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Every week, Teen Wolf takes me on an emotional rollercoaster that I just can’t ever get off of. What did I think of this week’s Teen Wolf episode “The Overlooked”? Find out in my Teen Wolf recap for “The Overlooked”.
The episode picks up where “The Girl Who Knew Too Much” left off. Sheriff Stilinski is still missing, a storm is approaching Beacon Hills and all hell is on the verge of breaking loose. Jennifer, who was revealed to be the dreaded Darach in the previous episode, rushes to Derek’s hideout and tries control the message of her secret villainous identity. Luckily for those of us who hate Jennifer, Scott and Stiles already beat her to it. Jennifer continues to maintain her innocence as Scott and Stiles question her regarding the whereabouts of Stiles’ father. With Derek appearing to be doubtful, Scott whips out a magical jar of evil revealing powder (in reality it’s mistletoe), tossing the “poison and a cure” at Jennifer to reveal her true face.
I’m not sure why Derek needed “proof” so to speak that Jennifer was who they said she was. It’s not as if it would be such a stretch to believe that Derek’s lover is a murderous psycho (his second murderous psychotic girlfriend by the way).
As Derek prepares to squeeze the life from her traitorous body, she tells Derek that she can save Cora and tell Stiles where his father is. “That’s right. You need me. All of you,” she sneered. After entering the hospital, the gang (and Peter) are attacked by the Voltron Wolf Twins (Ethan & Aiden). In order to save Cora, the heroes (and Peter) must protect Jennifer from the Alpha Pack, all the while making sure they don’t die in the process. The rest of the episode set up three subplots – fight off the Alpha pack, protect Jennifer & Cora and escape the hospital.
Elsewhere, Isaac, Allison and Papa Argent (Chris) have ventured to the hospital to provide some backup to our heroes (and Peter). Isaac provides the comic relief throughout most of their scenes. Who knew Daniel Sharman could be so amusing. Oh yeah, I did!
Photo: MTV
Deucalion finds Melissa and use her to deliver a message over the loudspeaker — deliver Jennifer to them and everyone can go free. Scott starts to freak out but Jennifer reveals why Deucalion won’t harm his mother. Deucalion wants a special kind of Alpha in his group — a ‘True Alpha’. Scott still doesn’t get that what he wants is irrelevant.
As they’re looking for weapons, Stiles wonders if a defibrillator will work against the Wonder Twins. When Scott finds a gigantic needle with epinephrine inside…you know what’s next. Out walks Peter, needle in his chest in all, to fight Ethan & Charlie. Yep, still no good. The first escape attempt is thwarted thanks to Kali and her overly large wolf feet. Stiles hides in the ambulance with Cora as Kali traps Derek and Jennifer in an elevator.
Dylan O’Brien is used to give an episode some emotional depth and levity. After using mouth to mouth resuscitation to revive Cora, he jokes: “Next time I put my lips to your mouth you better be awake.” Later, while reflecting on the evolution of his and Scott’s relationship, he wonders if he’s only good for finding the bodies. “I don’t wanna find my father’s body,” he says while holding back tears. In the next breath he quips, “You’re lot easier to talk to when you’re completely unconscious.”
Peter and Scott finally make it to the ambulance but still they can’t escape. Derek and Jennifer are stilled trapped, Melissa is still unaccounted for and The Twins are roaming around. Scott’s attacked by them (as expected) but thanks to his mom and well-timed charge from the defibrillator, she blasts The Twins and saves her son!
Now comes the part of the episode that I refer to as “exposition expedition.” We’re taken on safari ride filled with multiple threads of history just waiting to be weaved together. Let’s see if I can explain this properly. Jennifer Blake is actually Julia Bacarrey, an emissary assigned to Kali. Kali was ordered to kill Julia but wouldn’t do so because she loved her. Julia was saved by a Nemeton that had just enough power to keep her alive until she was rescued. It was the sacrifice of a virgin that gave the tree its power – that virgin being Derek’s ex-girlfriend and first love Paige, whom he reluctantly killed to spare her pain after her body rejected the werewolf bite. It’s all connected!
Allison comes up with a brilliant idea to distract the Alphas, giving Melissa enough time to restore power to the hospital, thereby freeing Derek and Jennifer from the elevator. Her plan worked to perfection, except Allison didn’t anticipate that someone would double-cross them.
As the power is restored, Derek turns around to see Jennifer in Darach form and is attacked! Stiles inadvertently puts the together the final piece of the puzzle after spotting “Parent or Guardian” on a consent form as Scott comes to the elevator to find an unconscious Derek and an escaped Jennifer! That led to a wonderfully directed and edited sequence that showed Stiles chasing after Scott while Scott races to the roof of the hospital, all the while Isaac and Peter must decide whether to take off w/ Cora or wait for the others.
Scott finds Deucalion on the roof, who reveals that if Scott had been a part of his pack, he could have told him what it all meant and avoided all of the confusion. He proposes a deal — help the Alphas catch (ie kill) Jennifer, and he’ll help get him rescue Melissa and Sheriff Stilinski. Stiles tries to reason with Scott not to go with Deucalion, but there is no “plan B”. Stiles watches helplessly as Scott literally walks over to the dark side.
Photo: MTV
I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised at the way Jennifer/Julia/The Darach’s backstory revealed. I hated her from her first appearance, not because I’m Team Sterek (which I am btw), but because I originally felt her presence was unnecessary. I saw her as a throw away character whose role was to play out the damsel trope. Boy was I mistaken. She’s actually become quite the complex character in a short amount of time.
The last two episodes were a 1-2 punch. Episode 309 (season 3, episode 09) revealed the identity of The Darach and Lydia’s banshee ties; followed up with the exciting “exposition expedition” in episode 310. With one episode, Jeff Davis tied Jennifer’s past as an Emissary and brutal attack at the paws/feet of Kali as the reason for why she’s been on a course for revenge. She became a murderer in the name of protecting the many so that she could destroy the Alpha Pack. B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!!! In her quest to be the avenging hero, she became a villain.
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Source Stats
Character We Loved This Week: As usual, Isaac remains my favorite. He’s adorable. He’s funny. He’s charming. And his comment about Jennifer’s
Best Quotes: “We were the overlooked. The Emissaries. It was a mistake Deucalion and the Alphas should never have made because I made an oath of my own. From virgins and warriors; from healers, philosophers and guardians to loan me their power so that I could teach these monsters that their monstrous actions would never be overlooked… I know the real color of your eyes Derek. And I know what it means. I’m not asking you to save just my life, I’m asking you to save everyone they’ll ever hurt again.” – Jennifer to Derek after revealing the origins of mistletoe.
What I’m Looking Forward to Next Week: Deucalion’s offer wasn’t surprising as he’s been 10 steps ahead of Scott the entire season. His gesture of good faith with Melissa earlier was the bait needed to win Scott’s trust, at least for the time being. Scott has no other alternative than to team up with his enemy. All of Deucalion’s tests thus far have pushed Scott to the limit, just far enough for his True Alpha power to show itself. Will it finally manifest fully as he saves his mother?
Rating (Scale 1-5): 4[/textblock]
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