Three seasons in, and the MTV reboot of the Michael J. Fox movie has finally won me over.
I've been watching the show kind of listlessly for a while, drifting away after a few episodes, only to drift back when I catch sight of a promo.
The first season wasn't that great, but to be honest, nowhere near as bad as it could have been. The main problem? The show's leads (which I think I've mentioned before), who weren't charismatic enough to carry the program's Romeo/Juliet premise.
Every now and again though, the stylised darkness really worked. Borderline cinematic in scope, actually.
Once season two got kicking, sub-plots started hatching left, right and centre. MTV called in a stream of solid talent, while also allowing minor characters more screen time. The cinematography and editing, already pretty top notch, got better and better with each episode. Dark, moody, with occasional scenes thrust into the daylight.
Now, well into season three, there's no denying the show's established a serious sense of STYLE. It's not just faux-edgy anymore. Teen Wolf is confident in ways only a well crafted vehicle can be. Nobody's dipping their toes in the water... everyone, onscreen and off, is diving right in.
Episode eight of season three, especially, showed a willingness to explore/play/utterly screw around with standard linear narrative. Jarring, if not downright confusing, a style of structural experimentation not often seen in teen television. (Kudos to the network for loosening the reins on that one.)
Why is the show working so well right now? I've got a few ideas that all equal a whole lot of MORE.
The scripting is moving more quickly, the narrative more dense. The violence is more immediate because it feels like it always impacts on the storyline of a main character in some way, so there's more empathy evoked in the viewers. Think more shifting of alliances (a show's always more interesting when "goodies" and "baddies" are written with more complex nuances). Overall, there's more confidence, in the sense the production is taking more risks, the majority of which are working.
Less pretty characters who happen to be portrayed by better actors are garnering more screen time. More romantic potential is blooming, that more often than not, doesn't work out, adding to the potent mix of chemistry/history (making shared screen time between two characters more interesting every time).
Say hello to more kinds of supernatural beings onscreen. (Hey, the more, the merrier. Just no dryads. True Blood STILL hasn't recovered from that early plot monstrosity.) We see more kinds of relationships (ie siblings) explored in more complex ways. Not to mention more exploration of the concept of leadership and how it interacts with individuality.
The adults have been incorporated more readily into the narratives, which lifts it out of the "teen-show-with-clueless-authority-figures" category. (Making parents idiotic is the downfall of many a teen show. Supposedly appealing to the youth market, but I'm not sure if this approach holds true in the longterm, because over time it tends to damage the quality of the show, ie parentals stand out as poorly developed rather than deliberately flat.)
Oh, also, female characters get more screen time en masse and more power (in terms of supernatural skill sets, I mean. Trust me, that's the only way to stay alive on this show). There's also more humour, woven adroitly through more intense scenarios, which I always like because it makes me think of Buffy.
I've never been a fan of the idea that shows can "grow" over time, it always sounds quite naff, but I think Teen Wolf actually has grown past its predecessor, and is in the act of creating its own (entertainment?) identity.
Overall, there's just a whole lot more happening. Need I say more? (Maybe one more time... 'cause that's not annoying.)
Tempted to finish with some "if you don't agree, bite me" humour, but that's too tacky. Masterful Restraint, Table For One.
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