#; true alpha ( scott mccall )

[kitkatwinchester]

WHAT!! AN!!! ENDING!!!!

LET'S!!!

F*CKING!!!

GO!!!!!

THAT is what I'm TALKING ABOUT!!!

THAT is the McCall Pack we know and love!!!

THAT is the UNBEATABLE TRUE ALPHA THAT IS SCOTT MCCALL!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

SCOTT IS FREE!!!

DEREK IS ALIVE!!!

PETER GOT HIS COMEUPPANCE!!!

EVERYONE IS OKAY!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I took a while to react, so order of events, shall we??

I mean, it means you're gonna get the really long babble about Scott and the McCall Pack first, but I DON'T CARE, because it was AMAZING!! <3

The WAY they BROUGHT SCOTT BACK!!

Look.

When Kira and Stiles first ran in, I was convinced that they were gonna try to hit that romantic cliche and have Kira be the one that brings him back, especially after Stiles tried and Scott immediately hit him down (which, ow, my heart).

But then, they went with platonic/familial again, and in the BEST WAY, because it was F*CKING LIAM!! (Because, don't get me wrong, I LOVED Stiles saving Scott in 3x6, and you know I always love me some Sciles, but doing that again would've been a little cliche, so to change it up like that was PERFECT! <3)

And with that AMAZING PARALLEL with that AMAZING LINE!!

"You're not a monster. You're a werewolf, like me."

And it F*CKING WORKED, because OF COURSE IT F*CKING DID!!

Because that's his BETA. His LITTLE BROTHER. His CHILD. And he is reciting back to him the exact same thing that Scott said to him all those episodes ago.

And it GETS THROUGH TO HIM!!!

Like, I don't think you understand how much I LOVE THAT!! There are sooooo few shows and movies out there that truly understand how important platonic relationships can be, and Teen Wolf freaking NAILS IT!!

And BECAUSE OF THAT, Scott gets out, and he immediately pegs Peter, because he just KNOWS.

And the way that Malia backs up, because if there's anything the McCall pack has taught her, it's loyalty, and THAT is a betrayal.

And everyone in the pack tries to come to his defense, to get at Peter before Peter can get at Scott (especially Kira <3), but he tells them all to back off, because this fight is between him and Peter, and they both know it.

And then the FIGHT SEQUENCE. Scott trying so desperately to pull his punches, but trying so hard to stay alive, all while Peter is telling him that if he wants to win, he's gonna have to kill him.

But he DOESN'T, because killing him would be EXACTLY what Peter has been asking for and trying to prove, and that's not who Scott is.

And he's trying, and he's losing, and then it's F*CKING LIAM AGAIN!! Liam, stepping forward because his Alpha/Big Brother/Dad is in trouble, and Peter just RIPPING ONE at him to keep him at bay.

And the way that Scott and Liam LOOK AT EACH OTHER (there are so many meaningful glances in this episode I cannot <3 <3)!!! The way Liam looks so scared, but also so clearly angry and protective, and Scott sees that, and he gets back up, with a new strategy and new determination, because this isn't just about protecting himself--it's about protecting his pack.

It's about being an Alpha.

And then he's on the defense, and he's using his wits and strategizing until he can get the upper hand, and his pack is watching him in awe and pride, because THIS IS THE SCOTT MCCALL THAT EARNED HIS TRUE ALPHA STATUS!!!

And he WINS!!

Because he's SCOTT F*CKING MCCALL!!!

And then we get that LINE!!!

"You were never an Alpha, Peter. But you were always a monster."

And then that SHOT.

The lighting, the framing, the almost holiness--

You wanna know what's so special about Scott, Kate?

F*cking THAT!!

THAT RIGHT THERE is why Scott McCall is the best, and why no one can defeat the McCall Pack.

F*cking try us.

And then there's DEREK!

Derek, who we all thought was gonna die, who somehow...evolved?? And can turn into a FULL BLOWN WOLF now. JUST LIKE HIS MOM!!

Oh man, I can't WAIT to hear more about that, because that is so cool, and Derek's whole arc this season has had so many interesting moments, and I can't wait to see where they take that next.

And then there's PETER!

Peter, who finally gets the justice he f*cking deserves.

Not death.

Not Alpha status.

No.

F*cking prison.

F*cking EICHEN HOUSE.

With what we have now established as the worst person you would ever want to interact with in Eichen House for a cellmate.

He's not dead.

But he's gonna wish he were.

And THAT'S exactly how I like it.

F*ck you, Peter.

You f*cking deserve it.

And they did SUCH a good job of wrapping up all of the elements of Season 4 while still setting up for Season 5, and we got alllll these small little character moments and meaningful glances, and I am just HERE FOR IT!! <3 <3 <3

The Chris and Kate conversation about Allison, and what truly caused her death, and the fact that he still couldn't kill her, because it's still his sister, but he knows deep down, just like he said, that there's no more saving her.

The Chris and Scott conversation, where we find out Chris agreed to find and hunt down Kate with the Calaveras if it meant they would leave the pack alone, because he loves those kids, and he doesn't want anything to happen to them.

The little side hug and affectionate look between Scott and Kira, now that they're both finally safe and together again.

The meaningful look between Scott and Stiles, saying so much about how worried they both were, and how they know it's not the end of their struggles, but they're glad they're both okay and still here for each other, because that's what they do.

The way that Scott and Derek looked at each other in that silent conversation (also quick aside, LOVED Braeden's concern for Derek and excitement when he was alive), and with that little nod, acknowledged that they'll always have each other's backs, and they're both okay, and alive, and HERE, and they're grateful for it.

The hug between Stiles and Noah when Stiles and Malia finally make it back safely. The way Malia gets brought into the hug, even in all of her awkwardness. The fact that, as happy as Noah was to see both of them alive, he got the ultimate payback in the only way a Stilinski can by handcuffing his son to the desk. "Bring me back a slice?" XD

The fact that Kira GOT HER FIRST TAIL, and she got it from the obsidian that ultimately saved her life, and she's getting better and stronger and even more amazing by the second.

The reactions from absolutely everyone as Liam desperately tried to explain to Coach why they missed practice, with Coach not believing a single word they were saying, and Scott and Stiles dropping their heads down at the same time (I know where that gif is from now!!) because they wouldn't believe it either, but frankly, they don't have anything better.

The SMILES that Scott and Liam give each other (bonus points for Stiles's ever-present annoyance XD) when Coach tells them to make sure they look out for each other and have each other's backs, because YOU KNOW THEY DO!! ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!

And then last, but certainly not least, the fact that Lydia gave Parrish the Bestiary, and is gonna do everything she can to help him figure out what he is and what he can do.

Look. I said it before, but I am going to reiterate it.

With the writing, the storytelling, the acting, the cinematography, and just the general amazingness of that season, it is a VERY close second, and if it had just a FEW more Sciles moments that were higher on my "Best Sciles Moments” list, it would've won out as the favorite season, because holy sh*t was it AMAZING!

As terrified as I am for Season 5, because I KNOW the pack gets split up, and I DON'T WANT THAT GOSH DARNAT, I am also VERY excited to see all those little character moments and storylines and writing and acting and beautifulness develop even further--even if I have to get through a LOT of whump and angst to get there.

What a season.

What a ride.

Season 5, here we come (but...after I get some sleep lol).

As many gifs as I can fit, because there was soooo much beauty there and I want to express ALL OF IT!! <3 <3 <3 <3

(GOD I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH!!! THAT SEASON WAS SERIOUSLY SOOOO AMAZING, AND SOOOO WORTH THE THREE HOURS OF SLEEP I'M GONNA GET. XD <3 <3 <3 <3 <3)

P.S. This is a super random aside, but can we just appreciate that neither Scott nor Liam has seen Star Wars?? Oh boys. I love you both so much. 😂❤️

[many-gay-magpies]

teen wolf is essentially a show where all the bad guys look at little golden boy scott mccall and say "you will stoop to our level eventually, naïve child". then scott looks at all of them, goes "no. fuck you," and does it better than them.

[kvtnisseverdeen]

[sototallynormaliswear]

I really don't care for the "true alpha" thing, and there are plenty of other people's posts about why, but I can't stop thinking about what it does to Scott and his character.

like, seasons one and two he's constantly fighting for NO ONE to be murdered, because he believes that you can't justify it and it's wrong. fair enough. this insistence places him at odds with people he might otherwise get along with, solidifying him as an underdog. even his alliance with Derek is tenuous, as Derek sees murder as necessary to keep people safe and Scott doesn't. but BECAUSE he's an underdog he has to work with the people around him and convince them why they shouldn't kill, he isn't powerful enough to stand on his own.

but in the later seasons.... he doesn't have that??

as the true alpha, his power hinges on him not killing people. while it would be unreasonable to say that his former stance is completely GONE, pessimistic fans (like me, hello hi how's your day) can make the case that he doesn't kill because he would be less powerful if he did, at least in part. it COMPLETELY cuts the teeth off his moral argument, which sucks because the show still has at least twelve more moral arguments left.

hes also completely LOST the underdog angle. he and Derek are finally chill, thankfully, but he's suddenly the most powerful cool guy in the area, the first of his kind in years, with super special powers just for him. about a season before he lost a fight with a guy who had been a werewolf for all of two seconds. and you know how before he had to convince other people to join his side and work with his plan? yeah no now he can just yell at them and they'll do whatever he says, magic rules.

No matter how you feel about season one and two Scott, it's undeniable that he is fighting an uphill battle that just kind of plateaus as of Season Three. and I love season three, but I feel like, if it did happen, it should have been closer to the end of the show

(And for all the talk about the McCall pack being weird and unconventional, they still fall in that same power structure that EVERY PACK EVER falls into. I think it would be more interesting if they didn't and their pack is even MORE of a mess to werewolves. take, for instance, the underlying subplot of seasons 1-3 that Beacon Hills doesn't have an alpha (at least a good one sorry Derek) and is there for ripe for the taking. a big reason that Derek wanted Scott in his pack was that he didn't want to be seen as weak or targeted by hunters, even other werewolves. they don't get along but they HAVE TO or else they straight up DIE. But then in 3A they suddenly have an alpha (at least a good one sorry AGAIN Derek) and that plotline is dropped. they're still being hunted, but that anxiety about being a good enough pack is gone. which is weird, right? wouldn't you want to increase that tension?

imagine if they didn't actually HAVE an alpha. They still consider each other pack, but that's not good enough for anyone but them. especially at the start of season four? no alpha, their former alpha has gone MISSING, they haven't told anyone, they have to go get him but every second any of them is away the more their town is in danger, and oh FUCK our former alpha is a TEENAGER NOW?? AND NOW HES BASICALLY NOT WVEN A WEREWOLF??? not only having to deal with the mercenaries and Kate but also other werewolves trying to nudge into their territory?)

[1asbrightasthestars3]

I'm a feminist, obviously.

But I wouldn't really mind HIM saving me..

[aesthetictw]

— scott mccall

[rowinablx]

This is absolutely iconic

[louisbxne]

TEEN WOLF 3x12 - "Lunar Ellipse" (2013) Dir. Russell Mulcahy

[celestialvoid-fanfiction]

Hot take: Scott only became a true alpha because he was fighting for his mum. The Durach was threatening the lives of all the parents (Melissa, Noah and Chris), which put Scott’s only family (his mum and his surrogate father) in danger. Because of this, he pushed himself farther than he normally would. That’s how he became a true alpha.

Hotter take: Had Cora been in danger, or had Talia or Laura still been alive and in that scenario, Derek would have done the same. He could have just as easily become a true alpha, because it’s not about power or how pure-of-heart you are; it’s about protecting those you love and fighting for others.

[bericas]

sceo weekend 2023 (day 1) → identity (what do their identities mean to them? to each other?)

the problem with liking is the conflation of desire with similarity. ↳ claire schwartz

[haven-of-dusk]

Scott being a True Alpha is very poorly explained in the show. Because the dialogue talks about how he's "pure of heart" and "such a good person" and all that, and it comes off as very twee and forced. Because it kind of is. But it's also not what sets Scott apart from other Alphas.

The shortest way I can put it, is that Derek and other 'traditional' Alphas command or at least try to. Scott leads. He delegates, he trusts, he guides, but (outside of ooc moments *cough* S5 *cough) never declares himself the one true authority from whom all must take orders.

Look at how Derek treats his Betas (presumably in the vein of the way he saw Betas treated when he was growing up): they're basically subordinates to him, he gives orders, trains them without ever letting the barrier slip between teacher and student, he assigns specific instructions, and generally acts in an almost militaristic structure.

Comparatively, Scott will give Liam or Malia a task and let them do it how they please. Scott asks Liam to work on a couple tasks in S6A, A. Protecting the students from the Ghost Riders, and B. Think about a possible path to stopping them. It's Liam (and Mason, and Hayden, and Corey) that comes up with the plan to hide the students in the Mountain Ash lined McCall House and they come up with trying to create a lightning rod and retrieving Theo to see if he can help with it. Part of Scott doing stuff like that can be attributed to him not being as experienced or thinking ahead as much, but there's a reason he keeps succeeding where others fail: he knows when he isn't good at something. He defers to Derek on werewolf issues because he knows Derek is more knowledgeable. He lets Malia do her thing most of the time (within reason) because she's good at it, and most of the time trying to force her to do things a different way just makes things not work as well. He relies on Stiles and Lydia to be the brains because he's well aware that he isn't.

And that's not to say he doesn't make an effort. The AP Biology plotline is important because it does show that Scott is not a natural braniac the way Stiles and Lydia are, but he's willing to work when he isn't automatically adept at something. That's also shown in the skills he displays on the lacrosse field. Werewolf powers obviously help him excel, but he also works hard to be good at the sport in particular (as shown when he doesn't do as well after a lapse in practicing).

Scott trusting in his allies, seeing the best in them, and allowing them the freedom to use their personal talents to the fullest is what makes him a good leader and a True Alpha. People follow him because he takes them as they are and doesn't try to force them into his mold.

So in short, Scott is a True Alpha, there's a good reason for it, it's just not the reason the dialogue tells you.

[kitkatwinchester]

I'M FINE AND I'M DEFINITELY NOT CRYING!

...jk I am very NOT fine and I am DEFINITELY crying. :'( :') :'( :') :'( :')

But AS YOU CAN SEE, it is a mix of happy AND sad tears, so...it's okay!

Kind of...

Sort of...

*SCREAMS*

SCOTT AND LIAM!!!

KATE AND CHRIS!!

SCOTT AND DEATON!!!

STYDIA!!!

SCOTT AND ARGENT!!!

SCILES!!!

SCOTT!!

Literally so much tearing up over here with all of these relationships and how much all of these people care about each other I cannot.

Order of events?? Groupings/pairings? POVs?

Combination of all three.

Except I'm not really gonna go in order of events because I wanna end with Scott's speech, so...mostly groupings/pairings/POVs. XD

ANYWAYS.

STYDIA, oh my god. <3 <3

The fact that Lydia feels so guilty for pushing Meredith over the edge, but Stiles is right there to comfort her, and to remind her that she wasn't alone there, and she isn't alone now.

The fact that, just like always, their combined brain power and abilities finally solves the puzzle, because they finish each other's thoughts and understand each other in a way that no one else does.

The fact that, while Lydia's bansheeing and typing, Stiles just gets right next to her, reminding her that he's there, and providing the comfort and support that she needs (and yes, this is Stydia centric, but don't think I'm just going to IGNORE that, according to Lydia, DEREK'S GONNA DIE. NOT OKAY. PLEASE STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING!).

The fact that they're so quick to analyze and skim and plan their next move once they see the new names (notable names include Satomi, Malia, LIAM, and Meredith...).

The fact that Stiles gets closer to Lydia the second he realizes she's in distress from the phone call so that he can listen in and be there for her (also just the fact that Meredith's dead period is so f*cking sad and I feel so bad for her, and I wish she hadn't felt so trapped that she felt the need to do that, because that's so f*cking awful.).

The fact that she just turns to Stiles in pure shock, and he just pulls her in and holds her, and he doesn't let go, even when all Lydia can do is stand there in horrified shock.

The fact that, no matter what happens, Stiles will ALWAYS be there for Lydia, and he will never let her blame herself, and never let her doubt herself, and never let her give up, because he knows how capable she is.

The fact that, no matter what happens, and what she might say, Lydia will always revel in Stiles's comfort, and she'll always need him, and she'll always love him, and ultimately, she would do anything for him, because she would rather die than lose him.

THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH I CAN'T!

GOD I NEED STYDIA ENDGAME SO BAD!!

I NEED IT I NEED IT I NEED IT!!!

*SCREAMS*

*CRIES*

Okay okay. That was a big ol’ start.

The smaller things.

That tiny little Sciles scene at the end, where Stiles is the only other person that Scott told about the money, and they're both staring at it like they're not sure how they feel about it, but they also know they both need it, and because they're Sciles, they decide that the next best thing to do is count it and go from there. It's such a small thing, but you know me--I take every small Sciles thing I can get. ;)

And then, another small thing: Kate and Chris, OMG. Like, okay, as much as I hate Kate, I kind of feel bad for her and Chris in this situation. No matter what's happened and how much bad has gone down between them, they're still brother and sister, and neither of them really wants to hurt the other. And I don't trust Peter for a SECOND (because why would I?), but I know he's right about the fact that Kate just wants her family back, and despite the code, and despite all the bad that Kate has done, I'm sure Chris wants the exact same thing. And that HURTS, and I'm honestly really hoping for a Kate redemption arc, because I would love to see both of them reunite having grown and learned from their mistakes and maybe finally be on the same side again.

AND THEN SPEAKING OF KATE AND CHRIS!

THE FREAKING BIGGIE!

SCOTT AND ARGENT AND SCOTT AND DEATON AND SCOTT AND LIAM AND FREAKING SCOTT!!

The fact that, after that crazy fight with Kate, Chris's first concern is Scott. And the way he looks at him once he realizes that Violet is dead and they've lost their only lead....

The FACE that Scott makes, so dejected and feeling like a failure because he thinks he's already lost his Beta, but Chris is so determined to convince him that there's still time, and they can still find him.

And then LIAM, trying SO hard to get out, but SO hurt and getting SO tired, and using his last bit of strength to just release that howl ("How do wolves signal their location to the rest of the pack?" "They howl." <3 <3), and Scott HEARS IT!

And the way he turns his head, this new hope that's also filled with concern, because THAT'S HIS BETA.

And they were SOOO far, so you KNOW that he BOOKED it, and he MADE IT, and at the LAST SECOND, when Liam was losing every ounce of strength he had left, Scott GRABBED HIM, and he SAVED HIM!!

And Liam is so scared, and in so much pain, but he just looks at Scott in utter relief.

And Scott is so worried, but there’s relief in his face and his voice, telling Liam he's okay, but also questioning it, because he has to make sure, and the way Liam just looks at him, and Scott just sighs in relief, and repeats it, because they both need to hear it.

And then he PULLS HIM IN, and he holds onto him with EVERYTHING HE HAS, and he just closes his eyes, and convinces himself that he's there, because he ALMOST LOST HIM, but he's OKAY, and he's HERE, and he's OKAY.

AND THEN WHEN THEY FINALLY GET HIM TO DEATON!

AND DEATON HEALS HIM!

AND SCOTT JUST PUTS THAT GENTLE FOREARM ON HIS FOREHEAD TO SETTLE HIM!

AND BRUSHES HIS HAIR AWAY FROM HIS FOREHEAD IN THE PROCESS!

HE CARES ABOUT HIM SO MUCH I CANNOT!

THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH AND HAVE ALREADY BONDED SO WELL AND I JUST--

THIS ALPHA-BETA PAIRING WAS MADE TO BE I SWEAR!!!

I LOVE THEM!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

AND THEN THAT WHOLE SCENE WITH SCOTT AND DEATON AND ARGENT!!

"I don't want to keep watching people die." "I'm not sure you have much choice about that." "Maybe I do." "That's a lot of burden to carry, Scott." "I don't care."

And they're trying SO HARD to convince him that people are going to die, and it's not always his fault, but Scott DOESN'T care.

Because he's SCOTT.

Because he's TRUE ALPHA SCOTT F*CKING MCCALL!

And he will do WHATEVER he has to do not just to protect those he loves, but to protect everyone.

Because he's SCOTT F*CKING MCCALL, and nobody dies on his watch.

And I'm tearing up so much, because that really is such a burden, and there's no way he can save everyone, and my heart is clenching at the fact that he feels like he has to, but it's also filling with so much love and appreciation and respect, because THIS is what makes Scott amazing, and THIS is what everyone loves about him.

THIS is why the McCall Pack is the most loyal pack out there.

THIS is why he's a True Alpha.

THIS is why he's worth 25 million dollars.

THIS is why he's untouchable.

"No one else dies." "I'm gonna save everyone."

You know what, Scott.

Let's do it.

Let's save everyone.

If anyone can do it.

It's you.

And it's the McCall pack.

God, what an ending to an episode.

What a SEASON this has been already!!

I may or may not be able to watch more tonight, but you KNOW I'll be watching tomorrow, because I'm sure it only gets better from here, and I also know that @slice-of-magenta's Sciles scene is in the next episode, so OBVIOUSLY I need to see that, and I just...

THIS SHOW!!

THIS PACK!!!

THESE CHARACTERS!!

THEIR RELATIONSHIPS!!

I LOVE THEM ALL!!

"I'm gonna save everyone."

Let's go save everyone. <3 <3

(JUST LOOK AT THEM!!! THEY CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER SO MUCH AND I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM!! <3 <3 <3)

[eevylynn]

Nearing the point in my latest Teen Wolf rewatch where Scott becomes a True Alpha, and the amount of times my husband and I just have to roll our eyes or make some joke about how much they're hamming it up is ridiculous.

Especially since Scott then becomes the least powerful Alpha on the show. All this build up for a fricking title at best.

[kvtnisseverdeen]

[patolemus]

what we have become

gen | teen wolf | concept

It hits him while he’s washing his face.

Scott is just. There, in the bathroom, in front of the sink. There’s bits of kelpie gunk on the sides of the sink from where he’s rubbed his face to get rid of it. Scott looks at it and can barely find it in himself to feel disgust, let alone guilt. His face is wet, water droplets rolling down his cheeks and onto his chin like tears.

He looks at his reflection and he doesn’t recognize the person looking back. It’s weird, because Scott remembers looking at himself yesterday just like he’s doing now, and he knew exactly who he was. Now… the person staring back is a stranger wearing his face. He has the same hair, the same jawline, the same eyes. But no matter how similar, whoever it is that is looking back at him is unknown.

The person looking back at him hurts people. The person looking back at him is selfish. The person looking back betrays, and uses, and is so, so cruel. Scott has said and done things that should horrify him, that would have horrified him a year ago. He said a family deserved to die in a fire. He violated a person’s autonomy. He was ready to kill a man because it benefited him. He left his best friend, his brother, to fight by himself so many times because he was too busy with a girl.

It scares him. It scares the hell out of him because Scott thought he’d be the kind of person who makes good choices in tough situations. He thought he wouldn’t change if he were to get power, and responsibilities. He thought he would still be kind.

But tonight he killed that kelpie without so much as hesitating. He saw it, and he lunged for it before he could even comprehend what he was doing. And yeah, the kelpie had been killing people, but Scott— Scott’s supposed to be better than that. He’s supposed to be the good one.

Derek had looked surprised. Concerned, even. Stiles had called out to him almost hesitantly, had stopped before his hand couch touch Scott’s shoulder. Scott hadn’t understood why until now.

What has he become?

(A monster, his mind whispers. And really, can Scott truly refute it?)

A look into what Scott could have been, had his character arc to become a true alpha in s3 been different.

Thanks to @darling-winnie for finally pushing me to write this, our conversation about Scott was really helpful! And of course thanks to the wonderful @oldefashioned for reading this over and encouraging me that it’s not trash lol

[1asbrightasthestars3]

You with the dark curls,

You with the water color eyes.