Teen Wolf Review: “Muted” (Season 4, Episode 3)

There’s been a shift in the layout of the characters this season. With Allison (Crystal Reed) gone, Lydia (Holland Roden) has taken up a different role within the group dynamic. As her usefulness becomes unparalleled, she sinks into a solo position – flanked on one side by Scott and Kira (Arden Cho), and on the other side by Stiles and Malia. It’s a different set up than viewers are used to, but Lydia seems comfortable, or at least content for the moment, with the new arrangement. Although there seems to be something intrinsically off beat about her new psychic (err, banshee) abilities, which are effecting her personality.

Another change in the character scheme is the separation between Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) and Peter (Ian Bohen), and Scott and his pack. Up until this point, Derek and his agenda have always been somewhat aligned with Scott’s, but now there is a certain sense of ‘the Hales versus the world’ acting as a wall between the two sects. After the vault heist, and thank you Peter for saying exactly what we were thinking about your potential for getting a job in lieu of losing the family fortune, locating Kate (Jill Wagner) has taken precedence.

In addition to losing a whole lot of money in this deal gone wrong, Kate stole something much more precious to Derek – his eye color. Not that I’m not loving the new yellow/gold thing that Derek has going on, but the blue represented a part of him that is worth remembering. Teen Wolf took us back to Derek’s past last season to explain the significance, and after revisiting a young version of Derek this season already, it seems that this is an unwanted reset.

The one thing that sets this season apart from past seasons is the dark undertones that are clearly being established early on. The family that is hacked up on this episode of Teen Wolf turns out to be of the people eating variety, and it gets worse. The assailant responsible for the ax-wielding is also supernatural. Oh, and he has no mouth. And, he downloads information though a blood-like substance that he inserts into himself with the use of a tube and a quaint little hole in his neck. Nothing to see here, folks.

Lydia, naturally, is connected to this burgeoning character, but it’s still too early to tell whether he is a threat to Scott and the rest of the friendly Beacon Hills supernaturals.

Let us know in the comment section below if you think our favorite Teen Wolf characters should be worried, or welcome the assistance with open arms!