ep: teen wolf 2.09

Just short thoughts because winterlive and I are debating with each other, and I forgot how much I like doing that.



What's cool is that everything--and I do mean everything--in this ep was the darker side of casting one's bread upon the water and watching it return to you tenfold.

1.) Peter - The guy survives burning and a coma well enough to come back for wholesale slaughter. So burying him under the floorboards in one piece seems--shortsighted. I get sentimentality. So why not have buried him under the floorboards in two pieces surrounded by wolfbane?

...seriously. No, seriously. You could have borrowed a sword from the Argents. That thing was really sharp.

2.) Lydia - I wonder if there is some connection between Lydia being immune, going crazy, and Peter's attack? Does anyone now wonder vaguely if they should have asked this question? Also might have helped? Telling her what the fuck happened to her already. Dude, this shit could have been derailed ep three, easy.

Per winterlive:
winterlive: can you imagine the conscious, careful planning it takes to organize a bacchanal
winterlive: can you imagine how livid she must have been when scott and stiles invited all those people to her house
winterlive: if your plan is to get a bunch of people over to your house so you can release the monster, wouldn't you, you know...
winterlive: send invitations
winterlive: especially if you're a supergenius

Even during the ep, I kind of facepalmed at that, too.

3.) Derek - Turning three werewolves at once might be problematic to control at the first full moon? You don't say!

4.) Chris - It's different when it's personal. It should be different when it's personal. It was her decision and I get you respecting that. It was your decision to help, though, and that, not so much.

I have no idea if I'm more pissed at Chris or feel horrible for him, because it's one thing to let Victoria kill herself (with Grandpa Creeper waving the pom-poms of death), but it's another thing entirely to help her out getting it done. If you believe werewolves aren't people in the broadest sense, that what she'll be is so unthinkable that dead is better, then yeah, go for it, be Chris Creeper. If you don't believe that, what you did was unthinkable. If you're wavering, I'm--not sure, because you're shitty at it.

Per winterlive:

winterlive: remember, she's the general in that relationship
winterlive: and he's the soldier
winterlive: she calls the shots
winterlive: because apparently argent women do that

I kind of want to go with this, because at least that would explain why he had to help: as his wife, respecting her decision didn't require his participation if he believed, even in potential, that this was a stupid decision; as his general, though, respecting her decision would require his participation. And at this point, he's really not capable or ready to rebel openly, and that I don't expect of him.

5.) Allison - oh Allison. Before that, putting Matt on the floor? Gorgeous. He was both a creepy stalker and also, depressingly, dumb; if you are going to carry around your camera and leave it in the car where the Stalkee is, remove the Stalkee pics first. That's just basic common sense. Also, the casual ease she did it with was just amazing. I could watch that all day.

6.) Matt as Master of the Kanima - ...really? Huh. In retrospect, however, his appearance at a disturbing number of kanima crime scenes using his camera as a very effective invisibility cloak now makes sense. I wonder if rewatching would give any clues.

Also, Matt's creepy is really goddamn creepy.

Comments

[monanotlisa]

ad 1) I AM SO WITH YOU AND HAVE BEEN EVER SINCE LYDIA'S DREAMS POPPED UP. Seriously, people -- do you not remember season one's gravesite with several wards? Sigh.

ad 2) Keeping Lydia in the dark would bother me less if it made any sense, intrinsically -- but beyond the lampshading that's been going on, I can't see why the kids would not, y'know, share the very basics. They are protecting who's, in high school AND real-life terms, an enemy of theirs, namely Jackson; why not afford Lydia the same courtesy?

ad 4) This storyline made no sense. This show ain't super-FAIL-y, I find, except when it comes to its adult villain-coloured women -- with them, it really goes for the drama, lacks all characterisation and nuance.

ad 5) Hnghhh, Allison. Her only flaw is that she's so stupidly into Scott (and mind you, Jenn, I'm even one of the what, three folks in fandom who quite like Scott). <3

ad 6) BUT, but, but Matt is not dead! We have it on good (kanima-ish) authority that the murderers being slaughtered by the kanima had killed the very person speaking to Scott and the boy whose name I can never remember (but I know him by his sneer). I guess that the swim team back when (used with...affection because 2006 is, like, yesterday) somehow let some incarnation of Matt die, and now he's back: hey, Peter showed it can be done. And yet, and yet, I suspect there IS a third layer, a third person involved in the Jackson-Matt kanima control nexus...

[kellyfaboo]

I took the lack of invites as Lydia's passive way of trying to thwart Peter. I'll hold a party, but deliberately not invite anyone to minimize the damage because Man that vision was creepy-scary.

Then Stiles helpfully thwarted her.

[sapote]

I am going to fanwank #2 as "Lydia is in conflict between what Peter's telling her to do and not wanting to do people harm, which is why she gets all disassociatey and does such a bad job of party planning"

Derek is Not Good At His Job, in ways that I think are interesting and make sense.

I love how realistic Matt's escalating creepy is. "I'm not creepy! People will think you're crazy! It's your fault! My logic is sound! I'm going to undermine your ability to draw a boundary!". Oh dear. ...I feel like I could see Allison basically beating her fists against her Cultural Ladytraining that it's bad to make a fuss and be mean, even if someone's creepering.

[seperis]

Derek is Not Good At His Job, in ways that I think are interesting and make sense.

This. I love it's logical badness; this is stuff that requires training and experience to learn (which hey, he is getting that now). Also, amusement that Erica got the crown thing because he said--and everyone agreed--she has the highest pain tolerance. *glee*

I feel like I could see Allison basically beating her fists against her Cultural Ladytraining that it's bad to make a fuss and be mean, even if someone's creepering.

THIS. SO MUCH THIS. And putting him on the floor instinctively was beautiful.

[sapote]

I actually have wondered, too, if Derek has a bit of a prejudice against made-not-born werewolves. Everyone in his family was born, right? So he's all IDK BITTEN WEREWOLVES FREAK OUT even though Scott and Isaac both demonstrably have this thing down.

Also he did not check the structural integrity of his makeshift werewolf jail. OH DEREK.

[libitina]

Breaking news! http://www.englishpen.org/bears-for-belarus/

[jade-dragoness.livejournal.com]

See I was thinking that the reason that Lydia wasn't sending out invites was her passive aggressive attempt to resist Peter. Which is why it took her a split second to look happy about guests showing up.

'Waving the pom-poms of death' has totally become my new favorite phrase to describe someone encouraging another character to kill themselves.

Before that, putting Matt on the floor? Gorgeous.

Hell, yes! And her cool and in control expression as she leaves? Totally the Allison I want to see!

Matt is soooo creepy. I'm hoping someone shoots him, even if he's not the kanima master.

Derek (re: turning 3 wolves practically at once) is a special kind of dumb. So pretty but clearly not all that bright. Heh.

Pretty much by the end of episode I was pining for the next one.

[aubergineautumn.livejournal.com]

I totally don't understand the dichotomy of thinking werewolves are so horrible that being bitten by one means you need to kill yourself and letting your daughter have sex with one.

[mareen.livejournal.com]

They actually didn't let her. Chris threatened Scott in flashbacks shown in the first episode. After that, Scott and Alison pretended to have broken up. And only after Mama Argent figured out that they were still together and having sex did she try to kill Scott.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I really liked the fact that in the scene where she confronts Matt about the photos, he pulls out all these standard arguments: they're just some photos/you're so pretty, how can I help it/you're really egotistical to think someone would stalk you/there are plenty of pretty women, you're not that special. And she doesn't let him get away with ANY of it. "I just thought you were pretty!" "DUDE YOU TOOK PHOTOS OF ME THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF MY HOUSE. THAT'S NOT COOL." "They're called candids! I'm a journalist!" "YOU'RE A STALKER."

Given how often stalking is minimized/considered romantic in media, I liked the fact that this was presented as as creepy and threatening an act as it is.

Minor fail points, though, for letting him back her into the room and blocking her escape, though. But I guess if you can flatten him while barely trying, not so much of a problem.

[sapote3.livejournal.com]

I always figured that Allison really struggles between wanting to be able to defend herself / stand up to people's bs and wanting them to like her (and let her see herself as a basically gentle person who's not like her arms-dealing/werewolf-murdering family). I feel like every single moment where I've been like ALLISON: WHAT ARE YOU DOING, it's been because she got caught up in that basic conflict.

[winterlive.livejournal.com]

that is such a cool observation. and totally why i like alison so much.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

That makes some sense, though I think you give the writers a lot more credit than I do. :)

[(Anonymous)]

I go back and forth in my head about whether it's too much credit :D I think at this point it's my version of slash goggles, because I've decided it's happening and now see everything through that lense. But seriously, almost every time Allison does something badass she immediately undermines it or apologizes and then gets mad at herself for undermining it and apologizing. It's - interesting.

[sapote3.livejournal.com]

I go back and forth in my head about whether it's too much credit :D I think at this point it's my version of slash goggles, because I've decided it's happening and now see everything through that lense. But seriously, almost every time Allison does something badass she immediately undermines it or apologizes and then gets mad at herself for undermining it and apologizing. It's - interesting.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

A lot of her behavior makes sense from that pov. Thank you. I love Allison, and this definitely helps clarify some of the inconsistency.

[severalstories.livejournal.com]

Matt gets even worse when you realize he's the one who was possessing Jackson during that locker room scene with Allison.

[fanaddict.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness! That's right!

[sapote3.livejournal.com]

WAIT THIS IS TRUE. Well that makes Jackson a lot easier to deal with for sure.

Jackson and Lydia are now in a weird Harry/Ginny place of having both been possessed by the undead. That's - interesting.

[severalstories.livejournal.com]

It definitely wasn't Jackson, since for a few seconds he did clearly surface with no idea what the hell was happening.

They are indeed. I've been saying that I'm worried they'll both be Horcruxes or something and need to die so that Matt and Peter will die. They're basically my favorite characters (them and Derek) so I'm really hoping I won't be right about this.

[greenet.livejournal.com]

5. Allison should get to show off her utter awesomeness more, because we all know it's there!

(Though Scott and Allison have Stockholmed me into finding them kinda adorable. Usually I'd be shipping Scott/Stiles by now, but Allison is so Allison that I can't.)

(Also, I was watching Sarah Connor Chronicles vids today on the train, and it occoured to me that John Connor and Allison would probably have a lot to talk about re: unwanted leadership, betrayal and people being impossible.)

6. Stiles never liked Matt. This was obviously a clue!

[fanaddict.livejournal.com]

So why not have buried him under the floorboards in two pieces surrounded by wolfbane?

This season's subtitle is "Derek: King of Poor Choices" because so many dumb decisions it's almost a record. I understand that maybe it was traumatizing to cut his last remaining relative in half, but having already killed him because he was psycho, you wouldn't think dismemberment would be such a hard next step. Or maybe he just didn't realize it because only alphas can come back from death? I get the feeling what he knows about alphas can fit in a the head of a pin sometimes.

Along those lines - if Chris Argent was serious about helping his wife die, then he also better have gone the dismemberment route...

Telling her what the fuck happened to her. Dude, this shit could have been derailed ep three, easy.

Yes! This would be my main issue with the season, above and beyond Derek making poor choices, because they are her friends! She was attacked! They are even utilizing her for her amazing smarts to read archaic Latin about supernatural creatures, but somehow there just hasn't been time to tell her about something affecting her, her friends and maybe even putting her in danger? Allison is closest to her these days and Lydia even asked Allison what was going on, and she refused to tell her. I just... It's very very wrong.

Derek - Turning three werewolves at once might be problematic to control at the first full moon? You don't say!

Isaac had been through 1 full moon before (when he was in jail, so Derek and Stiles had to get him out for everyone's safety), which may be why he was able to deal better than the other two. Still, yeah, Derek needs to hire someone to make his decisions for him. I nominate Stiles since he's actually be instinctively right about several things supernatural (Scott using Allison as an anchor, something being up with Matt)

Grandpa Creeper waving the pom-poms of death

Awesome description!

I think Chris was trying to respect his wife's wishes/help her in any way he could even if it meant helping her kill herself, because he knew that for her becoming a werewolf wasn't something she could ever deal with. I guess I viewed it more about her bigotry and him knowing it, than about his own opinion. Maybe there's a Hunter code of better dead than wolf and he was following that too?

I still think Grandpa Tigh was somehow behind her getting bit, purely because I thought S1 established that alphas have to intend the bite to turn someone for it to actually work - and even Derek wouldn't make such a dumb choice, right? I don't know at this point, but not actually seeing him bite her during the fight/assuming he wouldn't intend to turn her makes me suspicious. And it does what Grandpa Tigh wants, which is get everyone in a froth to kill Derek...

Matt as Master of the Kanima - ...really?

I had an epiphany Mon morning that it must be Matt because when I outlined all the characters I realized that he had been given a lot of facetime with very little reason really. Other than him being creepy stalkerish toward Allison, what was the reason he was always around? I think Grandpa Tigh is some sort of supernatural creature maybe as well, but even if he's not he had reason for being there and character motivation. Matt - not so much until now we realize why he was always lurking around...

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

It would also give Grandpa a motive for killing that Omega if the Omega knew something about his secret. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

[silverblade219.livejournal.com]

During her fugue state Lydia ended up at the Hale house, so I think that she reburied him - which may be why she knows what he looks like burnt and the wolfsbane. (though cant remember if she saw the pic of him younger before or after the first time he appeared to her that way. )