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For those of you who’ve been reading fanfiction and scrolling through gifs on tumblr about Teen Wolf, but have never actually seen the show yet:
… You’re in for a big surprise.
Here are some things you need to know so that you don’t go into shock and have a seizure and die of confusion when you finally decide to sit down and watch the show:
Stiles isn’t the main character. I know- mind blown, right? But… but… he’s the star of nearly every TW fanfic on ao3, isn’t he? He’s the pack mom with magical powers and the co-alpha of the Beacon Hills werewolf pack, right? Wrong. Scott is the main character. Yeah, you weren’t expecting that, were you? Stiles is only involved in werewolf business because Scott dragged him into it! Stiles is just such an awesome character that the fandom collectively accepted him as their favoriteprotagonist.
Scott isn’t a dopey idiot. Fanfiction has him depicted as a goofy, adorable, puppy-like creature who is so head-over-heels for his cute girlfriend that he forgets to appreciate Stiles, his best friend, and is failing everything at school. Nope, in the show, he’s actually pretty badass, beats the bad guys with his crazy werewolf ninja skills, risks his life for his friends and family, and is actually kinda smart! That being said, if you’re looking for an adorable puppy person, you can find that with the actor who plays Scott, Tyler Posey!
There is no pack. Well, at least not a functional, family-like group of werewolves. They all have issues and kinda hate each other. Derek literally screwed nails into their heads so that they would be in too much pain to escape on the full moon. Yeah, who wouldn’t want to be in his pack? Fanfictions describe them as best friends and really close, like siblings, when in reality they don’t really do much together but act badass and get into epic werewolf fights. Not to mention the fact that SPOILER: Nearly all of them are dead now, and Derek isn’t even the Alpha anymore!
There are no pack meetings. They lived together in an old abandoned subway bunker for a while, and occasionally meet to strategize, but they definitely don’t hold special pack meetings that Stiles, Lydia and Allison are invited to as well, where they discuss pack life for a while and then move on to eat pizza and watch movies… and they have certainly never had a pack “jam sesh”.
There are no such things as puppy piles. I don’t know if you’ve ever read any puppy-pile fics, but if you haven’t, you’re bound to discover them in the near future. In fanfiction, puppy piles are an event in which everyone in the “pack” comes together, piles on top of each other, and snuggles. No, it’s not an orgy. (Apart from in one fanfic I came across… *shudder*) It’s pretty darn weird if you ask me, and I don’t know if actual puppies even do it… but it can be great if you’re in the mood for some fluff!
Stiles isn’t the pack researcher. Even if you can call this ragtag half-dead cluster of untrained werewolves (I say this with love) a pack, Stiles definitely isn’t the researcher. Granted, he does do aLOT of research, but it isn't a designated role for him in the pack. Many of these-type fanfictions follow the story line of the pack being one dysfunctional family and Stiles is feeling insecure being just the “pack researcher”. Someone, usually Derek, tells him he is not pack and Stiles secludes himself to his room with angst, self-hatred and insecurity until he does something rash and the pack realises that they need his research and he was vital all along. This usually ends with Derek apologising to Stiles and a pack cuddle. NO, NO, NO. (But my heart goes yes, yes, yes). I think this might just be because I personally read waaay to many angsty H/C fics…
Sterek… Sterek isn’t canon. I’m sorry too. They have barely had any scenes together in the first half of season 3… *sob sob*. (Apart from one incredibly emotional scene where Stiles puts his hand on Derek’s shoulder and you can totally see the love flowing through it and into Derek and everyone’s feels exploded all over the place…) But, yeah. We can at least be hopeful for more interactions in 3b?
Stiles isn’t the pack mom. It’s a pretty cute concept, (especially if Derek is the pack dad!) but sadly it’s very untrue. I’m wracking my brain for times Stiles displayed some mom-like attributes… and drawing a blank. I mean, he gets worried for Scott and Derek and people if they are entering a dangerous situation… but, then again, everyone is always worrying for each other. This is how many (most) fanfictions depict the pack:
Stiles: The pack mom who makes their lunches, cooks their dinners, worries about them all the time, helps them with their homework, and cleans the house.
Derek: The gruff but secretly fond pack dad who is the “boss” of the family but also comforts them and plays games with them and brings Stiles back down to earth.
Erica: The rebellious teenage daughter who wears sexy clothes and goes to loads of parties but is secretly a total daddy’s-girl.
Isaac: The totally adorable cuddly munchkin of a baby son who is sweet and cute and everyone loves him. (Despite the fact that he is pretty badass in the show)
Scott: The goofy, dopey, reckless son who struggles with school and is completely heart-eyed for his girlfriend, Allison.
I could go on, but it would take FOREVER. Obviously, not every fanfic incorporates these Teen Wolf fanfiction-stereotypes, but a surprising amount actually do! So, I guess that all we can do for now is sit on our thumbs, stalk the Teen Wolf tumblr, and hope that some of these fanfic-eotypes (see what I did there?) will come true in 3b.
Adios, Mishamigos!