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More Bad Than Good is episode 14 of Teen Wolf Season 3 and was viewed by 1.9 million people during its initial airing on MTV.

Synopsis

Scott and Stiles continue to search for the Werecoyote. Derek and Peter get help from an unlikely source.

Full Recap

Derek and Peter remain chained to the fencing. Sparks fly from their bodies as electricity flows across the metal.

A bearded man (Ivo Nandi) indicates the device that is controlling the electricity and explains that it is old and unreliable. He says sometimes they adjust it too high and the victims just die. Sometimes their bodies keep jumping even after their hearts stop.

Peter is still cracking jokes, claiming the amperage is “a little high.” The man is interrogating the pair, looking for the location of “la loba.” He threatens to cut one of them in half with a chainsaw to get the other one to talk. He wonders aloud how far their “little healing trick” goes.

They are interrupted by an older woman (Ivonne Coll) who continues to question them in Spanish. In English she asks “Where is the “she wolf?”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks to one of our users we have a translation of the Spanish dialogue.
WOMAN
No tiene que ser tan duro. (I doesn't have to be that hard)
DEREK
No hablo Español. (I don't speak spanish)
WOMAN
Tu hablas muchos idiomas, Derek Hale. (You speak a lot of languages, Derek Hale)

She calls Derek “lobito” or "little wolf" and says she knows he won’t talk but believes Peter will. She says Peter loves the sound of his own voice. He jokes that she should hear him sing. She cuts off his right finger and stabs the claw of the severed digit into the wooden floor.

She says she’ll only ask 9 more times and leaves.

Scott is still pursuing the werecoyote through the woods and runs into Stiles who leads them to the coyote’s den.

Inside, they find Malia Tate’s clothes as well as some toys and are convinced that she is the creature.

Scott says by invading the den, they've guaranteed that Malia won’t return because their scent is everywhere. Scott believes he could track her better if he transformed but says he can’t due to his fear of losing control.

He says since Derek hasn't responded to his texts they’ll have to find someone else to help. Saying the den is a crime scene they call in Sheriff Stilinski.

The Sheriff is incredulous that the coyote is actually a girl. Scott and Stiles spin a scenario whereby the accident that killed the Tate family was caused when Malia transformed while her mom was driving. Malia, wracked with guilt at the death of her family, runs off into the woods and becomes trapped inside the body of a coyote. This is all speculation on their part and not confirmed fact.

The sheriff is again incredulous and says it’s insane.

Scott has a hallucination where he (transformed) has Malia laid over a rock and is about to slash her with his claws, foreshadowing his need to exert dominance over her later in the episode.

Scott's Dad shows up with Mr. Tate. He seems angry and snaps at Scott that he’ll talk to his mom about letting him run around the woods at night.

Mr. Tate confirms that some of the clothing found in the den belonged to Malia.

Agent McCall explains that’s why he brought Tate to the scene, to gain confirmation. He also gets in an insult about how Stilinski can’t close cases. McCall says they should do a little digging and they are sure to uncover something. Stilinski counters that the case is far more complicated and addresses him with a snide “Special Agent.”

McCall then gives a quick lesson in grieving parents, saying it’s the “not knowing” that ruins them and that the truth, no matter “how profoundly it sucks” is always better than not knowing.

Malia runs through the woods and comes out on an outcropping overlooking the lights of Beacon Hills. The moon is full.

In class, Stiles uses what appears to be a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 to show Allison the location of Malia’s den. It is at the convergence of a several trails which Allison says could narrow their search because coyotes travel on “fixed trails.” She adds that Scott is right about her not going back to the den because coyotes don’t like wolfs. She also says they’re really smart and if they don’t want to be heard they walk on their toes. Stiles says “Coyotes tiptoe?” Allison agrees.

The school bell sounds and Kira, brimming with nervous energy, awkwardly approaches Scott. She says she’s done a couple of hours of research on Bardo (See Anchors) and printed it out for him. She’s unable to find the pages in her book bag. Then her father walks up and says that she forgot the research she printed out for “that boy you like.”

Kira is mortified. Scott looks happy and a little excited.

Mr. Yukimura starts class. They are apparently learning about the internment camps the government forced Asian-Americans into during World War II.

He calls on Stiles to read in front of the class but as he tries the letters begin to slide off the page. He begins to panic and Scott rushes him from the room.

In the restroom, Stiles is gasping. He says he thinks he’s dreaming but Scott assures him he is not and gets him to count his fingers (because apparently you often have too many fingers in dreams) and this calms Stiles considerably.

Scott assures him they will be okay but Stiles is not convinced. He reminds his friend that he can’t transform and Allison is being haunted by her dead aunt. As for himself, he says he is “straight up losing my mind.” He seems defeated claiming that they are not up to the task of helping Malia or anyone else in their current condition.

Scott’s response is that they can try, they “can always try.”

The bell ending class rings. Mr. Yukimura reminds them to read the chapters on “President Carter and the Commission on Wartime Relocation.” Kira notices that Scott and Stiles have not returned and their book bags were left behind.

She carries the bags down the hall and sees a growling Malia/werecoyote. The creature attacks. Kira ducks into the locker room where she drops the bags and hides from the very angry beast. Malia comes crashing through the frosted glass window set in the door.

Just as she’s about to get caught, Scott shows up and pushes the lockers over onto the coyote. Malia flees and Scott notices Stiles’ book bag is ripped open, one vacant eye of a little girl’s doll is staring out of the gap.

Peter’s severed finger continues to bleed. It looks like a macabre candle sticking out of the floor with blood running down like wax and pooling around nail.

Peter asks his captor if it would be possible to put the digit on ice or perhaps something for his hand “an extra-large Band-Aid or some antibiotic ointment.”

Shadows move on the floor above the torture chamber. We hear the sound of glass breaking. The guard readies his rifle and fires up into the slatted wood ceiling. Round after round is fired above too, the shell casings cascade down through gaps in the boards. The front door crashes inward, a woman’s hand reaches for the guard’s gun and takes it from him. He throws a punch but she uses the butt of the gun to pound him and send him sprawling.

When she turns toward Derek and Peter we see it is Braeden the mysterious girl who saved Isaac in Tattoo who everyone thought was dead. She has thick scars on her face and neck from her fight with the Alpha Pack.

She explains that someone paid her to save Isaac and that Deucalion sent her to save Derek but not Peter. When asked why she would work for the man who scarred her face she replies “a girl’s gotta eat.”

She frees them both and Peter grabs his finger from the floor. Placing it against the stump, his healing ability reattaches the digit.

Braeden is ready to leave but Derek says “we’re not leaving without it” but doesn’t explain what “it” might be.

Animal control officers rush down the hallway at the high school. The Sheriff says if Malia hurts someone “they’ll have to put it down.” Stiles quickly reminds him that they’re talking about a “her” not an “it.”

While he says he still believes in the supernatural, he doubts that the coyote is a girl and not an animal. Stiles says he is 100% sure because Scott’s sure. Scott is listening to them from the end of the hall. As a demonstration of his friend's supernatural abilities, Stiles turns to his father and whispers “Scott you been listening?” Scott nods and the Sheriff acquiesces.

Kira assures her father that she is fine. He wants to know why she wasn’t heading to lunch with everyone else. She explains that she was trying to return the boys’ book bags to do “something nice” saying that’s how you make friends or “so I’ve heard.”

Scott hears this exchange.

Stiles has figured out that Malia was looking for the doll in his back pack. As he shows it to Scott, Mr. Tate storms in demanding to know where he got it. He says it belonged to his daughter. The sheriff intervenes and realizes that Mr. Tate has a gun under his jacket. While he has a permit to carry the weapon, California schools are “gun free zones” meaning he is breaking the law by bringing it on campus. The sheriff asks him to leave.

He leaves, demanding that the Sheriff “find that animal… …that thing.”

Allison retrieves a tranquilizer gun from her apartment and texts Scott that she’s “Got it.”

At the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic, Scott, Stiles and Isaac seek the help of Dr. Deaton. The vet provides them with three vials of Xylazine which he describes as a “horse tranquilizer.”

He says for a werecoyote it should work in seconds but he only has the three vials so whoever is handling the tranquilizer gun needs to be a “damn good shot.” Scott says Allison is a perfect shot but Isaac says “she used to be” having witnessed her inability to hit the target last episode.

Isaac also points out that they may not be able to find “the thing.”

Stiles, tired of Isaac’s negativity, asks “what’s the point of him?” He also questions “what’s up with the scarf anyway?” pointing out that “it’s 65 degrees out.”

Isaac is undeterred, asking the most difficult question of all; “how do we turn a coyote back into a girl when she hasn’t been a girl for eight years?”

Scott says he can do it pointing out that Peter once forced him to transform (See Night School) using just his voice and that Deucalion did the same thing (See Alpha Pact).

Deaton questions if werewolf abilities will work on a werecoyote. Scott says he called Derek to get him to teach him how to do it. Knowing they need a “real Alpha” Stiles suggests the twins. Deaton points out that they twins are no longer Alphas because Jennifer “broke that part of them.” Believing they still may know how to “do it.” They decide to seek them out.

Scott believes no one has seen the pair in weeks, but Stiles knows Lydia is still in contact with Aiden.

Scott, Lydia and Stiles arrive at Derek’s Loft and the twins attack Scott. Pounding on him saying he needs to lose control. They shout that he has to give in and become the monster, the beast. They continue that becoming the monster doesn’t make you the “bad guy” as long as you can control it. Scott questions what would happen if he can’t control it and is told by Ethan that “it takes over. You become Malia and you get further and further from being human. You turn into an animal or worse.”

Aiden says “You turn into Peter.”

This causes Scott to flash back to the night Peter “died,” he sees the creature Peter was in Season 1.

Scott rushes Aiden, but the former Alpha flips him up onto the table and begins pounding on his face. His brother steps in to stop him. Scott’s face is covered in blood.

At the Tate farm, Mr. Tate is testing a bear trap, he pushes a piece of firewood into the trigger and the sharpened jaws snap shut.

Allison and Isaac are at the Argent’s apartment getting ready to hunt. Allison asks Isaac if he is sure he can track Malia’s scent. He assures her that he can saying her scent is “kinda strong” because he picked it up from her pee.

Allison tries to load the syringe with the Xylazine but her hands are shaking. She drops the bottle, bends down to pick it up and stands back up. Instead of her apartment, she finds herself in the Beacon Hills Hospital Morgue. There is a patient on the table under a blanket but when she pulls the sheet back - she is the patient looking up at a group of doctors.

Kate Argent appears to be doing an autopsy on her. Allison's chest is cracked open and her organs are all visible. Kate removes the heart saying “there’s definitely something wrong with it” before she throws it aside. She says the rest of the organs look fine and then the doctors turn into werewolves and start eating Allison’s entrails.

Allison snaps back to reality and is pointing the tranquilizer gun at Isaac. She apologizes and Isaac holds her hand and helps her load the syringe.

Stiles’ Jeep, Scott’s dirt bike and Allison’s car arrive in the Beacon Hills Preserve. Lydia asks if they might be doing more harm than good. Scott says they’re helping make sure a man doesn’t kill his daughter.

Sheriff Stilinski throws down a bear trap on the Tate’s kitchen table and says a jogger found it in the woods. Turns out Tate has set up dozens of such traps. He then realizes that his screen door has been torn open. Believing that the coyote is in the house, Tate grabs his shotgun and goes after it. They spot the coyote sitting in the yard with the doll from Stiles’ backpack siting under it.

Tate gets off a shot at the animal before the sheriff can stop him.

Hearing the gunfire, Scott takes off on his bike toward the shots. Isaac and Allison chase after on foot.

Stiles works out that the doll is key. He first saw it in a picture in Malia’s room. Her sister was holding in the picture and Stiles realizes that Malia had placed the doll in the car’s wreckage as one might leave flowers on a grave. They removed the doll from the grave and Malia’s been trying to return it.

Isaac steps in one of Tate’s traps and howls in pain. The cry from the Beta is strong enough and loud enough in Scott’s ears to knock him off his motorbike.

Allison catches up to Isaac who urges her to take the shot and tranquilize Tate before the man can shoot the coyote. Allison’s first shot hits a tree. Isaac calms her down, she takes a deep breath, says the new Argent motto in French “Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger eux-mêmes” or “We protect those who cannot protect themselves” and fires the shot striking Tate in the shoulder. He drops to the ground and Malia runs off.

Stiles tries to reach Scott on his cell but gets his voice mail. He leaves a message explaining the doll thing.

When he turns back to Lydia he sees that she has stepped on one of Tate’s bear traps. The only reason it hasn’t snapped close is that she is still holding the trigger down with her foot. If she tries to step off it will have her.

She tells Stiles to look for disarming instructions on the device. When he questions why someone would put such a thing on a trap she responds “because animals can’t read.” Stiles, unfortunately, can’t read either at the moment; the words are just a collection of random letters.

Lydia says to forget the instructions that if anyone can figure it out it’s Stiles because that’s what he does, he figures stuff out. After a few minutes studying the mechanism, Stiles discovers a large screw that tightens the spring. By twisting it he can delay the closing of the trap, he does and Lydia steps away just in time.

Scott allows himself to “wolf out” while chasing Malia. His eyes glow red and he leaps across the ravine that holds the Tate’s wrecked car. He lands in front of the coyote. The animal growls at him but he growls back, using his werewolf voice that carries so far and with such force that Isaac eyes begin to glow and he rips the trap from his leg. Stiles hears the roar as well and says “that’s what I’m talking about.”

The werecoyote turns into a very pretty girl.

The Sheriff returns Malia to her father and, sitting in the Sheriff’s SUV, Stiles realizes he can read again.

At the Sheriff’s Office, FBI agents, including McCall, tote out box after box of files. The sheriff slams the door after them.

Peter, Braeden and Derek enter a mansion. They find a chest made from a Rowen Tree or Mountain Ash. Derek tries to touch it but his hand is repelled by the wood.

Braeden kicks off the lock and opens the chest. It is filled with Mountain Ash dust. Braeden reaches in and removes a carved cylinder with the Triple Spiral pattern on the top.

In the woods at the Nemeton, a gloved figure approaches and, noticing a small sprig of green is growing out of the top of the stump, rips away the fresh growth and casts it on the ground. The figure turns and walks away.

From the crack where the little green sprig had been sprouting, a firefly emerges. It is followed by dozens, then hundreds more.

The bug swarms begin to take on three distinctively humanoid shapes.

Soundtrack

  • Monarkk - "Alpha"

Scene: Scott, Lydia, and Stiles find the twins at Derek's loft.

Gallery

Video

MTV released a number of videos to promote this episode.

An "Extended Next On" video -



A "super tease" covering the entirety of the 12 3(b) episodes -



Special "sneak preview" clips -


Episodes List

Season 2 Season 3 Season 4
#01 Tattoo #07 Currents #13 Anchors #19 Letharia Vulpina
#02 Chaos Rising #08 Visionary #14 More Bad Than Good #20 Echo House
#03 Fireflies #09 The Girl Who Knew Too Much #15 Galvanize #21 The Fox and the Wolf
#04 Unleashed #10 The Overlooked #16 Illuminated #22 De-Void
#05 Frayed #11 Alpha Pact #17 Silverfinger #23 Insatiable
#06 Motel California #12 Lunar Ellipse #18 Riddled #24 The Divine Move
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