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Teen Wolf 2.07 "Restraint" review
Episode 2.07
Writers: Nick Antosca and Ned Vizzini
Director: Russell Mulcahy
THE ONE WHERE The Kanima continues to be controlled by a mystery master, Scott and the gang delve into Jackson’s past and Lydia is crazier than she thought.
VERDICT The episode kicks off with an arguing couple, shacked up in a crappy trailer in the middle of the woods. In the woods? This can only mean one thing – that one and/or both of them will surely die. And that’s certainly the case once the boyfriend steps outside to see what’s happened to the generator. Queue the Kanima in all its killing glory! The mystery master seems to be on the scene too and points towards the frightened girlfriend in the trailer. The boyfriend is then smashed through the window with his body flopped onto the kitchen table complete with blood smears. The Kanima approaches the girlfriend but after realising she’s pregnant, it flees leaving the terrified woman all alone in the woods.
It’s the best opening scene of the series so far and shows off Mulcahy’s brilliant directing. Sure, the hooded master and his robotic pointing is a little bit clichéd, but with all that screaming and bloody surfaces, Teen Wolf certainly seems to be growing up. Back in Beacon Hills, Jackson puts a restraining order on Stiles and Scott. Much to Melissa’s (Scott’s mum) despair, she decides to have a root around in Scott’s room to see what’s driving him to this juvenile behaviour. Melissa Ponzio pulls a great performance as a worried mum with a nice portion of comedic balance to give the audience some light-hearted laughs. Unfortunately, she discovers Scott’s pack of ribbed condoms and with only one left that could only mean one thing – Scott and Allison sexy time. So, she does what mums do and heads to the school to talk things out with Allison’s mother. A big no-no in Teen Wolf world!
Meanwhile, Allison decides to try and talk to Jackson about his “Kanima condition.” Entering into the boy’s locker room, a naked Jackson threatens a frightened Allison with those clawy nails that Teen Wolf like to get out so much. Colton Haynes continues his cringe-worthy overacting making his threats towards Allison seem somewhat hilarious. Naturally, Scott feels Allison’s racing pulse and leaps to the rescue. What proceeds is a pretty decent fight between the two front men of the show but poor camera angles and lazy editing make it painfully obvious it’s not the two of them fighting. We know it’s not but can we try a little harder to hide it next time, please?
Of course, the rest of the cast seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and the mess created from the fight lands them all in detention. There’s a nice, subtle reference to John Hughes’ Breakfast Club here with the token high schoolers stuck in the library, including the teacher insisting that no one leave their seat. Upon discovering that Jackson is the Kanima due to some Stiles sloppiness, Erica decides to help the gang out with their Jackson history. They discover that his birth parents died in a car accident and that Jackson was actually pulled from his dying mother’s womb. This could explain a whole lot when it comes to the whole “Kanimas only kill murderers” thing. Were his parents actually murdered?
Thankfully, Lydia escaped detention and instead keeps to her date with Junior (the creepy guy in her garden from the previous episode.) Unable to find the flower he gave her, she decides to go on over to his house anyway. What she finds is a huge abandoned house with Junior at the ready to give her that kiss she promised. All’s well and smoochy until Lydia looks in the mirror to find that she’s been snogging a very burnt and somewhat decayed Peter Hale. The house instantly snaps to a dark and terrifying haunted décor and Lydia realises that Peter has been communicating with her through hallucination all along. And in case you don’t get it; there’s a series of flashback type scenes to highlight the fact that Junior was actually a teenage Peter. Mind. Blown.
“Restraint” does seem a little forced at times and it’s got to be said again, the accompanying music is just too much. We can only hope that the makers soon decide to pick something other than poppy, female vocal dub-step to heighten the mood. There’s only so much wobble you can take.
BEST BIT After eating a snake, the reptile decides to exit through Jackson’s eye socket. More gore please!
WORST BIT Scott and Jackson have it out in the boy’s locker room. Wait that totally wasn’t Scott’s face not once but THREE times. Try harder next time stunt guy!
BEST LINES
Jackson : “I have a restraining order!”
Scott “Trust me, I restrained myself.”
Sammy Maine
Teen Wolf airs in the UK on Sky Living, Thursdays
Read our previous Teen Wolf reviews
