Teen Wolf: “Muted”

Before watching this episode, I watched the preview on MTV’s website. Can I just say, when did MTV stop doing music and start making three of those horrible Teen Mom shows?

But anyway, just watching the preview, it seems like the show is bringing back a bit of season one’s lightheartedness. The entire sixty second preview is about lacrosse. Lacrosse! Remember when there were whole episodes about lacrosse? Because they’re introducing a whole new class of Teen Wolf players, I guess they have to go back to basics, at least a little bit. Maybe everyone will actually go to school for a change! Sometimes I wonder if any of them are actually going to graduate. I mean, obviously Lydia will be just fine. Lydia’s probably fricking valedictorian, no matter how many dead bodies she stumbles over.

 

 Okay, just for starters, being in a huge, empty scary house calling out to an unseen relative can’t be a good sign. Guessing this is the fourth season’s answer to Jackson? Side note: Is Stiles the only character on this show who sleeps fully clothed? Not complaining, just an observation. Side note two: Smart kid jumping out the window. Maybe this episode won’t be as lighthearted as I thought it might be, considering the first thing we see is the mass murder of almost an entire family.

Also, it did take them four seasons to get the title sequence right, but it does look really good.

A little small-talk at the hospital, with cute Doctor guy. Mmmm, maybe Mama McCall needs to hit that. I mean, I’m always and forever a Mellinsky shipper, but with McCall Sr. hanging around, that seems to be dampened. Why is Papa McCall still hanging around in the area? I get that Beacon Hills is probably the murder capital of California since Sunnydale cratered, but it’s still weird. Where’s the show taking him?

Ooh, but scene with cute doctor guy is immediately followed by Papa Stilinsky being adorable and protective. I love the partnership between these two single parents who have so much riding on them. They really are amazing parents. No one should have to deal with the pressures that they do, but they go above and beyond. They manage to keep honest, open dialogues (mostly) with their sons, while trying to keep the town safe from the natural and the supernatural. I kind of wish that they would start a committee of the adults with Peter and Derek, just to see the ensuing hilarity.

In math class: This school has the sassiest teachers! Hope this one doesn’t get murdered or turn out to be evil. But why is Malia in class with everyone else? She should really be taking remedial classes and doing makeups like crazy! She was out of commission learning wise for half her life! Should she even be in high school? Hello, placement tests? Do any of the adults in this town have brains?

Stiles is stumped by the lack of interest in a grisly murder. Also, Lydia didn’t find the bodies. How specific is her gift, anyhow? That would be a nice conversation to have NOT about boys. Oh, it’s this fresh-faced deputy. And there’s Lydia. I don’t know how I feel about these two hanging out and solving crimes together. That’s kind of Stydia’s thing. Also, she’s a minor and a civilian! He should totally kick her out of the MURDER SCENE, not stare at her ass. This guy is definitely shifty.

Back to lacrosse! Also, Scott wasn’t bothered about the whole cheating thing in the first season. Scott has like EVERY RESPONSIBILITY in the whole fricking town, let him use his wolf powers in a school sport. Maybe it would be different in the Olympics. But this is basic. So fuck cheating, it would be different if he were listening with super hearing to Lydia muttering answers under her breath, but he’s not cheating off someone else, he’s using the power that’s inside of him.

I like how they spent a bit of this episode on Kira, because I want to like her, but we don’t really know her that well yet. She and Lydia seem to be getting along well, but other than the fact that she’s pretty, and, like every pretty girl, wants to make out with Scott, plus is a kitsune, we have very little information about her. This episode fails the bechdel test completely. The only conversation between two female characters is about Scott. Added to that, while this conversation about Kira’s insecurities in her relationship was with Malia, we heard nearly the same conversation in the last episode with Kira and Lydia. While it is interesting to hear the way the two characters respond to the same topic, it highlights one of the issues with Kira’s character development. Maybe being the first girl on the lacrosse team will help? And maybe spending time building deeper relationships with her female friends.

Malia does not care for authority figures. But damn does she have sass. I can’t explain it, but the writers really hit the nail on the head with Malia. She’s sassy and fun, and while she’s clueless in the human world, she can still connect with every character. She’s a totally scene stealing presence, and I’m even warming to Stalia. The cute scene with the highlighters was a good touch. I’m obviously still on the Stydia train, it’s one of my favorites, but they’re end game, and this show could easily go another two seasons. The tension Stiles feels about not telling her that he has had this thing for Lydia since he was nine, plus not telling her that Peter is her father, is definitely going to test them, but I feel that this relationship could last the rest of the season, possibly into the next.

Random Thoughts

– I’ve missed Coach so much, he is literally the best teacher character. “Those boys are like sons to me.” Yes.

– Wow, trying to get Derek Hale to trust a beautiful woman? Not gonna happen lady.

– How many spare deputies can they have in this town? Probably spread about as thin as the nurse staff.

– Oh, cute doctor is the step dad.

– WTF SEAN DOING WITH THE DEPUTY?

– Okay, that was creepy. But nice save Scott, even if they guy kinda seems like a dick. Too bad about Sean, since I actually remembered his name.

Season Projections

I was just thinking about what we can expect over the next nine episodes, just from this episode and the last two, and I have some solid expectations for em.

– More lacrosse. Obvs. I can’t wait to see Kira on the team, because the writers gave her really low self esteem, and I really want to get to know her better. She can’t be just a replacement for a bright female character, she has to be her own dynamic character.

– Seeing them more in school, just because the New Kids on the Block are probably not getting an open invitation into the pack right away, and we’ve got to see them interacting with the Pack.

– More Stalia. No matter how weird and messed up I think it is, and no matter how much chemistry Stydia has EVEN WHEN THEY’RE NOT IN THE SAME ROOM, the writers want us to like Malia. Of course, Stiles still seems to be deciding how he feels about her, but she’s obviously very devoted to him. I really love Malia, and Stiles is one of my favorite characters, so hopefully, this ship will sink before serious damage can be done to either party.