If there's anything that I've been struggling with lately when it comes to Teen Wolf, it's figuring out what this show manages to get away with, and what it doesn't, on its way to being a really entertaining show. And despite my nitpicking, it pretty much has been—"Abomination" is certainly a step up from the unlikable "Ice Pick"—and with a good lot of it being humor-oriented, this episode's also an exercise in suspending disbelief, actually feeling what's happening aside from resting in the incredulity of it all.
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The number one thing that hurts this show in general is the creatures, and I think every viewer accepts that as something you just have to get over. And it's weird, because the yellow eyes trick really works—Boyd in transition mode on the field tonight is seriously intimidating—but once they go full wolf, it's completely laughable. I imagine that it has to be hard to figure out what exactly makes a creature scary, but when wolves look like dogs and shape shifters look like giant human-faced lizards, despite the fact that there are some really well-executed fight scenes, it's all a little silly. And it's all made exponentially sillier when the shape shifting lizard is literally classified as a creature that has no other purpose but to kill. Okay, so it unites hunters and wolves temporarily under one cause, but it's also far and away the laziest thing the show has done yet.
But I've got a knack for getting my gripes out first, ando there are a lot of things to love about "Abomination," the most of which is Gramps Argent becoming the villain I never even knew he could. I'm not familiar with Michael Hogan's work, so many of you read my skepticism on his arrival to the show, and forgive me, but I never found school principles to be all that threatening. That all completely changed tonight, however, when he literally stabs Scott in the stomach after seemingly taking a liking to the guy for the entire hour. That's the real charm in Michael Hogan's talent and the threat in Gerard Argent: he's a heartless, more cutthroat threat than Chris could ever be (even though he gets a good go at Scott's neck tonight as well), and as he puts it himself, killers come in all ages, sizes, and shapes. I shall never count out Michael Hogan as a dangerous oldtimer again.
"Abomination" also succeeds at something it really only had one chance to do right: putting Stiles in danger. Everyone loves the good guy, so it hits the right emotional pocket when he's suddenly completely engulfed in the life and death matters of wolves and lizards, and this was an episode that sent him through hell and back. There's been a lot of talk this season about Stiles' completely human role in all of this and how he might retract from the rest of the gang, and if that's the case, it's building up nicely: here's a kid with no obligation (other than loyalty) to be here, literally running and jumping to save the lives of others, some of which (Derek) don't care at all whether he lives or dies. It's gotta take a toll on him, and I'm excited to see where the writers take him as the season goes on.
Season 2 isn't a bad season yet, but now that we've moved so quickly from the show's most enticing revelation of Scott to Allison and already onto giant mindless killing lizards, it's gotta make you wonder how much more random things can get before it's all too much. It's not there yet—that'll come with the the big reveal of who this creature is—but if it turns out to be a letdown… well, I don't know how I'll feel when that day comes.
SumOlogy: Overall, best episode of the season so far, but we're still wobbling.
Grade: B-
Leftovers
I know that this episode was all about Gerard's badassery, but can I just take a moment to say HOW FREAKING AWESOME WAS J.R. BOURNE THIS WEEK? HOLY CRAP!
Jackson is everyone's type, apparently. And I don't know why he needed Gay Danny of all people to watch that tape, but I guess Gay Danny needed to be in the episode somehow?
Was anyone shirtless this week? I figure with all of the pool shenanigans someone would be naked but no, I guess not.
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