Hordes of Teen Wolf fans are rewatching the MTV classic thanks to its recent availability on Netflix, but not everything holds up over a decade later. Thanks to heartthrob protagonist Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), scene-stealer Stiles Stilinski (Dylan O’Brien), queen bee Lydia Martin (Holland Roden), and antihero Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin), Teen Wolf is fondly remembered as an iconic supernatural teen drama.
From Teen Wolf’s werewolf packs to its unforgettable antagonists, the fantasy drama expanded its convoluted lore until the last second, dragging viewers deeper into the history of Beacon Hills and its mysterious creatures. Though countless fans were devastated by Teen Wolf season 7’s cancellation, there are major issues in hindsight that prove ending early may have been for the better.
Teen Wolf Constantly Sexualized Teenagers
After Season 1, First Loves Went From Wholesome To Raunchy
Although Scott’s age in Teen Wolf has been a topic of debate, it’s an unavoidable fact that the majority of the ensemble cast are high schoolers ranging from 15 to 18. Teen Wolf season 1 took this to heart, imbuing Scott and Allison Argent’s (Crystal Reed) young love story with wholesome authenticity and chastity. That sense of innocence, however, was short-lived.
From season 2 onwards, Teen Wolf emphasized its younger characters’ sex lives, with Melissa McCall (Melissa Ponzio) even finding a near-empty box of condoms in her son’s room. Kiss scenes were heated more often than not, and more intimate scenes quickly became the norm. With how passionate the characters became seemingly overnight, it was almost enough to forget they were young adults.
Sudden Character Exits Disrupted The Plot
Teen Wolf Rarely Left The Door Open For Return Arcs
The first two seasons of Teen Wolf had a fairly stable cast, but starting in season 3, there were frequent departures that shook both the audience and Beacon Hills. Archetypal jock Jackson Whittemore (Colton Haynes) abruptly moved to London, but Allison’s exit from Teen Wolf felt more permanent, as Scott’s long-time love interest dies in season 3.
Regardless of whether characters were killed off like Allison and Erica Reyes (Gage Golightly) or simply shipped overseas like Jackson and Isaac Lahey (Daniel Sharman), Teen Wolf never mastered the art of writing characters off. Their exits always felt rushed, with their lingering subplots tapering off into nothingness. Fans, however, never forgot the untapped potential every character left with.
Main Characters Aside From Scott Were Under-Appreciated
Teen Wolf Gave Its Protagonist Too Much Credit
Stiles and Scott were one of the best friendships in Teen Wolf, but Stiles’ proximity to the True Alpha ironically hurt his character. Stiles, Lydia, and countless other characters were invaluable in defeating the main antagonists each season, but the true heroes of Teen Wolf rarely got the recognition they deserved. Instead, the drama propped up Scott at every opportunity.
The show’s dialogue would constantly underscore Scott’s importance, claiming he was the only person that the rest of the ensemble could trust. Yet, without the likes of Derek, Liam Dunbar (Dylan Sprayberry), and Malia Tate (Shelley Hennig), Scott wouldn’t have even survived all six seasons. The eponymous teen wolf was still a major player, but he was never alone in his fight.
Side Pairings Often Had Problematic Age Gaps
The High School Heroes Were Frequently Put In Inappropriate Situations
Teen Wolf looked past its main characters’ ages far too often, especially when it came time to create new romantic storylines. At times, the show covered its bases, like conveniently making Lydia 18 when she meets Jordan Parrish (Ryan Kelley), despite still being a high schooler. After his resurrection, Parrish was in his early 20s at least.
In other cases, Teen Wolf was unapologetic about its strange relationships. While building his new pack as Teen Wolf’s Alpha, Derek, a man in his 20s, kisses 16-year-old Erica to convince her to turn. The scene is a perfect example of how coercion does not equal consent, but the teenager/adult pairings were rarely— if ever— criticized within the show.
The Show Failed To Redeem Peter Hale
The Antagonist Never Had Lasting Consequences For His Crimes
The Hale family in Teen Wolf were an inescapable dynasty with a lengthy supernatural history. Most of them were born as werewolves or turned shortly thereafter, but an arson attack killed multiple powerful Hales, setting off Peter’s (Ian Bohen) quest for revenge. In his Alpha wolf form, Peter bites Scott, turning him into a beta as the series’ catalyst.
Peter Hale continuously murdered, manipulated, and misled characters into doing his dirty work for him. Yet, by the end of the series, Scott implies Peter has joined the McCall pack as an ally, abruptly foregoing his wicked ways. Since Peter’s villainy was never brought to a satisfying end, however, his sudden shift to righteousness felt contrived and unbelievable.
Teen Wolf Was Too Dark (Literally)
The Lighting Made Pivotal Moments Hard To See
Beyond all the death, destruction, body horror, and family trauma, the darkest part of the show was its lighting. Throughout the six original seasons of Teen Wolf, scenes were consistently shrouded in darkness, for better or worse. From an emotional conversation in a hallway to a climactic showdown in the woods, characters were often cast in shadows for major events.
There’s an argument to be made about the show’s darkness being symbolic, heightening up mystery and tension by way of concealment. Nevertheless, Teen Wolf is first and foremost a television show, and its lighting choices pose a problem when you can no longer see an actor’s face, rendering their performance moot.
Teen Wolf’s Werewolf Design Didn’t Age Well
The 2010s Effects Are Simply Dated
Despite being one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in Teen Wolf, the titular werewolves strike no fear into modern audiences. The series had limitations, both as an MTV teen drama and as a show created in 2011. Makeup, prosthetics, and technical effects quickly improved, with practical looks becoming indistinguishable from reality in horror films like Midsommar and The Substance.
That said, it wouldn’t be fair for Teen Wolf’s CGI creatures, obviously edited eyes, and tufts of fake fur to be held to the same standard as Wicked’s field of nine million tulips, as the MTV drama was created on a much smaller scale than blockbuster films. Still, Teen Wolf’s fearsome creatures have become borderline humorous to first-time viewers.
Lydia’s Powers Were Underdeveloped
She Could Have Had The Best Development Out Of Anyone
Teen Wolf season 1 ended on a cliffhanger that suggested Lydia would either die or turn into a werewolf. Throughout the show’s sophomore year, a third option emerged: Lydia became a banshee in Teen Wolf, a creature characterized by supernatural wails that announces a recent death. Additionally, Lydia can use her scream as a weapon, interpret premonitions, and use divination.
Peter’s bite unlocked her latent hereditary powers, but it took until season 3 for Lydia to even know what she was. While other supernatural creatures were explored in depth and gradually mastered their powers, Lydia’s fugue states and battle sequences were often spur-of-the-moment, allowing her to be exceptionally strong without proper development or resolution.
The Show Added Too Many Supernatural Creatures
The Show Broadened Its Scope Well Beyond Werewolves
Teen Wolf started as a simple show about werewolves, but Beacon Hills quickly expanded to include various creatures. Some worked well and fueled intriguing plots— like the Kitsune or the Ghost Riders— but Teen Wolf eventually felt less like a werewolf show and more like a general fantasy, a clear disconnect from its title.
There were eight types of shapeshifters in Teen Wolf alone, ranging from werewolf jaguars and coyotes to the reptilian Kanima. While it stands to reason that the existence of werewolves implies other monsters exist, Teen Wolf would have benefited from a clearer focus. Even just a smaller scope of creatures would have felt more intentional and, ergo, impactful.
Teen Wolf Typically Overlooked Its Characters’ Trauma
The Characters Were Constantly In Mortal Danger
As soapy as it may seem, there are truly devastating moments in Teen Wolf that would leave real teens with ample trauma. Whether it be coming back from the dead, getting possessed by an evil spirit, or having to kill someone you once saw as your friend, the main characters in Teen Wolf experience unimaginable tragedy every season.
Teen Wolf occasionally shows how it affects the young adults, like “Motel California” touching on Isaac’s PTSD, but the show never gave its characters healthy coping mechanisms. Rather than have the teens work through their trauma and heal, Teen Wolf keeps its pack in a perpetual state of denial, which could potentially overshadow everything that makes it good.
- Release Date
-
2011 – 2017-00-00
- Network
-
MTV
- Showrunner
-
Jeff Davis
-
-
Holland Roden
Lydia Martin
Source link
Add Comment