Tyler Posey has been the face of Teen Wolf for six seasons, but he recently went behind the camera to direct season 6, episode 13, “After Images.” The results were impressive.
If you’ve been a fan of Teen Wolf from the beginning, you’ve been lucky enough to see Tyler Posey grow and mature over the years. He’s proven himself to be a beacon of light for the fandom and a leader on set for the rest of the cast members. Anyone you ask, whether it’s creator Jeff Davis, seasoned actor Linden Ashby, or peers like Dylan O’Brien, Holland Roden, and Shelley Hennig, they all have nothing but fantastic things to say about the teen wolf himself.
Posey was no stranger to acting when he stepped onto the set of Teen Wolf for the first time, but he’s talked extensively about how much of an influence this series has had on his life. We’ve seen him take challenges head on, both on screen and off. We’ve seen him perform with his band and upload solo performances to YouTube, host award shows, create a podcast, and now we’ve seen him take on directorial duties for his show.
A lot of actors choose to stay in one lane, to do what they do best or are most comfortable with. Posey has clearly embraced his life as an actor, but has found other ways in which to express himself creatively, much to the delight of his fans.
Teen Wolf season 6, episode 13, “After Images,” finds Scott, Malia, Liam, and Lori tracking down a wounded Brett, while Melissa and Chris investigate a mysteriously faceless body.
Like the other directors who have come and gone over the course of the series, Posey’s style is not so pronounced that 6×13 feels like it’s from a completely different show, but he’s made some deliberate choices that indicate he knew exactly what kind of feelings and emotions he wanted to elicit in his viewers.
Two scenes in particular stuck out the most, the first being the video game sequence between Mason and Liam at the top of the episode. The way the camera pans back and forth makes you feel as though you’re sitting there with them, watching the conversation as it develops. It generates familiarity and a sense of friendship, compounding the camaraderie these two characters already have with each other while onscreen.
But it’s also slightly disconcerting. The slow and deliberate movements of the camera make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. It’s claustrophobic; you can’t see the rest of the room, so when the viewpoint turns enough to show the body standing there in the background, just out of focus, it’s even more of a surprise.
The second scene is when Lydia is concentrating on the flame of the Bunsen burner, trying to bring on one of her premonitions. When the background noise swells and Lydia is drawn to the fire, you know what’s about to hit. The camera zooms in close, then flips completely around, which makes you feel as off balance as Lydia does when she slips into one of her trances.
This episode, written by Angela Harvey, is another solid addition to season 6, one that is only brightened by Tyler Posey’s first time in the director’s chair. Here’s to hoping there will be many more.
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