The Things I learned from Teen Wolf
Okay, I know, I know. Really?
I mean, REALLY?
But yes, I'm watching Teen Wolf. Much like any other supernatural-esque show out there, I make a point of watching it. I consider it market research. I even sat through The Gates last summer, and THAT got boring super fast. But I persevered.
Thankfully, it's nothing like the Teen Wolf from the 80s (some sort of supernatural absurdist comedy). The basic gist is that the main character, Scott (what a great name!) is a fumbling, awkward lacrosse player who dreams of a girlfriend and playing first line in lacrosse. And he has an equally fumbling, awkward sidekick who takes too much Adderall. When a girl turns up dead, Scott and Sidekick go investigate the woods. Scott gets bitten by a wolf, and wackiness ensues.
Is the show as good as Vampire Diaries? No. But is it better than Skins US? That's not difficult. The show looks like it's a network television show, which is a plus. The writing has it's moments – I laughed a few times between the first two episodes. There are moments of subtle humor that are awesome, and some of the actors are great. (Tyler Hoechlin as the intimidating werewolf guy, Colton Haynes as the lacross nemesis, and Crystal Reed as the love interest all stood out). And there's no shortage of eye candy. But for all the highs, there are just as many lows.
The football coach and the "conniving popular girl" are the worst kinds of cliches. And spending more than five minutes with Scott, the main character, makes you realize he's kind of a douche.
Friend: Scott, being a werewolf means you have anger issues. If you get all worked up by playing rugby or making out with a girl, you could lose control and kill someone.
Scott: Don't care. Want a girlfriend. Want to play lacrosse.
Friend: You could KILL PEOPLE. What part of this don't you understand?
Scott: …
Friend: Are you even listening to me? You can't go out with the girl – you'll probably kill her. And you'll definitely kill someone on the lacrosse field. Remember when you almost broke Rival Guy's arm yesterday?
Scott: Okay, I'm off to go play lacrosse and see my girlfriend. Don't wait up!
This is a heartwarming lesson. Never let something like a little werewolf bite lessen your ability to have a social life! Who cares if people die in your wake. They probably wouldn't have appreciated your awesome lacrosse skills anyway!
Scott spends so much time in denial over the course of the first two episodes, he should probably write a book himself, and get on the talk show circuit. Because the power of positive thinking allows him to just shrug off his sudden ability to hear conversations five hundred feet away, or how he managed to sleepwalk two miles away from home.
At this point, I'm just going to continue watching to see how disastrous things get from here.
