It’s time to see what happened in this series through
Matt’s eyes, in particular how he found out about Jackson being the weregecko
and how he became its master
First of all, when Jackson borrowed the camera from him
so he could film himself shift, Matt was in his car streaming the video (I do
rather wonder WHY Matt was doing this) Jackson recorded. It was then he saw
Jackson shift and had his first little binding moment through the car window,
followed by the killing of Isaac Leahy’s father.
Stiles and Scott have the fun job of trying to convince
Stiles’s dad that Matt is the actual killer, which he doesn’t buy it. Scott just assures him that he has to trust
them (yeah, that works real well in criminal cases). The sheriff would really
like to know if they have a motive for Matt to kill the swim team and its
coach. Which they don’t have. They beg to see the evidence – but that’s in the
police station where he doesn’t actually work any more. Stiles asks to be
trusted – his father refuses, but he’s willing to trust Scott. Ouch, poor
Stiles.
They check CCTV footage from the hospital where the pregnant
woman was killed since it was the only time he killed someone himself, and they
see Matt, albeit from the back which isn’t useful – but they do catch him
talking to Scott’s mother – who does recognise him as Matt because she stopped
him for tracking mud through the hospital. Which strikes another insight
because they found muddy footprints at one of the scenes that they can try and
match. And they had a receipt signed by Matt for an oil change at the garage
where the mechanic was killed.
Apparently this constitutes enough evidence for a warrant.
They call in Scott’s mother to get an official ID from her and Stiles runs to
the front desk to tell the woman there to let her in. Except she’s dead – and
Matt is there with a gun. Well you have some better evidence at least, guys!
He has the sheriff handcuffed to a pole and takes Scott
and stiles on a police station tour of all the many many police officers he’s
killed. Apparently the fun thing with being a weregecko master is that you just
think about someone being killed and the gecko does it.
Meanwhile, last week we saw Derek being used by Lydia to
raise Peter Hale, the last Alpha. This week he’s awakened from his gratuitous
shirtlessness by Dr. Deaton using a dog whistle (hah) and letting him know that
he fails as an Alpha – though he still is one. He finally tells us why he’s
helping Derek so much, kind of anyway. Apparently advising the Hale family used
to be an important part of his life, he promised Derek’s mother he’d look after
him and he used to adviser Derek’s sister. And he has some advice for him –
that he needs to not trust Hale even if he does offer him a deal to try and
take down Gerard (hey, if it will kill an Argent, I’m all for team Hale!) and that
he should be trusting Scott in helping him take down Gerard’s (that’s
granddaddy Argent) master plan.
At gun point, Scott and Stiles delete all of the evidence
against him and shred the files. A car arrives and they think it’s Scott’s
mother – lots of tension at bringing her into the danger zone, but they open
the door and – RELIEF! – it’s Derek! Who collapses on the floor having been
paralysed by Jackson who is in half-weregecko form behind him. So much for the
rescue.
Matt knows all about the werewolves and hunters and all
the other weird stuff in town – Stiles brings out the sarcasm, of course (as he
does so perfectly) and gets kanima paralysed as well, falling on top of Derek
(oh c’mon, don’t even try to tell me that wasn’t intentional on the part of the
writers! You could try for less fanservice bromance and actually give Danny
some real scenes, y’know). Derek,
paralysed on the floor, threatens to black knight Matt and bite him. C’mon
someone had to make a Monty Python reference there.
Then another car arrives – this is really Scott’s mother.
Matt holds them both at gun point, agrees with Scott that he promised not to
hurt Scott’s mother – and shoots Scott. He holds her back at gun point and demands
Scott gets up (if they’re not silver bullets, he should be healing). He puts
her in a cell, ignoring her pleas to let her see Scott’s wound.
Back to the room where Derek and Stiles are on the floor,
under guard by Jackson. And we find the
real reason he’s there – he doesn’t want the evidence, he wants the book, the
bestiary. Because he’s turning scaly.
At the Argents (argh), Allison is grieving over her mother and Gerard is
there to manipulate her and give her evil mummy’s real note to explain what
happened to her. He makes a bid speech of trying to gear Allison up for revenge
before she even reads the note (how do you get vengeance on a suicide?) oh yes,
of course it’s a revenge against Derek’s pack for having the gall to try and
defend themselves against constant Argent attacks.
Whatever was in the note and her grandfather’s words seem to have got through to her. In anger and grief, she destroys everything in her room that is frivolous or beautiful or decorative – everything she may have had as a normal teenaged girl – and pulls out her crossbow.
And Allison receives a text message from Scott’s phone
asking for the bestiary – which she shows to her father and Gerard. Looks like
Allison is going full out Team Evil Argent. They need a plan to go to the
sherrif’s station and Grandddaddy says Allison should decide since the
authority falls to her now (Oh, please. They’re STILL trying to pretend they’re
a matriarchy? Really?) . And yes, Allison wants Derek dead for “forcing her
mother to kill herself.” And if his pack tries to protect him she wants them
dead as well – including Scott. Yes, Allison can die now as well.
Meanwhile at the station, Derek thinks the book won’t
help matt because he’s broken the rules, the rules of balance. If you are the
mater of the kanima, you can’t kill people or you become the kanima – you have
to let the kanima do your killing. But the best plan Derek has is to cut his
leg and hope it prompts more of the healing process
And Matt is rubbing into Scott’s face that he’s healing a bullet wound and he’s going to have to explain that. And we finally get Matt’s backstory – Leahy let the swim team come over to drink to celebrate a win (the horror of underage drinking) when he was visiting Isaac. They got drunk, threw each other in the pool – and threw in Matt who couldn’t swim, with them all laughing while he drowns. Leahy dragged him out of the pool, blames it all on Matt for not knowing how to swim and orders him to be silent. He didn’t tell anyone, but he continued to have flash backs of drowning that stayed with him
He continues his evil rant, of seeing Leahy and feeling utter
rage and wanting him dead – and the next day he was (the Kanima kills according
to the master’s wishes). We have a nice Greek mythology link and Matt calls
Jackson his fury in his dramatic evil exposition. He went around all the people
who hurt him, taking their picture and then having Jackson take their lives.
That’s when the Argents attack with automatic weapons and
gas grenades. In the distraction Scott runs, grabs Stiles and they run from
Jackson who follows using the serial killer walk. He gets Stiles to safety,
Jackson does a full shift, Derek goes all Alpha… and Scott runs into Allison.
Allison demands to know where Derek is – he doesn’t tell her and she tells him
to stay away from her.
The Argents go stalking along and the Kanima jumps on
Daddy Argent, but, alas, doesn’t kill him as Allison shoots the weregecko in
the head with her crossbow. The weregecko then pulls it out – and Allison runs,
dropping her weapon (why is she even using a crossbow and not a gun?) to hide behind a desk holding a knife while
the weregecko stalks around the room. It would probably be tense, but since Allison
joined Team Argent I’m sat here hoping he finds her. She dramatically charges
the Kanima, stabbing him twice – and he responds by giving her a paralysing
slash on the neck (a little deeper lizard, you missed the carotid). Matt
arrives to talk to her when she’s paralysed to ratchet the creepy stalker and
creepy serial killer up to 10,000 and pull the “If I can’t have you no-one can!”
line. But he’s distracted and wanders off – just as daddy Argent arrives to
rescue Allison (damn, no dead Argents today).
Sherriff Stilinsky has been taking the opportunity to
wrench his chain off the wall – and finally succeeds, just as Mat comes up from
behind him and bashes him across the head. Matt takes the chance to mock Scott’s
mother for being clueless – and Derek enters the room all wolfy – as does the
weregecko all geckoy. Time for a supernatural fight scene. In front of Scott’s mother.
The weregecko knocks Derek aside and starts menacing Scott’s mother (damn it, I’m
going to have to look up her name – it’d help if someone would use it
occasionally – ah Melissa McCall. Wait, the actress is named Melissa as well?
That’s just lazy!) until Scott rushes in from the back, also wolfy, to stab the
weregecko. And, of course, Melissa see’s Scott’s wolfy face and we have a very
dramatic moment of her shock and… perceived rejection.
Scott leaves – and runs into granddaddy Argent asking what’s happening – he did everything Gerard wanted – why are they attacking. Gerard urges him to leave with his mother and friends and leave the Weregecko and Matt to the Argents. Yeah because that’ll work. But Derek also hears that Scott has been feeding information to Gerard.
Matt runs – and he runs into Gerard this time – who drags him to the river, to drown him. He’s watched by Peter hale – and the weregecko. He takes off his glove and extends his hand to the Kanima, becoming its new master (I KNEW IT!) much to Peter Hale’s fury
Kudos to the actor who plays Matt – he pulls off scary
killer really really really well. He even made evil exposition work!
It’s nice to see Allison being more active – but it’s
also Spunky Agency. Because she’s finally become pro-active and powerful by
doing the utterly wrong thing for the wrong people. And look at Granddaddy
supporting her “matriarchal” authority – yeah, but only when she does things he
wants her to after manipulating her. It’s one of the most undermined portrayals
of “strength” I’ve seen. And I watch Vampire Diaries, so that’s saying
something.
But that? That was one hella dramatic episode. I am
impressed Teen Wolf, damn impressed! And that was some damn fine acting all round - I'm impressed again. And the story is becoming complicated and exciting, I'm impressed again. I never expected this show to be this well done, I'll be honest. I thought we were due another teen, highschool drama - this is a whole new level.
