In this episode of Teen Wolf, “Damnatio Memoriae,” the last Chimera is revealed, Scott and Stiles work together to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Dread Doctors’ creation and Malia prepares to face the Desert Wolf but learns something that could change her plans.
Hayden is riding along with her deputy sister. Big sis isn’t thrilled that Hayden disappeared for three days and remains unaware that 1) Hayden died as the result of a series of experiments by the Dread Doctors, and 2) her sister is a reanimated Chimera who may actually be more undead than alive.
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The Beast
The deputy gets a call that takes the two to some creepy relay station. As Deputy Clark investigates, and we wait for whatever horrible event/creature awaits her, Liam reunites with his ex, who is waiting in the car. He’s got a few questions, like why Hayden didn’t tell him she was alive, but Hayden is pissy because she thinks Liam left her to die.
Liam argues that she was dead, but Hayden isn’t interested in rehashing the details; she just wants Liam to go.
Inside, Deputy Clark hears a man’s voice whispering, “Help me.” I’d say she should call for back-up, but the Beacon Hills Police Department is always woefully understaffed. Kind of like the hospital. She stumbles across some poor guy who has had his throat slashed, among other things. He manages to utter the words “Still here” before apparently dropping dead.
The Deputy looks around and spots a set of claws desperately in need of a manicure. The attached creature reveals itself — sort of. It’s hidden by steam and shadows, but it is obviously really big, really nasty and some kind of wolf-y hybrid. Clark does what any self-respecting underpaid civil servant would when facing a supernatural monster: she takes off.
“The Beast” makes it to the parking lot, and Hayden and Liam take off running. Hayden wants to know what is chasing them, but Liam’s more concerned with actually escaping. They succeed, basically by falling off a cliff. Liam suffers some semi-serious injuries, but being a wolf, he’ll heal. But Hayden isn’t about to wait around and play nurse. She wants to go back and make sure her sister is okay.
Liam’s bummed that Hayden isn’t more appreciative that he saved her life, and he still has some questions about how she made it back from the dead. All Hayden will reveal before leaving Liam in the woods is that Theo brought her back.
Parrish shows Scott video footage from the security camera at the building where The Beast made its big debut. There isn’t much to see except it is big and it is fast. Scott and Parrish know it’s the last Chimera. I thought Noah was the last Chimera, but technically he was the last failed Chimera. This is the Dread Doctors’ pride and joy.
Just Because You Say It’s Murder Doesn’t Make It So
Sheriff Stilinski is recovering, and he and Stiles finally have a talk about that accidental murder that Stiles committed. The Sheriff figured out that the story Theo told him was accurate except that it happened to Stiles.
Stilinski questions why Stiles wouldn’t come to him. Did Stiles think he wouldn’t believe it was self-defense? Stiles admits that he’s not 100% certain himself if it was self-defense. He did want Josh dead, but Stilinksi says wanting someone dead and murdering them aren’t the same thing.
It pays to have a dad in law enforcement who is willing to burn the station to the ground to get rid of any evidence that could send you to jail, so Stiles isn’t going to the big house anytime soon, but Stilinski warns his son that he’s still got to live with the burden of what he did. Maybe saving a life will take some of the sting out. Maybe forgiving his best friend would be a good idea too.
A Change of Plans
Scott, still a lone wolf, goes to see Malia. He could use a little help with this whole last Chimera situation, but she shoots him down. She’s got her own stuff going on, and she knows Scott wouldn’t approve. He leaves rejected and dejected, and Malia gets back to torturing some Russian guy with the help of Braeden.
It turns out money talks, and 10 grand buys a lot of information. The Desert Wolf was last seen near the Canadian border. She won’t travel by plane, and she’ll avoid surveillance cameras. Another reason she won’t fly is because she’s not traveling alone. The man reveals that she has a hostage: Deaton.
The Walking Dead
After learning that Theo brought Hayden back, Liam does some detective work on his own, taking a lot of initiative this season. Young Liam and Mason are like Scott and Stiles 2.0.
Liam tells Mason that he saw Theo with Josh, and Mason figures out that Theo’s building his own pack. Liam says that the reanimated Chimeras aren’t the same. There’s something different about Hayden, something wrong. Mason wonders if being dead darkens your soul somehow, and you just automatically become evil.
This theory gets blown to smithereens when the two find themselves face-to-face with Corey. He’s as affable as ever and appears to be completely non-threatening. He’s on his way to the school library.
Mason has a very awkward conversation about Corey’s reincarnation, like how Corey explained to his parents that he wasn’t really dead. Details like that usually slip through the cracks on this show.
To make the situation even more strange, Corey asks Mason out. I guess this was part of a genius plan to draw Corey in and find out what the hell Theo is up to. Wouldn’t we all like to know? But Liam is impatient and doesn’t want to have to wait for answers. He decides to be more direct with Corey, but the kid disappears from the library before Liam gets the chance.
Theo is keeping a tight leash on his little pack. He doesn’t want Corey palling around with Mason and Liam, to be sure, so Theo insists that Corey come with him, especially if he doesn’t want to die again.
Liam and Mason search for Corey, but Liam’s keen senses tell him that Corey left with Theo. Mason thinks it’s time for Liam to tell Scott what is going on. Liam doesn’t know how to face his Alpha after trying to kill him and then leaving him for dead so someone else could kill him. Mason advises that an apology would be a good place to start.
I’m still wondering how in the hell Liam and Mason went from being at the Nemeton surrounded by cops to walking around and never mentioning how they extricated themselves.
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Lydia Encounters Someone from Her Past
Now we’ve got Lydia, presumably still at Eichen House, wandering around in some dream-like state. Teen Wolf has done this whole “is it a dream or reality or Bardo?” crap to death, and it’s ceasing to be effective.
She has a vision of Meredith, emerging from a bathtub full of blood and crawling across the floor in a Ring-like fashion.
Hayden Begins to Pull Away from Theo
Theo tracks down Hayden and asks about her last Chimera spotting. She says it looked exactly like the painting, exactly like Theo said. He wants to know if she’s told anyone else, and she says she didn’t think he’d want her to, though she doesn’t understand why. Theo makes it clear that she doesn’t have to understand; all Hayden needs to know is that The Beast is going to go on a serious killing spree, but they’ll be safe as long as they stick together.
Sensing that Hayden might be holding back, Theo warns her that she can’t hide anything from him.
A Resurrection
Stiles happens to notice the body of the tech guy The Beast killed being wheeled around the hospital. This piques his interest and he uses his dad’s laptop to access what I assume to be confidential police records. Dad’s not in much of a position to put up a fight since he’s still recovering from almost dying.
Stiles finds his way to the security footage and sees the creature to be named later. He heads off to find Scott. The two go to the relay station to look for clues. Scott is still healing and hasn’t regained his super strength.
They find another entrance into the relay station. It’s a tunnel, and they notice some words written on the floor: “Damnatio Memoriae.” Before they can process what that means, Tracy attacks. She paralyzes Stiles, and soon Scott realizes she didn’t come alone. Theo brought the whole pack along as a sort of training exercise, but he realizes that his Chimeras are no match for a true Alpha, even one not at full strength.
Theo tells Scott that they are back on the same side. They need to unite to fight The Beast. They are going to be students by day and whatever the hell they all are now by night. Theo tells Scott that what is running around is no Chimera. Scott argues that it’s just a kid underneath, but Theo says not anymore.
After Theo exits with his pack in tow, Scott and Stiles revisit the phrase they saw on the floor. Stiles tells Scott that it means the condemnation of memory. Whatever the Dread Doctors created, it’s not new; it’s something old, really old.
To make a very long story short, Argent has the inside track on what this really old something is. It’s called The Beast of Levaudan, and it’s seriously bad news.
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Two Banshees, No Waiting
Okay, Lydia’s Eichen House storyline isn’t becoming much clearer. We’re back to her in a catatonic state. No Dr. Valack and no sign of her friends, Parrish or Theo. What we do see is her standing over her own body with a cleaned-up Meredith. Meredith warns Lydia that she has to wake up and she has to get the hell out of Eichen House if she hopes to help her friends. Meredith is going to help by teaching Lydia how to use her voice as a weapon. Now we know how Lydia turned into the bad-ass we saw in the season 5 premiere.
More creatures, more questions, more problems.
Teen Wolf airs Tuesdays at 9pm on MTV.
(Image courtesy of MTV)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Jennifer has worked as a freelance writer in the entertainment field since 2012. In addition to currently writing feature articles for Screen Rant, Jennifer has contributed content ranging from recaps to listicles to reviews for BuddyTV, PopMatters, TVRage, TVOvermind, and Tell-Tale TV. Links to some of Jennifer’s reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.
