Teen Wolf: Season 2
from Amazon. If you are an Amazon Prime member, the first two seasons are free on Prime as well as the first half of Season 3. All seasons are also theoretically on MTV.com, but it seems like half the episode are "not available" at any given time. I don't understand why as it's their TV show, but I don't get paid to ask questions.Here is also a link to a website that lists the songs played in the Season Two episodes.