Teen Wolf Times One Hundred

In today's saturated TV market Teen Wolf deserves kudos for keeping fans engaged across six seasons. Holding viewer interest for one hundred episodes? Epic achievement. 

Below are fifty reasons I watched and enjoyed every instalment of the series, in no real order except for first place, of course!

50. Modern Gothic Aesthetic

People often argue that it is not sustainable to produce music video level visuals in a TV series. Teen Wolf took that challenge and created stunning moody, gorgeous footage: lots of shadows and cold blue feel. The lighting was regularly outstanding and the cinematography more adventurous than most US television shows.

49. Power Is Addictive

The show was big on reminding viewers how dangerous it is to crave, and rely on, power. From the messed up Alpha Pack, to Jackson, Leo, and the Desert Wolf, a lust for power—whether social or supernatural—eventually destroyed lives.

48. Everyone Became A Victim

In a refreshing twist, at some point all series regulars were powerless. No matter how strong or brave, they faced outer or inner struggles they couldn’t (in the moment) overcome. It seemed like Scott was powerless on more occasions than most series leads.

47. An Actual Successful Adaptation

Remember the horror of terrible TV remakes? (Looking at you 90210). Teen Wolf was inspired by an iconic movie, but clawed its way (pun intended) to a fresh, modern take on the concept.

46. People Die

Life was a battlefield for supes, especially in Beacon Hills. The show didn’t sugarcoat the downside of life or death conflicts. Alison, Aiden, Boyd, Erica, and Brett’s deaths were the tip of the iceberg. No character (except maybe Scott) proved safe.

45. Parents Who Aren’t Morons

Teen shows regularly portray parents as idiots. I really dislike this trope, and I loved how the parents here, on varying levels, engaged with their children’s battles. On occasion a mom or dad even saved the day. To me, that’s realistic.

44. Coach

Wow. This guy. The coach of the school’s lacrosse team and all-round politically incorrect individual, somehow Coach was deeply lovable. Possibly because he cared about the kids on the team? (Well, everyone except Greenberg.) Coach’s dialogue was hilariously outrageous—and he saved Jackson in the finale too.

43. Wild Editing Pace

I used to count cuts per episode when practicing scriptwriting and pacing. During adrenalized sequences the editing would speed up, but also became less paced, so the audience (probably unconsciously) picked up the erratic vibe. Loved the infusion of energy.

42.  How To Lead

What constitutes good leadership is a question addressed both in high school (most noticeably on the lacrosse field) and in the supernatural realm. On the alpha front, Derek does an awful job with his pack, Peter is worse, and don’t get me started on Deucalion. Scott, however, becomes a True Alpha through character alone.

41. Lydia’s Screams And Scott’s Howls Are Spooky AF

My fave of the sound effects. (Teen Wolf made wonderful use of amplifying or muting audio elements to create atmosphere.) Scott’s alpha howling to subdue another creature was chilling. Lydia’s banshee wails were off the freakin’ charts. Loved the creepy energy.

40. Carefully Crafted Sense of Style

Lydia’s wardrobe was an example of great costuming. While growing as a person, her style evolved but certain elements recurred in her wardrobe. Alternately I kind of love how Stiles never figured out how to dress well. A total disregard for fashion matched his personality!

39. Lack of Male Entitlement

The women of Teen Wolf set their own personal and sexual boundaries, and when they laid down the law the male characters listened. Those who didn’t paid for that attitude. Entitlement was not okay in this version of reality. Female characters weren't judged for their sexuality, and the women were often dominant in their relationships. Side note: Alison is a year older than Scott, and more experienced in terms of dating and relationships. Often the main couple in teen TV shows includes a super-innocent female lead, younger than the male lead; this was a great turn-around.

38. Disastrous Parties

The black light Halloween party at Derek’s place was crashed by Oni demons, the party at Scott’s crashed by The Wild Hunt’s Ghost Riders. Lydia’s weird birthday had everyone hallucinating, and OMG the lake house parties (those never end well on any teen show). Despite the lack of success, these kids kept throwing parties. Fighting!

37. Chris Argent

Love this guy. A hunter of supernatural killers, after his wife and daughter died he turned on his sister and father when they lost their moral compass, helping the supernaturals because at heart he’s a protector of the innocent. Plus, he had a droll sense of humor. So cool.

36. Supernatural Teens Making Idiotic Decisions

The teens of Teen Wolf weren’t an all-knowing, super-hip crew. This lot had me facepalming (and laughing) with their stupid but authentic choices and awkward moments. The secondhand embarrassment was real.

35. The Nogitsune Plot

Kira’s family’s addition to the cast brought the Nogitsune plot into play, an epic storyline, entwining myth and discrimination at an American internment camp. And woah the Nogitsune/Stiles twist.

34. Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees

Financial troubles hit the single parents of Beacon Hills hard: hospital bills from supe attacks and time spent in the supernatural psych ward added up. Pre peak GoFundMe, this was a cold, hard dose of realism.

33. Visions

Dreams, visions, hallucinations, repressed memories, sleepwaking, psychic manipulation, and fugue states: the show constantly crossed back and forward between what was real and what was not. Cue mind-bending scenes.

32.  The Opening Credits

Simple, sleek, dramatic and beautiful; always on a black drop, getting darker and creepier each season.

31. The Cops Don’t Suck

Sheriff Stilinski ran the Beacon Hills police, and dealt with dodgy officers harshly. While this isn’t always true in real life, I liked the positive portrayal. Deputy Parrish was also a Hell Hound and having supes—and the supe-aware—on the force made for well-rounded characters.

30. Gritty Sets

Much of the series took place in tunnels, warehouses, and abandoned buildings: think exposed beam, peeling paint, and worn out surfaces. A lot of texture. The baddies also had wild lairs (shout out to the Dread Doctors). The eye was never bored.

29. Things That Grow

Many plants were symbolic, or physically/psychologically/magically transformative. From mountain ash to wolfsbane, nature had power in this world. The Nemeton (a magic tree stump bought into the story by the wonderful mentor Deaton) was used to great effect in the story.

28. Bianca Lawson Appeared

From a slayer on Buffy The Vampire Slayer to roles in Pretty Little Liars, Secret Life of an American Teenager, and The Vampire Diaries, Bianca Lawson in the credits is a sure sign a teen series is approaching cult status. (Here she plays a druid.)

27. Vulnerability Is Lit

They faced a fear, or acknowledge unhealthy behavior to move forward. The series focused on personal growth, whether issues were supernatural or everyday. Characters admitted they needed help, showing it’s not just okay but kind of awesome to express vulnerability, no matter how tough, clever or cool you are.

26. References To Literature

Everything from Sun Tzu to Heart of Darkness scored a mention, whether in school classes or casual conversation. Teen Wolf promoted the idea it’s cool to be a well-read teen.

25. Shifting Alliances

Shows where people play double agent, or cross sides are the best. Werewolves rebelled against their packs, and hunters like Argent changed sides for ethical reasons. Enemies made short-term alliances to battle villains. Good times.

24. Prejudice Is Presented As Ludicrous

Teen Wolf reall-y didn’t like prejudice in any form. Prejudiced characters were shown as somehow broken. And the plot usually showcased the idea prejudiced people not only damage others, but damage themselves as well.

23. Genocide and Hit Lists

Any plotline that strayed into supernatural cleansing was sobering because it explored the sensation of being hated, judged, labeled, and punished for who you are. A somber metaphoric way to make young people understand the horror and atrocities of history.

22. Fire And Energy Powers

Most notably, Kira and Parrish’s supercool supe identities. Watching them burn it up onscreen (pun intended) was epic: Parrish as a hellhound, and Kira as a Thunder Kitsune.

21. Amplified Angst

Nothing like a teen werewolf to bring the angst to the party. Isaac was a prime example of awkward and clueless, angry and traumatized—and he wasn’t the only one. Cora had some rage goin' on too.

20. Empathy Over Intellect

Confession: Not Scott McCall fan, since he was never the sharpest tool in the shed. But the show played on the premise heart matters more than intelligence, and the other alphas highlighted why McCall was so popular. To quote Baron Acton, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

19. The Power of Grief

Alison’s guilt allowed her to be manipulated. The power of grief, especially partnered with guilt, regularly propelled the story. Heightened emotion skews judgment, and Teen Wolf used that anomaly to push the story in certain directions.

18. Excellently Adrenalized

From fight scenes—verbal or physical— to chases, this series kept the blood pumping. The suspense was also high, and never once did the pace bore the audience.

17. The Diverging Mom Opinions

Teen Wolf broke the clueless mom mold. Melissa, Noshiko, Mrs. Argent, and Mrs. Martin are highly capable—in different ways. And despite holding opposing philosophies as to the right path, they always acted in what they believed was their kid’s best interests.

16. Being A Werewolf Sucks

Instead of portraying the supe life as hella cool, the show took a dark path: cons of lycanthropy were up there with the pros. The pack structure left less powerful wolves open to abuse. Hunters were a problem. And loss of self-control on full moon threatened a body count.

15. Recognizing Boundaries

A recurring theme: how to know when to respect them, when to question them, and when to cross them. (Includes the setting of boundaries between the children and parents. A lot of the show is about the transition to adulthood and how that impacts the family dynamic.)

14. We Got A Mantra

“Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” Thanks Satomi.

13. Don’t Protect People From Life

Many plot points arose from trying to protect friends, family, lovers or strangers. It’s implied repeatedly that making decisions for others is a way of underestimating them, and rarely ends well in the context of the story.

12. Always A Price

When Scott’s pack breaks the laws of the supernatural world, there is a price. Nothing is for free in this created reality. Acts of mercy and acts of persecution have both short-term and long-term repercussions: expected, or unexpected, deserved or undeserved. I like that balance.

 11. Violence And Revenge Are Addictive

The Darach lost herself in the quest for revenge, as did Monroe. Many characters—human and supe—developed a taste for violence, offering justifications from skewed perspectives, moving from defenders to persecutors.

10. Sense of Humor

Amidst all the intensity and drama, Teen Wolf infused comedy to balance out heavier material. Shows like Veronica Mars and Buffy The Vampire Slayer had previously made it clear how well this style of emotional cocktail worked with teen audiences, and Teen Wolf took that lesson to heart.

9. From Funny To Whacky

The best whacky moments came from Stiles and Coach but everyone—Liam, Lydia, Malia, even Derek—got to deliver real zingers. Ex-villains, like Peter, really upped the whacky factor when they joined Team Pack Scott.

8. You’re Gay? No Big Deal

Because it shouldn’t be: onscreen or off. Girl on girl wasn’t a focus for the show, but guy-on-guy got a lot of screen time. (Side note: So wish Kira had come back dating one of the Skinwalkers in the finale.) Jackson was the star athlete and school bully—with a gay best friend. Likewise, Mason being gay was a non-issue with his best friend Liam. When the twins enroll at school and one of them is gay, no big deal. Gay couples on the show (like the lovely Mason and Corey) were treated the same as hetero couples: just people in relationships. Love is love in Beacon Hills.

7. Mental Health

Not so much the local psychiatric care facility—which was like something out of the Dickensian era of fiction, combined with discrimination against supernaturals—but portrayals of depression, anxiety and PTSD. Liam had Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Stiles and Scott experienced panic attacks, and many characters displayed symptoms resulting from trauma.

6. Modernizing Myths

Teen Wolf took a series of fabulous old tales, creatures from historical myths, and gave them modern, creative spins. The greatest was the re-interpretation of a banshee. Lydia’s sound-based psychic visions, attraction to scenes of impending tragedy, and sonic warrior skills were an eerie, creative take on an old tale. A close second was the interpretation of The Wild Hunt.

5. The Ships

Oh, the ships. My faves were Stiles and Lydia, Melissa and Argent, and for some reason Malia and Theo—if he went on a redemptive path in a ten year flash forward. Plus I want a Jackson and Ethan spin-off that’s like James Bond meets Supernatural if the Winchesters were hubbies instead of brothers.

4. Teamwork

Teen Wolf is about working together to survive. Usually beating a big baddie takes a few tries, culminating in a plan that requires a number of the pack to succeed. Along the way various members (or almost members) of Scott's pack piece together clues, and keep moving forward.

3. It’s Legit Okay To Be Afraid

via GIPHY

At some point many characters admit they are deeply afraid. I love that almost everyone is presented as a relatable person. Sometimes they hide, or run from potential conflict. Other times they face what’s happening, but screw up, overwhelmed by fear—and that’s okay.

2. Stiles

Or should I say, Mieczyslaw Stilinski. The best friend sidekick, he’s introduced as bumbling and kindhearted, clever but erratic in terms of focus. Unlike most of the cast, he stays human (well, aside from a possessed period). Over the seasons he proves an integral part of the pack, ending the series in training for the FBI.

1. Lydia

Her transition from vicious Queen Bee to formidable leader is a riveting journey. She stops pretending to be stupid, and starts taking care of people, even risking her life, and tackles the discovery she’s a banshee head-on. Lydia is indomitable, and one of my fave female characters to grace the small screen.

Thanks for the good times, Teen Wolf Team! x

Bullying And Storytelling On Television

Bullying can have long-term, complex psychological impact. Watching a teen show recently, I wondered at the use of bullying in the plot. On television bullies are an easy source of conflict because most viewers can relate. But if the writer isn’t careful, the subtext becomes twisted.

What troubled me was the way the script normalized the “mean girl” character. The adults facilitated her behavior by ignoring it, and the other kids accepted her dominance because it was easier than challenging her. From the outset she was given tacit permission to act in such a way; only as her actions become more outrageous did anyone respond, or confront her.

That made me think about how common it is to present television stories where the bully is ALLOWED to bully, especially in teen storylines (workplace bullying and bullying at home are also common small screen themes but I thought I’d focus on teen TV).

Buffy The Vampire Slayer offered a great example of a
bully who experiences epic personal growth.

As a writer I’ve used bullying in scripts and stories. People identify with the struggles of the persecuted, and a bullying storyline creates an immediate empathetic link with a majority of viewers.

But I don’t want to normalize it: presenting a bully whose viciousness is not just recognized, but tolerated almost endorses their behaviour. In an era where victim blaming is being put under the spotlight, a lot of bullying plots from the past and the present carry disturbing connotations.

What are we communicating to teens? That a bully is a fixed personality type? That someone making your life awful is more about how you deal with it, rather than anyone—adults or peers—forcing the bully to take responsibility for their behavior?

Rarely is the bully expected to grow; in many teen shows the bully is just an enemy to be “defeated” in whatever way the plot chooses. Responsibility for action centers on the victim; the victim’s choices undergo more criticism and censure then the persecuting character.

The bully has become an accepted, and often two-dimensional storytelling roadblock. For me that is problematic. Why are we tacitly endorsing this idea? No adults should turn a blind eye to a youth bullying others‑it is NOT normal. Likewise, teens shouldn’t see avoiding dealing with bullies as the “normal” response. Scripted television should be able to offer better food for thought than that.

Pretty Little Liars wove some tangled
(and thought-provoking) bullying webs.

The best scripts present the bully not as a fixed, simplified power tripper, but as complex individuals; narratives should delve into the relationship between the bullied, and the bully. At least try to make us see the bully's perspective. Or more accurately, how they became the persecutors they are, and why they feel compelled to act in such a way—without downplaying the victim’s pain.

In many cases a friendship or relationship evolves from the conflict between bully and victim—but not at the expense of the victim’s self-worth. While the bully’s motivations/issues are addressed, a good writer makes sure it isn’t at the expense of the victim: their trauma cannot be minimized.

Gossip Girl saw Jenny move from victim
to bully, in pursuit of social status.

I’ve compiled a list of ten shows where I felt the story didn’t just exploit bullying as a cheap narrative tool, but instead offered food for thought—whether in a good or bad way.

Moral of the story? People hurt each other: they’re flawed, scarred, and worth trying to understand. But bullying is nobody’s right, and victims shouldn’t be expected to handle it alone. Society needs to tackle that misconception.

Veronica Mars: Veronica and Eli/Weevil, Veronica and Logan

The pilot of Veronica Mars sees Eli’s bullying of Wallace evoke a response from Veronica. By choosing to stand up to him, Veronica wins his grudging respect and a wary friendship develops.

The revelation of Eli’s affair with Veronica’s murdered best friend Lily adds complex layers to his character. Other episodes offer insight into the discrimination he suffers. Over the series we see him repeatedly choose to assist Veronica.

Prior to the tragedy Lily’s ex-boyfriend Logan was Veronica’s friend. Now he bullies Veronica, but as the story unfolds they become lovers. The audience sees the domestic abuse he suffers, and how repressing his complex emotions over Lily’s death have skewed his personality. Working to solve Lily’s murder helps both of them heal.

Veronica Mars tackles grief and PTSD, but what I think is fantastic is that in each of these changing relationships, Veronica is never disempowered. She’s not at the mercy of anyone’s whims; she chooses how each relationship progresses.

Brenda’s Sleepover in Beverley Hills 90210

I saw this episode of Beverley Hills 90210 when young but it always stuck in my mind. Brenda has a sleepover party. This is uncool for the crew in the upper zip code, and Brenda is slightly ashamed of her mom’s enthusiasm for what she deems a childish plan.

One of the girls who rocks up over the course of the evening is Amanda, Kelly’s older, sophisticated, biatch of a frenemy. She instigates a truth-based game that soon turns ugly.

Brenda stands up for her friends, and encourages them to do the same. During this conflict Amanda confesses the core of her issue is an eating disorder. Brenda and the gang then invite Amanda into the fold. What was great here was seeing Brenda’s perspective change over the episode, and also how she not only stands up to the bully but enables her friends to do the same, which pushes Amanda to face her issues—and then they all befriend her.

Female Besties in Freaks and Geeks

Freaks and Geeks is popular for a reason. I found the relationship between Lindsay and Kim so well written, in all its messy teen glory. Lindsay’s insecurity is almost disturbing to watch; she veers from sycophantic behavior to repressed frustration. Occasionally, she’s brave enough to be bluntly honest.

Kim, on the other hand, is a mess. Overly aggressive and veering from one outburst of wild emotion to the next, she has no problems bullying but is also prone to random, unpredictable acts of kindness.

The series reveals Kim’s nightmarish home life, a vast contrast to the suburban calm of Lindsay’s existence. Seeing them carve out a friendship, with Lindsay beginning to understand Kim while also managing to set some boundaries, is great writing.

Addressing Toxic Masculinity in Glee

Glee showcased some great teen characters. I also really liked that Glee focused on the harrowing psychological impact of bullying. Openly gay character Kurt is tormented by school bullies, most notably the footballer Dave.

Dave bullies both Finn and Kurt, but it is Kurt whose suffering really engages with the audience. Being gay is already hard enough in high school, so Kurt’s on-going PTSD from the harassment is extreme.

Having Dave kiss Kurt was a twist not many saw coming. Surprisingly, Dave follows up the kiss with more bullying/threats, to the point where Kurt changes schools in fear. The peak of Kurt’s suffering is utterly heart-breaking.

Eventually Dave comes to terms with his own feelings, and confesses his love to Kurt. Kurt rejects him romantically but a friendship develops. At one point Dave attempts suicide, showcasing the idea a bully may be deflecting deep emotional anguish onto their victims.

Pretty Little Liars: “A”lmost Everyone

There are many layers of bullying in the teen gem that is Pretty Little Liars. We also see the PTSD of bullying survivors and how surviving persecution shapes their personalities (especially Mona and Lucas).

Cyberbullying and blackmail by the elusive “A” kicks off the series. The aftereffects of bullying, judging and ostracizing teens propels the story. While Alison—missing for a year when the pilot kicks off—was the ultimate mean girl, the four characters the story followers were her enablers.

Pretty Little Liars excels at highlighting the myriad ways bullying works. I thought showing how over time, victims become bullies themselves was fascinating. All the teens in the show want to feel empowered; how they go about achieving that goal—and how they deal when that perceived power is threatened—fuels the story.

Righteous bullying is also problematic and rarely addressed: it could be argued that the Liars, rather than just being victims, were prone to persecuting of those they believed were “A”. (Over the years, this adds up to a lot of people!) I would argue in their zealousness, they too crossed the line.

The infamous Hanna slapping Jenna scene was a great example of a complex bullying scenario. As a seasoned bully, Jenna did unimaginably terrible psychological damage to Hanna, but when Hanna slapped Jenna, was that the lashing out of a victim, or another form of bullying because Jenna is blind and therefore at a disadvantage in a physical fight?

Since Hanna’s empathy puts her at a disadvantage in psychological conflict with Jenna, was she moved to retaliate via the only avenue in which she has an advantage? Where is the line drawn? At what point when a person who is a victim lashes out, do they qualify as a bully? 

13 Reasons Why Bullying Has Consequences

For me 13 Reasons Why is a powerful story but a problematic one. Hannah finds her empowerment through suicide; that is how she makes her voice the loudest, her version of events the truth. Obviously this is a profoundly disturbing choice.

But 13 Reasons Why really communicates that bullying, judging and ostracizing someone isn’t merely a moment of nastiness: that even being vicious for a minute can add up with other people’s viciousness or neglect, and contribute to a devastating event. You don’t know what a person experienced before you crossed paths, and what will happen to them afterwards.  The series communicates this emphatically to teen audiences.

During the first season the lead character witnesses sexual assault, and then suffers a sexual assault. Add this to her other traumas, and it all becomes too much. She feels isolated and judged, and obviously suffers depression and PTSD.

I think what disturbed me was trying to interpret how Hannah saw her actions. Her drastic move silenced everyone else’s voices and brought the truth to light, but it also tragically ended her own story. At times the toxic friendships here felt like a competition to define the narrative. In the end it was Hannah who got to outline the events, but what a cost.

Jackson and Lydia in Teen Wolf

When Teen Wolf kicks off, Jackson and Lydia are the high school’s It Couple. They’re also mean af.

Jackson causes so many problems for those around him. We learn his perfectionism is fuelled by insecurities; he’s adopted and on a subconscious level is determined to be the perfect son even if he has to bully and persecute his way to the top. He’s also extremely narcissistic.

Jackson’s world falls apart when he demands to be turned into a werewolf, and the transformation goes wrong: his personality instead sees him become a kamina. His connection with Lydia proves his saving grace. At this point he leaves the show (meaning the character  moves to London). At the end of the series he returns to help them fight, now a werewolf/kamina hybrid, and dating Ethan.

Lydia’s transformation from self-serving bully to self-sacrificing leader is one of the shows greatest achievements. She’s outed as a genius hiding her intelligence to remain popular. Slowly drawn into the werewolf world, she eventually discovers she’s a banshee. The murder of her best friend and a series of supernatural threats up the stakes. Self-serving bullying is no longer her instinctive response in a crisis but it's a gradual evolution.

Lydia transforms from a stereotypical mean girl to a dynamic, complex young woman the others look up to and rely on. Lydia would be among my top three female characters in a teen series. She becomes strong without persecuting others, and rather than judging the weak, begins to empathize and endeavors to protect them. She’s also brave in the face of the unknown: her banshee skills are eery, and unpredictable.

Cheer Up! (aka Sassy Go Go), Five by Five

One of the best TV shows to ever address teen bullying, the Kdrama Cheer Up! looks at a school life in South Korea, where academic excellence is a national obsession. When the top five students and the bottom five students are forced into a cheerleading club the contrast in treatment is extreme: bullying and discrimination against the lower five is openly endorsed.

South Korea has one of the world’s highest teen suicide rates, and this series doesn’t shy away from the perspective of the bully, and the victim.

Everyone carries burdens. I think the self-harm storyline here, and associated domestic abuse really highlights the idea “perfect” teens can be living in private hells. The point made here is change and growth can happen, with trust and communication.

The series also looks at bullying in the outer spheres of the teenager's worlds. Parents bully teachers. The teachers bully parents. The teachers and parents bully students. Students bully students. There are so many cycles of abuse at play and at first the toxic relationships seem overwhelming, but the story is one of hope and perseverance.

Gossip Girl XOXO

Gossip Girl is rife with bullying. The Gossip Girl of the title, a nebulous identity for most of the series, is the show's Alpha tormentor. But GG’s online column is really just an avenue for teen followers to cyberbully each other under the cover of anonymity.

What’s interesting is every regular teen character in the series becomes the bully at least once, I think (Even Eric.) On the Upper East Side, power matters. Bullies don’t just survive—in this environment they flourish.

The rich parents are bullies. For the teens bullying is normalized, taught behavior. The family lives of the leads are generally dysfunctional, except (arguably) Dan and Jenny. Jenny goes from a victim of bullying, to “Queen Bee” (head bully) before removing herself from the race.

And that’s the thing: living in this environment is a race. Even holier-than-thou Dan succumbs. Blair and Chuck begin as bullies, and while Chuck mellows with age, Blair’s journey is a lot rougher. Her empowering combo is bullying and intelligence.

As the years pass the series addresses Blair’s reluctance to develop a different way to engage with issues, and I like the idea that transitioning from a life empowered by bullying, while still trying to maintain a sense of power over those around you, is a long-term problem. Her bullying is presented as a form of behavioral addiction.

Twisted: Can You Bully The Guilty?

This show was erratic in quality, but had a powerful premise. Danny returns home after serving time in a youth facility for the murder of his aunt. He attempts to re-friend his two besties, Jo and Lacey.

Both are wary. Jo is more inclined to befriend him, in the sense she stands up for him when he’s bullied and ostracized. Lacey is attracted to Danny but in the early episodes often stays silent while he’s being persecuted.

At the outset of the series the audience is unsure if the lead is guilty. Danny is clever and independent; publicly he shrugs off the bullying most of the time with a flippant response. But viewers sense his loneliness, and hurt.

Almost too soon the series reveal Danny is not the offender; as if the audience were so conflicted by whether or not to feel bad for Danny as a victim of bullying that the show hurried to assure them he was innocent of the crime.

Which begs the question: Would it have been okay to bully him if he committed murder as a child? Or more accurately, be okay to not empathize with his character’s suffering? Twisted made it uncomfortable obvious that in certain scenarios society can rationalize bullying as less offensive.