Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Teen Wolf - 5.02 - Bingo Card




Less than 24 hours from the season premiere, we're back again with another Teen Wolf episode.  Woo hoo!  That means another round of Teen Wolf Bingo.  The official card is here or make you own cards with the links below.  I've added a lot of new items to our list.  Let me know if you have others.

The list so far: Scott/Stiles asks if someone's okay, Deaton is no help at all, Malia makes inapropos comment, Kira acts awkward or stutters, Werewolf powers go wonky, Big plot twist, A parent is helpful, Death in school, woods, or hospital, Peter or Stiles snarks, Lydia finds something horrible, Scott gives a stirring speech, Someone lies, Lydia stares blankly into space, It rains in Beacon Hills, Awkward talk in locker room, Malia looks confused and/or kick butt, Someone is thrown against a wall, Someone's shirtless, A teen skips school, A scene so dark you can barely see, Kira brings out a sword, Someone's eyes glow, Someone in school when shouldn't be, Bromance moment, A formerly "dead" person appears, Someone growls, Stiles makes a funny face, Someone kisses, Someone mentions Greenberg, Recurring character bleeds, A party breaks out, Someone plays lacrosse, Music played way too loud, DoucheDad flashes his badge, Someone bleeds on hospital floor, A new bad guy is revealed, Someone implies Liam's special, Anyone says "true alpha", Product placement phone shot, Someone should have listened to Lydia, Reference to character no longer on show, Slow motion for no reason


Online Bingo Card

Multiple Cards (up to 8) - Just click Print on the right for a PDF.


Teen Wolf Bingo
A party breaks outA new bad guy is revealedBig plot twistBromance momentRecurring character bleeds
A parent is helpfulA teen skips schoolPeter or Stiles snarksMalia looks confused and/or kick buttSomeone's eyes glow
A scene so dark you can barely seeKira acts awkward or stuttersSomeone bleeds on hospital floorWerewolf powers go wonkySomeone lies
Anyone says "true alpha"It rains in Beacon HillsDoucheDad flashes his badgeLydia stares blankly into spaceScott/Stiles asks if someone's okay
Someone plays lacrosseA formerly "dead" person appearsMusic played way too loudSlow motion for no reasonSomeone is thrown against a wall

2015 Character Cup - Nominations Open





Since the Episode Competition will come to a close this week, it is time to nominate your favorites for the Character Cup. If you haven't participated in the Cup before on SpoilerTV, it's basically a fun contest to pass the hiatus. There's nothing serious about it. People nominate their favorite characters (male and female, current and/or ended) and the top 64 characters go head-to-head to choose a favorite. Let me stress that this contest has NOTHING to do with the "best" character, which is subjective, or the best acted character, also subjective, or most influential character, you guessed it - still subjective. It is simply a way to show your favorite characters some love and pass the time until the fall season starts. So think back on all those great TV shows you've watched in the past or are watching now. Who are your favorites?


While the Character Cup works the same way as other SpoilerTV summer contests, there are some differences. The biggest is that each show can be represented by only 1 character. This allows more shows to be represented and more people to participate. If a show has a number of characters who are close in nominations, then I will hold a nominating poll so that the fandom can choose their champion. Another change is that unlike the Favorite Show Contest, once a character wins this competition they are retired. That means that LOST's Jack Shephard and Supernatural's Dean Winchester and Castiel cannot run again. This keeps people from grousing that the same people win all the time. For me though, the best difference is the TV Talk Topic. Each day there is a new TV topic to discuss so even if you don't have anyone to vote for that day, you can still be part of the conversation. If you have any great TV Talk topics, please add them to the nomination form. Last year we had great discussions about TV spin-offs, villains, heroes, TV pet peeves, recurring characters, kids on TV, and lots more.


Nomination Rules:


1. Only 1 Submission per person. If you submit multiple times ALL your submissions will be removed.

2. You can nominate up to 2 males and 2 females but they must be on the same nomination form. Nominating more than 1 character from the same show will result in cancelling out your votes. Only 1 character per show can get into the contest so try to nominate from a variety of shows.

3. Only nominations with both the character AND the TV show will be included. Also please use the character's full name if you can. Remember that while I watch a lot of shows, I don't watch everything. I had no idea last year that Daenerys Targaryen and Khaleesi were the same person.

4. Please do NOT nominate Jack Shephard (LOST), Dean Winchester (Supernatural), or Castiel (Supernatural). These characters are already past winners and therefore cannot run again. Any nominations for them will not be counted.

5. While this is only the nominating stage, it's a great idea to talk up your character in the comments section. Last year we had several characters that people wished they had nominated but forgot about. This is especially true for shows that are not currently airing.

6. Nominations end Saturday at noon CST. Nominating polls will begin on Sunday or Monday.

7. Questions? Ask in the comments below.





About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, The 100, Grimm, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, The Last Ship, Younger, Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts The 100 "Red-Shirted", Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
Recent Reviews (All Reviews)



Monday, June 29, 2015

Teen Wolf - Bingo Card - 5.01




Teen Wolf starts tonight so you know what that means....Teen Wolf Bingo. Below is the official card for the night. You can also choose from 1 of 8 cards with the link below. Just click Print Bingo Cards on the right side to get 8 choices. As always if you have other things that happen repeatedly in Teen Wolf, let me know and I will add them.



8 Bingo Cards - pdf version



Teen Wolf Bingo
Deaton is no help at allBig plot twistWerewolf powers go wonkySomeone bleeds on hospital floorRecurring character bleeds
Liam gets wetBromance momentKira acts awkward or stuttersLydia finds something horribleA scene so dark you can barely see
Malia makes inappropriate commentSomeone's eyes glowKira brings out a swordStiles says "What??"Malia looks confused and/or kick butt
A party breaks outSomeone plays lacrosseStiles makes a funny facePeter or Stiles snarksDoucheDad flashes his badge
Someone in school when shouldn't beA teen skips schoolSomeone liesSomeone is thrown against a wallLydia stares blankly into space

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Teen Wolf - Season 2 - Episode Reviews and Rankings




Yesterday I ranked the season 1 episodes. Today is all about season 2, which was better in every way compared to season 1. The main monster was already a character we were familiar with and he had ties to the main characters. Plus it was very cool looking. The main villain was not only thoroughly evil but he was smart too. That made him a more powerful enemy and pushed all the characters to even greater heights. Don't get me wrong. I loathe Gerard (aka Grandpa Evil) more than any other character on TV these days. Still that personal connection to the Argent family and the way he was able to turn Allison against her friends in her hatred was well played. Plus there were all the twists. While season 2 was no season 3B, it improved greatly on the characters and mytharc of the show and created many awesome episodes.

So what did you think of season 2? What were your favorite and least favorite episodes? Be sure to vote up or down in the Ranker below and please add your comments about the season.



2.01 - Omega

Plot - Lydia flees the hospital after having a disturbing vision of an arm coming out of her shower. Sheriff and the lacrosse team look for her while Scott tries to follow her scent before Argent's band of hunters find her. Argent turns Scott and Allison's teen fling into Romeo and Juliet by threatening to kill Scott if Allison continues to see him so they take their relationship underground. Jackson's unsuccessful attempt to turn werewolf left him dripping black goo from his nose and ears. Isaac, Matt, and Gerard are introduced and Gerard declares war on all werewolves in retaliation for Kate's death, the code be damned. He cuts an omega in half while Scott and Derek look on from the shadows.

My Ranking - #8

I'll admit it. I fast forward through all the teen romance stuff in this episode. Lydia's shower scene and Jackson's black goo ick squick me out enough without teen sex scenes. So barring those, I really like how this episode sets up so many storylines. Grandpa Evil, Matt, and Isaac are all introduced. The "What's wrong with Lydia?" plotline most definitely takes a running leap and as gross as Jackson's black ooze is, it is important. Like the pilot, it is a good start to the new season.



2.02 - Shape Shifted


Plot - Isaac's douche bag father throws glass at him but Isaac's cut heals instantly since he's a werewolf. His dad is killed by a lizard monster while chasing him. Meanwhile Allison's parents torture her principal so Gerard can replace him, Lydia faces the school's scrutiny, and Jackson leases Matt's camera to record himself turn into a werewolf but doesn't change. Coach shenanigans add comic relief until Sheriff tells Isaac his dad is dead and takes him in for questioning. Derek and Scott find that Isaac's dad locked him in a freezer. Meanwhile Argent disagrees with Gerard's werewolf genocide plan, Derek wants Scott to join his pack, and Allison, Derek, and Stiles try to keep Isaac alive and Scott from wolfing out, but both Allison and Stiles are attacked. Scott breaks free to save Allison while Derek roars Isaac into submission to save Stiles.

My Ranking - #7

Every second with Coach is hilarious, which balances out the dark themes of child abuse and genocide. This episode did a good job of involving many of the main characters and it establishes Allison as a spy within her family, while Argent shows grave doubts about his father's leadership. Mostly though Derek is the star of this episode as he takes slow steps into creating a pack and becoming a powered up alpha. Compared to future seasons, Derek is actually successful here. In the end, I like this episode better than the pilot because the romance emphasis is lessened, the plot moves quicker, and there's fun to be had throughout.



2.03 - Ice Pick

Plot - Allison is kidnapped by her family as an initiation into hunting and told her mother makes the final decision whether to kill or not. Her first job is to spy on Lydia. An epileptic named Erica is introduced and has a seizure on the rock wall. Scott catches her and Melissa figures out she's not taking her medicine. Derek offers to turn her into a werewolf, which makes her smoking hot and psychotic. Jackson goes full out douche and blames Lydia for not becoming a werewolf. New character Boyd sells Stiles the ice rink keys for a double date with Lydia, Scott, and Allison and Lydia. Lydia hallucinates wolfsbane and a trapped Peter under the ice. At home, Allison's mom cuts herself in order to meet with Mama McCall and confirm their kids are dating. Scott fights Erica and Isaac and then Derek kicks his butt. Nit does not matter because Boyd is already bitten. Deaton and Scott talk about werewolves while Jackson lifts his truck out of the mud.

My Ranking - #9

It’s a typical Teen Wolf episode although a bit lighter on the humor. Jackson is a douche but he's interesting here with that truck lifting bit. Erica's sudden transformation is startling and not from a physical standpoint. I didn't see her as a homicidal loon before and I don't think becoming a werewolf can explain it all. In the end, I like Boyd best out of the new kids. He at least seems to go into the transformation eyes wide open about Derek.



2.04 - Abomination

Plot - Deaton exposits the Argent bestiary and lizard monster. Stiles is getting his Jeep repaired when he is partially paralyzed and watches the lizard monster crush the mechanic to death. Gerard lectures Allison about trust while Derek shows his betas tough love so they won't die. Lydia has a strange counseling session, Stiles plays go-between for Allison and Scott, and Jackson asks Danny to watch his tape, which has a 2-hour loop. The team searches for the bestiary to no avail. Meanwhile Stiles keeps Derek from drowning after the lizard monster stalks them. Scott arrives at school to get the bestiary USB from Gerard's keychain and saves Stiles and Derek, but the kanima (lizard monster) runs when it sees its reflection. Scott wants them all to work together, including the Argents, but Gerard stabs him and threatens Mama McCall so that's out.

My Ranking – #10

This episode is uneven at best. The water scenes with Stiles and Derek trapped by the kanima were intense as was the mechanic's death and even the lacrosse game spycraft shenanigans. I loved Stiles trying to comfort Lydia too. Gerard threatening Mama McCall made me hate him even more but it came out of the blue and set him up as the Big Bad well. The problem is that the rest of the episode was forgettable and dragged on too long. Even the comedy part like Stiles as go-between felt stretched out.



2.05 - Venomous

Plot - Erica kidnaps Jackson to see if he's the kanima and Isaac forces him to recant his police testimony so the warrant is lifted. Lydia hallucinates Peter again and Stiles and Scott try to keep Isaac and Erica from poisoning her to see if she's the kanima. Lydia doesn't react to the poison, Derek knows, and the rest of the gang try to prove she's not the kanima before school ends. Stiles, Allison, and Jackson get Lydia off campus though to Scott's, but he is detained by Coach. Danny decodes the video proving Jackson is the kanima but doesn’t watch it. Jackson accuses Lydia of distorting the tape so she gives him back his key and says she hates him, but he knows she doesn't and they kiss. Smart Allison poisons her arrow with venom to paralyze Erica and Scott takes out Isaac. Derek says Scott has his own pack and the kanima finds a human friend.

My Ranking -  #3

Big time answers come in this episode. Jackson is confirmed as the kanima and someone’s helping him. Lydia is confirmed as special although we don't know why. Isaac and Erica are confirmed as psychos although Isaac gets an instant, permanent makeover next season. I loved the school scenes from the science roulette to Coach telling Jackson to shut it. Surprisingly I even liked Lydia and Jackson’s scene in Scott's room. It showed good acting on both of their parts and ended up giving Jackson a tiny bit of sympathy which is needed now more than ever.



2.06 - Frenemy

Plot - Derek, Argent, and Scott fight Jackson but can't take him down. He runs into a gay club and paralyzes Danny but Derek keeps him from killing. Scott finds Jackson bleeding out in the parking lot, Stiles lies to his dad again, and Argent confronts Gerard. Stiles and Scott lock Jackson in a police transport van and his dad reports him missing. Gerard puts up cameras throughout school and Allison's mom, the new substitute teacher, threatens to kill Scott. The police track Jackson's phone so Stiles and Allison move the van and realize the kanima is killing off very specific people. Scott says Jackson has no one, which he overhears and thus starts crying and turning scaly. Scott and Allison make out, which distracts them so Jackson goes full kanima and escape. Lydia ends up translating the kanima Latin better than Morrell. Jackson is at the police station with his dad when Scott and Stiles come to tell Sheriff about kanimas and werewolves.

My Rating - #11

I should like this one. I really should, but all the teen romance kills it for me. Plus I feel righteous indignation at everyone who keeps shoving Lydia to the side like she's unimportant. Some friends they are! She's the smartest one in the group and they never even use her knowledge. Urgh! Still the action at the beginning saves the grade a little and I thought Colton Haynes did a fine job here.



2.07 - Restraint

Plot - A hooded figure makes the kanima kill a random guy but he refuses to kill a pregnant woman. At the precinct, Jackson's father puts a restraining order out on Stiles and Scott, making neither Sheriff nor Mama McCall happy. Isaac questions Derek's leadership but Derek realizes the kanima is all important because Gerard has something planned for it. At school, Jackson eats a snake (yum) and gets super aggressive with Allison. He and Scott fight, tearing up the locker room. Erica whines to Stiles until the fight moves to the hall and Harris gives all of them detention, Breakfast Club style. Mama McCall tells Allison's mom about their kids hooking up, so she threatens Scott. Lydia hallucinates and ends up at the Hale house with Dead Peter, who exposits his resurrection plan. Derek heals Erica painfully, but the pregnant woman dies by hooded guy's hands.

My Ranking - #12

Again with romantic interruptions in an otherwise good story, albeit one with more questions than answers. I love the dead Peter reveal and I wish Scott had told his mama the truth, but the Breakfast Club detention was lame, snake eating sucks in both scenes, and I wanted to smack Stiles for smarting off in the restraining order scene. Plus nothing about Derek worked for me here except healing Erica. Even Allison's mom came off as cheesy villain instead of scary witch. In the end this feels like a place holder with the exception of Lydia at the end.



2.08 - Raving

Plot - Sheriff and Stiles figure out the victims were all in the same class while Scott tracks Jackson to a rave, where the manager is a potential victim. Argent grills Allison, but no one knows who's controlling the kanima. Isaac beats up people to get Scott and Stiles into the rave. Scott wants Allison to date others to throw off suspicion, but a psycho Mama Argent sees them kissing. Sheriff is suspended because of the Stiles and Scott shenanigans. Everyone descends on the rave so Argent's crew fire on Derek and Boyd, as Stiles surrounds the building with mountain ash and Isaac and Erica try to inject Jackson with ketamine. Stiles believes himself into a miracle, but Mama Argent runs Scott over and vaporizes wolfsbane to kill him. Scott roars, Derek comes to the rescue, Mama Argent attacks him and in the fight, he bites her. Jackson gets loose and kills his victim, but she wasn't in Harris' class. Morrell the guidance counselor and Deaton know each other and act shady.

My Ranking - #6

Allison's mom tried to kill Scott and is now bitten. That would be enough drama to make this episode a highlight. However this one also had poignant scenes between Sheriff and Stiles, a gunfight, Jackson morphing, and Stiles' miracle. All of it came with plenty of good pacing and a little more mystery too. Minus the rave music, this was my kind of episode.



2.09 - Party Guessed

Plot - Dead Peter tells Lydia about werewolves and uses her party to further his agenda. Allison finds out Matt's been stalking her and Mama Argent wants to spend some quality time with her before dying but Allison is too busy. Jackson tells Lydia not to ask him to the party, trying to warn her off but shows up anyway. The partygoers drink wolfsbane-laced punch and hallucinate their worst nightmares while Derek's crew fight full moon bloodlust. Isaac retains his humanity by anchoring to better times with his father. Lydia blows wolfsbane in Derek's face and drags him to Hale House to involuntarily awaken Dead Peter. Matt reveals himself as the kanima's master when he's thrown into Lydia's pool. Meanwhile Argent and his wife prepare for her death. She mourns not talking to Allison and asks Argent to help her. As she starts to turn, they both put their hands on the blade and push. Allison enters the hospital and breaks down in her father's arms.

My Ranking - #4

When I think of season 2, I think of Jackson as kanima and this episode. It was intense from the start and had so many pieces moving. I still can barely watch the scene where Hallucination Sheriff tells Stiles that everything's his fault. I do find the process of awakening Peter to be cheesy and I didn't want him resurrected in this episode but he brought a lot of snark in seasons 3 and 4 so I'm good with it now. Still a character I never liked (Mama Argent) was the most touching part. Her moment with her husband was so bittersweet and yet so poignant that I still feel sorry for them even knowing she brought it on herself by trying to kill Scott.



2.10 - Fury

Plot - Matt flashes back through the season from his point of view while at the police station, Stiles, Scott, and Sheriff tie him to all the murders. Matt has Jackson kill the front cop and puts a gun to Stiles' head before locking up Sheriff and forcing Scott and Stiles to destroy all evidence against him. Jackson paralyzes Derek and Stiles before Matt locks Mama McCall in a cell. He wants the Argent bestiary because he's turning into a kanima too. Meanwhile, Gerard stokes Allison's hatred. She reads her mom's letter and tells the Argent clan to kill Derek and his pack so they attack THE POLICE STATION. Derek regains control while Sheriff breaks the handcuffs. Jackson and Allison do the Jurassic Park dance and he paralyzes her too. Matt knocks out Sheriff, Derek and kanima fight, Scott werewolfs out in front of his mom, and she freaks out. Scott was also in league with Satan, aka Gerard, the whole time and Derek overhears it. Gerard drowns Matt to become Jackson's new master while Peter looks on in secret.

My Ranking - #2

Another action-packed episode full of betrayal and manipulation. While I don't like Allison's reaction, I do understand it and Gerard is in league with Satan so he's a master manipulator. When I first saw this episode I was mad that Scott fed Gerard information too. Luckily I loved Mama McCall learning the truth. I wanted it since season 1 and it turned out to be a beautiful way to incorporate her more, one of the best thing this show has ever done. With all the action, my only real complaint is no Lydia. After the trauma of the previous episode, it felt odd to not even check in on her.



2.11 - Battlefield

Plot - Stiles recaps the whole season and fills in new gaps. The kanima holds Mama McCall captive while Gerard negotiates Derek's pack for Scott's mother. Boyd and Erica bail on Derek, but Alive Peter appears and Derek beats him up. At the big game, Jackson warns Danny to run from him and Coach puts Stiles in since Scott is on probation. Isaac takes out his teammates so Coach has to put Scott in the game, but then Gerard tries to slice an injured Isaac in half until Scott comes in to save him. At the same time Stiles scores to become the hero while Peter claims he can save Jackson and defeat Gerard through Lydia. As the game ends, all the lights go off in the stadium and Jackson is down having stabbed himself. Stiles though is missing. Allison and Argent hunt Boyd and Erica and she overkills until Argent shoots her bow to stop her.

My Ranking - #5

There's no one I hate more on Teen Wolf than Gerard, not Kate, not Duke, no one and in this episode he's at his third worst. I spend the entire time rooting for his death. That in itself is powerful because they finally have an evil enough character to get the audience emotionally invested. Sadly, it's also easy to be hypercritical of Allison, Boyd, and Erica as well. What really works is all the humor nestled into the despair and chronic defeat. I wish it seeped into Derek's storylines as well but Stiles' pure joy in scoring is enough to tide me through the roughest times. They upped the ante in this episode, fulfilling its job as the penultimate episode and bringing us right to the edge of this rollercoaster ride.



2.12 - Master Plan

Plot - Mama McCall checks out a presumably dead Jackson, only to find him encased in goo. Stiles is forced into the Argent basement with Erica and Boyd, beaten up by Gerard, and let go to hurt Scott. When he gets home, Sheriff freaks but they have a nice moment. At school, Scott is shocked to see Alive Peter, who accesses the Hale family bestiary for research while Scott and Isaac go to the hospital where Dead Jackson is becoming an alpha. Argent releases Boyd and Erica and joins Scott and Derek to fight his father. Gerard and Allison show up and the fight is on. Lydia heads to Stiles' house to get help with Jackson but Stiles flips out about the dead until she walks out. Back at the warehouse, Allison almost kills Isaac before the kanima grabs her as part of Gerard's plan. He's dying of cancer and will kill her unless Derek bites him. Scott makes that happen but exchanged his pills for mountain ash, causing black goo like Jackson had. He commands the kanima to kill them all but Stiles and Lydia arrive. She holds up the key and literally humanizes Jackson. A now non-kanima Jackson allows Derek and Peter to kill him, but after Lydia declares her love, he turns into a werewolf. Gerard escapes in the chaos, Allison breaks up with Scott again, an alpha pack takes Boyd and Erica, Deaton and Morell act shifty, and Scott and Stiles practice lacrosse.

My Ranking - #1

It's another stellar finale for Teen Wolf that neatly wraps up the main plot but also sends us into the next season. I hate that Gerard gets away but the action and the plotting make the episode. I love all the twists. Scott actually had a long-term plan and it actually worked. It's amazing. Sure Jackson was saved by the power of love but he also isn't dead and Holland got to flex her great acting chops for once so I can forgive the hokeyness of it all. I also love that they didn't leave Allison on the other side of the group in the end.



The Most Overrated TV Shows Ever



Screencaps by Teen Wolf Wikia, Commas and Ampersands, TV Goodness, MTV, Buddy TV, Doux Reviews, Barron Network, and Pinterest.



About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, The 100, Grimm, Younger, Major Crimes, and others. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts the Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
Recent Reviews (All Reviews)



Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Teen Wolf - Season 1 - Episode Reviews and Rankings




Teen Wolf season 5 premieres next Monday so what better way to prepare than to look back at the previous seasons as we make the final push to end hiatus. Below are season 1 episodes ranked in order by my favorite to my least favorite, including my pick for worst Teen Wolf episode of them all. All episodes include my ranking, a plot summary, and why I ranked it the way I did. Since these are ranked according to my own likes (action) and prejudices (romance and emoangsting), I've included a Ranker at the bottom where you can vote episodes up or down as well. Also, please share your own rankings in the comments below. Conversation helps pass the hiatus blues.

My rankings:  Night School / Code Breaker / Co-Captain / Pilot / Formality / Heart Monitor / Second Chance at First Line / The Tell / Wolf's Bane / Lunatic / Magic Bullet / Pack Mentality



1.01 – Pilot

Plot - A teen named Scott and his best friend Stiles go out in the woods at night to find a dead body. Scott gets bitten and Stiles realizes he's a werewolf. At the same time a new girl named Allison moves to town and Scott is immediately struck by her only to find out that her dad is a werewolf hunter. This episode also introduces Derek Hale, a mysterious 20-something with ties to the murder and the town.

My Ranking - #4

This is one of the most fast-moving pilots I have ever seen. I expected it to take forever for the character to realize he's a werewolf but it happened almost immediately. They set up the world really quickly and the characters. Still it is a pilot so many of the characters, like Lydia and Jackson, feel flat and there's too much stress on more teen things like being first line in lacrosse. Even those have their moments though. Jackson and Scott's exchange on juice still makes me laugh to this day.



1.02 – Second Chance at First Line

Plot - Scott, after being knocked down by Jackson, almost goes full werewolf on the field, but Stiles gets him in the locker room in time. Werewolf Scott then tries to kill Stiles, who defends himself with a fire extinguisher. Later they find a dead wolf on Derek's property but when Stiles yanks out the wolfsbane by the grave, she turns into a dead human. They call the police, who arrest Derek, but the wolfsbane makes Scott sick. At the lacrosse match, he wolfs out and wins the game. Scott and Allison kiss but Stiles interrupts to tell Scott that Derek is out of prison.

My Ranking - #7

I liked this episode and its build up of the werewolf mythology. Derek is intriguing in this episode but much of that is drowned out by teen problems. I understand Scott wanting to hold his spot on the lacrosse team but his bratting out about it made me roll my eyes. I thought his expression after Allison kissed him was really sweet though. Still the best thing about the episode was delving more into the characters.



1.03 – Pack Mentality

Plot - Scott has a nightmare about killing Allison on the school bus only to find that the bus driver was attacked. Scott's afraid he mauled the bus driver but it turns out that he was trying to help when he was called against his will by the alpha. Lydia turns Allison and Scott's date into a double date with Jackson and her. They all go bowling and Jackson is obnoxious. Argent is obnoxious too when he instructs his crew to damage Derek's car, who ends up fighting Scott before explaining the difference between alphas and betas.

My Ranking - #12 of this season, #60 of all Teen Wolf episodes so far

This is the worst episode of Teen Wolf to me. The entire date was pointless and stupid. It was a filler episode to the core and easily skippable. It does introduce the School Bus of Doom though and the alpha lore. Other than that there is not much to recommend this episode. I tend to pass this one by in most rewatches.



Teen Wolf – 1.04 – Magic Bullet

Plot - Allison's Aunt Kate, another werewolf hunter, comes to town and shoots Derek with wolfsbane. Scott must find her wolfsbane bullets or Derek will die. Kate invites Scott to the world's most awkward dinner and he steals a bullet. Arriving just in the nick of time, Scott gives Derek the bullet so Stiles won't have to amputate his arm. Derek brings Scott to meet his Uncle Peter, who has been comatose ever since the Argents burned down the Hale House with everyone else trapped inside.

My Ranking - #11

Kate Argent is annoying. It's that simple. She's not a good villain because she comes off petulant and crazy. Crazy only works so long and then it's boring. Kate got to that point in one episode. Also the family dinner was perfect for fast forwarding and it was one of the funniest scenes.



1.05 – The Tell

Plot - Jackson is attacked at a movie rental store and Scott and Allison skip school to avoid her birthday. Lydia skips school from trauma so Stiles visits her but she's high on prescription pills. He finds a video of the alpha on her phone but erases it. Meanwhile Kate and her thugs go after Derek, who doesn’t know who the alpha is. Later at parent-teacher conferences, they exposit that Jackson's adopted, Lydia's parents are in a nasty separation, and Stiles has a weird first name. Allison and Scott get caught skipping and Argent shoots a mountain lion on school grounds.

My Ranking - #8

Besides the opener and Kate wielding a gun, nothing much happens in this episode. There is some good character development but it's of the tell not show kind, although Holland does a great job of showing Lydia pull herself back together by putting on makeup.



1.06 – Heart Monitor

Plot - Stiles decides to train Scott to control his wolf side by hurling lacrosse balls at him to learn to control his heart rate. Kate gives Allison clues to her family's werewolf hunting history but the pictures trigger a PTSD response in Lydia. Jackson sees Scott start to transform. He later freaks out as he dreams about something crawling out of his throat and then makes nice with Allison, acting vulnerable and apologizing for how he treated Scott. Derek tries to force Comatose Peter to help locate the alpha but when that doesn't work, Scott summons the alpha who stabs Derek.

My Ranking - #6

For the most part this episode still has too much teen romance earnestness for me, but I love all the Stiles and Scott moments. Them talking in detention is touching while Stiles getting his frustration out at Scott's expense has its funny moments. Plus we have the first faux-Derek death, a Teen Wolf tradition, and the actual alpha appears.



1.07 – Night School

Plot - Trapped at school by an angry alpha, Scott and Stiles try several different plans, none of which work. To make matters worse, Allison, Jackson, and Lydia get pulled into the school too by a phony text message. They're all chased by the alpha, but somehow they believe it when Scott tells them Derek killed everyone. They argue over calling Sheriff; Stiles finally agrees but only gets his voice mail. Lydia shows her brain power and creates a Molotov cocktail, but Scott realizes the alpha doesn't want to kill them. He wants Scott to kill them. Sheriff comes to the rescue and Allison breaks up with Scott.

My Ranking - #1

Except for the last 3 minutes and the Allison montage, this is a suspenseful, intense, mostly well-paced episode. Scott shows his bravery, Lydia shows her smarts, Jackson shows actual concern, and Stiles brings the snark. The atmosphere is claustrophobic which adds to the tension too. Sure there are some plot holes, but overall it works on all levels.



1.08 – Lunatic

Plot - Stiles tries to get Scott drunk to take his mind off Allison but only gets drunk himself. School gets back in session after being closed for 2 days and the parents are overprotective. Stiles is also protective of his dad…and Scott when he freaks out during a test. Being a werewolf on the full moon turns Scott into a super aggressive douche. He takes down Danny and makes out with Lydia to Stiles' horror. Stiles makes first line on the lacrosse team and Scott becomes co-captain to Jackson's horror. Jackson gets payback by flirting with Allison and Stiles gets payback with a dog bowl. Jackson also learns that Scott is a werewolf.

My Ranking - #10

That's a whole lot of emoangsting for one episode. I don't care about Scott and Allison's breakup and Scott as a douche actually makes me uncomfortable, physically uncomfortable. I do love the interaction between Scott and Stiles that made for the best acting so far of the series. I like Derek keeping Scott from doing something he'd regret even more. Best of all though is the Stilinski family hug, which earns the episode extra points with me.



1.09 - Wolf's Bane

Plot - This opens up with Derek being chased by the Argents and police, who were called when the alpha grilled Harris, the chemistry teacher, because he unwittingly gave Kate the info she needed to burn the Hales alive. It ends with Uncle Peter revealed as the alpha. The middle is all about romance blues with Scott and Allison broken up and Jackson dumping Lydia. Jackson has nightmares, wolfsbane poisoning, and a weird desire to go werewolf. He blackmails Scott to make him a werewolf in 3 days or he tells Allison. Stiles meanwhile gets Danny to use his hacking skills to track the alpha. Allison tours the burnt out Hale House where she meets up with Aunt Kate, who wants to train her to kill.

My Ranking - #9

I loved the beginning and end of this episode but the middle was too slow and emoangsty for me. It was all romance kvetching. Plus I have no idea why anyone would want to be a werewolf so Jackson went from tool to idiot for me. I do love all the reveals though.



1.10 - Co-Captain

Plot - Peter forces Scott to relive the Hale House fire, Allison tells Scott her suspicions about her family, Stiles gets his dad drunk in order to get more info, and Peter threatens Scott via dating his mom. To stop the date from happening, Stiles rams Peter's car and Peter tells Scott that Jackson is on his hit list. Derek takes Jackson to the Hale House to kill him but Scott comes to stop him. Sadly the Argents arrive first and hit Scott. Derek plays distraction so Scott can get away and Deaton patches him up, a Deaton who already knows about werewolves. Kate captures Derek and tortures him in front of Allison.

My Ranking - #3

Answers, lots of answers. I like an episode that jumps things way forward and this one sure did. Plus it allows Allison to become more than just the girlfriend. She has a legacy and a kick butt warrior crossbow that she knows how to use. This is the first time the females show themselves to be very useful, albeit to help the crazy. Add to that the touching scene between Sheriff and Stiles, even if I wanted to smack Stiles for it, and you've got a well-paced, action-oriented episode that only stops a few times for teen angst.



1.11 - Formality

Plot - It’s the week of the school formal and things get intense. Peter threatens to harm Allison when Deaton won't let him have Scott, the clinic's mountain ash counters providing extra protection for them both. Since Scott can't go to the dance due to academic probation, he forces Jackson to take Allison while Allison forces Lydia to go with Stiles as payback for making out with Scott earlier. Stiles breaks Lydia out of her funk and confirms that she's a genius. Scott and Allison makeup so he tells Allison he loves her. Lydia goes looking for Jackson but ends up mauled by Peter instead. Stiles tries to save her by bargaining with Peter - Lydia for Derek. Allison learns Scott is a werewolf when her dad tries to run him over with his car.

My Ranking - #5

That Mama McCall moment with Scott about using his words is awesome. Mama McCall is awesome. I also love Stiles delivering some home truths to Lydia. Mostly though, Scott's secret is out to most of the people who matter so the plot is shooting towards the finale. Despite the dance and all conversations about it, this episode moved quickly and had a good balance of action, drama, and humor.



1.12 - Code Breaker

Plot - Scott and Allison freak when she finds out he's a werewolf while Jackson freaks out about a bloody Lydia. Argent demands Kate take Allison somewhere safe, Peter demands that Stiles helps him locate Derek, and Sheriff demands that they find Stiles. Peter offers to make Stiles a werewolf too, but Stiles refuses and runs to the hospital to check on Lydia. Stiles realizes that Kate is the arsonist and goes to get Scott but Argent and his thugs show up. Scott tells Derek the truth about Peter while Stiles convinces Argent about Kate. Allison and Kate hunt Derek and Scott. Argent stops Kate from shooting Scott but Peter kills Kate before Scott and Derek can attack. Meanwhile Stiles, Allison, and Jackson burn Peter with Molotov cocktails. Derek kills Peter, becoming the alpha. Sheriff ties Kate's body to the murders, Scott and Stiles confirm that Lydia is not a werewolf, and Jackson demands to become one.

My Ranking - #2

Like the pilot, the season 1 finale moves quickly. Action jumps from character to character with nary a breath in between. It does slow a bit for the romance at the end but overall it's a great way to wrap up the 2 villains. If only Teen Wolf believed in the dead staying dead.


So those are my rankings? Your turn.


The Most Overrated TV Shows Ever



Screencaps by Teen Wolf Wikia, Crave Online, Fanpop, Seriepix, TV Overmind, Side Reel, Hollywood Life,  Fandom Post, and MTV.



About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, The 100, Grimm, Younger, Major Crimes, and others. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts the Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
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