MTV's Teen Wolf was a hit supernatural drama throughout the 2010s. throughout the show's run, there have been several storylines that were highly-regarded as pinnacle narrative arcs, but there have also been som lackluster underdeveloped storylines. Here is a look at a few storylines that were not as well-received due to being underdeveloped, unbelievable (even for a supernatural show), or just from actors leaving the show.
The Alpha Pack
It seems rather unrealistic to have a pack full of alphas. Granted, werewolves, in general, are unrealistic. But if audiences suspend their disbelief for the sake of the show, it still does not make sense to have a full pack of supernatural beings with the same hierarchical title. A wolf pack is meant to have alphas, betas, and omegas. The distinction is important when navigating wolf pack order, and the same is intrinsically true for werewolves. That said, the show attempts to play it off with the alpha of alphas, but overall it's just a weak excuse to make an overpowered antagonist for Teen Wolf's first half of season three.
The Benefactor
The benefactor narrative held so much promise but the execution was lackluster and full of plot holes. In such a technological context of digital dead pools, it doesn't make sense to have such aged technology. Alongside that, having Meredith be the main antagonist behind the screen was rather farfetched. Surely, Meredith had some vendettas herself, but she was initially inspired based on Peter Hale's inner malevolent musings regarding killing the current Beacon Hills supernatural creatures in search of started anew with stronger monstrosities. Overall, this just played out like a weak antagonist storyline built to just keep audiences guessing as to who the real benefactor is.
Jackson's Backstory
A common complaint with Teen Wolf is the vagueness of Jackson's backstory. Audiences know that Jackson was born an orphan and that he truly struggled with his own identity for a long time, but the character deserved more detail as an integral part of the first seasons. There was also confirmation that the producers had more in store for the character, but Colton Haynes had decided to leave the show in other pursuits.
Allison's Mysterious Future
There were many hintings of something developing within Allison's character arc, but they simply weren't followed through with. In the season where Stiles is possessed by the Nogitsune, Kate tells Allision's father, Chris, he would have to do whatever it takes to defeat this entity, even hinting that it might come to opposing his daughter. This is a subtle hint that Allison would further develop into some sort of antagonist, but nothing happened regarding that, as the character died before those developments could expand into the show's narrative.
Some also credit that comment in ing to be paired with Allison not realizing her phone was off, in an attempt to insinuate Allison's character was being prepped for possession.
The Underdeveloped Cora Story
Cora Hale's narrative was lackluster and underdeveloped. There was a lot of build-up to the return of Cora since she had been missing for many, many years. However, she returned for only one season and throughout that season, her memory issues made it feel like the producers just wanted to incorporate another character, but didn't have enough time to write a full backstory before their pitch deadline. Perhaps their goal was to sprinkle memories throughout a couple of seasons that would integrate the character's story more fully, but it didn't happen.
Part of the detriment to the character's role was attributed to Adelaide Kane leaving Teen Wolf after being cast as the lead role in CW's Reign.
Coinciding Kanimas
While Jackson was the main antagonist in the season centered on the Kamina and who was controlling it (Matt), the timelines don't match up for there to only be one Kanima. The Kanima was active before Matt and Jackson met, which means there were other supposed to be two creatures, or it was a production oversight.
The Underdeveloped Importance of Druids
Deaton was a druid tasked with keeping werewolf packs safe and he primarily focused on keep Scott's pack alive and well. While Deaton proved to be a good mentor for Scott and his band of misfits, there was so much possibility with the incorporation of druids that fell flat through the show's writers only just breaking beyond the surface of this supernatural integration.
The Cavalera Kidnapping
The Cavaleras, like the Argents, were hunters of the supernatural; however, this is the only clear thing about their integration. First, they were wanting to find the She-wolf, which is when all roads lead to Cora, but instead, it shows the family was interested in Kate, the werejaguar. Whether more was in store for Cora than want came to production fruition, or Kate was meant to be a werewolf but production decided that it would be cooler if she were something else, is unclear.
All that can be said about the kidnapping that was in the show is that it was poorly explained.
The Skinwalker Fizzle
Kira's role in the show was short and ended prematurely. That is why the incorporation of the skinwalkers that Kira, a kitsune learning to control her powers, was learning from wasn't well-received. It seemed like a half-hearted attempt to develop Kira's character more but molded into a lazy excuse for the character's lack of screentime.
Death to Allison Argent
Fans were resistant to the death of Scott's teenage love. The ill-fated romance was reminiscent of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet and a huge plot motivator for the first season of the show's run. Whether it be nostalgia, the yearning for a happier ending between the two, or the clear hintings that more was destined for Allison Argent before Crystal Reed decided to leave the show, audiences were not pleased with such a permanent death(as permanent as one can be with supernational shows) to such a beloved character.