Teen Wolf was a popular MTV series that ran from 2011-2017. The series followed Tyler Posey as Scott during his transformation into a werewolf. Though the series may sound like a campy Twilight rip-off at first, it actually succeeded in offering a different, unique take on werewolves while also incorporating other culture’s views on the creatures. The series also exceeded in offering unique folklore and a diverse cast of “creatures” instead of following the typical vampires versus werewolves trope.
While most fans agree that some of the show’s earlier days were a bit rocky, it still has quite the beloved fan following. To look back at some of the bigger missteps within the series as a whole, here is our list of the 10 worst episodes of Teen Wolf, according to IMDB.
Face-to-Faceless- S6E14
Surprisingly, all of Teen Wolf’s worst episodes reside in either season 1 or 6. Fortunately for Face-to-Faceless, it is the best of the worst. The episode has a heavy focus on Liam after accidentally revealing himself to the public. As a result, his relationship with just about everyone, including Scott becomes a bit strained. He is also removed from his role as captain of the Lacrosse team.
Elsewhere, a lot of the side characters also have some smaller moments that push some of the plot forward, but in a seemingly fast way. The biggest problem that Face-to-Faceless has is that it seems to pack too much into a single episode, making for some awkward pacing and the like.
The Tell- S1E5
The Tell is the best of the worst episodes of season 1. The episode itself follows Scott and Allison as they decide to skip school. Due to this, Derek is left to defend himself against the hunters on his own, resulting in his capture and torture. The nice thing about this episode is that audiences are given their first major hint into Derek’s past, especially in regards to his relationship with the hunters.
On the other hand though, the rest of the episode feels burdened by an awkward mix of horror and teen drama. Unfortunately, one of the biggest struggles the show faces at this moment is that it feels like it doesn’t know what type of show it wants to be just yet.
Lunatic- S1E8
With the rapidly approaching full moon, Scott’s entire future is in jeopardy, along with those closest to him. Furthermore, after Scott’s breakup with Allison, Jackson begins to get suspiciously closer to her. Thankfully though, Derek is at least able to make a return in time to help Scott through his constantly changing behavior.
Chronologically, speaking though, this is at least the last bad episode of the first season. Though there would still be a few bumps along the way, everything that follows Lunatic feels much more like the style of the show that so many people love.
Heart Monitor- S1E6
Immediately following the events of The Tell, Heart Monitor starts to look more into the identity of the Alpha. Scott and Stiles also try to learn to control Scott’s heart rate, despite Stiles’ displeasure with him. Stiles, however, being the fan favorite character that everyone loves, figures out Allison’s role in keeping Scott under control and continues to help his friend.
Once again, the episode is filled with some over the top drama, most of which seems to be resolved by the end of the episode. At this point, it is really unclear just how the future of the show will progress.
Pack Mentality- S1E3
As even yet another episode from Teen Wolf’s first season, Pack Mentality mostly follows Scott and Stiles as they work to discover what Scott’s recent nightmares have to do with the mysterious deaths in the town. Of course, local authorities believe it to be a wild animal of sorts, while Scott begins to think that it was himself.
Furthermore, the drama between Scott and Allison gets a bit more awkward as the two accidentally end up on a double date. While the episode still feels like it has a bunch of classic high school drama, the show still feels like it is not exactly sure what it wants to be at the moment.
Second Chance at First Line- S1E2
Once again, season 1 finds itself with a weaker episode in the series. Second Chance at First Line focuses a bit more on the negative side to Scott’s new abilities. Since he’s still incredibly new to being a werewolf, Scott’s story mostly focuses on how he learns to adjust to this aspect of his life. Of course, there’s also the typical drama that revolves around Scott’s relationship with Allison and the reveal that her father hunts werewolves.
Much like the other episodes from this season, Second Chance at First Lines feels burdened by too much exposition. Derek especially is incredibly hard to like at this point at the show feels as though it is going to follow the same pattern as many other teen dramas during this time.
Wolf Moon- S1E1
Unfortunately, a lot of shows seem to have their pilot episode as one of their worst. Granted, it can feel burdensome to audiences as they are first introduced to unfamiliar characters and filled in on the situations at hand. In the case of Teen Wolf, Wolf Moon is a weaker episode. While it’s definitely nice to see characters like Scott and Stiles for the first time, the episode definitely feels held back by its exposition.
It also introduces a lot of characters at once while trying to establish the story, making it incredibly difficult to get immersed in the world. Thankfully, the show would eventually find its footing, eventually becoming the cult classic it is today.
Triggers- S6E16
With the series finale rapidly approaching, one might think that the show would focus its attention in other ways. If one were to look at the episode out of context, it would seem that a lot of random, unethical stuff has occurred at the high school that someone should have reported. While the storyline of season 6 still helps the episode make a bit more sense, a lot of what occurred in Triggers still feels a bit random.
Even the episodes focus on Liam as he and Theo try to force the Hunters away just feels a bit like filler. Of course, by the end of the episode, it is revealed that the Hunters are only going to hit harder, making Triggers feel almost like a waste of time.
Raw Talent- S6E12
Raw Talent actually features some interesting character development and some surprising, yet welcome, callbacks to earlier episodes. However, that is about all the episode has going for it.
The thing that makes this episode as well as the last season weaker than the others is in that it feels like so much is packed into each individual episode that a lot of characters don’t get a chance to shine in the same ways that they used to. Like many other episodes in season 6, Raw Talent happens to fall in the same pattern.
After Images- S6E13
According to IMDB, After Images is officially the worst episode of Teen Wolf, ever. Here, Scott and some others begin looking for Brett, who has gone missing after a gang of Hunters managed to attack him. In comparison to other episodes, this one is much more serious. The Hunters are truly starting to enact their plan against the werewolves, and several key characters are caught in the mix.
While it makes sense for the plot of the episode, very little teen/high school drama takes place. Considering how other episodes of the season have gone, it is surprising that there would be little other side plots. While too many plotlines burdened other episodes in season 6, After Images seems to suffer from a lack of side plot.
