What They Say:
A Promise to the Dead – Scott, along wit hthe rest of the pack, undertakes a treacherous battle against an old enemy.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With a lot of the past cleared up and some interesting of unusual revelations made about what was going on with the lake house and Lydia’s grandmother, Teen Wolf certainly has gone to the weird side this season. It’s had a lot of things that have worked well and the cast has rolled with the punches in a fun way while still making sure to give us some time at school. But a lot of what some of us have been waiting for is for Peter to be uncoiled basically so he can go and do the crazy things he wants to do. He’s been a lot of fun to watch since he’s trying to play up a fair nicely guy routine throughout the season but there’s been plenty of darkness there that’s just rady to burst forth. And you really want to see that.
The show has some fun with its cold open here as we see Deaton working to bring back some of those that have been out of Eichen house for awhile because of the dead pool and the games that were played there. Deaton’s return to Eichen House is doubly intriguing though as we see that there’s an unlisted level in the facility where there are some very powerful players that are kept. With those that have a lot of supernatural ability, they can’t be caged normally and it makes sense to have a place where they can be taken care of. Deaton’s been a mysterious player for a long time and this certainly adds to it. it also helps as he visits a certain man named Varack that’s a patient there in order to gain information about Kate Argent and the Bone Woman that’s now becoming the real focus of the end of the series. Suffice to say, Varack provides us with another look at the larger world that exists within this world.
Since we’re getting closer to the season finale, the show has a few odds and ends to clean up along the way as well. One of those is Melissa finding the money that Scott has been keeping under his bed while adding to it with what he’s been getting elsewhere from those that participated in the dead pool. Naturally, Scott’s heart is in the right place but it’s not something that will sit well with Melissa for obvious reasons, even if the money would solve a slew of problems for several people. The cost of it is starting to hit Scott though and there’s a way too overt blood money angle that’s played. But for the teenage boy that is Scott McCall, it’s not bad to go that route once in awhile.
The show has a few things going on in general though and there’s a kind of unfocused start in the first half in capturing it, which isn’t bad. I like seeing Stiles and Malia having some good relationship time and silliness that defines a good relationship. I like having Scott bringing the money back to Derek and Derek acting as he does, being understanding about it and even making it clear that the money isn’t even his since it’s Peters. There’s also some interesting things afoot in seeing Lydia showing up at Derek’s the night before and just screaming. That has its own push, but largely it’s presented so we can have shirtless Derek striding around and a nicely dressed Braeden in bed with him to provide something for everyone. We also get a little time with Liam as he struggles with the nightmares of the Berserkers that are haunting him.
Another part of fun to this episode, which is very, very welcome, is that Scott finally takes Kira out on their first real date. Though they don’t really go anywhere in a sense as they end up at Derek’s for him to show her a light show he’s put together and she has a movie for them to watch. But the movie gets pushed to the side for some real moments of intimacy. Not the usual kind of rushed and awkward intimacy but more of a sensual kind, one that comes a bit from their different places of what they are. It’s great to see, but you know it won’t go too far since you have to have an uninvited guest. And who better than Kate and one of her Berserkers to come crashing in through the window. Playing that out while Peter is in the sewers with another of the Berserkers under his command, he spends his time torturing Argent as he’s been on the hunt for his sister. And very unfriendly torture at that, which isn’t a surprise considering their history.
Kate’s issues are pretty honest though when you get down to it, at least when you strip away the whole were-jaguar thing. With the Argent family being a respected one for centuries with what they did, she’s putting all the blame down on Scott at this point and wants to know what it is about him that’s causing it. It’s obviously more complicated than that, but with her losses in the last couple of years and the way she’s turned against family and family has turned against her, there’s a lot of rage that’s driving her. And with the jaguar aspect, that definitely makes it a whole lot more intense.
While Kate’s doing all of this, Peter is putting his plans further into motion and you have to laugh because he’s continually seeming like he’s turning sides on a regular basis. Enough so that he may be spinning at times. Giving Malia a chance at finding her mother is interesting to be sure, but the opportunity is one that requires her to kill Kate for him. Peter just talks it all through in such a near deadpan way that it just makes him all the creepier. With this being the penultimate episode of the season, there’s a lot going into the final act of the episode here with a lot of forces coming into play. Parrish is starting to reveal what he is when he helps Argent from his bonds, we see Liam starting to get a little more confidence about himself and we see some of the more adult members of the group coming together with Stiles to try and find Scott as they’re realizing things aren’t right. And Scott, poor Scott, is all bound up by the Berserkers for Kate with Kira tucked away in a cell of bones.
It’s certainly not a good situation to be in, especially since Kate is about to radically change what Scott is by making him a Berserker.
In Summary:
A lot of episodes of this series tend to be pretty focused on a few events within them and they run with it while having a few subplots move alongside it. This episode is working towards the finale and that means a lot of little threads have to be tugged in order to get everyone to the places they need to be. With Peter doing his manipulation of events, a lot of the focus is on Kate at this point as she’s looking to get her grudge taken care of and put Scott to task for all the damage he’s caused. I like a lot of what it hits but wish it had time to really deal with a lot of the areas more than it does here, especially since Lydia is undeserved once again. Still, there’s a lot to like and I’m hopeful for a good season finale that gives us some closure on a couple of plot points.
Grade: B+
