Given last week’s poor offering, the lead in to the season four finale was at miniscule excitement levels. To cover up for an underdeveloped storyline, Teen Wolf sets the pace of action impossibly high to make for an enjoyable watch, culminating in a piece of character development that’s been a long time coming, and is the most satisfactory twist in the show for a long time.
Let’s talk about Derek Hale, a wonderful, complex character completely ill-treated by the writers, until now. Derek is a hero, born from a tragic past, with a goal only to help others. He took on power he did not ask for (becoming an Alpha) to stop his psychotic uncle’s reign of terror, and gave up that power in order to save his sister’s life. He has frequently risked his life to save the people he loves, and yet this show seems to believe that Derek is not worthy of being a hero. Meanwhile, Scott is frequently touted as the True Alpha, the greatest of all heroes, without being give enough on-screen evidence of this, while it is Derek we see doing heroic things and being ignored for it. This episode changes that.
Away from Derek, it’s safe to say that the Kate storyline is better handled than Peter’s. Kate’s return corresponded with Allison’s death, and her whole plot is nicely tied into Allison and the legacy of the Argents in a scene between Kate and Chris, in which the difference between the Argent mission and the one Allison created is clearly evident. Peter, meanwhile, has had two seasons since his return, with only about 10 minutes dedicated to his villainy and master plan. Peter is a far too important villain for this to have been rushed, but the two upsides are that: One) Peter isn’t dead and his storyline can continue, and Two) Peter and Scott’s showdown fight is incredibly well choreographed.
Still, Teen Wolf is in a strong position going into season five. It has at least three mysteries to explore: Peter’s cellmate and why he is such a threat, the Desert Wolf’s identity (tying in Malia’s storyline to Braeden’s, who has been hunting her), and the mystery of Parrish. Plus, Kate is still out there. With a longer season, there’s no excuse for all these stories to be fully realised.
Are you excited for the next season?
Let us know in the comments!