'Teen Wolf' Review “A Novel Approach”

Courtney Accocella ‘17/ Emertainment Monthly Assistant Web Editor
For “A Novel Approach” we are reminded just how fantastic the core five actors of Teen Wolf really are at their job. Episode five has been so highly talked about and it really did live up to the hype. It’s a kind of episode that tips the scale and is defiantly going to set up the problems that the pack will be having internally over the course of the season.
We pick up right were we left off with “Condition Terminal”. Stiles Stilinski (Dylan O’Brien) is being assaulted by fresh of the gurney chimera Donovan (Ashton Moio), featuring fun grow any where fang mouthes! Further explanation as to why Stiles broken Jeep has to be replaced is unnecessary after this. We can only be thankful that in addition to his main tool of duct tape he recently made the call to add a wrench. Using the thick head of his and the only real tool as a weapon Stiles is able to start a bolt into the for some reason still open high school. Pretend like it makes sense that the library has a tap ID system to get in but the rest of this building does not even have a basic alarm. Donovan is somehow calm enough as the multi mouthed nightmare that he is able to turn back to human and deliver a monologue center stage in Derek’s loft… or, the library.

He shares with an out of sight Stiles that his father had been Sheriff Stilinski’s (Linden Ashby) partner at one point. While the Sheriff called for backup, Donovan’s dad went in alone and was shot. The shot had paralyzed him from the waste down and he’s been wheelchair bound ever since. Frankly, none of that lines up with Donovan’s previous motives. Like taking the police test in hopes of working under Stilinski who he clearly blames for the accident. But, if your partner is calling for back up, don’t you not go in? Does that not break some protocol making it his own damn fault?
Anyway, in a traditional Teen Wolf fashion it’s time to really ‘break in’ this set following its identity crisis. Stiles is able to climb half way up scaffolding away from the crazed man only to have his foot caught in Donovan’s currently mouthless hand. Ever the gentlemen Donovan lets him know that he wont be killing Stiles just, you know, disabling him, such a thoughtful guy to leave the torso in tact. In a last ditch effort, Stiles pulls a pin above his head releasing a portion of the scaffolding and sending metal pieces tumbling down. Or shooting down rather, straight through Donovan’s chest.
And just like that lovable sarcastic Stiles has made his first kill. It only took 5 seasons, and still no supernatural powers that are permanent even. Following are a series of un-Stiles like actions where he proceeds to call the cops first, something he had previously told Lydia not to do and something he’d convinced own police officer father not to do, then he attempts to flee the scene, which he tapped his card on the only security device in this school so there’s a record, and then he tries to hide his one of a kind broken Jeep in plain sight and we are supposed to believe that a Beacon Hills officer wouldn’t recognize the sheriff’s son’s bright blue car parked here. During this time we are provided the only noise of Dylan O’Brien’s deep breathing like it’s his destiny for almost a full ten minutes. I would call it more annoying than suspenseful, but that’s just me.

The police don’t find Donovan’s skewered body. Stiles is obviously confused, but as you may remember from “Condition Terminal” viewers were clued into Jordan Parrish’s (Ryan Kelley) insomniac tomb raider ways and as he has been stealing the bodies to bring to the nemeton. This is further confirmed as Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) goes to check out the animal clinic following a text letting him know the alarm had been tripped there (try to ignore the fact the vets office has better security than a whole high school). He discovers that Tracy’s (Kelsey Asbille) corpse has also been taken and clues Stiles in on this. Stiles get’s shaken on the phone thinking Scott is talking about Donovan’s stolen corpse at first. And in a continuation of un-Stiles like actions he does not let his best friend know about his attack and the third chimera’s death.
Once the sun rises Malia Tate (Shelley Hennig) gets to work getting everyone to read the book she found ‘The Dread Doctors’. Though the were-coyote understood none of it (which is concerning at this point why isn’t she getting help from a teacher aid at this point?) she does have the best theory. Malia suggests that the book is not a fiction novel, but a retelling of past events. She thinks they are currently living volume two. As the pack begins flipping through both Theo Raekan (Cody Christian) and Lydia Martin (Holland Roden) find an important name. You probably wouldn’t remember him by name, but I don’t think you forgot the three eyed dude. That’s right the book is dedicated to Peter Hale’s (Ian Bohen) last known roommate Dr. Valack (Steven Brand).
Scott’s getting more worried about Kira Yukimura (Arden Cho) every second it seems. When he looks at her with his wolf vision Kira appears to have a fiery demon fox that makes creepy noises standing around her like a guard. In her sleep she’s been saying Japanese gibberish even though she knows no Japanese. He confides in Stiles the fact that she nearly killed Lucas (Eddie Ramos). Stiles has to go and change the meaning and makes it as though the conversation is about his situation with Donovan saying at some point self defense has to be acceptable. Scott feels that these chimeras aren’t the bad guys though, they are the people they are trying to help save. What Stiles forgot is that Donovan was literally a criminal not a high school student like the other two. He was a literal bad guy who had threatened his father and his life and tried to kill him. Circumstances are a bit different. Oh and you know Scott still has no idea even that Donovan had been a chimera at all.
Over protective Stydia was at an all time high this episode. From Lydia noticing Stiles shoulder pain, to her wanting him to not return to Eichen, to Stiles not letting her go alone, to the glare Stiles gave the orderly that made them take everything out of their pockets who was also ogling Lydia. The Stydia didn’t stop there either as Scott and Kira are unable to go to the wolfsbane protected supernatural lock up they decide to talk about the two humans of the pack. Scott reveals that Stiles is no longer obsessively in love with Lydia. Instead, his feeling for her evolved into something more adult, something executive producer Jeff Davis has spoken about needing to happen for the highly popularized ship.

Stiles and Lydia take human-ish duty and head in to speak with Valack  in a conversation so pointless that pulling my hair out almost sounds fun. Valack admits to writing the book under a pseudonym. When asked about the book he simply tells them that they must read the book and it will open their eyes. Does he mean they’ll also get a third eye? Also why wouldn’t they have read the book before talking to him that just seems counter intuitive?  Basically, Valack tells them that the Doctors had been to Beacon Hill before, so Malia was right, they came back because of the nemeton. They used to be scientists and they used electromagnetic something to make themselves live forever, have power, and make them easily forget-able. The book is intended to help people remember the things the Dread Doctors tried to make them forget of encounters with them. It’s clear that Lydia’s dream was an actual experience that will hopefully be recovered soon. All that information comes at a price and Valack wants a recording of Lydia screaming.
Meanwhile, completely unrelated to anything else Malia and Theo are studying together. Theo tries to insist on giving her a ride home, but somehow persuades her to take a night driving lesson with him. Theo’s not only tried to have Stiles killed off now he hits on the guys girlfriend even while she’s driving. It seems like Malia might finally have the hang of this until she has another car crash flashback. She recounts the events of her family accident and sees a woman standing in front of their car. Two guns in hand. She proceeds to fire rapidly at their car causing the car accident. What’s all that mean? Malia tells Theo that the Desert Wolf was the woman who had shot at the car. This mean’s Malia wasn’t responsible for the death of her family, but her birth mom was. A small positive, perhaps.
Back at Eichen, Kira’s powers are going haywire again. This time they have shutdown the supernatural lock-up’s defense grid. Valack explains they have basically unlocked the door for the doctors to waltz right on in. And that they do. This time nurse Creepy McCreep isn’t making anyone empty their pockets. Instead, the Doctors are behind Scott in a moment, though it feels like a decade with all the slow motion. Scott is forced to grab a passed out sparking Kira who basically is frying him the whole way out of the place. Oh and Scott has essentially left his other two friends for dead, but they have done fine together in the past so it should be all right. But don’t worry cause Scott isn’t, as he confirms with Kira that he does love her, which she still doesn’t respond to.
Stiles and Lydia run to hide as the Doctors head into Valack’s cell. They pull out another hellish looking device which pulls out his infamous third eye. As quickly as they came, they are gone yet again. Stiles is still on edge and despite the current situation being okay he has to vent to Lydia that it can’t be okay because all of this is the pack’s fault for messing with the nemeton. Lydia chooses to correct him saying it’s not their fault, but it is their responsibility. We end with yet another cliff hanger as Valack unrealistically uses a tiny recorder speaker and a paper cup to break the glass of his cell with Lydia’s scream. And done!
Next week, we can expect Liam to return to the craziness and it seems like some cinematic shots will be thrown into the mix according to the teaser, which may be Lydia remembering what the doctors did. What do you think the doctor’s did to Lydia?  And where do you think Liam was this episode?
Overall Episode Grade: A-