Teen Wolf has been adamant through all six seasons that its hero, Scott McCall, remain as pure and innocent as possible. Will that stay true through to the finale?
Scott has faced a variety of villains throughout all six seasons of the series. Some have proven more difficult to beat than others, but even when all odds were against the McCall pack, Beacon Hills’ True Alpha has always found a way to win without taking a life.
Even the best of werewolves have made decisions that have led them to taking an innocent life and sporting the blue eyes that come with that choice. For those like the two young werewolves we saw earlier this season, the choice can come from a misguided place. Jiang and Tierney hunted those who hunted them. While their actions cannot be excused, it isn’t hard to sympathize with their terror and anger.
For others, their choice was not so black and white. Derek has blue eyes because he decided to end Paige’s suffering after her body began rejecting the bite. Jackson killed plenty of innocent people, but as a kanima who was being controlled by someone else.
But while taking a life can be understood, and even excused, Scott has managed to keep his hands clean for nearly six full seasons. He is the True Alpha; he gained his status through sheer force of will and the purity of his heart.
Unfortunately, Beacon Hills is on the brink of war. With the hunters relentlessly chasing down every supernatural creature they can find, Scott is constantly being reminded that sometimes you must end a life to protect countless others. Both Sheriff Stilinski and Peter have pointed out (some more gently than others) that sacrifices must be made.
Gerard Argent is not a good person. He is, as far as we know, absolutely human, but that does not inherently make him good, just as Scott being a werewolf does not inherently make him evil. Throughout the course of the series, he has constantly walked the line between reluctant ally and outright villain, often only working with Scott because it played into his ultimate goal — which has always been to look out for himself and his family’s legacy.
Does he deserve to die? Many would argue that he does. He has killed plenty of people on both sides of the fence, including his own men in order to execute a plan that only benefited him. Scott would rather operate within the confines of the law and his own moral compass. He doesn’t feel as though he has the right to kill anyone, even someone as cold and cruel as Gerard.
On the other hand, some of the other characters on the show don’t think they’re going to get out of this mess without taking out a few members of the opposition. It is a fair conclusion to draw, considering the other side is shooting to kill.
But will Scott be the one to do the deed? Will he take a life in order to stop the war? Will he kill Gerard in order to keep safe the other supernatural creatures in Beacon Hills?
In season 6, episode 17, “Werewolves of London,” Peter calls out Malia for trying to find allies, such as himself, who are willing to kill in order to win. He calls Scott delicate, citing that Malia is merely trying to protect her Alpha from the consequences of war. Peter even lumps Malia in that group with him, and she doesn’t deny it. She has, after all, shown us that she’s much more comfortable finding a permanent solution to their problems than Scott or some of the others have been.
It seems likely that Gerard must die by the end of the season. He’s proven time and time again that he is smart and patient, a combination that allows him to lie in wait until the opportune moment to strike. You could throw him in the deepest, darkest, most secure cell in the world and he would find a way to crawl out of it.
It doesn’t seem likely, however, that Scott will be the one to kill Gerard. We’ve discussed this many times on Not Another Teen Wolf Podcast. Scott can bear the weight of the world on his shoulders, but knowing that he has killed would fundamentally change him as a character. Would the writers really do that in the final episodes of the series? It’s doubtful.
If Gerard must die and Scott will not do it, the only solution left is that another character must end the elder Argent’s life. There are plenty who would line up to do the deed, including Stiles and Malia, if it meant protecting someone they love. Even Chris, Gerard’s own son, would not be too much of a stretch. He is certainly more sympathetic to the werewolves he used to hunt than his own father.
Then there’s Peter, whose moral compass barely functions. Kate, who has become a monster herself. Even Monroe, the guidance counselor, could finally come to her senses and realize she’s doing the world no favors by keeping Gerard alive.
At the end of the day, Scott’s greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. He is too kind, too pure, too willing to trust those who have wronged him in the past. He’s never been a reluctant hero, and he’s never questioned his resolve to always do the right thing. I don’t see him beginning to waver now.