One is a tv show from the 80’s, ones a tv show from now. They share a title and werewolves but how similar are they? Let’s find out!
The Intros
The Main Guys / Different Worlds
Scott is a typical nerdy, awkward teenager who lives with a single parent, who just can’t seem to fit in at his high school and doesn’t seem to be good at the sport he plays… at least until his newly-acquired wolf powers take hold. Scott struggles with high school bullies, but has a great friend named Stiles to help him through his troubles.
Stiles in both the movie and show is a comic relief character and brings light to some of the darker scenes, though the Stiles in the series does not wear profound shirts, and does not van surf. (I had a shirt made after one of the ones movie Stiles wears.)
This one right here!!!
When both movie-Scott and TV-Scott become werewolves, they struggle to keep the transformation under control. First, of course, Scott freaks out when the nails and ears show. (If I remember correctly, I think both transformation scenes took place in a bathroom as well.)
Despite the similarities, there are several significant discrepancies: the film is family-friendly and lighthearted while the series is dark and mysterious. The way the wolf transformation is introduced and the first girlfriends are pretty different from the other. The obstacles Scott faces, the parental situation and the sport that Scott plays are different in the movie and the show.
Let’s Talk Genres
The movie has a kind of lightness to it, keeps you smiling the whole way through. As most movies from the 80s, there is cheesy music that plays in the background that highlights the situation and gives the audience emotional cues: all up beat rhythms, guitars and electronic pianos. If something was about to go down, the audience heard it.
The TV series music, on the other hand, is oriented more toward the element of shock and surprise, as well as keeping you at the edge of your seat. It has slower beats: calm tempos, rock and some techno, which of course works for the darker, mystery-filled TV show.
How It Begins
So, let’s discuss the start of the wolf. For both versions of Scott, this begins in high school (one of those similarity things) but it’s how they start that is so different.
Movie-Scott was born with the gift, inherited by the father in the family line. Though apparently according to his dad, this was supposed to have skipped a generation. (I guess Scott wasn’t so lucky… or was he?) After his first full transformation, Scott shows his werewolf self his father (only to see his father also all wolfed out! Whoa!) and his father then explains the family secret. This was a good point for movie-Scott: he is advised to use his gifts for good and not to use them to manipulate others to get ahead (though he may have used them to get some popularity points at school.) He turns into the wolf in front of the whole school during a basketball game, he is able to channel his inner basketball talent and helps lead the team to victory (this is how he gets the huge splash in the popularity pool.) His friend Stiles becomes like his personal publicity agent, selling all things wolf. But then he learns that it is better to be ones self and accept who you are, flaws and all. (Message!!)
Now the TV-Scott, though… he was not so lucky. He was chased down and bitten by a scary beast in the woods. He goes through his change, trying to hide this from everyone, and has no one to talk to about what is going on. (Sucks to be him, really.) Though TV-Scott discovers what great powers come with being the wolf, he also has to learn how to control the wolfy part of him, especially when he gets excited. (Allison, his girlfriend, does not help this much at first…) He shows his friend Stiles, who then becomes the only person he trusts for a while, and is the only one who helps him deal with the changes he is going through. He has to decide, with the help of his friends, what kind of wolf he wants to be.
How About Those Bad Guys?
Both Scotts have battles to fight in high school. Movie-Scott has to battle high school bullying and dealing with puberty. The other Scott, well… he battles quite the arsenal of enemies: Werewolves, La Bete Du Gevaudan, The Nogitsune, Theo Raeken, Peter Hale, Alpha Pack, Alpha Twins, Berserkers, Dread Doctors… the list goes on and on. (This is probably why there are so many seasons of the Teen Wolf television series, and the movie only got a sequel… it could have probably used a battle with one of the above bad guys to help its rating.)
Crushes; The Ladies Of The Wolves
Now what would our hero be without a lady love?? Both Scotts have a main squeeze. For movie-Scott, her name is Boof. (Yes, you read that right… Boof.) And despite her odd name, this lady is pretty cool. She is Scott’s best friend, is always giving advice and is there for him when he needs her. Yet she secretly has a crush on him and would never tell… at least not until they are trapped in a closet together…
The other lovely maiden, of our TV Scott is named Allison; she is an all around bad-arse (wicked cool, mega-awesome, etc). She is a hunter (of werewolves!) who has killer aim with a bow and arrow. In the show however, she is not the friend of Scott at first. In fact, they meet for the first time in class, and the crush feeling is mutual between these two. So of course they become boyfriend/girlfriend and all is happy. At least until she realizes he is a werewolf, and she is a hunter…. Well, then that when the relationship drama happens. (But that’s for another blog.)
Total Bad-Ass!
Parental Guidance
Both Scotts live with a single parent. Movie-Scott with his dad, and TV-Scott lives with his mom. Movie-Scott’s dad is a single father, and seems to be single because mom has passed. (At least that is what I got out of it, I could be wrong.) They don’t seem to really go into what the history is with the single dad or what his career is. The father, though, is a wolf the same as Scott. He is able to relate to his son and guide him on the way. He is a pretty chill dad from what I gather.
TV-Scott lives with his mom. She is a nurse and divorced from the father who seemed to be out of the picture until just recently (they introduced him about two seasons ago, I think.) A wolf did not bite her so she is not like Scott in that manner because she is 100% not wolf. In fact, she does not know that Scott is a werewolf until much later. And once she does learn of her son’s secret, she is accepting and only wants to help her son in whatever way she can. (This to me makes her mom of the year.)
Feeling Old?!?
AAAHHHHH!!!!!
Now, I tried to find out if other people find there to be similarities between the two, and to my sadness, not many people have seen both. In fact a lot of people who have seen the 80s movie have not bothered to watch the TV show, and those who have seen the show are, dare I say it, too young to know there is an awesome movie out there with Michael J. Fox leading the role as super cool wolf. Ugh, the sadness of it all! This, my friends, makes me feel pretty old to say the least.
But there are some who are educated in the Wolf era, like my amazing son, who is 11, and has watched this with me since the show aired in 2011. He’s never missed an episode. He will definitely say there are differences between the two. (The movie never made him jump.)
Though they may be completely different in so many ways, I feel they should both be seen. If you have not seen them both, then I urge you, watch the other. They are both wonderful in their own ways, and if you like the one then you will probably like the other.
Recent Comments