Teen Wolf “Triggers” Review

Scott and the gang are planning their best way to stop Gerard and his army, but with Gerard always one step ahead of them, it’s proving difficult. Just when they had one-upped the hunters by pretending to leave, “Triggers” knocks them down again. With a decoy trip to the zoo and an armory break in, things are about to come to a blow. Gerard and his hunters seem to have no limit to what they’ll do… or remorse. But tonight’s possible deadly cliffhanger may just be what lights the fire under Scott’s butt to do something he may not be morally okay with.

Let’s get started with what leads up to that cliffhanger!

The episode kicks off in the school as some haunting music plays. We follow a new guy (Edgar) and see that all the other students have bloody bandages around their hands. When Edgar turns a corner, he sees Gabe and Aaron talking to another scared classmate with his hand bandaged. They spot Edgar, he turns and walks away, but they corner him in the library. All the other students obviously know what Gabe and Aaron have been up to and they quickly leave. Turns out Aaron and Gabe have been doing their own investigating by stabbing everyone in the hand to see if how fast they heal. That’s what they want to do with Edgar, but he swears he’s not one of them. They cut his hand, but he runs before they can see him heal. Aaron stops Gabe from following and says he’ll get him.

In the locker room, Edgar rinses the blood off his head to reveal he’s completely healed! Aaron shows up behind him and asks Edgar what he is. Edgar isn’t afraid to glow his eyes and confess he and his whole family are coyotes. Aaron asks, “what else?” He’s looking for “someone who can do more than just shift.” He grabs Edgars hand as he says, “someone like me.”  We see something move under his skin along his arm with red veins and into and up Edgar’s arm, all the way up his face. Whaaat?? I still think Aaron is the “beautiful face” of the anuk-ite. What do y’all think?

Side Note: Where are all the teachers? More specifically where are Coach and Ms. Martin to stop all this nonsense? You can’t tell me that sketchy guidance counselor Tamora rules that school?? I mean, I know BHH has had its screwed-up times, but COME ON! This is absurd.

In the guidance office with Tamora, Nolan is getting questioned by Agent McCall about Chang and Tierney. They reportedly escaped the transport van and put the deputy in the hospital. McCall says that he’s hearing the wounds of the deputy are probably self-inflicted, though. He asks Nolan if he knows where they might be, but Tamora answers for him. Nolan tries to get out of the questioning by saying he should be in class. McCall then asks when he last saw Chang and Tierney. Nolan tells him the sheriff’s station. McCall questions Nolan’s friendship with Chang, but Tamora tells Nolan he doesn’t have to answer any of the questions. When McCall asks if he would help Chang hide, Nolan says they aren’t friends anymore. So, McCall asks if something happened between the two, and Nolan responds with a simple “no” as he looks to Tamora. McCall asks him again if he knows where Chang is, and Tamora sees Nolan starting to sweat so she calls off the questioning.

When Nolan leaves, Tamora tells McCall that she won’t let him harass a student (HA! The irony!) McCall quickly responds with, “but you’ll put a gun in his hand.” She claims that she’s teaching him to protect him since the FBI can’t seem to do so. McCall says Nolan isn’t the one in danger, the missing kids are, to which Tamora says that the missing kids are the real killers and they both know that. “But, since you’re hear alone, I guess your bosses don’t believe that either. What’s wrong? Can’t tell the FBI exactly what you’re investigating?” McCall: “Something like that.” Tamora: “Then why are you still here?”

Nolan ran to the locker room. He hears someone faintly asking for help. When he rounds the corner between lockers, he sees Edgar on the floor with one arm over his stomach and something moving under the skin of his arms. Nolan creepily grins (whyyyy) as Edgar’s eyes turn black and spiders crawl out of his eyes and mouth! UGH WHY WITH THESE DAGGUM SPIDERS???

McCall (and another agent) have moved on to questioning Gerard at his armory. He wants all the proper legal docs to prove that Gerard legally owns all these weapons and whatnot. He sees a price tag, and then questions what all the firepower is for. Always with the right answers, Gerard says he’s a federally licensed weapons dealer. “My staff and I like to sell peace of mind.” McCall calls out that he’s looking at enough weapons to arm 3,000. McCall keeps throwing Gerard questions, including about security, and Gerard always has the right answer to cover his backside. The other agent says everything is good for her, but McCall says it’s “a lot of inventory for a small market.” Gerard: “What can I say? Business is booming.” Ugh. This shady old man needs to go back to his home.

Back in the locker room, Nolan called in Gabe and Tamora to see Edgar. After looking at him, Tamora immediately says to “get rid of it” because she clearly has no heart. Nolan scoffs a little before saying that Edgar is in his trig class. Tamora is quick to say that “that isn’t human” and to “put it out of its misery.” Seriously, does this woman not have a soul?? Apparently neither does Gabe since he volunteers and strangles poor Edgar right there. Tamora then tells Nolan to help Gabe get rid of the body. Tamora: “Gabe just showed me I can count on him, Nolan. Can I count on you?”

In class, Nolan seems to be having a crisis between right and wrong as everyone does their Algebra quiz but him. When he glances out the door, he sees Mason walk by carrying sleeping bags.

Cut to Mason putting the things in the trunk of a car. He gets in and resumes a trip to “Cyclone St.” Then we see Nolan in his own car on the phone saying that he thinks he found Scott and the others. He then pulls off and follows Mason. Mason soon gets a call from Liam asking if it worked. Mason looks in his rearview: “Yup. Nolan’s right behind me. Like literally, right behind me. He’s driving a bright red car. He’s actually terrible at this.” Liam tells him to be careful before getting off the phone. Mason soon meets up with Liam and Theo at an abandoned zoo to give them the sleeping bags and supplies. Mason asks if he should come with them, but Theo says, “his friends shoot to kill. Go home.” Mason then realizes that Lydia would kill him anyway if anything happened to her car. Liam tells him not to worry about it because Nolan is going to do the rest. Sneaky sneaky, taking advantage of young Nolan who has no idea what/who he’s up against.

Meanwhile, Argent, Lydia, Scott and Malia are hiding out in a car outside Gerard’s armory, waiting for everyone to leave. Lydia gets a text and lets everyone know that it worked. Malia starts to get out of the car, but Scott stops her. They hear more than ten heartbeats inside. Lydia wonders if they’re breaking in or not, and Argent says they aren’t. He worries the armory should be empty by now. Malia has faith that they can take on a few hunters. Argent: “We’re dealing with a dozen well-armed hunters who have orders to kill you on sight.” Malia then wonders how they’re supposed to get inside.

Back at the zoo, two hunters get out of a truck as Nolan gets out of his car. They ask Nolan where they are and he says they’re all inside the zoo. Nolan: “It’s not just the two of you, is it?” Hunter: “What do you mean just?” Nolan: “They’re not just a pack. There’s an alpha, a banshee… they’re all here.” But the hunters don’t see any of them as they look around. Nolan tells them that he saw Liam and Theo bring in food and supplies – including at least six sleeping bags.

As Nolan is trying to convince the hunters, Liam and Theo are listening from above. They think the plan isn’t going to work and wonder where the hunters’ backup is at. When Liam says the hunters aren’t going to believe Nolan, Theo gets the idea that the hunters will have to believe them. He starts yelling as if he’s in an argument, leaving Liam confused as to what the hell he’s doing. Theo keeps going though, even punches Liam in the nose. Theo then starts pretending that he’s yelling/talking to Scott and Malia. The hunters hear him and start to believe they’re all there. Liam, on the other hand, is questioning why Theo actually had to punch him. So, Theo punches him again. The hunters and Nolan hear them fighting from below. Liam shoves Theo against a wall and tries to punch, but Theo ducks. Theo: “See what I mean, Scott? He’s only good in a fight when he’s angry. So, let’s see just how angry he gets.” Liam growls and lunges at Theo, but gets punched again. He comes up growling even more.

Argent starts the car, ready to leave, but Malia quickly cuts it back off claiming that Gerard thinks they’re all gone so it’s a good plan. Lydia: “It’s our only plan.” Argent: “And it’s not working.” Malia: “We can still do this.” As Malia tries to get a vote, their voices get muffled as Lydia sees a crack in the windshield. As she touches it, it cracks more. Argent says they have 10 minutes before Gerard flags their vehicle and sees them as a potential threat. Scott asks Lydia if she’s okay and she snaps out of her premonition – the crack wasn’t there. Argent really wants to call off the mission. But Scott says they have to do it now because Gerard is always one step ahead of them. Argent says they’re too exposed. Malia: “You said we had 10 minutes…” Argent looks at his watch: “9.”

Liam and Theo are still fighting. Theo claws Liam’s abdomen, ripping through his shirt. Liam: “Are you done? Or should we keep going?” Theo hears one of the hunters say they have to call for backup and says he thinks they’re sold. Liam: “You hurt my t-shirt.” Theo: “And you broke my nose… twice. It healed, you broke it again. Two times.” Liam punches Theo in the nose again, “three times.” LOL at these two frenemies!

Scott goes to get out of the car and Lydia asks what he’s doing. He says he’s going to lure the hunters away so they can get inside. Malia closes the door back and locks it. Scott: “We need a new plan.” Malia: “Not a dumb one.” They start discussing other options and scenarios until Lydia stops them as she realizes the hunters are leaving.Theo and Liam have checked the zoo out for other hunters. There’s still only three and it’s been half an hour. Theo questions why Liam picked an abandoned zoo. Liam explains it’s like some Greek Island where they built long, narrow, winding streets that the invaders would get lost in. Theo eyes him. Liam: “What? I like history.” Theo: “I’m impressed. It’s a good idea.” Liam: “Yeah, only if the invaders actually show up.” They then hear and see the cars and the rest of the armed hunters, including Gerard and Tamora. Theo says they need to go because they’re supposed to “be decoys, not target practice.” Liam isn’t quite ready though. His anger is building back up, and Theo sees it. He tries to get Liam to leave, but Liam doesn’t budge even as Gerard tells his men to spread out and nothing gets in or out.

Papa McCall is now at the hospital with Mama McCall looking for Scott. He needs his help, but Melissa isn’t giving up his whereabouts. He tells her about Gerard and his stockpile of weapons and he can’t go to the FBI since it’s the supernatural. She tells him not to worry. He did his part, now it’s Scott’s turn. It’s then that Papa McCall realizes Scott is still in town and gets worried. Melissa: “You have known about the supernatural for five minutes, and we have been doing this for a lot longer. So, trust me when I tell you that these kids can handle it. So, let them do what they’re best at, saving our asses.” Again, I want to know when Papa McCall was told about the supernatural. I really wanted to see his reaction – sigh.

Argent opens a door to the armory and shoots a paintball at a security camera so they can all get in. Malia quickly knocks one guy out. Argent tells Scott and Malia that the thermo-chargers will take care of the weapons, but they have to be out before they detonate. They split up into two. Argent knocks out someone watching the cameras. Scott and Malia come up on another guard, and when Scott tells her to wait a minute, she goes after him and knocks him out instead. While Argent and Lydia are watching the cameras to keep an eye on Scott and Malia, she starts hearing gunshots and shell casings, but Argent doesn’t. She then informs him about her premonition of his windshield cracking and shattering. Lydia: “I think you were right. We should have called this off.”

Back at the zoo, Gerard hands a crossbow over to Nolan. “Shoot to kill,” he says. HE IS LIKE 15, GERARD! Ugh, this old man is insane. After Nolan is gone, Tamora shares her concern about him getting himself killed. Gerard isn’t, though. As long as he takes one of Scott’s pack down with him.

Lydia is still hearing the gunshots and shell casing. She thinks they all should get out of there, but now Argent is the one saying they’ll lose their chance. Lydia: “Scott and Malia could die. It’s not worth the risk.” Argent: “10 minutes ago, I would’ve agreed, but right now we’re in it and we need to weigh the risk versus reward carefully. If we stay, we could succeed. If we go, we know we won’t get another chance. Since one risk is known and the other is unknown…” Lydia: “We go with the known.”

Scott and Malia enter the room that is supposed to contain all the weapons, but all the weapons are gone. Scott: “They knew we were coming.”Theo and Liam are still hiding from the hunters in the zoo. Liam is clearly still angry and wants revenge on Nolan, but Theo isn’t for that. Theo: “I’m not dying out here because you want payback on some kid who kicked your ass, okay?” Liam still refuses to leave, so Theo basically drags him and Nolan hears the scattered footsteps. Theo yells at Liam to calm down causing Liam to glow his eyes and yell back to let go. Theo wonders what, besides Nolan, is triggering Liam’s anger. As Liam stresses that he’s fine, Nolan comes up behind them and yells to the hunters that they’re there. Liam turns and charges after him with a roar, sending them both over a small cliff.

Back at the armory, Argent comes over a speaker telling Scott and Malia to get out of there. As they leave though, they smell Chang and Tierney’s scent. Against Argent’s orders, they stay and yank open another door that triggers a lockdown. They’re trapped.

Gerard finds where the sleeping bags and supplies were put as Tamora comes in to tell him that the armory’s security was triggered. Gerard tells her not to worry about it. It’s not worth his time. He knows it’s Scott, and when she asks what they’re doing still doing at the zoo, he says what they came there to do. Gerard: “Kill his beta.” Tamora: “And then we take down Scott?” Gerard: “Do you have any concept what the bond between an alpha and his beta is like?” He states it’s like the bond between a parent and child. He tells her to imagine snapping the child’s neck and dropping it the parent’s feet. She then asks about the rest of the pack. Gerard: “When Scott falls…” Tamora: “It will break all of them.” These sickos, man. I can’t wait until they get what’s coming for them.

Everything is shut down at the armory, and Argent and Lydia can’t do anything about it. They see that there’s a trigger that can pull all the oxygen out of a room to put out a fire. Lydia: “How long can a werewolf hold their breath?” Argent: “I think we’re about to find out.”

Malia is still trying to get out as Scott comes upon a map of the world with red dots in some locations. He then catches a scent and looks over to see something framed. Malia runs in asking where Chang and Tierney are. Scott: “They’re here. That’s all that’s left of them.” It’s their skin with their pack symbol tattoos and their wolf ears – yikes! Laser pointers that scan the next room over then turn on, and Scott has to pull Malia out of the way before she triggers it.

Liam wakes up in a dark cage with his Devenford Prep lacrosse jersey on. He’s hearing Brett call out his name. When he looks up, he sees him standing there with two other players behind him. Brett taunts him about how losing a game can be painful. Since Liam is the one that caused them to lose the game, Brett thinks Liam should “share some of my pain.” The players then toss lacrosse balls at Liam as he curls into a fetal position. The taunting finally stops, but when Liam looks back up, Nolan is standing there with the crossbow pointed at him. He stands up and wolfs out. Nolan: “She wants me to kill you. She’ll kill me if I don’t.” He puts his finger on the trigger, but Liam lunges after him with a roar. He pins Nolan against a rock wall. Instead of punching Nolan, he punches the rock wall behind him as he growls. Just as the anger is about to get the best of him, Theo comes up from behind and knocks Liam out, telling Nolan to run. You better thank your lucky stars, Nolan!

Meanwhile, Argent and Lydia are trying to find a way to warn Scott and Malia, but all the communications are shut down and the room is sound proof. Argent finds a pipe and knocks on it.

Malia wonders why there’s a motion sensor is on if they already know they’re there. Scott: “I don’t think we wanna know.” They hear Argent’s knocking, and he finally busts a hole in the pipe. He yells at them not to trip the sensors. Another one turns on. They both jump over and under the sensors through the room until they land on a shelf – Malia laying on top of Scott. Another sensor turns on. She leans up as she says sorry for laying on him, but Scott quickly pulls her back as a sensor passes over them. She looks at him and it’s a bit awkward. Malia: “This is…” Scott: “Uncomfortable?” Malia: “No.” Scott: “I should probably do something.” Malia spots something at the ceiling and says she has a plan. Scott: “Sounds great.” Malia: “You don’t even know what it is yet.” Scott: “I mean it’s great that you have a plan…” he has to pull her back down before the sensor passes. She looks to the ceiling and says that’s their way out. When Scott tells her they can’t reach that, she assures him she can.

Argent and Lydia are messing with wires trying to reset the system, but when they see Malia in the camera, they wonder what she’s doing. She climbs like a monkey across the room, managing to avoid the sensors. She hits a lock to a window in the ceiling and knocks it off, but as it hits the floor, a piece pops up and hits a sensor. A smoke-like substance instantly sprays out of the vents and into the room, sending Scott and Malia to the floor. They suddenly struggle to breathe.

Argent and Lydia watch from the security room as Malia and Scott lay together on the floor, struggling to breathe and stay conscious. They only have minutes. They see guards move in and surround the door with guns pointed. Lydia says they have to do something.Cut to, a smoke bomb being thrown into the hall where the guards are. Argent comes in shooting and then takes some of the guards out with a knock to the head. Lydia comes in and tosses a heavy bag at one’s face before kicking him to the ground. She then goes into a premonition of Scott’s house flickering in and out of her vision. She hears the windows shattering and gunshots, but she’s still in the armory hall.

Malia lays against Scott’s chest. She gets his attention, but he tells her to try not to talk. Malia: “I don’t wanna die like this. Not like this.” Scott: “The more you talk, the more oxygen you use.” Malia: “I don’t care. I’m not dying here. I was supposed to go to France. I’m 18. I haven’t been anywhere. There’s too many things I wanna do. I don’t wanna die here. Not here. Not like this.” 🙁

Lydia and Argent run to the door of the room Malia and Scott are in. Lydia: “You said the doors were solid steel.” Argent: “I said they’ll stop a bullet, not a banshee.” He backs up. I love how much faith he has in her abilities! Scott watches as the door starts to bust, but Malia is drifting out. Lydia’s scream is muffled, but it’s heard and she busts down the door like a friggin boss! YES, GIRL! Scott and Malia can breathe better as soon as the door is down. Even though Lydia has been sort of on the backburner it seems this season (which is disappointing), I love that she still saves her friends. Also, Argent and Lydia are a badass team! I love that these two still share an even greater bond after Allison.

Liam comes to in Theo’s passenger seat as Theo drives. He has a pounding headache because Theo had to knock him out… five times. Sorry, but I find that hilarious. They have a great comedic chemistry. I don’t ship them as a couple like many seem to, but I definitely like them as frenemies, ha! Anyways, Liam sighs as he remembers he almost killed Nolan. Theo reminds him that while he almost did, he also broke his hand trying not to. They start talking about his plan and how it triggered him. Even if Liam didn’t mean any of it, it was still his plan – including to bring Theo along. Liam: “If I needed your help for anything, it’d be so that I’d get angry enough to kill you myself.” Theo: “You brought me here because that thing that came out of the Wild Hunt is affecting you too. You need to figure this out before you completely lose it.” Liam: “The anuk-ite causes fear, it doesn’t cause anger.” Theo: “People only feel one emotion at a time, which is why you get angry when you’re afraid. It’s why you almost tore Nolan’s head off.” Liam: “If the anuk-ite is doing this to me, what do you think it’s doing to everyone else?”

In the armory, Gerard looks around. He sees the map from his wall missing. Tamora comes in and tells him about the guards that were taken out, and how it looks like it was four of them. Tamora: “They out-maneuvered and overpowered the rest of your men.” YOU BET YOUR BEHIND THEY DID, GIRL! She then realizes they have the map and worries Scott will figure out what they’re really doing. Gerard assures her that he won’t. She wants to know the plan. He reminds her of the bond between an alpha and his beta. Gerard: “Don’t make the mistake of thinking that applies to us.

In Scott’s room, he closes his door and asks Malia if she’s okay. Malia: “Remember what I said out there when the air was running out?” Scott: “You mean about going to France?” Malia shakes her head, “I mean about all the things I said I haven’t done, and all the things I still wanna do?” Scott: “Yeah.” Malia: “This is one of them.” SHE KISSES HIM! Then HE KISSES HER BACK, and it turns into a full-blown make-out. Okay, I know a lot of people aren’t for this ship because of the whole best friend code thing and it being force, but I honestly really dig it? I think they have an honest attraction, connection and understanding of each other that make them good together in my opinion.

While they’re making out upstairs, the map is getting rolled out downstairs. Melissa, Argent, Lydia and Mason are gathered around it. The red dots signify where all the nematons in the world are. Lydia starts to hear things again as they discuss what Gerard could possibly want with the nematons. Mason: “If they’re like the one here, then they’re beacons for supernaturals.” Gerard: “If he wanted kill every supernatural creature in the world, these are where he would start.” Gerard wants the whole world of supernatural creatures, y’all.

Papa McCall walks in looking for Scott. He states that no one can leave the house because of Gerard’s weapons. Lydia hears shell casings. Scott and Malia walk in. McCall: “The guns, they’ve all been distributed, legally, to citizens of Beacon Hills. All of them and at no charge.” Scott: “He just gave them away?” Argent: “No. He’s arming his army.” Lydia hears glass shattering and looks at the window. She then realizes what’s happening. She yells for everyone to get down as she pulls Mason down with her. The window shatters as flashbulb arrows shoot through. Every gets down together. There’s gunshots, shattering glass and lasers everywhere as they duck on the ground. When the shots seem to stop, Scott and Malia look over at something in horror.  A pool of blood oozes toward them on the floor and a bloody, shaky hand raises up.

Y’ALL! Okay, I’m going to be straight with you, there’s already a clip from next week’s episode of Scott talking to Mama McCall as she lays in a hospital bed! I am NOT OKAY with this! If Mama McCall dies, there will be riots! Gerard done messed with the wrong mama! You better believe this only fuels the fire under Scott’s butt even more!

We’re getting closer to the SERIES finale, and I’m super anxious about it. On one hand, I’m so sad to see it end, but on the other I’m excited. I can’t wait to see how they wrap things up and answer the burning questions of the season. I only hope that everything gets resolved, and while we get closer to that resolution with each episode, there’s still so much we don’t know. There’s also still so much that can happen with this war between supernaturals and the hunters.

With only FOUR episodes left, who will make it out alive? Tune in with me to find out!

Teen Wolf airs Sundays at 8/7c on MTV!

GIF Credit: fytwolf, aztechale, stiles-lydia