The Power of the Underdog: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of "Teen Wolf"

If we have learned anything from the history of Hollywood, it is that most humans love to root for the underdog. From Daniel Larusso in the 1984 film The Karate Kid to Rocky Balboa in the classic Rocky movies, it seems as though society can never stop cheering for the underdog. Everyone loves a tale about a little guy who is able to bring home the gold, despite the odds that are pitted against him. Whenever we take a look at underdogs in films, we find a small bit of us in them, or at least something we strive to be. Underdogs have the power to inspire. In 2011, MTV premiered Teen Wolf, a fantasy television series that follows the life of the underdog Scott McCall. What characteristics does underdog Scott McCall possess that make viewers root for him? What makes this television series resonate with young audiences across the nation? What ideologies does the show propose to the youth of society, and how might these implications affect them? This blog analyzes elements of Teen Wolf from a symbolic convergence perspective in an attempt to answer these very questions.

Overview of Teen Wolf

Teen Wolf first premiered on June 5, 2011 on MTV. The show is loosely based on the 1985 film of the same name starring Michael J. Fox. Unlike the 1985 comedy, this television series revolves around romance, horror and werewolf mythology. The show revolves around social outcast Scott McCall, a dorky high school student who lives in the small town of Beacon Hills. Scott’s life soon takes a turn when he is bitten by a werewolf. As if things weren’t already complicated enough, Scott must learn to balance his newfound identity as a werewolf with his teenage life. Teen Wolf follows Scott and his friends as they face various supernatural challenges and the more mundane obstacles of being teenagers in high school.

What is a Symbolic Convergence Perspective?

Communications theorist Ernest Bormann believed that humans “tend to feel more comfortable when they are with like-minded people who accept or reject the same story lines that they do” (Sellnow 97). He then went on to develop the symbolic convergence theory, also known as fantasy theme analysis. This theory states that the acceptance or rejection of symbolic narratives converge to create a common consciousness amongst like-minded individuals. We use fantasy theme analysis as a tool to “identity, understand, and interpret those converged symbols” (Sellnow 98). A fantasy theme analysis also takes a closer look at the dramatis personae, the characters within the drama, and the plotline in which they are involved in. It examines master analogues (the deep structure frameworks) and the rhetorical vision reality (evidence that provides authentication for the vision). The main goal of a fantasy theme analysis is to examine the messages that differentiate the in-crowd from the out-crowd and whether or not the dramas are sufficiently compelling to attract converts. What makes this television series resonate with young audiences across the nation? What ideologies does the show propose to the youth of society, and how might these implications affect them?

Evidence of a Shared Group Consciousness/Rhetorical Vision Reality Link

From multiple television award nominations to appearances at Comic Cons, Teen Wolf contains much proof of establishing a shared group consciousness. Although the series is loosely based on the 1985 film Teen Wolf, the show does not contain any built-in audience from the movie for most the show’s viewers range from 13-20 years old and therefore would have not yet been born when the movie premiered. However, Teen Wolf did have a built-in audience of teenage girls due to the popularity of the Twilight movies (2008-2012) that involved six-packed werewolf Taylor Lautner. In other words, it is reasonable for one to conclude that the popularity of the show can be related to the success of Twilight.

The season one premiere attracted a total of 2.17 million viewers. The season finale rose to first place in its Monday 10pm timeslot among 12-34-year-old females as well. However, most of the show’s audience is online, with up to 8 million streams per episode on MTV’s online platforms alone (Teen Wolf TV series 2011). The series is currently on its sixth and final season.

In 2011, Teen Wolf was nominated for Choice TV Fantasy/Sci-Fi and Choice Summer TV Show. Actor Tyler Posey and actress Crystal Reed were both nominated for Choice Summer TV Stars as well. Since then, the show and its actors have garnered 23 Teen Choice Awards nominations and ten Teen Choice Awards. Other nominations and awards include the Saturn Awards, Imagen Awards, ALMA Award, Saturn Awards, Young Hollywood Awards and People’s Choice Awards (Teen Wolf TV series 2011).

Teen Wolf has also had its own panel at Comic Cons in San Diego and New York since 2011. The series is so popular that it has multiple fan-run conventions – Howler Con, Bite Con, and Werewolf Con just to name a few.

A large portion of evidence of a shared group consciousness can also be found online. Fans have created multiple fan fiction websites, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter accounts about the show. In fact, the show has 2.8 million Instagram followers and 2.02 Twitter followers as of December 2016. According to Variety Magazine, Teen Wolf ranked number six on an assessment of the new Twitter television ratings for the 2013-2014 US television season.

Plotline and Characters of Teen Wolf

As mentioned before, Teen Wolf revolves around social outcast Scott McCall, a dorky high school student who lives in the small town of Beacon Hills. His life soon takes a turn when he is bitten by a werewolf. As if things weren’t already complicated enough, Scott must learn to balance his newfound identity as a werewolf with his teenage life. Teen Wolf follows Scott and his friends as they face various supernatural challenges and the more mundane obstacles of being teenagers in high school.

The primary protagonist/hero of the show is the teen werewolf himself Scott McCall, played by actor Tyler Posey. Prior to becoming a werewolf, Scott was just your typical social outcast – he was a benchwarmer for his school’s lacrosse team, had severe asthma, and only had one best friend named Stiles. He is raised by his mother Melissa McCall and has an after school job working at the local veterinarian clinic. But while venturing through the woods one night, Scott was bitten by werewolf Peter Hale. At first, Scott sees his newfound werewolf powers as a curse rather than a gift. Not only does Scott have to control himself from shifting on nights of a full moon, but he must also worry about the werewolf hunters that are out to capture him. However, Scott learns to embrace his supernatural nature. His new werewolf powers get him a starting position on the lacrosse team and even a new girlfriend. Initially frightened by his new abilities, Scott learns to accept the werewolf bite and uses his gift to protect his friends and family against evil supernatural threats. Scott is a well-meaning underdog for although he doesn’t have much power, he possesses a lot of good will. He is seen as a leader by his friends and always does his best to protect those he loves while expecting nothing in return. Throughout the show, it is evident that Scott embodies and lives life according to justice, trust and friendship.

Another protagonist of the show is Scott’s best friend/sidekick Stiles Stilinski, portrayed by actor Dylan O’Brien. Stiles has been Scott’s best friend ever since elementary school. His mother died when he was young and he was therefore raised by his father who is the sheriff of Beacon Hills County. Unlike Scott, Stiles is not a werewolf but a geeky, lacrosse-playing teenager. He adds some fun and silliness to Scott’s life. Stiles is very sarcastic, funny, outspoken and loyal. He uses his extreme cleverness and wits to help Scott protect others from the supernatural. For the longest time, Stiles has had an unrequited love for the popular girl in school, Lydia Martin. Just like Scott, Stiles lives his life according to friendship, loyalty and justice.

Another protagonist is Allison Argent, played by actress Crystal Reed. Although Allison is the new girl at Beacon Hills High School, she quickly makes friends with the popular crowd. Allison is your typical girl next door – she’s smart, pretty and cares for her friends. In season one of Teen Wolf, Allison’s world takes a huge turn when she discovers her family secretly comes from a long line of werewolf hunters. This becomes a huge conflict for Allison for she ends up falling in love with Scott, the newest werewolf in Beacon Hills. Despite her father’s disapproval, Allison continues to see Scott, adding a forbidden “Romeo and Juliet” romance to the plot. Allison considers her friends her family and is willing to do anything to protect them, even if it means disobeying her father. Although she possesses no supernatural ability, Allison helps Scott protect others using her skills in combat training and with a bow and arrow. Although she is the girlfriend of the main hero of the show, Allison is no damsel in distress. The character of Allison proves there are roles for women who are both lovers and fighters in a supernatural romance.

​Jackson Whittemore, played by actor Colton Haynes, is seen as an anti-model in the series. Jackson is Scott’s high school nemesis; he’s star player of the lacrosse team and is dating the prettiest girl in high school. Unlike Scott who rides his bike to school, Jackson drives a silver Porsche. Jackson is seen as arrogant and selfish for he only cares about himself. When Jackson learns about Scott’s new powers as a werewolf, he becomes jealous and does anything in his will to get the bite. Unlike Scott and his friends, Jackson only looks out for himself.

Lydia Martin, played by actress Holland Roden, is best friend to Allison and girlfriend to Jackson. Lydia is considered the most popular and beautiful student at Beacon Hills High School. On the surface, Lydia appears shallow, dumb and spoiled. However, only Stiles knows that she possesses a genius level of IQ and is well versed in chemistry and archaic Latin. When watching the show, viewers see that Lydia only pretends to be dumb to maintain her popularity. Lydia is manipulative with her friends at first, using them whenever they suited her ambitions. However, she learns to care for Allison and her other friends and allows them to get to know who she is deep inside.

Last but not least we have the main villain Peter Hale who is portrayed as the primary antagonist in season one. Peter was born into a family of werewolves and has always resented that his older sister reached Alpha status in the pack. Peter is seen as very cunning, clever and selfish. In season one, Peter spends his time trying to convince Scott to join his pack so that he can get revenge on the arsonists who killed most of his family through a house fire six years ago. In the process, Peter kills multiple people, including his own niece. Peter’s multiple murders and his use of manipulation to achieve his personal desires depict him as an anti-model.

Sanctioning agents

Sellnow describes a sanctioning agent as the “legitimizing force that guides a narrative” (Sellnow 99). One sanctioning agent used in Teen Wolf that guides the basis of the show is the concept of leadership. Before becoming a werewolf, Scott lived life in the shadows of high school, never exactly standing out. But once he learns to control his powers, Scott feels a sense of responsibility to use these powers for a greater purpose – to protect those who cannot protect themselves. However, Scott does not do this alone. One of the show’s greatest assets is the ensemble of characters that each do their own part in saving and protecting others. Although Scott is pegged as the leader of his pack, he possesses no need for the spotlight.

However, Teen Wolf wouldn’t be the show it is today without its main sanctioning agent – friendship. Whatever the consequences may be, Scott and his pack always do what they can to protect the ones they love. Each season of Teen Wolf brings a new plotline and battle for the characters; however, the strong bonds Scott and his friends have created always remain. Although some beloved characters have passed away, Scott never forgets what they have done for him and the legacy they left behind. At the end of the day, Teen Wolf centers around the concept of friendship and the love and compassion that comes with it.

Master analogue

Teen Wolf possesses a social master analogue for it centers around friendship, trust and being humane. Despite all the supernatural and mythology that takes place, the show’s primary focus is on the bonds the characters have created. One of the strongest friendships on the show is the one between Scott and Stiles. These two boys have been friends long before Scott became a werewolf. Scott and Stiles don’t consider each other friends; they consider each other brothers. To Scott and his pack, any supernatural creature is never too hard to defeat when your friends and family are by your side.

Fantasy Theme Artistry

As an avid viewer of the series, I may be quite biased when I say that the fantasy theme is conveyed with rhetorical skill and communicative competence. However, I can say that viewers of all ages will be pleasantly surprised once they start the show. When I first heard of the Teen Wolf, I was reluctant to watch it because I was never into the types of shows MTV produced (Sixteen and Pregnant, Ridiculousness, etc.). But after watching the first season, I could not get enough of the show. Not only are the actors pretty decent for MTV but they are extremely attractive as well. Some of the special effects may appear cheesy to some, but the way creator Jeff Davis incorporates mythology and history into the plotline is enough to satisfy any viewer. Jeff Davis also does an outstanding job of balancing the dark and edgy aspect of the show with some comedic relief through the character of Stiles, keeping its viewers on the edge of their seats while still making them laugh from time to time.

Looking at the show through comparative standards, Teen Wolf surpasses all similar texts in the teenage fantasy/sci-fi genre. When most people hear of the show, they automatically suspect Teen Wolf as a Twilight rip-off. Although both of the shows include shirtless werewolves, the plot of Teen Wolf is completely different. Unlike Twilight, Teen Wolf focuses more on Scott’s transformation and the challenges it brings him and his friends. Yes, Scott does have a romance interest with Allison. However, Allison is depicted more as a heroine rather than the damsel in distress Bella Swan from Twilight is made out to be. Many critics have applauded the series for it contains a suspense and horror element that most teenage fantasy shows have abandoned. In fact, many have compared it to shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

Symbolic Cue

Sellnow describes a symbolic cue as a cryptic and non-self-explanatory reference of which only an insider would understand (Sellnow 104). From the symbols of each werewolf pack to the supernatural mythology, Teen Wolf is loaded with symbolic cues. The use of pack symbols as a symbolic cue help to generate a sense of community for the insider. For example, only an insider would know that a triskelion is a Celtic symbol belonging to the Hale family. The series also contains many supernatural creatures that only an avid viewer would know. For example, someone outside the Teen Wolf community would be terribly confused if they heard the words nogitsune or kanima.

Popular one-liners and jokes within the show also do a superb job of creating a sense of cohesion amongst its viewers. For example, an insider would only know that “Don’t be such a sour wolf” is a reference to the character Stiles. Teen Wolf has established such a strong community that even everyday objects contain separate meanings for its viewers. For instance, a blue Jeep might just appear as a mode of transportation for some. However, anyone belonging to the Teen Wolf community would know that a blue Jeep is what the character of Stiles drives to go to school. The countless Teen Wolf merchandise and memes one can find the on the internet is also proof of how the show generates a sense of community.

However, the show does attract the unconverted by incorporating different mythologies each season. For instance, season five of the show focuses on the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan, a man-eating wolf that terrorized France between 1764 and 1767. Season three focuses on the history of internment camps used in WWII and adds a little plot twist by incorporating the mythology of the Japanese yako or fox. Teen Wolf’s incorporation of different legends and folktales broadens its range of viewers, thus welcoming the unconverted to the show.

The Teen Wolf Community

Overall, my analysis breaks down the components of what makes Teen Wolf resonate with young audiences across the nation. Teen Wolf contains many aspects that create a sense of community for its viewers and welcome outsiders at the same time. The show also contains many meanings and emotional evocations. For example, Teen Wolf’s gay character Danny informs viewers of the LGBT community and teaches them that everyone is the same despite their sexual preference. The character of Issac Lahey and the story of how he was beaten by his father deal with the sensitive topic of child abuse. Stiles’ ADHD and Scott’s asthma show viewers that despite health disabilities, teenagers can accomplish anything they put their mind to. When Allison’s mother dies in season two, Teen Wolf creates an emotional evocation of death. These are just some of the many topics and emotional evocations Teen Wolf addresses in the series.

After analyzing the show from a symbolic convergence perspective, I can interpret that the fantasy theme community of Teen Wolf is not one merely based on the supernatural alone but on friendship. When looking right into the core of the show, one can see that Teen Wolf is more than horror or romance or sci-fi; it’s about the loving bond one creates with others. The fantasy theme community of Teen Wolf is all about trust, love and friendship. It’s about doing anything in your will to protect the ones you love.

Worldview/Conclusion

Overall, Teen Wolf does a superb job of arousing numerous emotions in its viewers. The dark and suspenseful folktales of supernatural creatures keep viewers on the edges of their seats while funny sarcastic comebacks from Stiles’ character adds some comedic relief. The show attracts many viewers with its bits of romance, horror, fantasy and action. But most importantly, it teaches its young audience the importance of friendship. It doesn’t matter if you’re having the worst day or best day of your life if you’re not surrounded by the ones you love. Through the power of storytelling, viewers have a newfound appreciation for friends and family. They learn to turn to their friends in times of struggle, and that nothing is too scary to handle with a friend by your side.