The winter finale of Teen Wolf, "Riders on the Storm," receives a gold star from me, in large part because of how reunion-centric it was. In the span of about 41 minutes, we witnessed more than eight reunions, including the highly anticipated Scott and Stiles reunion (which did not disappoint), and the Stiles and Lydia reunion (also worth the wait). Reunions typically involve hugs, and hugs are emotionally loaded, a characteristic that tugs at my heartstrings.
So whose reunion came first? None other than Sheriff Stilinski and Stiles. Sheriff Stilinski wins father of the year in my book. He finds Stiles out of more than 57 rooms (if he did not end up in the same “station” right away) and offers to hold off the ghost riders to allow for Stiles’ escape. This would have been an especially monumental moment for Stiles because the last time he saw his dad, Sheriff Stilinski asked him for his name, a question crushing beyond belief.
When Stiles popped up in his Jeep, I literally pumped my fist in the air in triumph, thrilled to have him back—and to see him in his natural habitat. His Jeep is more than just a car; it bears the memories of his whole high school career, the bliss and the mortal danger. (Because what's high school without nearly getting killed every week?)
He loves that car
Subsequently, when Stiles made his epic return by knocking Mr. Douglas down with a baseball bat (yes, a BASEBALL BAT!), I knew the rest of the winter finale would be superb. In case you need a refresher, here’s how it transpired:
Mr. Douglas: I’ll have a true alpha by my side, and then a banshee, a werecoyote—
Stiles: A Stiles?
Mr. Douglas: A what?
Then BAM! Stiles whacked him and the crowd went wild—the crowd being the multitude of Stiles-struck fans across the globe.
What long-awaited event happened next? Another reunion, perhaps? Why, yes. The glorious reunion of Scott and Stiles.
Scott and Stiles reuniting was like the sun finally rising after weeks of darkness. They are the dynamic duo of the show. Their everlasting friendship is the kind that is rare in its strength, and it is sought after. The idea of having a best friend that will be there for you no matter what, is comforting and heartening. In their case, that means friends who stick by you through full moons and Nogitsune-possession. Them hugging was just about the cutest thing I’d seen all week, especially because of their giddy, little-boy smiles and Stiles scurrying over with his arms flailing, ready to hug his brother. Post bro-hug, Scott asked Stiles if he wanted to split up, and Stiles replied with “never again” and patted Scott on the back. All was right in the world.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Stiles is the cutest, silliest, sweetest *fictional* human being on the planet—I’m sure Austen would attest this, too. I’d be astounded if you needed proof and weren’t already hyper-aware of his cuteness, but I’ll give it to you anyway.
1. To Liam, as he hugs him: Liam, it's so good to see you too! (Simultaneously Liam is trying to point out that they should probably run to avoid dying.)
2. To Scott, when asked if he's okay: I think so. I finally saw the girls locker room. It's not that different. It's kinda disappointing. (Because that's totally Scott's number one concern.)
3. To Parrish, when he regains consciousness as himself and not the Hell Hound, and asks Stiles what he's doing there: Buddy, love you, but we're way past that. 'Kay? You've gotta fill us in on what's going on.
4. To Scott and Liam, after he finds out he's been gone for three months: If they don't let me graduate, I swear to god...(Yes, worrying about graduating is definitely the most important thing to do in the midst of a fight with a Hell Hound.)
5. To Liam, before he leaves the high school: Mason is always gonna be the one who's there to save your ass all the time. (Scott interjects, "Not all the time," and Stiles says, "Most of the time though.")
6. To Scott, as he gives him a bunch of keys: I just figured you should have all the copies I secretly made. (Including Scott's house, the school, the animal clinic, and several other prime sleuthing grounds in Beacon Hills.)
This episode was full of parallels, the one most obvious to me being Stiles’ second time with a gun pressed up against his forehead. The first time, in 4x07, Papa McCall saved him by shooting his assailant, the creepy Chemist. To pinpoint this moment in your memory, picture the unsettling image of Stiles with blood splattered all over his face. This time around, one of the elusive Ghost Riders was the villain wielding the gun, and Stiles reacted in the same way: he slowly closed his eyes and braved what he believed to be the inevitable, leaving us in dramatic suspense. Lydia saved Stiles with a deafening Banshee scream, just as the Ghost Rider was about to pull the trigger.
If ever there was a kiss I didn’t know I needed, Stiles and Lydia’s would be it. Prior to season six, I was adamantly against any sort of romantic relationship between the pair, still bitter over Lydia’s initial poor treatment of Stiles. Did I hold my grudge against Lydia for too long? Probably, but Stiles is my favorite character, so I always felt he deserved better than the girl who looked right through him. Even after Lydia clearly evolved into a kind woman, I found it difficult to show support. Then came Stiles’ “remember I love you” and Lydia’s determination to save him from the wild hunt; from then on, I accepted their blossoming romance, but I didn’t necessarily love it, that is, until the kiss. Having them kiss in the same spot in which they first kissed when Lydia was trying to stop Stiles’ panic attack was impactful because it reminded me of what they’d been through together. After so much pain and horror, Stiles and Lydia deserve to find solace in each other. Stiles loves Lydia, and it is now apparent that Lydia loves him too. That kiss. That chemistry. I have now boarded ship Stydia, and I will not be getting off any time soon.
Two other noteworthy smooches of episode were between Liam and Hayden, and Argent and Mama McCall. Liam wasted no time as he pulled Hayden in for a kiss straight after dismounting the horse. It was a little cheesy, no doubt, but sweet nevertheless.
As for Argent and Mama McCall, their kiss succeeded what bore redolence to an old fashioned Western showdown. “Tumbleweeds” drifted by (newspaper and dead leaves) as Argent and a Ghost Rider faced off, their fingers twitching in preparation, their guns revealed, their determined faces zoomed in on. Then came the bang. Who won? Who's still standing? Duh, duh, duh...it’s...it’s Argent!
To sweeten his valiant win, Mama McCall kissed Argent after confessing how “hot” she thought his showdown was. Since Scott and Allison can’t be together, I am rooting for Argent and Mama McCall to find love.
Let’s talk about Theo. Is he good, is he bad? I still don’t know. What I do know is that he certainly was quite a scoundrel before season six—“was” being the operative word. Characters in TV shows change frequently—just look at Lydia—so maybe Theo has turned over a new leaf. I hope so. If continually being stuck in a loop of his sister killing him in the hospital reformed the feisty werewolf, then thank you, demonic sister of Theo. In the winter finale he does jump in and save Liam, after just having saved him again in the episode before. I was excited to see he hadn’t been vanquished by the Ghost Riders, and that he seemed to be growing fond of Liam, smiling at him as Liam rode off on the Ghost Rider’s horse after admitting he didn’t know how to ride one.
The spontaneous appearance of the train tracks in Beacon Hills and the station in the library of the high school was a nice touch and the perfect way to merge the two worlds to enable the Ghost Riders to cross over.
In that "library station," Peter sat, coincidentally being one of the catatonic people waiting to board, in turn giving Malia the chance to connect with her father, something she refrains from doing as much as she can. It’s telling that Peter was awoken by his daughter softly calling him “dad” and that he didn’t think twice before shouting for Malia to go as he fended off the enemy. He loves Malia, it’s as simple as that. At that point, I was frustrated that Lydia and Malia were ostensibly fleeing the scene, wishing they would be more daring. Luckily, Malia turned my frustration around as she growled and ran back to help Peter—a move indicative of her own love for her dad, buried deep, but still there.
The one uber creepy part of the episode was when Mason, Liam, and Hayden finally found Cory, and he was wired into the complicated Ghost Rider train station. I was relieved to see him okay because I didn't want Mason to lose him (their relationship is adorable), but I was also disturbed at the grisly manner in which he was hooked up.
Although I am confused as to why Hayden and Mason could be caught by the Ghost Riders and still remember everything, yet Peter became catatonic like the others until Malia freed him, I still love the concept of being erased, puffing into a cloud of green.
One thing, or rather person, that I do not love is Mr. Douglas, Mr. Deserves-everything-that-is-coming-to-him-Douglas. That guy is as malevolent as they come. Not only is he a despicable Nazi, he is also the wicked force weaponizing poor Parrish, against his will.
His transformation into a Ghost Rider after Scott redirected the train—aided by his pack + Theo + Peter (who hilariously acknowledged his lack of pack-membership)—was exactly the punishment he deserved. That scene was reminiscent of the Oni when they would surround their victim before marking them, except this time, Mr. Douglas was surrounded by Ghost Riders, not marking him, but making him one of their own.
Bringing back Stiles’ mom, as Lydia and Stiles were running out of the high school—holding hands, might I add—was an opportune way to give Sheriff Stilinski closure. Maybe killing your dead wife, who’s not really your wife doesn’t seem like it would give the best closure, but I think it did. It was Sheriff Stilinski’s live son, whom he forgot, vs. his dead wife, whom he clung to in the wake of his son’s disappearance. Killing his “wife” solidified Stiles as the real thing he was missing those past three months and signified the defeat of the Ghost Riders; they were no match for the stalwart clan of Beacon Hills.
I got a bit nervous towards the end of the winter finale because it seemed more like a finale, finale—the real deal. I thought that perhaps I’d missed some big announcement that episode ten would be the last episode. Stiles and Scott driving away in the blue Jeep—the only Jeep I’ve ever felt emotionally attached to—after saying farewell to high school and passing the baton (or baseball bat) to Mason and Liam, could well have been the final moments of one of my favorite shows.
The Scott/Stiles broments beforehand made my heart soar. The pair will miss each other as much as I will miss the show.
I was hit with an unbelievably massive wave of nostalgia when Sheriff Stilinski's voice came through the Jeep's speakers, saying, "You're telling me there's a body in the woods?" I envisioned Stiles with his buzz-cut and Scott with his long hair, both innocent and so young, parking in the woods on the night that would define the rest of their lives.
As Stiles said as he stood next to Scott by their lockers for the last time, "Everything's changed."
I'm with Stiles. How is it that they are now graduating from high school? Stiles will be going on to train for the FBI, and Scott will make it to college, something that was in question due to the dozens of classes missed.
And how is it that we are now all graduating from watching the show? If only time would pass as slowly as it took for Lydia to realize how incredible Stiles is; we wouldn't even be close to done. Luckily, we have more to come before we are forced to *tearfully* bid adieu to Scott, Stiles, and the rest of the pack that we have grown to know and love over the past six seasons. I am endlessly grateful to Stiles for sneaking over to Scott’s house in the middle of the night to hunt for a dead body—well, half of one.
