Scott’s friends vow to protect him from the mysterious shadow warriors while Argent, Isaac and Allison track down a past adversary of Argent’s who may have some insight into the masked specters. Meanwhile Stile turns to Nurse Melissa McCall to help him figure out what is going on with him.
**********CAUTION********** SPOILERS DEAD AHEAD **********CAUTION**********
At the end of the last episode, “Illuminated,” a bloodied and beaten Mr. Argent stumbles back home. The next day, he tells Allison, Scott and Isaac the story of his first assignment as a young hunter – a gun deal with Japanese yakuza that goes awry. Through quick flashbacks we see that the shadow warriors are hunting the same yakuza boss that young Argent is attempting to make a deal with. They cut down everyone in their path and he barely makes it out alive. He witnesses the brutal murder of the boss by the swords of the warriors, but the boss is not completely human and Argent believes that the one person who could shed some light on what the boss was is a man called Katashi. Katashi, also known as Silverfinger, also survived the onslaught of that night. One important fact that came from Argent’s story is that his father, Gerard, is the one who sent him on the deadly mission – purposely leaving out the information that the buyers were yakuza – as a test of young Argent’s ability to adapt in the moment. Gerard’s connection to an experience with a supernatural yakuza boss is not something to be ignored. Expect it to come back to haunt the pack later (I know I’ll be on the lookout for it).
Free To Be You and Me
The last few days have been a whirlwind for Kira and Scott. So many things have been revealed. But Kira is yet to see Scott in his true wolf form. When she tentatively asks him if she can see him transformed, Scott is clearly nervous. Will she hate the way he looks? Reject him. He transforms under his helmet and slowly reveals his wolf visage to her and her reaction is full of wonder. She is clearly in awe of him. It is a sweet and touching moment. Another barrier is down and another step is taken in their growing relationship.
The twins, Ethan and Aiden, are also working on their relationship with Scott and plan to stick to him like glue while the threat of demonic ninjas looms. Scott tolerates their efforts, but easily ditches them when he needs the space. Derek later asks them an important question: they are clearly willing to protect Scott, fight for him, even kill for him – but are they willing to die for him? That is the real question they must answer if they truly want to belong to Scott’s pack.
Silverfinger
Chris Argent, Allison and Isaac are able to circumvent Katashi’s security in order to question him about the demonic ninjas. [Isaac in a suit is priceless, although the ginormous sunglasses have to go.]
Katashi does remember young Argent from that bloody battle from the past and he is able to shed some light on what the shadow warriors seek. He tells them they are called The Oni and they seek dark spirits or dark kitsune also known as nogitsune. His warnings are ominous and his last statement is the most chilling: “If there is a nogitsune among you… let the Oni destroy it. Even if it is your own daughter.” And it’s all the more ominous because he looks right at Allison as he says it. Does Katashi know something he is not saying?
Lose Your Mind
Stiles is in major freak-out mode since he figured out that he is the one that left the coded message for Barrow to kill Kira. In a panic, he tries to explain his suspicions to Scott, but is shocked to find that all of the evidence showing that he was the person helping Barrow – the chemistry closet key, the coded message on the board in his handwriting – has all disappeared. At the end of his rope, Stiles turns to Melissa McCall to help diagnose what is ailing him. She is alarmed at how fatigued and stressed out Stiles is and gives him a sedative to help him get some rest. The most moving moment of the episode is when Melissa is tucking Stiles in for some much needed rest and a groggy Stiles grips her hand tightly. Then, as he starts to drift off to sleep, he mumbles, “Thanks, Mom.” Oh, Stiles. That is one guy in serious need of some mother’s love. [OK, everyone who tweeted #ThanksMom, raise your hands… Yeah, me too.] A concerned Melissa notices some disturbing symptomatic similarities between Stiles and a past case. She looks up the file to be sure and she is right. The file belongs to “Claudia Stilinski” – deceased 2004. Stiles’ mother.
While Stiles gets some much needed shut eye, Scott, Kira and the pack are facing off with the Oni. Daddy McCall doesn’t fare too well and ends up being the first casualty of the night with a sword through the shoulder (yep, completely through the shoulder). Oh and that’s after the punch to the gut that Scott gave him when he told his dad that he was only a gene donor, not a father. Agent McCall is not having a good night. He also apparently has a secret that he needs to talk to Scott about, but with the Oni beating down the door, his bleeding shoulder and a possible collapsed lung, Melissa tells him that the father-son talk is going to have to wait.
With the intel that the Argents got from Katashi, Scott decides to let the Oni check him and Kira for the dark spirit they seek. His confidence that they will not find anything in them is justified when The Oni mark them as “themselves” and go on to their next mark. Unfortunately, the next mark is Stiles, who has awakened at the hospital and is looking for Nurse McCall (who is busy rushing her ex-husband to the emergency room).
As three of the Oni stalk Stiles in a closed off section of the hallway, he tries to run away, but to no avail – he is surrounded. There are tense moments as one of the Oni approaches Stiles, its eyes beginning to glow as it reaches for Stiles. Then, in a split second, the tables turn and the look on Stiles’ face changes and he grabs the Oni’s hand before it can touch him. In the next second, he reaches into the Oni’s chest in a burst of yellow and pulls something out. He opens his hand to reveal… a dying firefly. Stiles turns to the other two Oni with almost a smirk on his face. They rush him, but there is no fear in his eyes.
Scott leaves his mother to tend to his father at the hospital and goes off to find Stiles. When he does, he finds Stiles unruffled and standing alone in the corridor. As they walk away, we see there is left behind on the floor, one last firefly. And as its light extinguishes, it disappears in a puff of dark smoke.
Where, oh, where has our Stiles gone??
Teen Wolf airs on MTV on Mondays at 10/9c. Full episodes are also available at the MTV Teen Wolf website and On Demand (check your cable listings) as well as on iTunes, Amazon, Hulu and Google Play.
Wolf Wisdom
I always like to include some of my favorite quotes and exchanges from the episode and with Teen Wolf, there are soooo many. If you have some quotes or moments you liked, please share in the comments section.
#1 Scott, regarding the shadow warrior: “His eyes were glowing.” Mr. Argent, recalling his encounter with the warriors” “There was something almost ritualistic about it — like it was looking right into his soul.” And later: Scott: “What was behind the mask?” Argent: “Darkness. Absolute darkness.” #2 Scott to the twins, regarding them following him: “Is this about being in my pack?” Aiden: “This is about you being the target of demonic ninjas.” Ethan: “You mean demonic ninjas that pull swords out of their chests and completely kicked our asses?” Aiden: “Yeah, those demonic ninjas.” Scott: “I don’t need anyone to protect me.” Ethan: “They were looking right at you when the sun came up.” Scott: “And they also disappeared. Argent thinks that they could just come out at night.” Ethan: “Since this is our first experience with demonic ninjas, we’re thinking we should play it safe. #3 Scott, telling the twins not to listen in on his talk with Stiles: “And I don’t want you listening in – no wolf hearing.” Aiden: “How would you even know?” Scott: [beat] “I’m a true alpha. You have no idea what I can do.” #4 Isaac to Argent and Allison: “All right. Let’s go see if a paranoid yakuza wants to put another gun in his collection.” #5 Stiles to Nurse Melissa McCall, regarding symptoms he is exhibiting: “Blackouts – but not for that long. And sleepwalking, which I used to do when I was a kid. Also having some really bad anxiety.” Melissa: “Panic attacks?” Stiles: “Yeah, a couple. Oh, and I temporarily lost the ability to read. But that might have had more to do with this giant magic tree and a whole human sacrifice thing.” #6 Melissa: “Been feeling irritable?Stiles: “Yeah. Possibly to the point of homicide.” Melissa: “Inability to focus?” Stiles: “No, the Adderall’s not working.” Melissa: “Impulsive behavior?” Stiles: “More than my usual? Hard to tell.” Melissa: “Vivid dreams during the day?” Stiles: “Okay, basically all of the above. Do you know what this is?” Melissa: “I think so?” Stiles: [looking at syringe in Melissa’s hand] “Uh, what’s that?” Melissa: “Do you trust me? Stiles: “When you’re not holding a needle…” #7 Isaac: “I’m going to get my head blown off by a bunch of Japanese fingerless mobsters…” #8 Kira to Scott: “Have you ever heard of something called a Kitsune?” Later as they look through the book on kitsune, Scott to Kira: “That looks like what happened to you at the power station.” Kira: “When a kitsune rubs its tails together it can create fire or lightening. It’s called foxfire. [she watches Scott’s reaction] I don’t have tails.” Scott: [scoffs] “How did you know what I was thinking? Kira: “Because kitsune are also psychic. I can hear all of your thoughts. [Scott starts to look nervous] Just kidding.” #9 Argent to Silverfinger: “All I want to do is talk.” Silverfinger: “Taking out my security is not what I would call a good conversation starter.” #10 Agent McCall: “I don’t need a warrant. I’m your father.” Scott: “No, you’re a gene donor. I got my hair color from you. And that’s all I got. So you’re not allowed to play ‘tough dad’ with me.” #11 (Chris) Argent to Silverfinger: “You know what they are, don’t you?” Silverfinger: “They’re called Oni. They are demons. And they are unstoppable.” And later, Silverfinger continues: “The Oni are a force of nature. You don’t fight a tsunami. You endure it. And hope that you’re not destroyed in its path.” Allison: “Then how do we endure it?” Silverfinger: “One of you already has. [shows Isaacs mark behind his ear] This is Japanese kanji for ‘self.’ This means he is still himself. The Oni are looking for one who is no longer themselves.” Chris: “What do you mean no longer themselves?”
Silverfinger: “Possessed. By a dark spirit.” #12 Aiden to Kira: “So what are you?” Derek: “She’s a kitsune, idiot. Use your eyes. You can see it all around her. The younger ones give off an aura. She just hasn’t learned how to conceal it yet. She probably doesn’t know what kind she is either.” Cut to Silverfinger explaining to Argent, Allison and Isaac: “There are 13 kinds of kitsune – celestial, wild, ocean, thunder. But there is one, a dark kitsune. They call it void — or nogitsune” Silverfinger continues: “Nogitsune draws its power from pain and tragedy, strife and chaos.” #13 Aiden: “Why do you think we’re here, Derek? For a study group? We’re here to protect Scott.” Ethan: “We’re trying to fight for him.” Derek: “I’m sure you are. I’m sure you’d kill for him. But are you willing to die for him?” #14 Silverfinger to Chris Argent: “I will tell you one thing, however. If there is a nogitsune among you… let the Oni destroy it. [he gives a stern sidelong glance at Allison] Even if it is your own daughter.”
And the favorite TW moment for me was between Stiles and Nurse McCall at the hospital as she gave him a sedative and tucked him into bed. It was a sweet and touching moment that showed how much Stiles needs that loving care:
Nurse McCall is pulling covers over a groggy Stiles, he holds her hand: “Get some rest.” Stiles, starts to drift off: “Thanks, Mom.”Poor Stiles…
