Holland Roden started off on Teen Wolf portraying Lydia as a character who nailed the pretentious cheerleader archetype. Over the show’s run, though, Lydia’s evolution has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of the show, and it continues to impress as it enters a new level of complexity. It should come as no surprise to fans that Lydia’s gifts play an even more pertinent role in season five. Although the details of her stay at Eichen House won’t be revealed in their entirety until later in the season, presumably, her mental state has been questionable since she discovered her banshee “gift.”
The writers did a quality job previewing the rest of the season through Lydia’s experience, perhaps even too much so. Fans were privy to brief clips via Lydia’s memory regarding where the season is headed. Besides the latest evil, season five includes at least one new character. Pretty Little Liars‘ Cody Christian has joined the mix as Theo, the latest werewolf to request admission to Scott’s pack, and fingers crossed that whatever his character arc entails it’s less dismissive than his role on PLL.
With Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) already questioning the longevity of his current friendships, the emergence of a new werewolf begs the question further. Stiles has consistently exhibited concern for being the only non-supernatural member of his friend circle, even though he maneuvers around the issue every season. An additional supernatural showing up parallel to a new threat deserves more than a sideways look from Scott, and it’s clear that Stiles is going to encourage a more rigid check into his background before rolling out the welcome carpet.
Season five of Teen Wolf starts off strong as the writers set the stage for a more mature version of the show. The characters have all had their 15 minutes in the spotlight already and have become a collaborative force against whoever comes knocking with malicious intent. This season signifies the start of a transition away from what fans have become comfortable with, and it appears that the writers have that journey well under control. We’ll have to keep watching to find out just how far they’re willing to take things, though – I know my eyes will be glued to the screen every Monday night for the foreseeable future.
