Teen Wolf - Triggers - Review: "Risk Versus Reward" + POLL

The big question we’re left with at the end of “Triggers” is whose blood is that? The most likely victims are Melissa, Argent, and Rafael McCall. I’m not sure whose death would have the biggest impact, but any of the adults dying would be a major loss for Scott and the gang. Granted, Papa McCall’s death would only really affect Scott and Melissa, but it could be the fire needed for our favorite heroes to end this fight once and for all. I kind of do hope it is Rafael because I would really like to see Melissa and Argent get out of this alive and get some sort of happy ending. Argent has been through so much, and for him to die as collateral damage would just be heartbreaking. And then there’s Melissa, who has been kind of the greatest mom since finding out about the supernatural world and her son’s involvement. Whoever does end up dying will definitely be a loss, but it may be the push our gang needs to finally finish this.

So this episode had a two-pronged strategy. Liam and Theo were going to lure the Hunters out of the armory while Scott, Malia, Lydia, and Argent stormed the castle broke in and destroyed the weapons. What could possibly go wrong? Besides this being Liam’s plan and all, the armory was completely empty once Scott and Malia got inside. So instead of turning around and getting out alive while they still could, Scott and Malia end up tripping a failsafe by forcing open a locked door which they believe Jiang and Tierney, the last two remaining werewolves of Satomi’s pack who were killed last episode, are behind. So what lies behind the mysterious door? Well, it’s a map of Nemeton locations along with werewolf “trophies.” Nothing worth getting yourself killed over, and to make matters worse, the failsafe also includes a motion sensor which will suppress all the oxygen in the room if tripped. This does lead to some very humorous moments of Malia lying on top of Scott, trying not to trip the sensors. Of course, the sensors do end up getting tripped after Malia tries some sort of gymnastics-esque moves to free herself and Scott, but luckily Lydia’s banshee powers once again save the day.

Then what was the point of this trip if Gerard’s stockpiled weapons had already been legally distributed to the residents of Beacon Hills, you ask? Well, it was most likely an opportunity for Scott and Malia to finally address their romantic feelings for one another. After another near death experience, Malia realized there are so many things she hasn’t done in her 18 years of life, half of which were spent as a coyote, and so many things she still wants to do. And then we get the moment that the show has spent five episodes building to: a Scalia kiss that hits all the right notes. It starts out slow with Malia pulling hesitantly back, and then Scott smiling and pulling her closer. Cue all the shipper feels. With only four episodes left, this was the perfect moment for Teen Wolf to have Scalia address their burgeoning relationship. If it had happened sooner, fans would have complained about it being rushed, and if it had happened later, then there wouldn’t have really been a chance for us to see this relationship explored a little more. We would have known Scalia was endgame, but we wouldn’t have really had the chance to see the relationship in action. Regardless of your feelings about this pairing, this was the perfect time for them to start something.

So while Scott and Malia spent most of the episode in a one slightly uncomfortable position after another, Lydia and Argent were essentially backup. While both characters did have some great moments, I would have liked to see them do more than just narrate some of the heavier exposition. I love that Lydia has finally embraced her banshee powers, but I miss seeing her at the forefront. She still gets some great one-liners here and there, but the best snarky quips have been coming from Malia this half season. A lot of this could be due to the absence of Stiles. I miss Dylan O’Brien’s character so much, but I didn’t really notice that he was essentially the glue of the show until he was gone. He was the one who kept everyone together, and without him, it feels like Lydia has been relegated to the background since she’s not as strongly connected to any of other characters without Stiles. I really hope Stiles, and by extension Lydia, are more heavily featured in the final episodes. Fans of the show since day one, myself included, have been rooting for Stydia since the beginning. I would really love to see their relationship in action before the series takes its final bow. We know Jackson and Ethan set to return next episode, I hope this means that Stiles isn’t far behind.

And then we have Liam who continues to annoy me to no end. You realize just how problematic this is when Theo is the one the voice of common sense. In theory, Liam’s plan was well thought out, and it even earned a thumbs up from Theo after learning about the historical basis. However, things started to go south when only two Hunters and Nolan showed up at the Valley Hill Zoo, and they got worse when Liam continued to be unable to control his anger. In fact, Theo had to knock Liam out to keep Liam from killing Nolan. So why has Liam been unable to keep his anger in check? Well, Theo posits that Liam’s anger is a reaction to the Anuk-ite’s fear. Ten points to whatever Theo’s Hogwarts’ house would be (my guess is Slytherin). I feel like this should have been rather obvious to everyone, but Theo is the one who finally spells it out for our young beta. Everyone reacts to fear in a different way. The students at Beacon Hills have taken to “testing” their classmates to see how quickly they heal, the residents have loaded up on weapons, and Liam has been having a difficult time controlling his anger. There’s no one right way to deal with fear, and kudos to Teen Wolf for showing that. As a side note, I had previously mentioned how I didn’t have much sympathy for Theo, but I’ve been enjoying his presence more than I thought I would. Even though he’s a complete douche, he’s such a fun and snarky character when he’s not trying to kill our favorite heroes. I actually prefer his presence over Liam’s at the moment, as Liam has been nothing but a whiny and entitled brat this half season.

So what were our least favorite Hunters up to this episode? Well, Nolan has started having doubts about him being on the right side of this. Having your guidance counselor instruct you to kill one of your classmates can have that effect. Like, the school seriously needs to fire Monroe because handing out weapons to students and having them commit murder isn’t exactly the extracurricular activities colleges are looking for. I have a feeling Nolan will end up dying before the series ends, but not before he switches sides and tries to do the right thing. He will most likely die a gruesome death but will be remembered as a hero, which is more than can be said for Monroe who is probably going to die as well. However, I doubt anyone would be sad to see her go because she has been a thorn in our heroes’ sides since arriving in Beacon Hills. While she did show a little apprehension toward Nolan dying after Gerard gave him instructions to kill Liam, it wasn’t enough for her to change her tune. I really didn’t care about her sob story of watching all her friends be killed by the Beast and hope her time on the show comes to an end soon. The Hunter we would all like to see gone will probably end up recurring until the series finale, and I’ll admit I’ve grown tired by Gerard. At the beginning, he was a refreshing villain and gave this new crop of Hunters some much needed guidance, but he’s now overstayed his welcome. Yes, I get that he wants to destroy every supernatural creature, but do we really need him at this point? Aren’t the other Hunters capable of carrying out his ludicrous plan without him? Based on the sneak peek for next week’s episode, we know there are Hunters in England, so I’m guessing this is a worldwide operation. I’d say a change in leadership is going to be better soon rather than later, as I doubt Gerard cares who survives as long as his plan is fully realized.

So hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts on the episode? Who do you think is going to die? What were your feelings on the Scalia kiss? Have the Hunters overstayed their welcome? Which character are you most looking forward to seeing again?