Teen Wolf Review: "Galvanize"

Alysha Boynton ‘17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Teen Wolf  fans rejoiced on Monday night when the credits rolled on the third episode of the winter season, content in the knowledge that their favorite show might not be a complete lost cause after all. The episode, entitled “Galvanize”, marks the first time in a long time that the MTV show hasn’t left viewers with the bitter taste of disappointment in their mouths.
The humor was spot-on, the plot was only a little convoluted, and it more than delivered on legitimate moments of shock and excitement. Unlike the previous two episodes of season 3B (and the majority of 3A), this episode harkened back to the many reasons fans fell in love with the diamond in the rough show three years ago; the strong friendships of the main characters, the genuine humor, and the fresh and interesting take on the supernatural. The break from the emotionally draining psychological nonsense didn’t hurt, either.

New character Kira Yukimura (Arden Cho) got a chance to shine last night, and her “awkward family dinner” scene with Scott (Tyler Posey) where she taught him to use chopsticks was a highlight in an already excellent episode, as well as her shocking scene in the final few moments of the episode. Other high points included the return of fan favorite Danny (Keahu Kahuanui), the shenanigans of “Mischief Night,” and a scene where Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) and Isaac (Daniel Sharman) assure Scott that he’s “the hottest girl” in school. Although Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) is still frustratingly not back in the fold of the core group, his scenes in this episode were fantastic, and the raw emotion on his face when he sees his mother during a dreamlike sequence will leave you close to tears (if you have a heart!).
Despite the overall success of the episode, some parts still fell flat, and reflected the general trend of the season towards easy plot devices and forced storylines and romances. The twins (Max Carver and Charlie Carver) continue to try to insert themselves into Scott’s pack, and it’s more than likely their past wrongdoings will be overlooked so they can continue being a part of the show (Isaac reflected the views of most fans when he stated “I hate them and I actually want them to die”). The addition of yet another villain was also a bit unnecessary and unwanted, but at least the extremely creepy William Barrow won’t be back for more episodes.

Finally, and possibly most importantly, was the scene between Stiles and his former crush, Lydia Martin (Holland Roden). The show has such a great opportunity in the pair of them for a friendship of epic proportions, and the scene in question showed just that. Stiles and Lydia teaming up to use their massive intellects to solve crimes would be a dream come true for most fans, but as the show displayed in this scene, they want us to be rooting for a romantic relationship between the two (the scene featured some really sappy piano music and meaningful hand touching while Lydia laid on Stiles’ bed).
Grade Episode Grade: A-
Quote Of The Night: Barrow, remarking that “Nobody cares about crappy remakes” (Because Teen Wolf is a remake…)