Teen Wolf season 6, episode 10, “Riders on the Storm,” just finished airing, and we’re now halfway through the series’ final installment.
But let’s not mourn the end of the show just yet, shall we? We still have 10 glorious episodes left before Teen Wolf takes its final bow from our television screens.
The good news is that Stiles is back! The sheriff holds off the Ghost Riders while Stiles tries to find his way back to Lydia. He doesn’t show up in the tunnel, which has the pack wondering if their plan worked at all, but he does return to where he was taken — his Jeep.
Stiles runs around town looking for Scott until he happens upon Mr. Douglas, who’s trying to merge the worlds and bring the Ghost Riders into this plane of existence by using Corey’s abilities to travel between dimensions. Stiles promptly smacks him in the head with his trusty baseball bat, though that only keep the Nazi down for a few minutes.
“Bad guy, right? I didn’t misread that?” No, Stiles, you’re timing and your aim is perfect, as is your return to the show. Dylan O’Brien has only been in three of the 10 episodes so far, but his character has been such a focal point of the season that it didn’t feel as empty as I was worried it would. In fact, I’m enjoying this season more than I ever could have anticipated. Teen Wolf always hits the right beats for me — the humor, the horror, the heartbreak — but it sounds a little sweeter whenever Stiles is there to add his unique rhythm.
The newfound heroes of the season, Theo and Peter, make a return this episode as well. It looks like Theo was never actually taken by the Ghost Riders, though he’s still looking a little worse for wear. He even helps Liam steal a horse to get into the Wild Hunt against his better judgment. He sacrificed himself and this is how Liam says thank you?
Meanwhile, Malia is none too happy that she has to create an emotional connection with Peter in order to pull him out of the train station. She calls him Dad, and her earnestness is enough to wake him up. He’s not feeling too positive about the whole situation, but it looks like his love for Malia is enough to make some of the Ghost Riders corporeal so he can kick their asses. It’s nice seeing this relationship finally develop considering we learned about it two seasons ago.
Scott and Stiles attempt to divert the incoming train, but Mr. Douglas makes quick work of them. Since the worlds are merging, however, they’re not thrown into the other dimension, but rather into different areas of Beacon Hills. In what felt like a direct callback to “Weaponized,” a Ghost Rider holds a gun to Stiles’ head. Luckily for him, Lydia is ready with her banshee powers and saves Stiles just in time. “I didn’t say it back,” she says. “You don’t have to,” Stiles replies, and the two share a kiss.
You know who else shares a kiss this episode? Melissa and Chris! We get a pretty great standoff between Argent and a Rider, but the experienced hunter is quicker on the draw. “That was so hot,” Melissa says. She’s not wrong.
But while Scott’s mom is having a relatively good night, Stiles’ mom comes back uglier than ever and tries to choke out both Lydia and Stiles. Luckily, the Sheriff found his way back to the real world and has a bullet with Claudia’s name on it. With Lydia’s help, they send the alternative Claudia back from whence she came.
“You of all people, Scott, should know what happens to a lone wolf,” Douglas says.
“He’s not alone,” Theo shouts. “He’s got a pack.”
“And Theo’s not in it,” Malia snaps. “But I am.”
“I’m not in the pack,” Peter admits. “But no one likes a Nazi.”
Could this be the greatest exchange in the history of Teen Wolf? It might be, especially when you factor in all the unnecessary (but completely awesome looking) flips that follow. Scott manages to divert the train, saving Beacon Hills from certain destruction, and everyone who wasn’t directly involved with fighting the Ghost Riders goes back to their lives, none the wiser.
As the storm disappears, Mr. Douglas tries to claim his leadership over the Ghost Riders. They’re having none of it, so he’s turned into one of them and is forced to join the Wild Hunt. They leave town, but they’re not defeated. It seems as though they’re not stuck in Beacon Hills anymore, and the natural order of things has been restored, for better or for worse.
“Last day ever!” This is the beginning of what truly feels like the end for Teen Wolf. In fact, if I hadn’t known there were 10 more episodes left, I would’ve bet money this was the series finale. We learn that Malia has summer school, Stiles is going to George Washington in D.C. for a pre-FBI program, Scott got into UC Davis, and Lydia was accepted to MIT as a Junior.
Stiles bequeaths his Jeep to Scott, along with a roll of duct tape, and gives Mason his trusty baseball bat. Liam is the incumbent Alpha now. I had my reservations at the beginning of season 6, but Liam has come a long way since the premiere. He’ll face plenty of obstacles, but I think he can handle whatever Beacon Hills throws at him as long as he has Mason, Hayden, and Corey at his side.
“They still need us,” Stiles says. “They’ll always need us,” Scott replies. This is a great full circle moment that mirrors the conversation between these two in the premiere. Yes, Beacon Hills still needs the McCall pack, but these kids also deserve to move on with their lives. They’ve been through Hell in the last few years, and although their hearts and lives will always be tied to Beacon Hills, it’s time for them to see what they can make of themselves.
I find it so incredibly fitting that they hear of a dead body in the woods and turn the police scanner off, driving off into the sunset. They’ve both come so far since that pilot episode six seasons ago, and this truly feels like the end of one journey and the beginning of another.