Teen Wolf, Season 2

[redbrunja]

To spare myself struggle with spoiler cuts, I am going to say right now that I mention things from this article, which has ten tidbits about the third season of the show.

Let me state for the record that I really, really enjoyed the second season of Teen Wolf. I basically watched six episodes Sunday, and at least half of my problems with the show stem from narrative choices of the last episode. Besides that, the streak of episode from the sixth to the second to last were aces, especially, the stuff with Lydia's birthday party, mama!Argent's suicide, the reveal of the kanima's first master, and Stiles' epic summery of the events to the guidance counselor.

Okay, taking this season by character:

Allison Argent

I was 100% on board with Allision’s turn to her hunter roots. (In fact, that was one of the draws of the second season) I think it was foreshadowed beautifully, with her consistent feelings of victimization and her self-loathing regarding her ability to protect herself and others, and the way she turned to violence. (Plus, her conversations with Kate and Gerard.) I was less thrilled that Gerard so blatantly manipulated her and honestly, I’m very sorry that Allison didn’t go darker. Like, she didn’t even kill ANYTHING. Apparently fandom flipped out about this? Because, seriously, I feel like without a death, a violence spiral isn’t complete. I had assumed that Allison was actually going to be the villain of the third season, and I’m really disappointed to be wrong. I am hoping that at the least she is going to be spending the time between season two and three doing hardcore training with her father and could she please start killing things already?

Derek Hale

This boy needs to be someone’s second in command, so bad. He would be SUCH a good second is command but he is SO BAD as the person in charge. That said, he’s better than Peter, and I cannot believe that Derek didn’t just snap Peter’s neck the instant he showed up. Derek, what are you thinking? (The one benefit of this storytline is that it’s clear that the writers KNOW that Derek is not being a good alpha.) I was assumed that Peter was going to be killed in the finale, but no?

Jackson

Ugh, Jackson. If the writers wanted me to buy the whole ‘power of love’ thing they were selling, maybe he shouldn’t have treated Lydia like shit (when he was, note, NOT being influenced as the kanima.) I hear that Jackson is not going to be in the third season, which WOULD make me happy, except that shows have a history of writing off a character I hate to bring on a character I hate more with more screentime. Also, I am super-sorry that they did not kill him off, because that would have been awesome, and SOMEBODY needed to die during that finale.

Lydia Martin

While season two was airing in real time, I remember reading people on my tumblr dashboard CLAWING THE WALLS with frustration over the characters choosing to keep Lydia in the dark.  And I am not going to say anything positive about that narrative choice, because it’s completely moronic. Being prepared for it, however, made me able to really enjoy (as in, it was visually and atmospherically well done) Lydia’s possession arc. I was really sorry that we didn’t get to see Lydia’s worst nightmare until I realized –oh, wait, she’s already living it. Also, I just want to point readers to this gif-set. Get better nightmares, Scott.

The comment from the exec producer (I believe?) makes me hopeful that they have a way to integrate Lydia into the main narrative in a non-romantic AND romantic way because Lydia needs to be integrated into the story as the queen she is, and she has plenty of skills to bring to the table, and I am so happy that she will have a non-Jackson love interest. I am down for Lydia banging a (presumably) hot alpha.

And speaking of Lydia's love interests.....

Okay, so, if I have one Teen Wolf ship, it would be Lydia/Stiles.

I was intrigued by them after this scene, especially when followed by Stiles begging for Lydia’s life later in the episode, and I was totally sold by this scene. Like, Stiles’ speech is 100% entirely selfish, but. I also want to mention my favorite part of that scene, which is when Lydia steps away from Stiles and Stiles IMMEDIATELY STEPS BACK AND APOLOGIZIES. Now, I don’t know if Stiles understands all the reasons why he should be apologizing (and boy, could I write a list) or if he’s solely reacting to Lydia’s discomfort but either way, I cannot help but contast Stiles’s actions with Jackson’s (backing her up against a locker and getting into her face) or Peter’s (LEAVING ASIDE EVERYTHING ELSE whose reaction to Lydia backing away from him was to pressure her to kiss him).

Disclaimer: I am not saying that Lydia should be with Stiles because he’s the least awful of the dudes who are interested in her. I am saying that how Stiles treats Lydia + Stiles’ entire existence + my desire to see Lydia with someone who treats her well + my love of Lydia Martin = the desire to smoosh their faces together.

Also, I really resent how, LITERALLY, 98% of the Lydia/Stiles tag on AO3 is Derek/Stiles.

Scott Mccall

Was the main character?

Stiles

Was, as always, awesome.

Supporting cast:

Papa!Stilinski and Mama!Mccall were aces. Isaac was the only baby!wolf would really worked for me. The other two were completely forgotten about (Boyd) and had nothing interesting to do (Erica). Like, I was spoiled for the “If you want to be Catwoman, I’ll be Batman” line which I originally loved, until I realized that Erica did NOTHING and was doing NOTHING worthy of being compared to Catwoman. Comparing two character to Catwoman and Batman is like comparing two characters to ROMEO AND JULIET, OKAY? It has to be earned.

Things I didn’t like about the finale:

Allison didn’t kill anyone! I have no clue what the logic of Derek and Peter stabbing Jackson and then Lydia power-of-loving him back to life was.  The warehouse scene was a total sausage fest!

Comments

[sharkflip.livejournal.com]

Watched the first eight episodes, realized I wanted to watch a different story than the series wants to tell. Scott and Allison bored me, Jackson intrigued me for one or two episodes but evidently the writers had planned a different path for him. I want to find Derek interesting, but the writers keep putting him into cliche "sensei" situations. Stiles is great as is Lydia, and if I ship anyone in the series it'd be those two. I cannot fathom why Stiles/Derek is a thing; they have no chemistry that I can see.

Overall, it's too much teens making teenage choices and not enough good storytelling to keep me interested, and it's gardening season anyway.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Valid points. I'm thrilled that with the change in my work hours and the days getting longer, I can go running in DAYLIGHT instead of in the dark.