Written for Meta May Monday 2024's prompt: Pack.
I enjoyed Teen Wolf The Movie, all-in-all. Like any piece of media, there were things I wanted that I didn't get and things that I felt should have happened that didn't. Now, while there are things I didn't want and things that I feel shouldn't have happened, for me it is always beneficial to examine the media closely and answer the question, why did they do that?
One of the things that displeased me initially was the appearance of distance between Liam and Scott. (And the absence of Hayden, but if I talk about that, I'll never get to my point). Liam and Scott didn't have a real conversation in the movie beyond a few shouted instructions at each other. Yes, part of the reason for this was trying to fit a whole story into a little over two hours, but they could have at least had a moment together.
However, looking back over time, I had an epiphany. Perhaps that wasn't an oversight but a conscious decision. I decided to look at their relationship in the movie within the context of the show, and I concluded that this was not just a production necessity but -- especially in the light of the "Scott roars and the pack's eyes light up" scene -- a conscious decision. Perhaps words aren't necessary to reaffirm the bond between alpha and beta.
I will explore this by looking at their relationship in the movie and comparing it with two different scenes: the opening when the possessed wolf comes onto the lacrosse field in Said the Spider to the Fly (6x01) and the scene between Derek and three of his betas in Restraint (3x07).
When the movie starts, Scott is in Los Angeles, and he tells Chris that he hasn't been back in Beacon Hills for a long time. Liam lives and works with Hikari in a place that could very well be on the other side of the world but was never specified. Scott and Liam are both drawn to Beacon Hills for different reasons, yet at first, they don't seem to have had much to do with each other. When they do meet up, there are clues that they haven't become strangers. Scott may be surprised to see Liam, but then again Liam was living far away. On the other hand, Liam doesn't have to introduce Hikari. Liam doesn't have to explain the reasons why he and Hikari would come here. Scott can give Liam instructions immediately, and there's no push back. They work together without any of the necessary establishing scenes that people who have lost track of each other would need. I point out that this is also true for Derek, Lydia, and Malia. Malia and Scott have issues, but even so, it doesn't stop them from working together; it doesn't even make it more difficult. Malia tries to tell Lydia that she missed her, which Lydia gently rebuffs, but that's set to the side.
In fact, the person that Scott must talk to the most is Allison, bewitched by the nogitsune. He establishes motive, explains decisions, and seeks to build trust. Melissa tells Scott that it's important to help her remember who she was. Allison was pack. Just like Liam, just like Derek, just like Lydia and Malia.
Now, a possible counter argument is that this was just made to cut down on exposition in the movie due to time requirements, but I feel there are many scenes (especially between Stiles and Scott, but I'm not going to address those because Stiles wasn't in the movie) where trust was demonstrated in the series by there being no need to explain it to each other.
An important scene which I feel demonstrates this is at the beginning of 6B. Liam, having trouble because Hayden has moved away, almost gets caught transforming in the middle of practice. Scott has to talk him down. Yet, when the diseased wolf (possessed by the Anuk-Ite, though no one knows that yet) shows up and menaces Nolan and the lacrosse team, Scott and Liam immediately begin working together without talking. Scott doesn't have to ask Liam to come with him; Liam doesn't have to inquire about their plan. They walk in unison even though Liam was having trouble not five minutes before.
A counterpoint is the scene in Restraint, where Derek is trying to formulate a plan against the kanima and Gerard, and he gets frustrated because his betas keep questioning his decisions. They're looking at the restraints they're going to use for the full moon, and Isaac is asking him question after question. Derek explodes with "We can't!" to these questions which seem to be quite reasonable. Why the anger? Because pack should mean that his betas shouldn't have to badger him about what they were going to do. Isaac never stops questioning Derek, never stops demanding explanations. Eventually, Isaac joins up with another pack.
Of course, the writing decisions are influenced by the limitations of the medium, especially time requirements. Davis very clearly didn't want to spend a lot of time on exposition and explanation. That wasn't what he was interested in. Yet, I feel that the lack of conversation in the movie couldn't be Davis's disinterest in Liam and Scott's relationship, because otherwise there would be little reason for Liam to be there at all. Liam didn't know Allison; he wasn't invested, and if the film could do without Stiles, it could certainly do without Liam. But the narrative reason he was included was to underline the truth behind Scott's taunt to the nogitsune.
Scott: And I'm still standing. And I'm still the alpha.
The nogitsune wants their fun, and it pleases it to kill a pack's alpha right in front of them, and he is their alpha, and they're his betas. It even pretends to be a werewolf to twist the knife. He fails, of course, but Jeff didn't need to have the characters say the words to show that it is true.
