Slightly less life-and-death, we cut to Stiles working on the Jeep – and Liam trying to make amends with Scott. The Beta tells Scott about Theo’s undead chimera pack, but he doesn’t tell Scott much he doesn’t already know. Scott tells Liam that he and Stiles are going to find Kira and bring her back. Liam is eager to help, but Scott shuts him down. Well, if you wanted to see what a kicked puppy looks like, now you know. Interestingly, Stiles is more willing to forgive Liam than Scott is – but that’s because he recognizes the value of Liam’s powers. Anyway, Roscoe is fixed (!!) and the boys are ready for a road trip.
Theo and his chimeras are taking a more direct approach to the latest Beacon Hills problems, tracking the Beast. They see the “DAMNATIO MEMORIAE” message again at the school, and we learn that someone is trying to get the Beast to remember who it is. This is new information: the Dread Doctors weren’t able to resurrect the Beast from thin air, so they needed a body. The Beast could be anyone we already know – but they wouldn’t even know it themselves. Theo and Tracey find what they’re looking for – the Beast – but also the Dread Doctors.
Meanwhile, Scott and Stiles are on the road to Kira – and researching exactly what “Damnatio Memoriae” means. It was a Roman phrase that condemned criminals and such to being stricken from the records – having their memories erased. But after this important revelation, we get some Sciles girl talk. Scott tells Stiles he thinks Malia found her mom – the Desert Wolf. He’s also pretty sure Braeden is back, and helping Malia – probably to kill her mother.
Kira, oblivious of her friends coming to her aid, is prepping to take some kind of test from the Skinwalkers. If she passes, she’ll still have to spend months – or years – training with them. If she fails… Well, let’s focus on the positive. Noshiko makes the consequences of the situation very clear: if Kira doesn’t get her Kitsune spirit under control, it will consume her. If it takes years to get it under control, NBD – she has centuries.
Back at school, Theo is causing trouble (what else is new?) by leaning on Hayden’s locker to provoke Liam. Mason manages to hold him back. While Liam and Mason get new lab partners in science class (Hayden and Corey, respectively – let’s look forward to some Twilight-esque onion root tip cell scenes, please), Theo informs his teacher that Lydia won’t be in class for a while due to “medical issues.” Luckily, Malia walks by at that very moment to serve him the death glare that BS should earn him.
Speaking of our favorite Banshee, things still aren’t looking too good in Eichen House. Lydia and Meredith examine Valack’s broken cell door, which he shattered with Lydia’s scream. Meredith tells her that she needs to learn to give her voice direction if she’s going to use it as a weapon – the same thing Valack did to break the glass
Later, they ‘visit’ the school library and see that all the names are erased from the Senior Scribe shelf. Lydia asks how she can save her friends and sees Theo slash Meredith’s throat. It’s a vision, but it’s having real-world consequences – a light explodes in her room, and the orderlies say they think they heard her scream. Our babe is getting ready to kick some ass.
After class, Corey asks Mason out on another date, leading to a debate on morality and a locker room make out sesh. You do you, Mason. The chimeras are starting to fill in the gaps about what’s going on in Beacon Hills – they’re not concerned about sides so much as staying alive, with the Beast coming.
Checking in on the road trip – the Jeep runs out of gas, and Scott and Stiles stop for a refill… Before crushing all of our emotions by finally talking about what happened the night Donovan died. Scott realizes that Stiles was acting in self-defense, and all seems to be forgiven. OUR. HEARTS. Later, out in the desert, Scott continues the conversation. It’s clear that he feels some guilt about Stiles having to be the one to get blood on his hands – he feels responsible for asking the pack to follow him and protect everyone, no matter the cost.
Kira heads out into the desert at night to face the Skinwalkers’ test – which seems to involve dueling an Oni. Long time, no see. Scott and Stiles notice the (awesome) Kitsune lightning from this battle at the top of a hill and move toward the scene. The fight isn’t going in Kira’s favor… until she channels her Kitsune spirit and consumes the Oni. Does this count as a pass? Seems like it – she reemerges the next morning, bearing the Oni’s mask. But the triumph is cut short – the Skinwalkers say that Kira wields the sword, but the fox wields her… meaning that she has no control, and she has to stay and become a Skinwalker.
Back in Beacon Hills, Malia is rifling through papers at the animal clinic, when Theo confronts her. He says Deaton is probably already dead, and provokes Malia into attacking him. Seeing the Werecoyote totally kick his ass is pretty satisfying, even though the smug little asshole smiles through the pain. Ultimately, Theo offers to help Malia find Deaton and the Desert Wolf, using some techniques he picked up from the Dread Doctors.
Kira and Noshiko prepare for a fight while the Skinwalkers begin to crack the earth open around them. Just as they draw their weapons, Scott and Stiles drive onto the scene and get the Yukimura ladies out of there. Scott and Kira waste no time in making out in the backseat and getting out an “I love you,” so it seems like that relationship is on the mend.
They drive back to Beacon Hills and get some rest, but Scott’s nap is cut short by Liam and Mason, who have arrived with some news. Theo is looking for an Alpha – a blind one. Scott realizes exactly who this is: Deucalion.
That was wild from start to finish, and we can’t wait for next week’s episode – especially with the Stydia feels the teaser is serving.