S04.E05: I.E.D

[Atony]

Scott, Stiles and Kira participate in their first Lacrosse game; Lydia looks to get help controlling her powers.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Atony

[Lady Calypso]

So, I actually liked the episode. I still don't like most of the new characters, but Liam's still pretty interesting. Teen Killers, however, don't interest me at all.

 

Yes, we get a first name for Parrish (Jordan) and he's some sort of supernatural creature. You know, I briefly thought he could be an undiscovered male banshee too, but I'm not sure. I don't think he's a werewolf and I don't think he knows what he is. But hey, he's cute, I like him and I knew they were leading him somewhere with all the screen time, so I'm more than happy to stick around for his story.

 

Ok, so the passwords are connected to what happened last year. So...Allison...Aiden...I wonder what, or who, the third password will be. Jackson? 

 

I like the lacrosse-centered episodes and I always love Coach. I also appreciate that they kept Malia as a background character, and she was of use. 

Edited July 22, 2014 by jessied112

[bluvelvet]

You know I figured out that the beta target was on the other team pretty early on, it couldn't be Liam as he was just made so it had to be someone else.

I did like the fact the Scott was strong enough to escape his heated noose and also curious as to what kind if supernatural Parrish will be.

Looking forward to the next episode

[Atony]

This one I thought was solidly entertaining throughout.

 

I was very confused at Stiles explanation about the value.  The list has to add up to 117 mil so he could figure out which figures should be in thousands and which in millions?  But they only have a third of the list?!  Scott is 25 million to kill?!  Why the hell was the Mute guy messing around killing hottie Sean for relative pennies, he certainly didn't seem like he would be scared of Scott like wonderteen assassins are.  It would actually be easier for the audience to buy people are afraid to come after Scott if the show presented him to be tough more consistently, but hey, he overpowered a freshman girl.

 

Confirmation that Parrish is supernatural which was strongly hinted at with his "I was drawn to Beacon Hills" when the Nematon was awakened.

 

I don't think he knows what he is

Agreed, and I think he will be a new creature rather than another Banshee since we have Lydia.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Atony

[benteen]

I enjoyed this one as well.  I like the focus back on the school again and on lacrosse.  Really like how they shot the lacrosse game with the fog.

 

I did have to laugh when Scott used Derek to outsource his work in keeping Liam in check.  But hey, at least he can easily take a 15-year-old girl with no powers.  I'm having a hard time buying the glorified 12-year-olds at killers.

 

Some funny lines here.  Stiles asking that guy if he was on HGH and Scott really thinking that guy (I can't remember his name) would lay off of Liam.  Never change, Scott!

[bettername2come]

I loved Scott just pulling out of the noose like it was nothing, and looking pissed off and badass about it. More of that kind of Scott, please. And more nice Derek. I liked that scene with Scott.

 

I figured out the phone thing as soon as the numbers were given (not the password, though). Yay! I'm smarter than Lydia. Who else died last season that could be the third code?

 

I loved Stiles' line to the new werewolf: "What are you on? HGH? Gamma radiation?"

 

I liked that they're expanding the world to the rest of the county. Shows do the thing where they have a sheriff who acts more like a police chief, so it's nice to hear acknowledgement of that. Anybody able to name other towns from Michael J Fox movies? We know they've got Beacon Hills and Hill Valley.

[bluebonnet]

Hmm, so Aiden and Allison both killed an Oni that also killed them.  Is this the connection?  Was there a third?  

 

I really like this episode.  I could see a couple of things from a mile away (the beta, the number, etc) but I still enjoyed all of the characterization.   The only thing that annoyed me is Lydia's lack of scream.  Doesn't the scream usually help her?  

[blugirlami21]

I thought maybe it was people who died last season with the whole oni thing but no one else died that was connected with that.  Unless they decide to kill Issac off?  I really enjoyed the episode, I thought it was pretty solid.  Does anyone else feel like we have seen more werewolves then we ever have in beacon hills that the main characters don't know about?

 

I must have totally missed the part where Kira made the lacrosse team, I love that coach is not afraid to bench you even if you make a goal.  I'm glad that stupid girl got what was coming to her, she was so over the top greedy for even a teenager I was hoping that Scott would snap her neck but he's Scott not Peter so arresting her will have to suffice.

 

I actually really like Liam and I like that he and Scott have a proper Alpha Beta relationship unlike the one Derek tried to have with Scott and/or the one Peter has with Scott.  I wish they would explore Peter and Scott's relationship more, sometimes I forget that Peter bit Scott in the first place. 

 

Does this mean that Derek is slowly becoming human again?  I find it hard to believe that you could take that from someone who was born a werewolf.  How he would he even get it back from Kate?

 

 I missed the last bit with Chris and the annoying hunter grandma.  Did he agree with her and say the code?  I so wanted him to honor Allison and say their new code but it doesn't look like that is what happened.  I wish someone would just kill her too, she just keeps coming back.  Aren't there actual evil werewolves that she can bother?  Scott and even Derek seem like odd choices.

Edited July 22, 2014 by blugirlami21

[bettername2come]

I wish someone would just kill her too, she just keeps coming back.

 

She has a new show this fall on the CW. I'd say there's a good chance you'll get your wish.

[galax-arena]

I love that coach is not afraid to bench you even if you make a goal.

The coach annoyed me in that scene because I don't think he would have done the same thing to a male player (especially since what Kira did wasn't all that bad IMO), which I think is what Jeff Davis might be going for, i.e. Kira facing problems on an all-male team. And that's a storyline I also don't like in and of itself, because it's been done and it also doesn't seem in line with what we've seen of Coach's character. He barks and yells a lot and is kinda crazy, but he's never struck me as being sexist. Especially since he was the one who recruited Kira to be on the team in the first place. 

Edited July 22, 2014 by galax-arena

[blugirlami21]

She was also on Switched At Birth as well so I'm not going to hold my breath lol.  She seems to be on a couple of shows right now because she is usually recurring.

 

Nothing against the actress, the character just bugs.

Edited July 22, 2014 by blugirlami21

[Yitzhak]

 

Hmm, so Aiden and Allison both killed an Oni that also killed them.  Is this the connection?  Was there a third?

 

The biggest connection for me is simply that they are two dead characters who had close relationships with Lydia. Could their names being passwords be a sign that Allison and Aiden are trying to help Lydia from beyond the grave? If so, would the third key be another dead character with a link to Lydia? Not sure who that could be.

 

This episode was okay. Too much focus on the newbies for my liking. Liam could do with a personality trait other than impulsive anger, though I did like Liam revealing that he has I.E.D with Stiles immediately being the expert on impulsive disorders. Nice to see a bit of Stiles' ADHD too when he can't concentrate on anything Coach is saying to him because he's fixating on the latest murder case. And I loved Coach pointing out how disturbing it is that Stiles sits around in school looking at gruesome crime scene photos. Also - nice to see Meredith again. I don't think Parrish is a banshee. Unless they are tampering with the mythology (which they may do) banshees are exclusively female spirits. I'm thinking that Parrish could be the Benefactor or a spy for the Benefactor. I'm also wondering why they aren't more worried for Lydia's safety. Scott, Kira and Derek can defend themselves in a fight but Lydia has no superhuman strength to fight off assassins. Maybe Malia was meant to be her bodyguard? And is Malia not on the new hit list either?

 

Next week looks a little more lively than this week. Though is Scott going to have to rescue Liam from danger every episode now? Because it's already like the Buffy constantly having to save Dawn thing.  

Edited July 22, 2014 by Yitzhak

[AudienceofOne]

I so wanted him to honor Allison and say their new code

 

 

Between that and Scott never using his Alpha roar, I yelled at this episode a lot more than I should have since it was not that bad. The other thing I yelled at was the implication that they got rid of Danny because they can only have one gay character. I hope it was the other way around.

[patchwork]

I can see the code being part of Chris arc this season, he'll come back around to Allison's version but for a while he's going to be all No Mercy to anything supernatural. The switch will probably be when they go after Scott. But either way "We protect those who can't protect themselves" seems to be the unofficial pack motto whether Chris sticks with it or not. 

 

I wish they'd do something with Lydia's scream -remember when it used to debilitate nearby supes with good hearing?- I so wanted Meredith to tell Lydia to scream, the helpline number she gave her seems like a one time only thing and what Lydia really needs is a way to call up her powers when she needs them.  

 

I had to laugh at Scott's alpha strength timely guest appearance, Malia hovering over Lydia's shoulder and Derek stalking teenage boys in locker rooms again. 

[lion10]

The coach annoyed me in that scene because I don't think he would have done the same thing to a male player (especially since what Kira did wasn't all that bad IMO), which I think is what Jeff Davis might be going for, i.e. Kira facing problems on an all-male team. And that's a storyline I also don't like in and of itself, because it's been done and it also doesn't seem in line with what we've seen of Coach's character. He barks and yells a lot and is kinda crazy, but he's never struck me as being sexist. Especially since he was the one who recruited Kira to be on the team in the first place.

I think it was Coach just benching Kira because she didn't pass the ball. As he said, it's a scrimmage so points aren't really important. It's more about learning to work together as a team. Coach hasn't shied away in the past from calling out male players such as when he takes Scott off the team so that Scott could focus on his academics. If Coach really was sexist (something we've seen zero evidence of), then he wouldn't put Kira on the team in the first place. Speaking of which, is it weird for Beacon Hills high school to only have a male lacrosse team? My high school didn't have one so I don't know how they run.

I'm disappointed in Argent not saying Allison's code. The lady's reaction would've been priceless. It was good to see Scott demonstrating his Alpha status by not succumbing to the razor wire and by trying to mentor Liam.

I can't believe it's worth several million just to kill Scott. With that kind of money there's no way any of the Beacon Hills supes should still be walking around. Especially Lydia; she's got a huge price on her head IIRC and she has next to no fighting abilities.

Random thoughts: I really want to see Kira do some variation of force lightning by the end of the season. The werewolf girl that was killed at the beginning of the show was Amber from House of Anubis.

Edited July 22, 2014 by lion10

[wayne67]

Was it just me or was anyone else confused about why Derek was rocking up to the school locker room to essentially snap a lacrosse stick ?

How is it that Derek who is apparently losing his powers can hold Liam up with one hand as a beta when the true Alpha Scott couldn't even hold him down for 5 seconds? 

 

As soon as the blond girl showed up at the beginning of the episode I knew she was going to die in 3 minutes. At least she fought back a little, though I was thoroughly confused by the fact that she stopped at just knocking her down like a horror movie victim cliche. When you knock down someone who is trying to kill you, you either should kill them or take their weapons and you really shouldn't get into cars with strange boys ever.

How big is this random new pack that has never been mentioned or seen before? Seems like there is at least 3 werewolves in this never before mentioned pack?

 

Hot Deputy and his mystery power lineage should be amusing. What new random nonsense will he turn out to be? an incubus? another druid(I wonder if Deaton got on the list) ? a necromancer? a wereleopard?

 

It felt like nothing of particular merit happened this episode, Scott's eyes glowed as he fended off a 15 year old hunter

[Atony]

Name Price in millions
Sean Walcott $0.25
David Walcott $0.25
Michael Walcott $0.25
Christina Walcott $0.25
Lydia Martin $20.00
Scott McCall $25.00
DeMarco Montana $0.25
Derek Hale $15.00
Carrie Hudson $0.50
Kayleen Bettcher $0.25
Kira Yukimura $6.00
Elias Town $0.25
Kate Argent $12.00
Noshiko Yukimura $5.00
Joanne McLaughlin $1.00
Steve Grace $1.00
Tom Hill $1.00
Brett Talbot $1.00
(possible names in between, scene cut)
Richard Benefield $0.25
Jack Marsland $0.25
Joy Waldrop $0.25
Cheryl Calix $0.25
Jordan Parrish $5.00
which adds up to $95.25 million total.

 

So I found this and thought folks would be interested to see the names listed so far and their bounty.

 

$20 million for Lydia does seem like a prize so huge for someone who isn't a fighter that it doesn't make sense no one has targeted her.

 

ETA:  Has there been any in show explanation about what happened to Issac?  I understand the actor left but as far as I can recall there has been no explanation of why he is gone within the show universe.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Atony

[Gwen-Stacys]

Lydia; she's got a huge price on her head IIRC and she has next to no fighting abilities.

 

I think Lydia's pretty safe for now. She's rarely ever alone (Malia was playing bodyguard for her this episode and most of this season she's either been with Kira, the McCall pack, or with the police) and would get warned that you were coming. Scott's pack is hard to kill because they tend to roll in pairs all the time. Stiles is always with Scott (who can take care of hisself now, while dishing out sassy side-eye in the process). Kira....I just wouldn't fuck with Kira regardless, and I think she should be worth more than she is on that list. And Malia's not even on any list we've seen so far (neither is Peter, for that matter. This is all feeds that theory I keep seeing!), but I don't think she'd hesitate to kill or seriously injure Violet or Garret if they came at her. She and Kira are the muscel of the group for a reason.

 

As soon as the blond girl showed up at the beginning of the episode I knew she was going to die in 3 minutes. At least she fought back a little, though I was thoroughly confused by the fact that she stopped at just knocking her down like a horror movie victim cliche. When you knock down someone who is trying to kill you, you either should kill them or take their weapons and you really shouldn't get into cars with strange boys ever.

How big is this random new pack that has never been mentioned or seen before? Seems like there is at least 3 werewolves in this never before mentioned pack?

I was confused why she didn't kill her as well. But then again, she seemed more like a cornered animal than a real fighter? They tend to lash out until they have a means of escape. But her pack might be in some other part of the Beacon County and not in Beacon Hills, like Sherif Stillinski said. Beacon Hills is Hale family/Scott territory, so maybe Hill Valley is the other pack's stomping ground? I hope this means that Lacrosse guy's alpha will be coming to look for him since, according to the sneak peek

he gets layed out by Peter in Deaton's clinic

.

 

But little points:

 

• Points to Holland for her work this episode. I loved how you could see Lydia slowly starting to unravel as the episode went on.
• LOL at Malia being honest as to why she wanted Lydia to figure out the other two keys, to find out if she's on these lists as well. And I'm all for her growing concern of Lydia. I need another female Brotp on this show, and would love if all the girls became friends. Lydia needs a friend since she lost Allison.
• Scott's face when he turned on Violet was hilarious! Equal parts anger and annoyance.
• Is Peter hmmmm....I think I'll take this one to the spoiler/spec thread
• Garrett showed his hand a little too much for me (and it might just be Teen Wolf's penchant for the dramatic for dramatic's sake) Don't tell people you live in a neighborhood that's being developed and no one lives in.
• Did they kill the blonde wolf the same night as the party? And how the hell is Garrett driving if he's only a freshman?!
• I hope Parish is something cool like a Necromancer (like someone above suggested)! Like a nicer, male version of Anita Blake, please.

[mac123x]

I wanted to punch the male teen-assassin merely because I hate his hair.  And his smug smirking.  The female teen-assassin was also annoying; I was glad Scott quickly overpowered her.  Hopefully she'll roll on her partner and they can both go to teen assassin jail.

 

I guessed the "numbers = letters" thing, but I was surprised Lydia got a 5 letter name from 4 digits. 

 

I'm glad they kept Liam's shirt on in the shower scene, since fan-service with an actual underage teen actor would have been pretty gross.  Leave the shirtlessness to Scott, Derek, Stiles (come on, Show!), Deputy Hottie (come on, Show!), unnamed generic prep school lacrosse player-wolf, etc.

 

Liam was kicked out of his school for rage issues, sent to a psychiatrist and placed on anti-psychotic drugs.  "I don't take them because they make me too tired to play lacrosse".  He's a 15 year old; I'm surprised he has any choice in the matter.  His parents would insist, unless they're negligent or in denial.  Also, if his history is known to the school district, you'd think they would require him to be on his meds since otherwise he'd be a threat to the other students.  I would have preferred Liam to say something like "I'm on an antipsychotic but it hasn't been working since you bit me".

 

Hmm, so Aiden and Allison both killed an Oni that also killed them.  Is this the connection?  Was there a third?  

 

That's interesting.  Possessed!Stiles killed two Oni; maybe we'll get to see his real first name.  Hopefully someone in this group is smart enough to start randomly trying other names of just to see if any of them work.  Off the top of my head, I'd try Victoria (Argent), Boyd, the blonde wolf whose name I can't remember, the Darach teacher whose name I also can't remember...

 

I realize Chris Argent was off in his own separate story for this episode, but I was really surprised no one asked him about the dead pool.  His recently deceased daugther's name was one of the keys;  you'd think it would have come up in his conversation with Derek.  "Yeah, btw, there's a list of names, including mine, of people being targeted for assassination.  It was encrypted with your dead daughter's name.  Know anything about it?"

 

Yes, we get a first name for Parrish (Jordan) and he's some sort of supernatural creature. You know, I briefly thought he could be an undiscovered male banshee too, but I'm not sure. I don't think he's a werewolf and I don't think he knows what he is. But hey, he's cute, I like him and I knew they were leading him somewhere with all the screen time, so I'm more than happy to stick around for his story.

 

He's good at disarming unstable explosives, both literally with the Claymore mine and figuratively with Meredith.  I'm guessing some kind of empath.  Definitely not something we've seen before like a druid or a were-whatever.

[lion10]

Only five million for Noshiko, a nine tailed fox? It took 900 years for her to reach that level and when kitsunes get that old they're often seen as being on the same level as minor gods. I'd be insulted if I were her. Maybe they're factoring in the loss of her tails. Does anyone know how many tails Noshiko has left?

[Bruinsfan]

I can see the code being part of Chris arc this season, he'll come back around to Allison's version but for a while he's going to be all No Mercy to anything supernatural.

He's actually being more of a benevolent mentor type than ever with regard to Scott and the Liam situation. Which strikes me as a good way for hunters to actually achieve the goal of protecting people: form relationships with well-meaning alphas and help them keep new werewolves in line so there aren't victims to avenge in the first place. That also nets the hunters super-powered allies they might be able to call on when dealing with the evil supernaturals.

[bethy]

I wondered if Chris's repetition of the Code was actually misleading.  "We hunt those who hunt us."  What if the "us" has changed for Chris?  If Scott and Derek and the rest of the kids are now his "us," then whoever is hunting the supernaturals in Beacon Hills may have an unexpected problem on their hands.   

Edited July 22, 2014 by bethy

[galax-arena]

I think it was Coach just benching Kira bbecause she didn't pass the ball. As he said, it's a scrimmage so points aren't really important. It's more about learning to work together as a team.

Meh, I still think that was a pretty weak excuse to bench Kira. What she did wasn't that bad - it's not like she took a terribly risky shot or anything - at most she should have received a lecture, since it was her first time on the field (i.e. she wasn't a proven ball hog or anything). And with Scott, I think the issue is that he wouldn't have been eligible to play if his grades dropped, which is what made Coach intervene. But now that I think about it, yeah, I don't think Jeff Davis is really going for a sexism storyline - especially if Holland and Crystal's comments at recent cons are any indication, it's not something that Davis would be especially aware of - and it's more that it was a flimsy excuse to be down one protector in the field.

 

Re: lacrosse, I'm not an expert, but IIRC Title IX guarantees that no one be excluded from sports activity based on gender. I guess that usually means that a girls' team must be made available if there's a boys' team, but we can fanwank that there wasn't enough interest to field a full girls' team. 

Edited July 22, 2014 by galax-arena

[bluvelvet]

How is it that Derek who is apparently losing his powers can hold Liam up with one hand as a beta when the true Alpha Scott couldn't even hold him down for 5 seconds?

It felt like nothing of particular merit happened this episode, Scott's eyes glowed as he fended off a 15 year old hunter

I was coming to ask the same thing, Derek is able to hold up Liam with one hand while Scott could barely subdue him last week but Scott kinda made up for it at the end by pulling off the noose and then doing the of the air chokehold with the girl.

I assume she isn't dead but I wish the girl in the beginning had gotten a few licks in because that teen girl assassin annoys me also. However now the cats out of the bag, the assassin knows who the wolves are and vice versa.

Edited July 22, 2014 by bluvelvet

[FurryFury]

Total speculation: The third name is Lydia's birth mother (not Ms.Lockwood) who's dead and Lydia doesn't remember her. I definitely think that Allison and Aiden were used because they're both dead and had a connection to Lydia. After all, banshees are supposed to be close to death.

 

I agree that Noshiko should have been near the top of the list. Even without her supernatural powers, she has centuries of experience (which the shows prefer to forget about). She should be a wellspring of knowledge. 

Incidentally, this is why I think she won't last long. It doesn't make sense for Kira to not talk to her mother about any supernatural stuff going on or to ask for her help, and the show can't ignore that for too long.

[lion10]

Total speculation: The third name is Lydia's birth mother (not Ms.Lockwood) who's dead and Lydia doesn't remember her. I definitely think that Allison and Aiden were used because they're both dead and had a connection to Lydia. After all, banshees are supposed to be close to death.

I agree that Noshiko should have been near the top of the list. Even without her supernatural powers, she has centuries of experience (which the shows prefer to forget about). She should be a wellspring of knowledge.

Incidentally, this is why I think she won't last long. It doesn't make sense for Kira to not talk to her mother about any supernatural stuff going on or to ask for her help, and the show can't ignore that for too long.

That's why I'm nervous about "Orphaned". If her parents have their way she'll be moving to NYC so that plan has to be derailed somehow.

[KatWay]

The "price list" or whatever doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Why would Lydia's be so huge? She hasn't been targeted in ever, has very little power to protect herself and doesn't cause any active harm either.

Conversely, Noshiko should be way, way higher. Also, only 15 for Derek? The guy's like a cockroach, just how many murder attempts and almost-deaths has he survived by now? I feel like they should take that into regard as well. 

 

The numbers also don't add up. Could they mean something else?

[ZootSuitWyatt]

I thought they didn't add up because they're still missing part of the list, but I admit I'm having trouble following some of these plot lines.

[ElleryAnne]

Not a bad episode. 

 

Liked:

 

Lacrosse, and using the lacrosse game for more than just lacrosse.   Also, Coach.  I swear, I'd watch a whole hour of him just yelling at the kids.  (Not sure what that says about me.)  And Coach laughing at Scott's "captain of the team" advice.  And I didn't mind Coach benching Kira at all.  He told her how to handle the play, and she didn't.  This is the quick and easy way for her to learn to respect him as the coach

 

Derek and Chris talking.  The bearded-men camera angle made me smile. But I was surprised to hear Chris say he had a place he could take Kate.  So have the hunters always had an option to put supernatural creatures somewhere and not just kill them?  I'm not exactly pleased with that revelation, but maybe it'll turn out it's just an emergency place that Chris put together.

 

Derek and Scott in the locker room.  I loved many things about that scene.  First of all, it made me respect Scott a little bit again after that mess last week when he was being so stupid.  At least now he actually went to someone who can give him advice and began to handle the situation.  Also, Derek's easy-going manner, like, oh, this is just a simple case of breaking the beta in.  I love his little smiles throughout that scene.  A happy, content Derek - with a happiness you know isn't about to be crushed due to someone being evil - is a nice thing to see.  And that little convo between him and Scott was sweet - though I laughed when Derek looked kinda proud because he thinks Scott will be good at being an alpha.  Who is this optimistic guy with Derek's face?  Oh, right.  he probably meant, "compared to me".  

 

Deputy Parrish:  Yay for first names!  Assuming he's the Jordan Parrish on the list, anyway.  I guess there's always a chance that he isn't, but for now I'll go with the obvious.  Also, I like that the Sheriff invited him in to listen when Lydia was talking to Meredith.  Parrish is becoming one of my favorite characters.  He's just this low-key, steady presence and I keep waiting for those extra bits of information about him.  

 

I'm wondering if his ability to defuse an I.E.D. will be paralleled against a scene in which he deals with Liam in the future.

 

Lydia:  Poor Lydia, looking so worn out trying to use her banshee mojo to get more info.  She seemed so brittle.  Her frustration and fear were so clear when she was talking to Malia about not having claws, etc., and again when she was trying not to snap at Meredith. 

 

Stiles:  Glad to see him consumed with investigating again.  (I wish I had more than that, but he's been kinda slipping lately with me.  I'm still annoyed at him for being such an ass last week.)

 

I liked the way they handled the exposition to bring the sheriff up-to-date.  The assortment of flashbacks to Lydia at the lake house, Derek (at a computer?), I think the Chris/Scott scene was in there, too? and Stiles writing on the transparent board... it was a well-done scene, even if some of the explanations were wonky.

 

Didn't like:  

 

Garrett and Violet.  They are damned annoying.  But maybe they're supposed to be?  I mean, they keep murdering innocent werewolves for money.  In any case, I'll be glad when they're dead themselves.  The idea of the dead pool is interesting, but watching a couple of teenagers taking such glee in being killers for hire?  Not so much. 

 

Bad treatment of an injured person:  Assuming you don't know an injured lacrosse player is a werewolf, and said player might have a broken leg, maybe it's not the best thing to pick him up and drag him and his injured leg across the field.  WTF with that, anyway.  I didn't like Brett, but I cringed when the camera showed his leg being dragged like that.

 

The Eichen House reminder:  I like Meredith but her scenes make me really uncomfortable.  They dance very close to the line of making fun of mental illness.  I know, banshee blahblahblah, but still.  It doesn't sit well with me.  And since Eichen House was horrible (JMO) in so many ways, I didn't really like another reminder of it.  And it makes me almost physically sick to consider the idea that poor Meredith is still living there.

 

Head-scratching:

 

How does Stiles figure the total amounts will equal the 117 million?  Wouldn't it be more likely that the thief/Benefactor would keep some of that money aside for contingencies, like someone biting a new kid and creating another werewolf?  For that matter, how is he sure the Benefactor is the thief?  

 

So Allison, Aiden... Hmm.... Alan?  Marin?  I have no idea.  I'm just thinking there's a hunter, a werewolf, so maybe the third one is someone who keeps the balance between them, like Deaton.  Although since Allison and Aiden are dead and the Deaton/Morell siblings aren't,  I suppose that doesn't work.  This show and its threes, really.  I really have no idea what the third name will be. (Probably not Danny or Isaac, since apparently the show doesn't think they're worth mentioning.  Fuck this show sometimes.)

[mac123x]

I'm guessing the dollar amounts are assigned on something other than physical strength.  If the Dead Pool is a means to an end rather than the end itself, it could be somethig like the Darach having to kil 3 virgins, 3 warriors, etc.

 

So Allison, Aiden... Hmm.... Alan?  Marin?  I have no idea.  I'm just thinking there's a hunter, a werewolf, so maybe the third one is someone who keeps the balance between them, like Deaton.  Although since Allison and Aiden are dead and the Deaton/Morell siblings aren't,  I suppose that doesn't work. 

 

We do have a dead druid:  Jennifer the Darach. 

[ElleryAnne]

We do have a dead druid:  Jennifer the Darach.

 

 

But was she part of the whole "keeping the balance" idea?  She was supposedly the "Dark Oak", so I didn't consider her as someone associated with balancing sides.  

[greenbean]

How common are mixed gendered lacrosse teams in the US or California? I'd have thought if it were the norm in Beacon Hills at least, there would be more girls on the team already.

 

This season feels more and more like a police drama, (say Criminal Minds), with a supernatural twist. I guess Jeff has decided to write to his strengths.

 

I liked the unsubs, oops assassins this episode. I don't think they can be redeemed though, but that's okay.

 

Lydia shouting at poor Meredith. I know Lydia was losing it, but that was a real bitch moment from her. I did like how she and Malia worked together though, and I think she and the deputy are definitely on a slow burn. Which makes me think Lydia/Stiles actually may not happen.

 

 

I actually really like Liam and I like that he and Scott have a proper Alpha Beta relationship unlike the one Derek tried to have with Scott and/or the one Peter has with Scott.  I wish they would explore Peter and Scott's relationship more, sometimes I forget that Peter bit Scott in the first place. 

I agree so much with this. I wasn't sure about Liam being Scott's beta, but I really loved that scene with Derek. Where Scott expressed how having a beta overwhelmed him. I don't want him to lose that inexperienced quality. I'm not really a fan of know-it-all leads. It's nice that Scott showed some sense of being an alpha when up against assassin-girl, but Macguyver types who can get themselves out of any situation are not really interesting to me. Being a true alpha, I was worried he'd be fast tracked to that once he bit Liam, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

 

So the dynamic between Scott and Liam is really good, it's like they're both learning together. I too wish there was more about Scott and Peter. The lack of their relationship is one of the show's biggest disappointments. Peter's characterisation shift, when he became the sassy werewolf, was really annoying and such a waste of a character.

[ElleryAnne]

What are the odds that anyone will contact the other names on that list and warn poor Kayleen and the others  that there's a price on their heads?

Edited July 22, 2014 by ElleryAnne

[Yitzhak]

Are there any solid theories (or even spoilers) on what the deal is with Derek losing his wolf powers? After the fanfic-ish de-aging nonsense I'm already sick of Derek's S4 storyline even though (to be fair) Derek doesn't take up much screen-time these days. I really hope the writers aren't doing a Derek turns into a human story, because UGH I suspect that'd be just as gimmicky and short-lived as the Derek turns into a kid plot-line and WHY do we need more reasons for Derek to be grumpy? Please please, no human Derek. 

 

If Derek does turn human can Scott please bite him and turn him back? It could be that's the point anyway...that the writers want Scott to have more official betas so they contrive a way to make Derek one. But I'm hoping it's something different like Kate turning Derek into a Beserker.    

Edited July 22, 2014 by Yitzhak

[greenbean]

Are there any solid theories (or even spoilers) on what the deal is with Derek losing his wolf powers?

 

Derek's whole story arch is just bizarre. I think he was only kept around after Hoechlin became popular, and they've been throwing things at the wall ever since. I don't know what is up with this human development. I thought the de-aging thing was enough, but this new development makes me think

the rumours about Hoechlin leaving are true. It's like Derek is being wound down or something.

[mac123x]

But was she part of the whole "keeping the balance" idea?  She was supposedly the "Dark Oak", so I didn't consider her as someone associated with balancing sides.  

 

I dunno, I was just tossing out a possibility for the  "dead wolf, dead hunter, dead druid" theory.  Prior to almost dying then coming back evil, Jennifer was the advisor to the shoeless-alpha, similar to how Deaton was advisor to the Hale pack.

 

They need Lydia to sit down with a list of dead people she knew and start punching them in one-by-one. 

[galax-arena]

How common are mixed gendered lacrosse teams in the US or California? I'd have thought if it were the norm in Beacon Hills at least, there would be more girls on the team already.

Mixed gender sports teams in general aren't the norm in California. It usually only happens when there isn't enough interest to field a whole single-sex team. It's why you might see a lone girl on the boys' football team; most schools aren't going to have enough interested girls for a whole team. Then again, lacrosse - unlike football - isn't really considered a boys-only sport. A lot of schools have separate lacrosse teams. You'd think that if lacrosse were as popular in Beacon Hills as Jackson said it was back in season 1, the school would already have its own team for girls. But I don't think Jeff Davis really bothers to think of the small details, lol. 

[Gwen-Stacys]

Are there any solid theories (or even spoilers) on what the deal is with Derek losing his wolf powers?    

I have one...but Imma take it to the spoilers/spec thread

[Richness]

I had to laugh at Scott's alpha strength timely guest appearance, Malia hovering over Lydia's shoulder and Derek stalking teenage boys in locker rooms again. 

 

As awesome as it was for Scott to finally use his alpha powers, I honestly don't think it would have worked against a thermal garrote. A regular one, maybe, especially if he wolfed out totally, but not just by going glowly-eyed. At the very least he should have a line burned into his flesh, possibly becoming a new "tattoo". That thing slices off heads and hands lightsaber style.

As far as Derek's return to the locker room, it's even creepier now since the actor is under 18. Glad I discovered this before I started my usual leering and ended up on a watch list.

I was wondering about the sudden influx of werewolves and other supernaturals this season until a line in this episode reminded me that messing with the nemeton literally turned Beacon Hills into a beacon for the supernatural. They're being drawn here like Deputy Handsome. Speaking of Mr. Parish, nice to see confirmation that he is indeed supernatural, and in on the shenanigans.

But then again, Danny was aware of them too, and he's still missing from this season. While it's nice to see the gay bomb delivered by an African-American male, I won't be happy if he's replaced Danny as the recurring gay character. I guess Danny knowing about werewolves and ley lines is just going to be forgotten, like they've forgotten to explain where Isaac is. Maybe next episode.

Nor do I have a problem with the teenage hunters. After all, Allison was one as well. The only difference between them and her is they kill for the money, and she would have killed for the code/family. I'm really starting to dislike the Calaveras popping up out of the blue.

[patchwork]

I wouldn't mind teenage assassins if we had some context for them, is it a family thing? They're part of a league? Just something that makes them less gimmicky. 

 

From the outside I suppose the pack does have an impressive resume. We know they've mostly lucked into their wins but if all people know is that Scott McCall is a true alpha and he and his allies have won against a pack of alphas, a darach, a nogistune etc etc they'd seem worthy of a high price.   

[blueray]

I liked this episode a lot and I have to say, good job Scott you finally won a fight :).

 

I had a feeling they wouldn't be going after Liam because how would they know about him. I'm sure they will start expecting though. I am interested to see what the deputy is, I also don't think he knows what he is.

 

I also liked that Scott went to Derek for help. I wonder what Kate did to him to cause him to be loosing his powers.

[Atony]

But then again, Danny was aware of them too, and he's still missing from this season. While it's nice to see the gay bomb delivered by an African-American male, I won't be happy if he's replaced Danny as the recurring gay character.

 

The actress who plays Lydia has said that Danny isn't returning (for this season at least).

 

Jeff Davis at least has done a better job setting up Mason.  Unlike with Danny's introduction the first thing we know about him wasn't him being gay and so far his scenes haven't revolved around his sexuality.  Still, it is a another nice gay guy who is friends to a new supernatural without actually being involved with what it is going on.  Very similar to the Danny role.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Atony

[Bruinsfan]

Are there any solid theories (or even spoilers) on what the deal is with Derek losing his wolf powers?

I'm at a loss, since it was only a few episodes ago that teenaged Derek had his healing supercharged from the werewolf norm (how did Deaton know to check for that, anyway?) and was able to singlehandedly outfight opponents that took down Scott, Malia, and Kira in short order. I also don't get why his eyes suddenly reverted to yellow after he regained his adult form. It would have made sense earlier if he'd been de-aged to a point before Paige's death or if what's happened to him counted as a sort of spiritual rebirth that wiped the slate clean, but I don't see how gaining 50 lbs. of muscle and stubble removes indications of past misdeeds.

[Insomnia]

Because stubble leads to thinking about bad boys, and bad boys leads to doing dangerous things which could rip clothes, which means you just have to take off that shirt really anyway, which leads to staring at his abs, and what were we talking about again? It's like True Blood, but without the nipples and no wizard to blame it on.

 

True Blood, because boobs.

Teen Wolf, because Abs.

[ahisma]

So have the hunters always had an option to put supernatural creatures somewhere and not just kill them?

This really bothered me, too. Sometimes the hunter "rule" is supernatural creature = death, like the flashback!Argent in the motel, Victoria Argent, or Kate with the Calaveras. But sometimes the rule is "lock them away"? Although both Gerard and Kate have turned out to be far more evil than flashback!Argent or Victoria would likely have been, and even more deserving of death? I don't get it. I wonder if the place Chris mentioned to Derek is the facility where he has Gerard.

[lion10]

I think that it's Hunter code that a Hunter that is turned should kill themselves. I can see a supernatural creature that knows the Hunters' tactics being a lot more dangerous than some random person that's been turned.

[Bruinsfan]

On the flip side though, Kate seems to be having trouble reining in her inner monster. That's got to be disruptive to the sort of cool-headed tactics that allowed Allison and Chris to be so effective against the Alpha Pack (while Scott, Derek, and co. did their best Keystone Cops impression). I think the biggest danger in the Hunter's eyes would be compromising their mission statement rather than the physical risks of fighting such a were-creature.

[ahisma]

Bruinsfan—true. One of the biggest problems with the Hunters is that they don't bother knowing about the "how werewolves control themselves" side, they just kill the ones out of control. Or that date their daughters. I think most of them don't believe werewolves CAN control themselves unless, like Chris, they start spending an extended amount of time around them.

lion10, that's why Hunters that turn kill themselves—they don't know how to learn control. But if they don't do it themselves, the other Hunters are supposed to do it for them. And Gerard CHOSE the Bite, which is an abomination in their eyes. So why is he alive while Victoria is dead? Why wouldn't Kate be put down with extreme prejudice? At the very least, they have murdered, which is the basic threshold for being targeted.

[lion10]

I think Braeden's been tasked to capture Kate, presumably so the Calaveras can kill her, though I don't like her chances of facing down Kate. Jaguars are a lot stronger and faster than wolves after all.

As for Gerard being alive...I don't know but it's been implied multiple times in the series that the Argents have a ton of clout in the hunter community (it's a common belief that it's silver that kills werewolves instead of wolfsbane due to the Argent family's hunting prowess). So I can see Chris being able to reason that Gerard isn't a threat because he's indefinitely incapacitated. The real mystery is how Jackson is still alive.

And Kate was savage and sadistic as a human so I'm not surprised that she's having trouble controlling the shift. I still think a large part of the whole killing a turned hunter is due to how dangerous they potentially could be. Kate was able to break out of the Calavera's stronghold and kill several hunters even though it was presumably her first shift. What if someone like Chris or Allison or Victoria got turned and decided to embrace the change? What if they became an Alpha?

But I think a reason why turned hunters kill themselves is because they've got no place to go. Their friends and family will be hunting them, they're a danger to everyone around them, and they can't rely on werewolves to help them. A pack would probably either exclude or kill a hunter wolf on principle.

Edited July 28, 2014 by lion10