Teen Wolf, S4 Ep3 – Muted

“Muted” had its own unique vibe going, didn’t it?  The episode ran smoothly.  The action sequences were amazing.  Intensity and suspense were both present, but they were balanced with a lightness of mood we don’t often get from Teen Wolf.  For the first time in a long time, Scott McCall was more teen than wolf.  Of course, the end of the episode brings all of that to a grinding halt, but “Muted” did a wonderful job of conveying one extremely important fact:  they’re teenagers.  Even though circumstances have taken much of their innocence,  the gang is comprised of young people who should normally be dealing with young problems.  However, they’ve been forced to carry a lot of weight on their shoulders.  This was a much needed break.  I mean, Lydia didn’t really get a break from the whole banshee role, but she’s a champ, so she’ll get through it.  When you think about everything that happened, Teen Wolf actually provided us with two stories and brought them together by the end for a grand convergence.

Let the game begin!  Lacrosse is back in session.  I missed the field without even realizing it, and I think the boys did too.  Scott and Stiles have been super busy saving the world, so it’s no surprise they’re a bit rusty when it comes to their skills.  In a painful montage of missed shots and grimacing faces, Scott realizes he won’t stand a chance against the new freshman, Liam, if he doesn’t access his werewolf powers.  He does, and Liam gets hurt.  It’s not by any fault of his powers, but Scott is still hard on himself.  Two happenings make the whole situation better.  First of all, Stiles lays down some words of wisdom for his best bud.  They’re sincere and sweet, and Scott is reminded of the fact that he has a life besides his wolf life.  He is allowed to want things for himself.  The little exchange the two of them share is perfect and so well written.  Stiles’ advice is only two sentences long, but it’s going to stick with me as one of the most honest moments on Teen Wolf.  Scott needs Stiles.  He keeps him grounded and continually opens his eyes to things he was previously blind to.  Love, for example (not meaning Sciles).

This brings me to my second point!  Ah, the Kira-Scott kiss!  Not the grandman peck he did in the hallway.  Definitely the other one.  It was cheesy and a totally predictable way of making it happen, but I freakin’ loved it anyway.  And while we’re on the subject of kissing, Malia and Stiles… you know how I feel about them.  If you think their little romantic scene was anything other than lovely, we might have to step outside.  They’re not like each other at all, and yet, completely the same.  Stiles needs someone who understands and isn’t too complicated.  They function on a level many people don’t get, and seeing Stiles in this relationship brings out a whole new side of this character.  I’m going to step out of my critic role for just one second to say this… if Dylan O’Brien ever looked at me like that, I would die.  You KNOW the look I’m talking about.  If you missed it, go watch the scene again.  You’ll thank me later.

Now that we’ve covered everything I understood completely, let’s venture into some of the grayer areas.  There is a man with no mouth hunting Wendigos.  The mouthless man is an enigma.  Where did he come from?  Why does he not have a mouth?  Is that black sludge his food?  No idea.  I know he likes carving strange markings into his victims.  That’s pretty much it.  Also, a Wendigo?  Where have they been this whole time?!  Perhaps Sean already was one when he went to the hospital, or he could have been transforming for the first time.  In any case, let’s hope they have more of them in store for us because they’re exceedingly disgusting and kind of awesome.  They also need to give a reason for all of the bodies behind the secret door in Sean’s house.  There are a few theories bouncing around in my brain.  Did the mouthless man kill the rest of Sean’s family because they were Wendigos as well?  My thought is that the people in the body bags were either victims of Wendigo feedings or bodies they hadn’t eaten yet, but that’s still an awfully high body count for just one monster.  The Wendigo affliction may be a genetic curse in this case, or maybe they were simply a family of cannibals.  I find it difficult to believe they were just chilling nearby without being noticed up until this point.  It’s hard to make a call because I don’t know how closely the show is going to stick to the Wendigo legend.  The beastie list for Beacon Hills will probably need a second page soon.  Jeff Davis has more than enough paper, I’m sure.

Here it is, guys and gals.  This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for.  HAS SCOTT TURNED HIS FIRST PERSON?  If Liam survives the bite, yes!  If not… it’s going to be exceedingly awkward for everyone involved.  Scott will probably send himself to jail.  Either way, he bit with noble intentions!  Pretty sure the bite will work, though.  The writers wouldn’t do that to Scott for his first time.  And if Liam does die, then we’ve got some sick people working on this show.  He’s just a puppy.  Let the boy live.  I only have one criticism for how it all went down:  they should have waited.  The way it happened was fantastic, but a longer build-up would have been good for the audience.  His conversation with Araya was only two episodes ago, and Scott gives his first bite almost immediately after that.  For dramatic effect, maybe a couple more episodes should have been on the books before the bite.  I would have loved a discussion between Scott and Stiles about the morality of turning someone into a werewolf.  Stiles usually provides Scott with valuable insight.  It would have made for a powerful scene between the two actors.

“Muted” is a great chapter overall.  It leaves lots of questions to be answered, but also informs us of where the characters are emotionally at this point in their individual stories (with the exception of Lydia, but that girl is far from being an open book).  Tune in next week for the first appearance of a new werewolf… or a dead boy.  Wow, that is depressing.  COME ON, NEW WEREWOLF!