Teen Wolf: Ouroboros

"Ouroboros" is the eighth episode of season five of the supernatural teen drama series Teen Wolf and the seventieth episode of the series overall. It was directed by David Daniel with a script written by Will Wallace. It first aired on MTV on Tuesday, August 10th, 2015 at 9:00 pm.

Notes & Trivia

 * Teen Wolf was created by Russell Mulcahy and Jeff Davis. It is loosely based on the 1985 comedy film Teen Wolf by director Rod Daniel and writers Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weismann.


 * " Ouroboros" serves as a shortcut to this page.


 * This episode is rated TV-14.


 * There is no episode of Wolf Watch to accompany this episode. However, there is a strange little interlude with Tyler Posey and Dylan Sprayberry sitting on a beach set talking about rock and roll music. It concludes with Posey digging through the sand like a dog.


 * This is the first episode of Teen Wolf directed by David Daniel. He normally works as a cinematographer on the series. At the time that this episode first aired, David had already worked on thirty-eight episodes of the series, spanning three seasons, beginning with season three.


 * Will Wallace is a member of the writing staff on the series, usually in the capacity of an assistant. This is his first episode of Teen Wolf as an episode writer.


 * Actor Tom Choi, who plays Kira's father, Ken Yukimura, is credited as Tom T. Choi in this episode.


 * It is a humorous coincidence that Marisol Nichols should be cast to play the part of the Desert Wolf. Marisol was a series regular on the short-lived supernatural drama series The Gates. In addition to being a show featuring werewolves, the series also counted actor Colton Haynes as a main cast member. Colton Haynes also played the role of a-hole-turned-kanima Jackson Whittemore in seasons one and two of Teen Wolf.


 * This is the first and only appearance of Vadim, who is the Russian associate of Alan Deaton. He is shot and killed by the Desert Wolf in this episode.


 * This episode establishes that the McCall residence is at 821 Williamson Road.


 * The scene of Melissa McCall slapping Sheriff Stilinski across the face was glimpsed in foreshadow from the season premiere.

Allusions

 * The title, "Ouroboros", refers to an ancient symbol of a serpent consuming its own tail. This symbology has also been referenced in shows such as Hemlock Grove. It relates to the concept of self-reflexivity and rebirth. In the context of this show, it may be an allusion to Deputy Jordan Parrish, who seems to have abilities similar to that of a Phoenix, which is a creature that dies and is reborn from the ashes of its own destruction.

Reveals

 * The Desert Wolf is finally revealed in this introductory appearance. Rumors of Malia's maternal lineage go back to a subplot from season four, which were never fully resolved. The Desert Wolf is Malia's mother, whom she had with werewolf Peter Hale. Like Malia, the Desert Wolf is a werecoyote. Her actual name is not revealed at this time.


 * However, we do finally get a small glimpse of Stiles' real name. While looking at his student ID card, we see the name M. Stilinski in the top-right corner. The mystery of Stiles' first name has been a holdover since season one. Producers on the show promised to reveal it at some point during season two, but this never happened.