Watching openers to Teen Wolf is like being in a constant state of amnesia and vertigo. Once again the show flash forwards to a random scene that the show will circle back to at the end of the episode. Malia, Scott, and Melissa are all fighting the Doctors in – you guessed it – the hospital. Teen Wolf needs to start establishing some rules so the audience isn’t fumbling around in the dark. Being mysterious is one thing but confusing fans of your show does not help you.
Back in present day, the sheriff, Stiles, and Malia are trying to connect all the dots, all the while Stiles is harboring a secret bite from Donovan the Chimera. After about a three minute brainstorm, Stiles has a theory that all the teenagers who the Dread Doctors turned are all connected in some way. Not an earth shattering assumption, but let’s go with it. All of the teenagers are chosen because they are special in some way.
During an unnecessarily sexy work out session with Parrish, Lydia has a flash of the Dread Doctors. Everyone comes to the conclusion that they have to read the book that will unveil all their hidden memories, as though it wasn’t clear that was what needed to happen already. It may be symbolism that Lydia is the one reading the original book. Or maybe it’s just because she’s the one heading this adventure.
Stiles lies to Malia about what happened to his shoulder. It’s almost entertaining how Stiles thinks he can get away with lying in a room full of supernatural creatures who can hear heartbeats, but somehow he pulls it off. He distracts Malia by asking her about her mother causing the accident that killed her adoptive family. In a similar vein, Malia also lies about what else she remembers about that night. She doesn’t tell Stiles that she remembers that her mother, the Desert Wolf, was there. Theo hears the whole conversation and continues to act shady.
Liam’s side drama with Hayden, a girl who hates him and needs money is a little more interesting than the A storyline. Whatever happened between him and this girl in the sixth grade is very mysterious and very intriguing. And finally in this episode the mystery is revealed. Though not quite as mysterious as the show portended, Liam and his infamous anger management issues had collateral damage. Hayden accidentally walked into a fist fight of Liam’s and has hated him every since. Except for in this episode, obviously. Romance is a’brewing.
Back at school, Lydia has a traumatic encounter with a memory that resurfaces after she reads the book. After trying to help a girl in AP Bio who is losing hair due to stress, she remembers something from when she was a little girl. It isn’t about the Dread Doctors at all. Lydia sees her mother and her grandmother at Eichen House after the latter tried to drill a hole in her own head. Lydia doesn’t divulge the whole truth to Scott and Theo. No one can blame her. That’s something you probably want to keep to yourself.