S06.E02: Superposition

[Lady Calypso]

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While Scott, Lydia and Malia search for lost memories of a missing friend, Corey discovers a connection between his abilities and the Wild Hunt

So, this episode was good too. They're really going all out on their final season. I'm glad they're getting back to the core of their pack instead of other characters that don't matter. Yes, I'm talking about you, Theo.

Deaton's back! And Coach! Great to see them!

Ok, so they filled in a few things about last season, like the kids seeing Scott wolf out in the library (chalked up to delusions) and even how people on the show reacted to Corey's abilities. For some reason, Liam's really pissed at Corey for hiding and not fighting? Liam was a total dick this episode to Corey and to Mason, by default. But, no Hayden this episode! So that's a plus! 

I'm glad Corey's going to get to play a part in the mystery. 

I'm glad that Lydia, Scott and Malia still have the feeling about Stiles. It's good to know their connection with him isn't so easily taken away. I'm sure it's happened with the other people who have their people missing, but it's different with Scott and his gang since they've been through so many supernatural events. 

I really enjoyed Malia's subconscious kicking in with the textbook scene. "Style"? Clever, show. 

Also, I LOVE Lydia's last line. "What the hell is a Stiles?". Absolute great callback to Lydia's first line about Stiles. 

When Scott woke up in the forest, I was so glad to see him wake up in the place where he was turned.

So, with Stiles being erased, Stiles' mom is somehow alive? First of all, how does that even work? Just because Stiles is erased from the timeline, it doesn't mean that it randomly causes someone else to be alive. Just like Stiles being erased didn't cause a new person in the pack, or Stiles being erased didn't cause Scott's memories to change completely to fit a no-Stiles universe. I see that it's just here for a twist unless we're about to find out that Stiles caused his mother's death. I can't wait for the scene where we see Stiles come back and he might get to say goodbye to his mom before she disappears. I can't imagine Jeff Davis passing up the opportunity for a scene like that. Or maybe he will, since he passes up on many missed opportunities. 

[starri]

2 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

So, with Stiles being erased, Stiles' mom is somehow alive?

My money's on that being a second wife. 

[bettername2come]

I really enjoyed this one. Scott, Lydia and Malia trying to remember Stiles was nicely played. They pulled at my season one nostalgia in Scott's flashback with that closing episode music they used to use. Scott's sure grown up since the dumb little red riding hood we first met. I will say I think they've given him good character growth over the years. There's something incredibly sad to me about Scott's "I know this sounds crazy. But I think I had a best friend." Scott without Stiles is just sad. I mean, before the supernatural stuff, he had no friends other than Stiles.  I liked seeing Deaton again and how he helped those three try to get to their memories. "What the hell is a Stiles?" Beautiful callback. 

And Orny Adams was back. I love Coach. But seriously, where's Melissa?

The wife?!!! The wife?!!!! Also, crap, I guess that means Stiles really did kill his mother. Didn't Stiles hallucinate his father saying that in season 2? Or it's a second wife, like stated above.  I admit I was half hoping the wife would be Lydia's mom in this version.

[Lady Calypso]

11 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

There's something incredibly sad to me about Scott's "I know this sounds crazy. But I think I had a best friend." Scott without Stiles is just sad. I mean, before the supernatural stuff, he had no friends other than Stiles. 

Oh. I didn't realize this until you pointed it out. But you're right. I forgot that Scott literally had no friends pre-series except for Stiles. That means he would have been alone with no friends for years. That's now more depressing. And remembering the Motel California episode, who would have saved Scott from lighting himself on fire? Everyone else stood there while Stiles talked him down. Damn. 

Also, now that I'm thinking about it, since Stiles was the villain in the half season when Allison was killed, how would that arc have worked out without Stiles? Now there's some questions that have to be answered on the show about the role Stiles has played. 

[Slovenly Muse]

Yeah, I'm having a hard time with the timeline too.  My impression was that when people were taken, they ceased to exist immediately, not retroactively. So memories of them would be gone, records of them would disappear, but the actual events of people's lives leading up to their disappearance wouldn't be changed. Like, it's not creating an alternate timeline, right? All that stuff that disappeared from Alex's house wasn't just retroactively put back on the shelves years ago for other people to buy, so we could all live in an alternate future where some other family has slightly different glassware. It vanished, and people FORGOT it ever existed... but it did. But the Sheriff remarrying really turns things upside-down.

See, Scott and the others all knew there was something missing from their lives, because there WAS. Scott really DID go out into the woods with Stiles that night, he just doesn't REMEMBER that Stiles was with him. The proof is that he did go and became a werewolf - He never would have been out there if Stiles hadn't existed to tell him about the body and convince him to go. And Malia really DID have Stiles chain her up, otherwise she wouldn't have been chained up! It's only the memory of Stiles that is missing, not his actual presence in people's lives... Otherwise they wouldn't be remembering things that didn't make sense without him. And they didn't say whether Malia's hookup with that guy was a one-time thing (starting now) or a boyfriend she'd had for awhile (changes to the timeline), but it could have gone either way without too much handwaving. But the big question is, how did the Sheriff end up remarrying? Or how did Stiles' mom end up surviving? Whichever it ends up being. This is either a case of the writers playing fast and loose with their own internal logic (a not out-of-character move for this show), or else the Sheriff's wife is not his wife at all, but some sort of supernatural entity, connected with the Wild Hunt, taking advantage of a gap left in reality by filling it. Or else she isn't "real" and her presence is only some sort of extreme version of the phantom limb syndrome... the Sheriff knew SOMEONE was always bringing him disappointingly healthy meals at his office, and his brain and heart worked so hard to find a logical solution that reality kind of... adjusted... around that. Since reality is adjusting all over the place to reassert itself around the holes left by missing people, this is not impossible.

Whatever it is, they better explain it soon, because it is really throwing a wrench into their premise!

[Lady Calypso]

Yeah, it's really dumb. If this is actually Stiles' mom, then the issue is that there's two different ideas at work here. Either everyone is just forgetting that Stiles doesn't exist because he's just being erased, or his lack of existence changes the timeline. It can't go both ways, as much as Davis probably wanted a twist with Stiles' mom being alive. So when Stiles' mom died, the Sheriff should have his wife dead but if it's because of Stiles for whatever reason, the events should stay the same but the reason is just missing for him. 

42 minutes ago, Slovenly Muse said:

or else the Sheriff's wife is not his wife at all, but some sort of supernatural entity, connected with the Wild Hunt, taking advantage of a gap left in reality by filling it

This would need to be explained further, but I'd prefer if this was the reason. It would make sense, at the very least. Because if we eliminate Stiles' mom/Sheriff's wife from the equation, everything else fits.

Here's an interview with Jeff Davis that confirms who this woman is and maybe a hint of what her presence will do to the season. 

[justcris]

I loved this episode, this season is off to a great start and I'm very very happy about it!

It was so cool seeing everyone having a gap in their memories, or a feeling that something was missing. Stiles is missed, if not remembered! I reserve judgement on Stiles' mum being around, I'm fairly confident we'll get an explanation for it that won't come in conflict with the way the memory wipe works. Now, whether it'll be a good explanation, that's uncertain!

I liked that the focus on the new kids went to Mason and Corey in this episode, rather than Liam and Hayden. Also nice to see Coach!

Is Theo still around? 

[ahisma]

This season is starting out strong! Loved seeing Parrish and Coach. And I loved the Scooby gang realizing they are missing someone. The junior Scoobies did a good job investigating the library Riders mystery, too, though I didn't realize Liam had such a hate-on for Corey. I hope that goes away soon. 

Wow. Mrs. Martin really likes to bury her head in the sand, doesn't she? I mean, yeah, this is all scary as hell, but I'd rather not get caught off guard by the next bad by pretending nothing's happening. 

New teacher—evil, or not evil? He looked suspicious confronting Scott at the locker, but the bio teacher seemed suspicious all last season and nothing came of that.

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Or else she isn't "real" and her presence is only some sort of extreme version of the phantom limb syndrome... the Sheriff knew SOMEONE was always bringing him disappointingly healthy meals at his office, and his brain and heart worked so hard to find a logical solution that reality kind of... adjusted... around that.

Man, this would be amazing. People do fill the holes. Malia was big spooning someone. Scott was filling in Liam during lacrosse practice. Stiles was such a support to his dad, though, that life would feel too different without him/someone. I was a little verklempt that someone was still caring about keeping the Sheriff healthy.

With Lydia's handwriting exercise, I wondered if Stiles' first name is Mischief in Polish, but that apparently doesn't start with M, so we are still in the dark on that. 

Looking forward to seeing Melissa and to Chris Argent coming back.

[Tony]

The opening scene with the riders in the school is one of the creepiest I've seen on this show. This season is off to a great start so far.

[AudienceofOne]

Another good episode, although I don't like the dark lighting. There was something appropriate about the super saturation of the show. It gave it its sense of hyperreality. Weirdly, the darker lighting did not make this seem more dramatic or realistic, it made it seem less so. 

I love that Liam called Cory out on spending last season's finale invisible. Him popping out at the last minute was the funniest moment of that episode. Like, way to help out Cory.

11 hours ago, Slovenly Muse said:

Or else she isn't "real" and her presence is only some sort of extreme version of the phantom limb syndrome... the Sheriff knew SOMEONE was always bringing him disappointingly healthy meals at his office, and his brain and heart worked so hard to find a logical solution that reality kind of... adjusted... around that. Since reality is adjusting all over the place to reassert itself around the holes left by missing people, this is not impossible.

 

I LOVE IT but we all know that won't be it. She'll be evil or she and the Sheriff will just believe they got married in a world without Stiles. 

I did love Parrish's "I"m a Harbinger of Death, not a Harbinger of Kidnapping". In fact, I enjoyed most of this episode apart from some really bad acting on behalf of the Next Generation. Seriously, they make Tyler Posey look good.

[jhlipton]

My only question is "Why does quinoa get such a bad rap?"  Kale, I can see. but quinoa is a very tasty grain!  I think maybe because it's paired with kale so often.

[Bruinsfan]

For me, it's because it's so damn expensive. I love the flavor, but buying a box of the stuff to cook is about 3x as expensive as just getting fresh steamed rice from a Chinese takeout place.