We pick up four months after the events of the Teen Wolf Season 2 finale and our little gang of misfits are each dealing with the events in their own way. Scott tried getting the titular "Tattoo" only to have it heal no sooner than he left the chair.

Let's find out who is new in town, what everyone's been up to and why the tattoo was so important to Scott...

We have a nice blend of new characters and old in town, and the alpha pack foretold at the end of last season has arrived. With them has come a plethora of frightened animals, similar to the stampeding forest of animals on the night Scott was blessed with his lycanthropy. 

Alright, the first time we witnessed a beast gone wild - when the deer ran right into the windshield of Lydia's car - annoyed me. Scott and Stiles were discussing whether or not Allison would be back at school when, on a deserted stretch of road, the two sets of friends found their cars at the same red light. The scene was really cute and full of typical Stiles and Lydia goodness.

What I didn't like was Lydia saying she saw the deer's eyes just before it ran into the car. Um...no, Lydia, ya didn't. You and Allison were turned around looking at Scott and Stiles in the car behind you. I rewound it and double checked and she did not turn her head. That was sloppy.

That sloppiness was made up for by the awesome scene in the classroom when the birds attacked, the interesting alpha Scavo twins from Desperate Housewives (so far unnamed on the show) who could morph into one mega alpha and the return of Derek in top wise-cracking form. 

We learned that alphas embrace their non-hygienic qualities and refuse to pull in their nails, even on their feet. The female alphas, walking ballet style toward Motorcycle Girl, had gone to the trouble to paint their terrible toenails black to remind us just how powerfully disgusting a wolf can be when they want to be.

Motorcycle girl was apparently nothing but a plot device to bring us cunning fight scenes and round up the alphas in the leftover Bunheads attire to allow the king alpha, Deucalion, to swat the life out of her with those grimy fingernails before delivering the punchline that it was his plan for Derek to kill his own pack, starting with Scott.

One of my favorite parts of the hour was learning why Scott was getting the tattoo: as a reward for not texting or calling Allison for four months despite his deepest desires to do so. Despite the amount of time passing, and his newfound calling to become an A student, their relationship was still to him an open wound. In Samoan, the word tattoo means open wound. That's why it didn't matter what he got on his arm, only that he got one. That touched my heart.

Another favorite was the music set against every fight. It was nearly perfect in each scene, making them feel equally frantic and exciting. It was the first time I could remember thinking, "I want a Teen Wolf soundtrack!" It's like it would drive me to want to get up and do something.

After the last season finale and the switch up in the cast, it was kind of hard to bring everything together for the premiere. But the writers managed quite well to shift focus. I'll leave you with some other things of note:

• The way they wrote off Jackson as just popping up alive, getting werewolf 101 classes from Derek and being shipped to London didn't explain the Kanima. Wonder if anything ever will.
• It's strange to see Mr. Argent showing his softer side. He's like a doting father to Allison now. Maybe he and Melissa could find something in common.
• Scott's mother, Melissa, is handling the news of his condition quite well. I loved her asking if Isaac had any other werewolf emergency contacts.
• Speaking of Isaac, I forgot how much I liked him. I'm glad he has such a large role this season as his many talents are much appreciated!
• Derek seemed gentler and almost fatherly in his dealings with Scott and Stiles. Since the alphas want to use him to kill Scott, that's a good thing, but being weak in any way could also be trouble. I wonder how long it will take Scott to find his inner alpha.

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.