A Whovian's Lament

September 27, 2015

*sigh*

Sit back and get a little comfy. I'm going to blather on about my disappointment in the new season of Doctor Who, which feels almost sacrilegious, but necessary. Maybe if I purge myself, I'll enjoy the show more.

So… as mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of Capaldi as the Doctor. This has nothing to do with his acting. I enjoy his work. But… here's the thing… I just can't get past the fact he's been two other characters besides the Doctor in the Whoverse—Caecilius in The Fires of Pompeii and John Frobisher in Torchwood: Children of Earth.

But wait! What about Eve Myles? She played a character in Doctor Who before being in Torchwood. Why doesn't that bother me?

One simple reason. The character she played in The Unquiet Dead, Gwyneth, by rights, could have been an ancestor of Torchwood's Gwen, so… my brain has no problem wrapping around the idea. But Capaldi's characters? Not so much. Wanna know why?

Because THE DOCTOR doesn't have ancestors on earth. Even if I bought the idea Caecilius—a social climbing Roman—could be the ancestor of John Frobisher—the man who learns ass-kissing doesn't always pay off and can, instead, bring a tragic end, I can't buy the idea they're somehow related to the Doctor. EVER. It's just a big, fat NOPE.

Again, because the Doctor doesn't have ancestors who are human, with the exception of maybe Ten and Rose in the alternate universe. So, yeah, I struggle—a lot—to get into Capaldi as the Doctor.

And while I'm on the topic, let's chat about Missy the Master. Hooray for having a woman Master. Seriously, I love the idea and think it's wonderful. That said, the way she's written is a big, fat disappointment.

Staying strictly with New Who, I wouldn't want to be the actor who had to fill the big shoes John Simm left behind after playing the Master. Michelle Gomez did a superb job in the previous season and I would have been thrilled to bits if that would have been the end of the Master's manipulations.

But, of course, it's not. We open the season with two full episodes of her. Bleh. And it's not the actress, in my opinion, it's the writing. Simm's version had a terrific arc to show how he became insane, why he did the things he did, and finally, a thread of redemption.

But Missy? Eh, she's a little too over the top, yet… at the same time a little too shallow and look at me, look at me, look at me, to be believable. And maybe that's the point, but it's not one I'm enjoying in any way, shape, or form. The apparent I'm just here to screw with the Doctor and have fun while doing it doesn't interest me. And that's the way her role in the Whoverse comes across for me. She serves no other purpose than to muck things up for the Doctor. Don't we have all the other monsters and villains for that purpose?

Finally… let's take a look at this Doctor. The War Doctor made a comment about having a mid-life crisis when he got a look at Ten and Eleven and their young visages. So, awesome, we have an older guy for this regeneration. Should be great, right? Eh, not so much. For a more mature version, Twelve is certainly getting in tune with his inner child.

I guess I'm not thrilled with the idea Twelve brings an electric guitar and a tank to his battle with the medieval-looking opponent. Because honestly? The incredibly stupid jokes that people will get in a few hundred years were too lame to be humorous. Personally, Nine, Ten, and Eleven had a higher mental age than the current Doctor, who runs toward temper tantrums and super snit fits. Don't get me wrong, he's got some amusing moments with both, but it may not be enough to sustain my interest.

Do I take this Whoverse stuff way too seriously? Oh, hell yes, I do. LOL But… I miss the continuity of the earlier Davies seasons. The sweeping emotional arcs we got in a single episode sometimes. And Moffat is more than capable of writing that way. I mean Blink is one of the most emotional roller coaster episodes I've EVER watched on TV, so he's got the chops to connect with me on that level… when he's not trying to be too quirky or clever or whatever the hell he's trying to be with the gimmicky shtick he's been throwing out lately, especially with the two opening episodes of this season. They were disjointed and messy and I'm honestly not sure what I was watching, but it's not the Doctor Who I love.

And no worries if anyone vehemently disagrees with me. I'm totally okay with the rest of the planet loving the Doctor as much as they always have. I'm just not quite there yet—maybe I never will be—but I'm hoping Moffat rises to the challenge of keeping me as a viewer.

Whew. I feel WAY better now. Thanks for letting me vent.

As an aside, I did read the concept that the familiar faces of Caecilius and Frobisher would be explained sometime this season, but truthfully, unless it's super brilliant—and it totally could be—I'm still going to have big issues wrapping my head around the idea. So yeah, there's that.

And for now, I'll keep watching—because I've had a lifetime of Classic and New Who.

~M~

Bitten SkyCaps: Episode Two—Prodigal

Welcome back to the crazy world of SkyCaps. This is the place I blather on about the shows that alter my universe and eat my brain. And hopefully share my love for the writing, cast, and storylines.

Standard warning—always keep drinks safely away from the computer, device or keyboard when reading. Be prepped and ready for snarky commentary and foul language. I get excited and sometimes upset and when I do, the four letter words fly. I also make up words to fit my moods, so there's that, too. I'm not always on the same wavelength with others. This means off the wall opinions, observations and non-stop rambling is pretty much a given. Spoilers and speculation abound. If you haven't seen the episode and don't want it ruined, step away from the recap and run in the opposite direction.

As always, keep your hands and feet inside the roller coaster at all times. Safety first, folks. The ride gets bumpy. J

Okay, everyone ready?

Here we go…

PREVIOUSLY ON…

Elena almost changed in front of Philip and had to lie to get away.

"The only difference between humans and anything else is the persona, the mask behind which we hide all desires."

"Be careful out there."

Creepy walk with a wolf attack.

Braxton the asshat hunter and his dog blue traipsing through the woods.

"Well it looked like a wolf kill, but I could smell it was not really a wolf."

"Some random mutt kills in my territory. Why?"

"The pack needs you."

The morning after wolf attack (and end scene from last week)

COLD OPENING

Let's revisit Clay and Elena's last few moments from the last episode. Elena's walking up the lane and catches Clay's scent.

E: You're gonna have to do better than that if we're tracking a mutt.

C: Missed you, too.

All caught up? Good… because the fur flies pretty much right out of the gate.

E: Are you the welcoming committee? Or did Jeremy finally chain you up to the front gate where you belong.

Ouch.

Whew. Elena is very standoffish. Clay wants to help with the bag… but yeah… she's got it. No thanks. But she's maybe not quite as unaffected as she wants Clay to believe

FLASHBACK

Four years ago, a similar scene plays out very differently…

C: Don't be nervous, okay, I'm gonna be fine.

E: When you put it that way, I feel nervous. This is a big deal, bringing me home to your family. What if Jeremy doesn't like me?

C: Impossible.

E: Okay then, I'll come clean. I've never met anyone's family before, not… you know, in this context. Not in a context of this is someone that I love and want to spend the rest of my life with, and if you don't like me, then…

C: Darlin', I got you.

Whew… *fans self* Sorry… need a moment here. Have something pretty to look at for a sec…

 

RANDOM COMMENTARY

Before we get back to the present, if you haven't read the books, there's a lot of nuance here, which will be explained further into the episode. Personally, I kind of love how this is all handled in the framework of Elena coming back to a place she thought she left behind. I'm also a little thrilled they only have a four year span of time instead of the decade or so in the books. The length of time always kind of bugged me, but I won't delve into it too much for the recap, except to say it makes more sense to me to have it play out this way. J

PRESENT

Elena wouldn't let Clay get her bag, but she couldn't stop him from opening the door.

Home. Wow… could she be any less enthused? LOL Nothing's changed. But according to Clay (after giving Elena a nice once over) some things have. (Remember… he's a professor of anthropology and completely fascinated with studying humans.)

Elena: What?

—Elena let Nick buy all her clothes when she lived at Stonehaven.

—Clay thought she hated shopping. (She does!)

—Does he not think she can pick her outfit herself?

His answer? You tell me.

Yeah, Elena's not going to take that bait. She'll leave the room instead. Okay, what Clay means is, she looks… good. Well sure, she cleans up pretty well when she's a human. BURN! (Just go with it for now… trust me) She's still looking around the house, but not finding what she wants.

Where's Jeremy? He's not here. And doesn't that just piss Elena off. She's alone in the house with Clay. Joyful fun. At least he offers to feed her, can't forget that wolf metabolism… she's gotta be starving.

Where's Jeremy? Ah… he's running.

And Clay needs to get it straight. She's not there to talk, or catch up, or whatever else he had in mind. She's there because a wolf needs to be tracked and it was clear everyone else was going to keep pressuring her until she came back.

Clay's kinda like… everyone?

Elena doesn't have an answer for that, because hey, Clay did NOT put any pressure on her, unless telling how great it was to hear her voice counts as pressure. *shrugs* You decide.

But Elena just wants 'this' done so she can leave. The sooner Jeremy knows she's there, the faster she can start tracking the killer.

I'm pretty sure Clay is starting to get the picture.

But Elena spells it out anyway: She's not there for them.

Clearly.

Don't start.

And out the door she goes… and wow… she's pretty damn speedy. It looks like she's crossed half the property in the two milliseconds since she left the kitchen. LOL

Two shots ring out and Elena gets concerned, calling out for Jeremy… the sound of gunfire echoes a third time.

Cue opening credits…

ACT ONE

Does anyone else get the feeling Elena really wants to punch Clay in the face? It's like she doesn't care whether it's safe or not. Has no worry about the hunters, etc. because of the bounty on a wolf. Nope. All the more reason they should be out there making sure Jeremy is okay.

Excuse me? He's the alpha, right? Not saying there can't be stupid leaders, but Jeremy doesn't seem like a dumbass, so Elena's attitude seems a little off. But… Jeremy is the Alpha, instinct would be to protect, right? Plus, when you throw in the fact she has ZERO desire to be alone with Clay, her 'gotta go fine Jeremy' mindset makes all kinds of sense.

Too bad Clay doesn't give a shit if she's uncomfortable. His instinct is to protect his mate and I wonder if we'll ever see Clay caught between his utter loyalty to Jeremy and his love for Elena. Ah! Thank the universe wolf-Jeremy comes loping back to the house. I wondered if we'd have to take bets on who'd draw first blood between Elena and Clay.

Scene shift

Jeremy's studio? Lots of art supplies, paints, and canvases. And a nice reunion. Jeremy's really happy Elena is home. (Except she's not, right? Home is Toronto.)

Important facts

—Yes, gunshots. But Jeremy's okay.

—He caught the scent of the hunters on the western border of the property and left immediately.

—No clue if they were shooting at the mutt. Jeremy didn't smell him, but any snapped twig or rustling leaf is gonna be met with bullets until the situation is resolved.

—Jeremy's take? It's been quiet lately, then BAM! The mutt problem comes out of the blue.

—With Elena home, they have a much better chance of finding the guy.

—Right. Elena makes things clear. She'll track the killer, but once they find him, she's out again.

Okay… they'll start tomorrow when everyone is together. Elena's ready now. Sure, but if she goes out alone and finds the mutt, he'll try to kill her. Is she prepared to kill him?

And there's the big ass question. Remember when she got all bent over having to murder to hide their secrets? Exactly.

And no, she's not prepared to kill the mutt. Then Jeremy will send Clay with Elena. No way. She'd rather go with the local psychopath.

Clay's response if my favorite line of the night.

Did you forget, darlin'? I am the local psychopath.

Yeah, okay. Elena will wait until everyone's there. Long day, blah, blah. She's gonna go unpack.

Clay's a little crushed, but as Jeremy puts it: She came back. It's a start.

Clay's not so sure.

SCENE SHIFT

So, remember when I said to pay attention to Philip's purple sweater? Here's why…

Dude's got a colorful wardrobe.

Anyway, Philip bumps into Logan and Rachel. Logan makes the introductions. Philips figured Logan would be in upstate New York with Elena. No, Logan's leaving first thing, by the way, Philip is Elena's boyfriend. Rachel comments it's a terrible thing about the accident. Yeah, anytime kids are involved…

Dammit, Elena. Logan said to keep it simple. LOL

Kids? Yeah, Logan didn't want to worry Rachel. He doesn't have to spare her feelings. All right. No problem. Whew. Potential fight averted. J

Back at Stonehaven…

Elena familiarizes herself with her old room. And finds something she left behind…

The match to Clay's, which he still wears. Elena tucks the box into a drawer but something tells me she's not going to be able to shut out her past—or the pack—so easily.

SIDE NOTES

Okay, see Elena's manicure? Just take a look and remember for a later time, okay? Also… I seriously can't say enough about the background music/score. A lot of times the music can really help make a show for me and Bitten is doing a great job keeping me glued with their cues. Reminds me a little of Battlestar Galactica's musical cues. J That's a very good thing.

SCENE CHANGE

Ah, the mutt is on the prowl again. At least he's polite when he's sniffing out his next target. The local girl wonders if he's a hunter. The bounty is like a thousand bucks. And yeah, he's a hunter, but the money means nothing to him, only the kill. Oi… subliminal meaning, much?

Pertinent info…

—The kill is to avenge the poor girl (that he killed *eye roll*)

—Christy. Four years ahead of the current girl he's with

—Christy was voted most likely to succeed (Not bad for someone the mutt considered a slut, right?)

—The mutt thinks his new target must've been voted prettiest (Could this dude be any cheesier?)

—Ha! Not likely. The chick is still a junior.

His reaction is kinda awesome. Is she even allowed to be in the bar? There's a curfew for anyone under the age of eighteen until they nab the wolf. She can't walk home by herself. That works out perfectly.

Or not.

The drinks are on the house… the bartender's sister is not.

No easy conquest for the mutt today.

Meanwhile… in the Bear Valley Diner…

Nick and Antonio are *shocker* eating. LOL They're also waiting on Pete—his bus is officially late— and information gathering.

—Christy's family is planning a closed casket service

—Braxton and his boys were parked out near the Stonehaven place earlier that morning. Thought they might have seen something.

—Nick and Tonio are gonna wait for Pete outside.

Or not.

Enter the sheriff who has seen the Sorrentinos around a couple of times over the years, but has never officially 'met' them. You know, I like her. She's pleasant yet direct. Of course Antonio introduces himself and Nick as old family friends of the Danvers. And dumb, dickhead deputy, you know, Braxton the asshole's buddy, dives right in with:

"My hunting pals said maybe they saw a wolf up on your property."

Okay, hello? It's Danvers property, not Sorrentino. Duh. At least the sheriff gets it right. If a wolf is settling on the Danvers land, they'll have to come up there. What else can Antonio say but 'Of course.'

Deputy Dickhead: We've all heard wolves up there before.

So what? Are Nick and Antonio personally responsible for the wolves being there? And okay, okay, they actually are, but Deputy Dickhead irritates me with his smarmy bullshit.

But Nick agrees. Wolves pass through, but they keep on the move. The sheriff smooths things over again. They just want to catch the animal and resolve the issue. She just got word another girl is missing. (Ahh… the second mutt kill from the end of last week's episode). That's two in one week for a town where nothing much happens.

Thank the universe Pete arrives before Deputy Dickhead can stick his foot up his ass again. And Pete gets the tense vibe and breaks it by asking if they're eating there or what? He's starving. LOL Hell, no. They're heading home, but before they leave, Antonio mentions they're eager to help out any way they can.

Much to the sheriff's surprise…

Back at Stonehaven…

Okay, so the next scene gives me shippy chills even though it probably shouldn't. To the background sounds of Famous for Fire by Adaline, we've got Elena settling in for the night. Her coyote wound is healing, which apparently makes her think of Toronto since she picks up her phone with Philips contact info on the screen. But she doesn't call him… instead she puts the phone down and gets up to wander toward the window. She puts her hand on the wall, kind of like she's maybe reliving a memory.

But no… that's not it. The scene pans out and Clay is sitting on the roof outside her window, directly beside the place she just touched on the wall.

*shivers* Yeah, if I hadn't already wanted them together because of the books, this scene pretty much nailed it for me. The ship just set sail. LOL

But wait… there's more. I'm not the only one feeling the feelings. Elena's not nearly as unaffected by Clay as she wants him to believe. No way.

Visual Proof…

Elena…

Elena…

You shouldn't be here.

Tell me to leave.

 

Tell me you don't want to see me.

Or that you don't want me to see you.

Whew… can't blame her for not being able to speak…

All you have to do is tell me no.

She so doesn't… and the screen gets all steamy. :D :D

But… it's a dream and Elena wakes up to the sound of her name being whispered by…

Nick. LOL

He's there to wake her up and tell her she looks a-MAZ-ing. She looks the same. The same as she did a year ago… pretty the same as five years ago. See… it's not all a curse being a werewolf. Prolonged youth, now there's a silver lining, right? Yeah, not so much. When they get old… they're old that much longer.

Great bit of dialogue here.

Nick: Just take the compliment.

Elena: Or what?

Nick: Wouldn't you like to know.

Elena: Wouldn't you like to try.

They discuss being unable to blow off steam with a run… the breakfast bell sounds in the background.

Nick: Yeah, dad's been at the grill for the last half hour. Better get going before Peter eats all the bacon.

Elena groans

Nick: Or… I could stay in bed all day with you, if you prefer.

Elena: Nice try. But no dice. Now run along, little pup, I have to get dressed. Go!

Nick: Little pup?

Elena: Yeah.

Nick: You've seen the bone I can bury.

What can I say? I loved this conversation. I think it goes a long way to establish how close and comfortable Nick and Elena are, and it injects some humor, which also helps viewers get an idea of how Elena lived prior to moving to Toronto. I don't know, it really works for me.

Scene shift…

Elena calls Philip and gives him an update about well, the fake cousin's condition. Philip mentions running into Logan and wonders if he put Logan in the doghouse by mentioning the kids… his girlfriend seemed surprised. Oh, he's met Rachel? Eh, Elena's sure everything will be fine. Good. When everything is settled, Philip and Elena should have drinks with Logan and Rachel. Right… Elena quickly changes the subject to what Philip has planned for the day. He's meeting with a potential new client. What's she up to?

She's just getting up and can't remember the last time she didn't sleep next to Philip. How about last night? Before that doesn't matter. While the conversation is going, someone is coming up the steps and finally clears their throat.

Elena ends the call and of course it's Clay outside her door.

The snark flies.

C: You going to track a mutt in those clothes? Or maybe you're leaving.

E:  You can stop with the sentry act. I'm not going anywhere.

C: No? You're just trying to get out of here as soon as you can.

E: Oh. So now you're eavesdropping.

C: I didn't hear anything. Is there something to hear?

E: I have people who like to know where I am.

C: People or person?

E: You can stop digging. It's not as if you care.

C: Every day for the last year I've fought the urge to find you. To see you.

E: And yet you stayed away.

C: I was under orders from Jeremy.

E: Right. You wouldn't disobey. It's not in your nature.

C: You think you know my nature.

Random Commentary

Okay… put on the damn brakes here for a sec. Remember when I said to keep your hands and feet inside the rollercoaster? This is one of the reasons why. Holy shit, I've got whiplash. LOL

Let's see if we can break things down a little. I think there's some important information here but it's maybe getting lost in translation. First, remember when Elena whined to Logan about the questions starting from Clay? This may be what she meant. But honestly? Not exactly the inquisition, IMO. He's not asking anything a close friend wouldn't ask and they were a hell of a lot closer than friends if we go by the opening, right?

Follow that with the whole Clay not caring and that's when my whiplash starts. If Elena is happy with Philip and has moved on… does it matter if Clay cares? And he obviously does if he fought the urge to find and see her. And Elena challenges that statement—yet he stayed away. Well yeah, Jeremy ordered him to stay away. And she challenges him again—right, and Clay wouldn't disobey, it's not in his nature.

First, did she want him to, and second, if so, why? If she spent any time with Clay after she turned, she has to know he'd never disobey Jeremy. The one time Clay did resulted in, well… I hope to hell we actually get to see this onscreen. More thoughts on this later.

Here's the thing. This is very akin to Elena's character in the books—back and forth, up and down, hot and cold. The sometimes unreliable narrative drove me a little batshit. I'm not so sure it comes across well onscreen either. That said, I'm intrigued to see if they follow the books because I could grow to like the unreliable narration Elena provides.

She's all het up about Clay pushing a bunch of questions on her… yet to me, he holds WAY back. The way she described it to Logan, I kind of thought Clay would be up in her face, demanding answers, but yeah, not the case. And I love the way Greyston plays Clay. He seriously looks like he is keeping a tight rein on himself. It's like a physical presence. That I like. A lot.

I guess the key thing to walk away with here is the fact that Clay and Elena have a shit ton of baggage and neither are able to check it at the door. Elena, in my opinion, isn't fully cognizant of how much Clay has to hold back and/or refuses to see it. Clay can't let go because she's it for him—the person he mated to for life—which hasn't been shown on the screen, but it's not a hard leap to make for fans of shifter/wolf lore. I mean from the opening and the ring he still wears, it's a safe bet, IMO.

Here's hoping we get to see the how and why.

Back to Recappage

I love, love, love the breakfast scene. All the guys talking. Whether Elena's up yet? Are they waiting for Logan? And when she walks into the kitchen the total joy at having her there is truly apparent. And of course, there's the 'eat, eat, eat' stuff. And hey… a nod to Jeremy's translation career from the books when he translates Tonio's words.

He who moves, eats. He who sits still, dries up.

Must be a symptom of city life… Elena's been trying to get her appetite back to what it was. It's also great to see/hear how the others deal with the need to consume huge quantities of food. But Elena's right… it would be easier for a guy, or at least less noticeable.

Ahhh… nice moment with everyone at the table waiting, their attention on Jeremy, who's pretty much oblivious until after he gets his first bite down. They're waiting on him to give them the go ahead to eat their fill. One of the nice tie-backs to the books. No one ever eats before the alpha. And the fact Jeremy kind of forgot nicely underscores how long it's been since they've been together as a pack. Nicely done show.

Elena asks about Logan. He's on the way. She doesn't want to wait, she can start tracking now. Nope. She can't change in broad daylight, it's too risky. And going out as a human is not an option. So, send the guys with her, she can still track as a human.

She's been away from the pack for a year. Why not take some time to refresh her memory about the mutts, all her files are downstairs where she left them. They'll go over Jeremy's plan that night when Logan gets there.

Until then? Eat… and rest up. More bantery talk. Nick wants to know if Elena is ready to rest up. She doesn't need to 'rest up', she's got work to do. Pete thinks she's clearly out of practice. They should take it easy on her. No, no, no. She doesn't need them to take it easy on her.

Nick: Prove it. Five minutes. Back patio.

He's on.

Five minutes later, Elena's ready to rumble. And rumble she does. She's barely out the door when Nick dive bombs her and the fight is on. The back and forth is pretty even until Nick sends her sailing into the wall he just bounced off of, but Elena's not quite as lucky. She drops down into the open space.

Peter: Tell me you're not letting him off easy.

Elena: Maybe.

Nick: You're a horrible liar. City life has made you soft.

Elena: Really?

She makes a flying leap, lands back on the ground, and finally takes Nick down. He stands corrected. Corrected, yes. Standing no. Down he goes again.

After a few pop culture references, like how he's been waxing off too much in New York, Nick asks what she's been doing in Toronto. For sport? She can start there. (Which means he really wants to know what else she's been up to LOL) Racquet ball. And that brings on the laughter. What? It's a good workout.

Clay walks out and Nick and Elena do a few more quick jabs and blocks before Nick gets her in a headlock. Elena laughs and Nick plants a kiss on her cheek. Pete comments how hard it is to practice fighting anywhere else.

Nick: Clayton Danvers spectating at a fight?

Peter: There's a first.

Clay: Not spectating. Assessing.

Nick: Assessing the ass kicking I'll give you?

Clay: Now why would I want to humiliate my oldest and dearest friend?

Elena begs off to grab a shower.

Nick: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't you want to see me destroy this guy?

Elena: Actually… I do.

Peter: Now you've done it.

Damn right. And I’m a-okay with Elena doing it. Especially if it means Clay will rip off his shirt.

And I'm shallow enough to admit I could watch Clay and Nick spar all damn day. But… Nick is not the one doing the ass kicking.

Nick: Dammit, can't you let me win just once in our lives.

Clay: It's not in my nature.

An eyeroll moment for Elena

And a lovely call back to the books.

Nick: Same thing as when we were kids, huh?

Peter: No, this was different. This time you managed not to piss yourself.

From the books, the very first time Clay and Nick met, or maybe the first time they fought, Nick pissed right down his leg. LOL

The friendly back and forth makes Jeremy very happy. But Antonio reminds Jeremy that Elena's right. They could be out there tracking the mutt as humans. Jeremy doesn't disagree, but the mutt seems to hunt at night. That's the time they can best track him.

I love how Antonio totally knows what Jeremy's doing. Sure, good point, but the moment they find the mutt, Elena will leave again. Jeremy doesn't deny it. They all want her back. The best way to do that is to remind her that Stonehaven is her home. Antonio adds his two cents. They can only hope the good there outweighs the bad.

The scene moves to show Elena walking away from Clay… which would apparently be part of the bad.

ACT TWO

Picking up, Elena is in the basement getting ready to work on the mutt files, and we get some good background info.

Made certain from this point forward, the two factions of werewolves—the noble pack who set and maintain the rules, and the mutts, lone wolves who are to be policed and punished…

Of the rules, the foremost is maintaining the secrecy of our kind. We are forbidden from undergoing the change in front of humans or from killing them unless the change occurs in their presence…

The only way for a woman to become a werewolf is to be bitten. It has long been speculated that women are not sufficiently strong enough to survive the process…

SIDE NOTE

Except, Elena proved to be more than capable of surviving… wonder if that has deeper meaning?? And I'm sure it will, after I've read all the books. LOL

Moving on…

Elena drags her files out, all stored in a dusty, beat up cases, then she spots a particularly shiny case—you know, the kind drug dealers and arms smugglers use—and has something of a reaction. And it's not a 'one of these things is not like the other', it seems to go a little deeper.

But Pete pops in and distracts her. He's tried to make sense of her beyond cryptic filing system for over a year. LOL She's surprised Jeremy put him on mutt detail. He didn't. Peter, like an idiot, volunteered. :D

I love him.

What she sees is how she left it. Oh… and she needs to add Zachary Kane to her shit list. He had a run in with Clay a few months back.

So…

—All mutts tracked and accounted for.

—Elena has a lot of memories of being on the road with Clay.

—She really used to hate the archive room. (I added the 'archive' part)

—But Peter's history lessons made her love coming down there.

—Yeah, well, she's a big part of that history… the only woman to survive being bitten.

There's one thing Elena never really understood. Peter's life could take him anywhere. When Jeremy calls… why does Peter come back?

—Dude, Jeremy saved Peter's life.

—No one likes to talk about it, but the Pete she knows? Not always the case.

—Twelve years ago, he was on tour and pretty strung out at the time.

—He took a groupie back to his room and in the haze of drugs… started the change.

—Peter panicked and killed her.

—He called Jeremy right away and begged for his life, told Jeremy he'd turn it all around for him.

—Dominic Sorrentino, the alpha at the time, would've sent Peter to his death if Jeremy hadn't fought for him

Elena knew he had a tough past, but not that he'd killed a human. (Hmm… interestingly enough, Peter actually followed the rules we just heard. This is an issue I had with the books, too. Might dive into this a little more later)

Jeremy fixed everything, including Peter. Gave him time to go walkabout and sort himself out. That's what Jeremy's done for Elena the past year. So yeah, when Jeremy calls, Peter comes back, because everything Jeremy is doing is about their survival, about the long game. And like it or not, Elena is very much a part of that plan.

Too effing bad. Elena doesn't want the warm embrace of the family… after what she did. After killing Jose Carter, she only wanted out. Yeah, well, the support of the pack, the family, Stonehaven, without them? They're bound to fail. But according to Elena, with them… they're bound to kill. She doesn't ever want to do that again. As Peter puts it, nothing says she has to, but she's taking it a step further and trying to be human, which is just as dangerous. If she tries to push the wolf down, it won't stay down for very long.

Random Commentary…

I loved this scene. I had a few issues with continuity in the books, but figured I missed something. Actually, in the book, Peter killed a girl and her roommate showed up, if memory serves. Now that added a big ass wrinkle to things.

But for the show… since the change occurred in front of a human, Peter really didn't have any other choice but to kill her, based on the lore of the pack. What's not on the screen is the fact he'd more or less left the pack and that's why Jeremy fighting for him was such a big deal.

I also love the tie-back to Logan's warning to Elena. She can't fight the change… sooner or later it'll force itself on her. Having Peter take the idea a step further and warn Elena that trying to play human will eventually bite her on the ass is important, IMO. And throwing in the mention of how she felt after killing someone adds another nice layer. Hopefully we'll see a little more on the subject.

Shift Scene…

Oh, hell. Please do not tell me the mutt is gonna go after a little kid. Well, fuck. He totally did. Dammit. And okay, that's a huge assumption on my part, but what else can it be, right?

Back at Stonehaven…

Elena is up to date on the scents and locations of the usual suspects, mutts who've had recent run-ins with the pack, and gives Jeremy the rundown.

—For starters, Zachary Kane. Running  a car theft ring and Clay caught him and shut it down.

—She doesn't have anything recent on Malcolm Danvers.

—Jeremy's father? He's dead. Eight months ago, he got challenged by a mutt. Someone always took a run at Malcolm.

Yeah, not much of a reaction from Jeremy, which surprises Elena. She also has no idea what to say. Jeremy fills her in. His dad hated him, from the moment he was born, because he wasn't the son he imagined having. After the battle for Alpha, no way could they reconcile. Jeremy doesn’t grieve the man. He might grieve the father he might have been.

Nice moment when Elena says good fathers are hard to come by… this should come up later.

But, back to the mutts. No one hates the pack more than Daniel Santos. Clay killed his brother, Daniel got excommunicated. Great thought, but the scent didn't belong to Daniel.

And look what the wolf dragged in. Logan! Everyone's accounted for… time to get started.

—A local girl got killed by a mutt.

—The body was dumped on the outskirts of town and now hunters are on the edge of the property.

—With the bounty on the wolf, there will be more.

—They'll put an end to the chaos tonight. Elena pulled up the files on the mutts with the most recent vendettas with the pack, starting with Kane.

As Clay puts it, he left him hurting. Kane got the message. Awesome, but they could be dealing with anyone who has crossed their paths in the past. Peter and Logan will search West Bear Valley, Antonio and Jeremy will cover Main Street, and Nick, Clay, and Elena will check out the industrial area.

Elena is super thrilled with the idea.

They can change if they have to, but discretion is the key. Something tells me that's gonna bite one of them on the ass.

And aside from a small exchange of smiles between Nick and Clay, both men wisely keep their mouths shut when they exit the room…

Cue commercial break

ACT THREE

Okay, I'll be totally honest, I'm all head-scratchy over why Clay and Nick think it's a great idea to change in the middle of town. Yeah, yeah, Elena suggested splitting up to cover more ground, and sure, I guess they could cover more area in wolf-form… if there didn't happen to be a bounty on ANY wolves spotted.

But hey… I can roll with whatever. LOL

So, they'll stay upwind of any hunters and spot them before the gun-toting club sees them in changed form. Besides, if they find the mutt, Nick wants to be in wolf mode. Wait, wait, wait. He's not going to kill the mutt. Clay's like, hello? He killed a girl. And Elena shoots right back. He'll pay, but no killing while she's around. Agreed?

Like Clay and Nick are really gonna argue, right? Fine… let's run.

LOL… I love how Elena excuses herself to go elsewhere. Me? I'm perfectly happy to ogle the hot men.

In wolf-mode, off they go. Elena (I'm assuming) follows the scent of the mutt to his lovely hovel. Yep, it's her. And uh oh… a very naked clay is in human mode and decides it'd be a great idea to pet Elena.

WARNING! Next image is NOT SAFE FOR WORK!!

Dude's lucky he still has his hand. LOL Um, yeah. Head on inside, Clay and give Elena time to cool off.

Oh yeah, and find some clothes. How convenient there are a bunch of garments hanging on a clothesline, right?

And ohhh boy… she's pissed when she throws Clay some pants and lets him have it with both barrels. Don't ever pet me like that again. To Clay's credit, he keeps his mouth shut… and gets dressed… letting Elena focus on the job at hand.

Oh, Clay… I love your honesty, but really? You're pissing Elena off.

E: This place smells like death. How did you find it before me?

C: I didn't. I followed you.

E: I don't need a bodyguard.

C: It was for my own protection. You have a better sense of smell. You'd clock the hunters way before I could.

Thank the universe Nick shows up and breaks the tension with his choice of wardrobe options.

What? It's a little East Village, but I'm not putting on that negligée out there.

Doesn't matter. The mutt isn't there. And Elena doesn't have a bead on its scent. It's new to her… it almost smells newly turned. And that's quite the surprise, according to Nick. "You're telling me, you can smell newly turned?"

She's saying it smells different. And ewwww! She finds a chunk of scalp under the bed. No wonder it smells like death. It also means another killing. (Hello, missing girl the sheriff mentioned earlier). Elena knew she should've gone out tracking last night. And that could've been her. For once, Elena doesn't argue with Clay's assessment.

Nick suggests going back to Jeremy with the news… unless they want to wait around for the mutt. You know, then snap its neck. Clay's got the right idea… they should clear out so he doesn't have a chance to smell them and cut out. They should change and go home.

Oops. Elena's not so cool with that idea. Change again? Nick's like, what? You want us to walk back? Clay gets points for thinking Elena's drama is more about changing in front of them and offering to change in the other room and meet her outside.

Too bad he's got it wrong. It's more about not being able to change again so fast. The way she's been fighting it and trying to live as a human is really biting her on the ass right now. After a bit of a struggle, she finally manages to get the change started, but…

When she exits the mutt's place, two guys see her and have a big 'oh shit' moment. They wonder what to do and one grabs a bottle. "If we kill this thing, we get the bounty." But when Elena growls and bares her teeth, they trip all over themselves to cut and run.

Cue commercial break

Random Commentary

Okay, chalk this one up to me watching the episode a zillion times, but if Jeremy wanted them tracking in human form, why the flaming hell would they wolf out? This is one of those logic farts that drive me nuts. And this follows the book, so yeah, that's why. But, what didn't follow the book is how they left and that's the flawed logic.

If they live pretty far out of town, why wouldn't they all drive and park, then track? Instead, according to Nick, they'd have to walk home. So… since they were all dressed when they got to town, should we assume they have a stash of clothes somewhere in Bear Valley? I don't think so. They didn't change until they got into the town. So… it would've made more sense for Nick to ask if they were supposed to walk around back dressed like they were, because yeah, him running around in super tight briefs and too small T-shirt would've drawn buttloads of attention they don't need. LOL

FINAL ACT

Back at Stonehaven

Pack meeting in the basement. Elena revisits her theory. The mutt is someone new and no one they know. She thinks he's been newly bitten in.

Interesting. Because mutts bite to kill and the likelihood of a human surviving the bite is negligible. Throw in the suicide rate after their first change and they're looking at an incredible situation here.

But the changes aren't entirely no, right?

Okay, Nick, nice devil's advocate moment. Maybe the mutt's new status means he doesn't know the rules and if he doesn't, he clearly isn't aware he threatens to expose all of them if he changes in front of a human. (Too bad he's totally aware of that aspect and doesn't give a shit.)

So… Jeremy's plan is to set up a perimeter around his place and keep a close watch. When he returns, they grab him… quietly. Jeremy expects discipline from Clay.

Clay's not completely down with the idea.

Jeremy wants the mutt alive. He wants to know who bit him. The pack can't have being made indiscriminately and unleashed on the world. Let's move out.

Uh oh. Clay wants Elena to wait up. What was with her last night? She took forever to change. If she had her way, she wouldn't change at all. So… twice in one day was too much? He needs to not change the subject. The fact of the matter? He pet her. Yeah, well, she let him. HA! He's lucky he still has his hand.

And a tense moment begins…

Clay doesn't want Elena going on the hunt unless she stays by his side.

She's not going on the hunt… it's not why she came to Stonehaven.

We both know that's not true.

RANDOM COMMENTARY

I love a good scene played with a subtle touch and loaded with subtext. This one is jammed full of it. From the way Clay slowly drags his hand along Elena's arm to how hard it is for her to meet him eye to eye, the scene screams there's so much more to this story!! And I love the body language. Greyston looks like he's physically holding back because he WANTS to be Elena's everything. And Laura's got this skittish quality that oozes 'if I spend five more seconds around this guy, I'll totally cave and BE his everything'. I don't know, it really works for me.

And I think the back and forth could be very fun to watch.

BACK TO RECAP

Uh oh, time for Elena to face the alpha. Some local kids are posting rumors about a wolf and Jeremy doubts they'd be alive if they saw the mutt. So…

—Yeah, that was Elena. No excuse. She's sorry.

—The town in under a curfew. There's a bounty on wolves. It'll only escalate until they catch the mutt.

—Elena helped track him like Jeremy asked. The rest can take it from there.

—Nope. Jeremy asked her to help catch the mutt.

—Right. And Elena's asking him not to do that to her again. Jose Carter was enough.

FLASHBACK

One year ago

Houston, Texas

E: Mr. Carter, you promised proof of a werewolf. The collectors I represent would like definitive proof.

J: And you will see it.

Notice the case? It's the same one down in the basement at Stonehaven…

E: What is it?

J: Werewolf. I tracked him. Caught him mid-transformation. I took his arm with my machete, and that werewolf is still down there. Game hunters will pay me a lot of money to go down and find him.

E: How many others have seen this?

J: You… are the first.

E: I'll take it off your hands now. Just name your price.

J: It doesn't work that way.

E: I'm willing to whatever you'd like.

J: My plan is this. The hunter with the highest bids comes down to Ecuador with me to catch it.

E: I thought you were gonna kill it.

J: Eventually. But first we're gonna make it tell us where the others are. Because where there's one, there could be hundreds.

Oh, dude. You just said the wrong thing. LOL

And oh yeah, he totally did. Elena's not going to let him take the arm. Jose isn't overly thrilled with her attempt to take the case. She's not taking it anywhere.

He gets physical and she asks him not to do this. Dumb guy doesn't listen and Elena has to show him who kicks more ass.

And who doesn't need a machete to get the job done.

Um, yeah. Elena freaked herself out there just a little.

And back to the current timeline she's not going to let Jeremy reassure her. She doesn't care if Jose Carter threatened to expose them or if killing him proved to be the right thing to do. Or the only thing to do. Maybe for Jeremy, but for her? She lost her humanity. She tore into Carter like he was a present.

A defining thing for her. The moment after she killed Carter, she realized everything at Stonehaven… Jeremy… Clay… the ability to run… none of it was worth it if she had to be that thing again.

And you know what? Jeremy's got a point. That thing is who she is. But Elena wants to be who she is in Toronto—a normal person, NOT a killer.

But this is an entirely different situation. The mutt could kill again and it's killing humans. And yeah, maybe, but Jeremy will find him. And kill him. She doesn't want to be a part of that.

Did she forget she's talking to the alpha? No. Or if she did for a moment, she remembered, because she asks his permission to go.

Jeremy grants it… but he's not happy. I'm pretty sure he's convinced they've lost Elena.

Cut to the next morning and Elena exits the house with Clay hot on her heels.

C: You can't go. Not yet. We're not done.

E: I am.

C: That's not what I'm talking about.

Nick picks that opportune time to come up, out of breath. They're gonna want to see this. Clay takes off immediately… but Elena pauses. I'm thinking with that horrible gut feeling that shit just got real in a way she's not gonna like. She does drop her stuff and follow.

Oh, yippee. Dickhead hunter is out with his dog and some buddies. We know that's not gonna end well, right?

Of course not. Semi-smart hunter guy stops Hank (Dickhead hunter guy) and says they could call the sheriff. Sure, they could. But Blue's got the scent. They ain't waiting.

Asshole.

Because guess whose property they just barged onto?

Yep. Called that one.

And the pack is fucked because here's what they found—a gruesome sight…

He's just a child.

Roll End Credits

Final Thoughts

What a somber note to end on, right? The mutt definitely has it out for the pack, and with Hunter Dumbass hot on the trail, things at Stonehaven will probably get pretty sticky. Which means Elena could get caught in the crossfire and be stuck there.

All in all, a great episode. Again, I wonder a little if not reading the books will put people off. There's a wealth of information that fills in a lot of the blanks, but the show deviates enough that I'm usually surprised by something… which I love. A lot. :D

That's it for this week… stay tuned for episode three recap in the near future.

Thanks for reading!

Sky