3.11 Alpha Pact This week’s episode moves at a breakneck pace, which is fitting because it’s the second-to-last episode of the season (technically, the show is split into two twelve-episode half-seasons, but that’s just semantics). There’s a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time in which to do it, so Teen Wolf throws everything at the wall this week while keeping its characters separated. There’s not a whole lot of Alpha Pack, Jennifer Blake, or even Scott this week, but the show makes up for it by focusing on its more interesting characters (and also a lot of Derek and Cora, but that’s offset by the greatness that is Peter Hale). The family Argent, the adults who aren’t Coach, Stiles and Lydia, Stiles and a mysterious FBI agent who may be more connected to the gang than we expect, a minimum amount of the show’s villains… Teen Wolf really highlights its strengths this week, and the appearance of the Alpha pack later in the episode feels more important because we haven’t had too much of them this week. One of the show’s strengths is the creative mind of Jeff Davis. Early in the third season, I had reservations about the idea of an alpha pack of werewolves, but now as the show expands its mythology to include super-powered druids and apparently banshees, the idea that Davis and company may soon get new monsters to do battle with is kind of a thrilling one. The show is pushing hard that the nemeton is something capable of great power – it has already saved a dying Jennifer thanks to the death of Derek’s cellist teenage girlfriend – and surely feeding the tree the powers of a hunter and a true alpha werewolf will only make that beacon stronger. The show’s creative team usually does a great jog with its supernatural combat scenes, and the idea of having more of them streaming into Beacon Hills is a tantalizing one. Credit also goes to Tim Andrew, the show’s director tonight, for having enough skill with visual trickery to pull off an effective facsimile of a panic attack using his camera, and for the clever series of simultaneous intercutting scenes at the end of the episode when the kids are being lowered into the tubs of icy water. It’s another very good episode from Andrew, who is definitely one of the show’s unsung (or less-sung) heroes in the director chair. Of course, Teen Wolf does leave off on a cliffhanger this week, with next week’s episode serving as both a finish to this week’s story and leading us into the show’s return in January. Given its success thus far, I’m fairly sure it’s a balancing act the show is capable of making. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Darach hangs around even after next episode, if only because the show has a history of keeping its villains around in reduced roles or as reluctant assistants to Scott, Derek, and company. US Correspondent Ron Hogan is glad to see that Jeff Davis enjoys torturing his fans like no one else. It keeps things interesting. Find more by Ron daily at Shaktronics and PopFi. Please, if you can, support our charity horror stories ebook, Den Of Eek!, raising money for Geeks Vs Cancer. Details here.
