In Beacon Hills, there’s no such thing as the best of times. It’s just one constant barrage of the worst of times. Therefore, it should surprise no one that everything goes to hell in a handbasket in the course of one night. While there are some storytelling issues, this is the best episode of 6B so far and the overarching plot is firmly established. Essentially the episode plays out as 3 arcs, with the main one being the battle for Brett, who is on the run from Gerard and Shady Guidance Counselor #2. Brought in to save him are Lori (his sister), Liam, Scott, and Malia. Sadly for Brett, it ends up being a contest to see who can out-idiot the others with Gerard, Malia, and Brett himself being the only people in the whole showdown with any sense. Meanwhile, No Nonsense Lydia takes charge at the high school, but her efforts to ditch Mason and Useless Corey put them right into the path of Crazy Eyes Nolan. Instead of taking SGC2 under his wing, Gerard really should have made Creepy Corpse Kid (formerly Spider Food) his protege. With their mastery of timing and logic, they could take out all of the supernaturals in North America, much less Beacon Hills.
However, the winning arc of the night for me is the hospital, which does something that Teen Wolf rarely succeeds at - it scared the stuffing out of me. It’s hands-down one of the creepiest scenes in Teen Wolf history. Triple kudos go to Melissa Ponzio, whose acting shines. Even bigger kudos go to Tyler Posey, making his directorial debut in this episode. Posey does an excellent job of conveying the mood by giving most scenes a slightly claustrophobic feel. He ramps up the tension with the background music, closeups, and lighting at key junctures in true horror movie style and it’s clear that the cast gave him their best. He even did a good job directing himself. I rarely pay attention to directing in the first watch, but I was impressed enough to look up the director this time, only to be shocked that a first-time actor-director had shot it.
Grade: B
Episode Tidbits:
Beacon Hill is never without a new corpse - sadly.
If I didn’t loathe Gerard with every fiber of my being, I would actually admire him here.
Laws of science have no meaning in Beacon Hills.
Liam’s new superpower is making every situation worse, especially at the end.
“Listen to Malia” ought to be the new pack mantra.
Lori, whom I dubbed New Dumb Blonde in her debut, is now Not-So-New Dumb Blonde.
Mason has PTSD.
Romance is in the air - with more than one couple.
Scott makes a great intuitive leap to come up with answers like the alpha he is.
Bingo square - someone explains the episode title
Highlights:
A new side of Argent is revealed
Brett’s reflexes are a thing of beauty
Corey actually makes me laugh
Creepy Corpse Kid is what Theo wished he was
“Does anyone speak Chinese?” “My phone does.”
“Don’t pass out. I don’t think you’re supposed to pass out. Plus I’m really confused about what we’re talking about…”
“It’s a dead body, right?” “Mostly.”
Ponzio’s acting
Posey’s directing
Stiles mention
“Why does our missing always involve blood?”
