Teen Wolf creator Jeff Davis has been hinting at the death of a major character all season long, yet it still managed to come out of left field. The second part of season three has been centered around Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) and his battle to maintain a sense of control while being possessed by the Nogitsune, the trickster spirit. Held captive in his own mind, Stiles has been helpless as the host of this evil, trusting his friends more than ever to protect everyone else from what he’s essentially been forced to become. On this episode of Teen Wolf, one of those friends made the ultimate sacrifice, and seemed content doing so.
Allison Argent (Crystal Reed) is dead – or at least from the looks of it. We’ve seen those statements proven wrong before, so it may not be definite, but you probably shouldn’t hold your breath this time around. This is not only a major loss for the characters on the show (and fans), but it also ranks high on the list of accomplishments for the Nogitsune. For an evil spirit that craves chaos, this recent turn of events must be quite the coup.
As Scott (Tyler Posey) and his pack ran around, effectively rendered helpless by the change in leadership, the Nogitsune took full advantage of the confusion. Teen Wolf gave Allison once last high point, taking out the Oni that was threatening to end Isaac’s (Daniel Sharman) life. Although her final confession to Scott suffered from tunnel-vision, the awkward moments that she shared earlier in the episode with Isaac confirmed her feelings for him. Judging by the looks plastered on the faces of the other characters in the scene, they were just as stunned as you probably were.
There are a lot of reasons why this death came out of nowhere for fans of the show. Besides the entire second half of the season setting the stage for Stiles to be collateral damage of previous decisions, Allison is a character who was still very much evolving. Despite all the family issues that have haunted her story over the last couple years – e.g. her aunt being brutally murdered by Peter, her mother killing herself after being bitten by a werewolf, her grandfather turning the Kanima lose for his own personal agenda – she was still an active participant in the entire process. She had moved passed her failed relationship with Scott and was part of a blossoming relationship with Isaac. She had deep friend roots in Beacon Hills. And, she still had an unseen depth to her that we caught a brief glimpse of as she died in the arms of her first love.