TV Review: Teen Wolf (3×20) “Echo House”

It was bound to happen. After seven truly fantastic episodes, Teen Wolf finally landed on their filler mark. Luckily, despite its status of being a filler episode, it’s undoubtedly the best filler episode the shows ever had.

The episode begins with Stiles being driven to an asylum, the setting for where most of the episode will take place. I was mildly dubious on how this storyline was going to be handled and, as I presumed, it could have been taken care of with a little more tact-luckily the camera never deviated far from our characters.

The episodes start is likely its strongest scene as Scott rushes to meet them and try and convince them that it’s a bad idea. Stiles tells him that it was his idea and if he’s locked up he can’t hurt him or anyone else. He tells Scott that if there is no cure to be found than to make sure that Stiles is never ever to escape from the asylum. That scene coupled with the following where the Sheriff has serious doubts about Stiles being admitted for the 72 hours pull on viewer’s heartstrings. This is Stiles being left all on his own, without the two people who always have his back.

And from there on it’s a whirlwind of scenes that range from intense, to touching to useless.

The few scenes that find us with Scott and the pack revolve around a poorly planned heist. The Scooby gang want to take over a police truck that’s moving evidence to steal the silver-finger from a few episodes back that they believe contains a scroll with answers to beating the nogitsune. It’s a long shot and it barely succeeds with Scott, Allison, Kira and the twins having to face off with an opposing werewolf working on another side.

However, the majority of the episode rests rightly on Stile’s shoulders-we needed to see what was left of the human in him before being taken down the dark, possessed path.

It’s been obvious from the start of the season that this was going to be Dylan O’Briens chance to let loose and get to find layers in his character that haven’t been seen before on the show. This episode is no different but for a little we see a bit of old Stiles. His interactions with Oliver-the person he’s sharing his room with-and Malia-the were coyote and apparently Peters daughter-both bring a much needed levity to the episode.

Yes, even the scene where Malia and Stiles get it on in the basement of an asylum-let’s pretend there’s nothing weird about that.

Stiles runs into a familiar face with Ms. Morrell who is doing her best to continue keeping the peace and, as she tells Stiles, she’ll do whatever needs to be done, even if it means killing him.

The episode’s main strength this week is Tim Andrew’s direction. He allows for every shot to have an eerie aspect to it-making us feel as if the entire episode we’re on the edge of the seat until the very last minutes when we actually are.

The nogitsune possesses Oliver and has him tie up Stiles and Malia to persuade Stiles into letting him back into his head. The immense struggle that overcomes Stiles is expertly played by O’Brien as he struggles against his restraints and his tormentor. When he sees that Malia could become a victim he stops fighting and allows the nogitsune to take over again and this time we don’t know for how long.

The end of the episode has Scott and Deaton working out the scroll which says the nogitsune can be moved if the body of the host changes. They take this to mean that Scott might have to give the bite to Stiles.

Which I am very strongly against since so much of Stile’s appeal is just how human he is. It is what’s made this seasons transformation all the more unsettling-out of all of the characters his was the one who always seemed the least likely to go dark.

Certainly short of spectacular, this episode set some things up for the following four episodes and that’s about it.

If you want some real excitement, go and watch the mid-season trailer.

It looks like things are going to get worse, way worse, before they get better-if they ever do.

6/10