#tw 1x04

The most unfortunate part of the utter lack of empathy for Scott in that scene at the end of Magic Bullet (1x04) -- which make no mistake is an expression of racism -- is that it completely derails and obscures the actual narrative function of that scene for a large part of its intended audience.

Think about it. Up until then, our lead protagonist has experienced nothing but monstrous behavior from werewolves. Up until then, Derek and Peter have stalked Scott, manipulated Scott, threatened Scott's life, violated Scott's boundaries, mind-controlled Scott, and physically assaulted Scott, repeatedly. This is not arguable. This happens on the screen in full view of the audience. Do they think when Derek smirks "I can help you but it's not going to come for free," that the audience is supposed to take Derek's side?

Given what Scott knows about werewolves, expertly summarized by Stiles Stilinski (who these same racists will argue that Scott should listen to uncritically): "You're cursed, Scott. You know, and it's not just the moon will cause you to physically change. It also just so happens to be when your bloodlust will be at its peak." Given what Scott has experienced personally -- what the audience has watched him experience -- is it entirely unreasonable that Scott might think that his girlfriend's family has a reason to attack werewolves?

Let's look at that line in the context of the scene.

Scott: So - What makes you so sure that they set the fire? Derek: 'Cause they're the only ones that knew about us. Scott: Well, then - They had a reason. Derek: Like what? You tell me what justifies this. They say they'll only kill an adult, and only with absolute proof, but there were people in my family that were perfectly ordinary in that fire. This is what they do. And it's what Allison will do.

Given the actual context of the scene, this is a peripeteia, a dramatic reversal. Scott (and the audience) has had only bad experiences with werewolves up to this point. I mean, I've pointed out before that Derek in that same episode has said: "Then think about this. The Alpha called you out against your will. He's gonna do it again. Next time you either kill with him or you get killed." Remember, this is Derek extorting behavior from Scott, not a warning or expression of concern.

The scene is meant to reveal to Scott (and the audience) that the situation is more complex than it first appeared. There is even a musical cue reinforcing that interpretation. Yes, the werewolves that Scott has met in the previous four episodes have been brutal, selfish and violent. Yet, maybe they have reason to be?

This should be obvious, because "Magic Bullet" is an idiom meaning A simple remedy for a difficult or complex problem, especially a cure for a disease. Right before this scene, after Scott had saved Derek from the poisoned bullet, Scott had insisted that Derek leave him and Stiles alone from now on. "Okay, we saved your life, which means you're gonna leave us alone, you got that? And if you don't, I'm gonna go back to Allison's dad, and I'm gonna tell him everything -" Yet after this scene Scott never even implies that Derek should leave him alone or that Scott won't help Derek, even after Derek betrays him to Peter. The dramatic reversal has had its narrative effect.

However, the peripeteia only works if the audience has even the slightest bit of empathy for the lead protagonist. On the other hand, if they have come to Teen Wolf for Sterek or just for hot white sad boy Derek, if they have not even tried to put themselves in Scott's position because a BNF in the fandom has told them that Scott is a terrible person because he didn't automatically become Derek's lackey or automatically see the Argents as irredeemable bad guys, then the purpose of this scene is lost. There can be no payoff for the viewer.

This is how racism degrades the enjoyment of the people who actually succumb to it. If you look at this scene through the racialized lens of Poor Derek and only Poor Derek, it has to be immensely frustrating. If you believe that as a Latino, Scott does not exist outside his relationship with white male characters, if he has no right to his own emotions or his own character growth, then what he says is an injustice that is never corrected (which is why fandom tries to make Peter's violation of Scott in Co-Captain (1x10) somehow related to it).

As someone who was discussing it with me said, "I kind of am ignoring that Scott is the one that's saying it," There it is. THAT'S THE PROBLEM. They take a scene in which Scott's emotional state and character growth is the primary focus and try to make it about something else. Of course, it rankles them! There's no way it couldn't.

But the saddest part of this is? They embrace the disconnect. They want to find reasons to hate on Scott, because they don't really care if it prevents them from understanding the purpose of this scene or any scene or the thrust of the entire first season. They want to simplify the story to the point where they can make Derek (or Peter or Stiles or any white male character) into their blorbo or paper doll or woobie or whatever term they want to use. Empathy for a character of color (be it Scott or Deaton or Braeden or Mason) -- often gets in the way of this process because it requires them to give equal importance to their stories, especially if the character of color is the lead protagonist. Luckily though there's a handy tool that enables these people.

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