Heartless

Heartless is the seventh episode of Teen Wolf Season 6.

The title is a reference to Cody Christian's character Theo who stole his sister's heart and had it implanted to become a chimera. His sister, now heartless, dragged him down into a hole at the end of Season 5. Theo returned to the land of the living at the end of the previous episode Ghosted.

Synopsis[]

Scott and Liam make an attempt to capture a Ghost Rider; Malia and Peter try to find a way into the Wild Hunt.

Full Recap[]

Theo wakes up inside one of the cadaver drawers in the Beacon Hills Hospital Morgue. He batters the door until it opens. He seems confused as a voice from the hallway outside whispers his name. He heads toward the voice and finds his sister Tara Raeken (Shelby Steel) on the ground crawling toward him. There is a gaping bloody hole in her chest where her heart was removed. She reaches into his chest and rips out his heart. He flashes back to when he let her die so that the Dread Doctors could take her heart and place it in his body to make him a chimera. He dies.

Theo wakes up inside one of the cadaver drawers in the Beacon Hills Hospital Morgue. He batters the door until it opens. A voice calls his name. His sister catches him and rips out his heart. Theo relives this over and over again until finally he no longer runs from his sister and says she doesn't have to stop.

Shut up Theo![]

Malia sits on Theo's chest and pounds his face again and again. Theo says she doesn't have to stop, but once she flicks out her claws, Liam steps in and stops her. He and Scott pull her off. Scott assures her Theo is going back in the ground. Liam objects explaining that Theo could help them because he remembers Stiles and he knows about the Wild Hunt from his time with the Dread Doctors. Scott is unconvinced. Malia just wants to kill him. Liam points out that Noshiko Yukimura gave him the sword and Theo is his responsibility. Theo picks this tense moment to make a joke, "It's so awkward when mom and dad fight." They all yell for him to shut up.

Hayden tries to back up Liam but Scott is adamant that Theo goes back to the Skinwalkers. Scott and Liam go to talk privately. Malia wants to kill Theo but Hayden blocks her. Theo admits there are mixed feelings about him but says he may be their only option to stop the Wild Hunt.

Liam and Scott both agree they can't trust Theo. Liam says they can still use him. Scott reminds him that Theo tricked Liam into trying to kill Scott and then finished the job himself when Liam failed. He also points out that he killed the other chimera and his sister. Liam argues that Theo might be their only chance to get Stiles back from the Ghost Riders. Liam admits that using Theo might be a mistake but points out that Scott also made mistakes when he was "learning to be an Alpha." Scott eventually acquiesces because he says they have to do whatever it takes to save Stiles.

Liam holds the sword and threatens that he can put Theo "back in the ground" anytime. Theo counters that they also need a generator that can handle five billion joules of electricity in order to catch a Ghost Rider and Theo knows where to find one and can show them how it works. He says he'll help them if Malia promises not to kill him. Liam says she promises. Malia says she doesn't. She's not on board with the plan and decides to leave them to try an idea of her own.

Finding Stiles' Room[]

Noah Stilinski has removed the wallpaper and most of the drywall from a large area in the hallway of his home. The gaping hole exposes a wooden door. He opens it and sees an empty room beyond. The windows are boarded up and it is covered in dust.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In Season 3, Stiles' room is shown to be on the second floor of the Stilinski's home during the opening sequence in Anchors. The set featuring the Stilinski living and dining room is new, built for Season 6, and the geography of the house appears to have changed. It appears Stiles' room is now on the ground floor.

Claudia appears in the doorway. She urges her husband to come out of the room. He is confused but she says the previous owners probably closed up the room because "people do crazy things." The Sheriff suggests that this could be his forgotten son's room. He is surprised Claudia isn't more curious about the situation. She says there are several simple explanations for the room, that they had a son they forgot about is not one of those explanations. She says Noah is making himself crazy and says they should just "leave it alone." He says he can't.

Theo in Chains[]

Liam and Hayden lead Theo through the woods. Liam has the chimera's hands cuffed and attached to a chain leash. Theo explains that he told them where the transformer was and how it works and believes he doesn't have to be there when it all blows up. Hayden is adamant that won’t happen. She explains the plan again. Since the Ghost Riders ride lightning, they can use the transformer to catch one and hold it captive. Theo says it's a bad idea. Liam says the bad idea was bringing Theo back. He says he made a mistake but Hayden doesn't let him wallow in self-doubt. She says they took a risk but it was the right thing to do and that she believes him. They kiss. They hear thunder and Hayden says they better hurry.

Scott, Mason, and Corey have constructed a metal cage inside what appears to be a stone cottage in the woods. Liam unchains Theo who turns on the large electrical transformer in the corner of the room. He says it can transmute the energy from multiple lightning strikes.

The Plan Explained[]

Mason explains that whatever is inside the cage they built will be shielded from any outside electrical current so the Ghost Rider won't be able to use lightning to escape. Corey explains they put a lightning rod on the roof which will catch the bolt the riders on and funnel it a spot inside the room but not inside the cage since it "neutralizes electromagnetism." Once the rider arrives they'll need to get it inside the cage. Hayden volunteers to be bait. Once Hayden lures him inside the cage, Scott and Liam are to close the gates locking him in while Mason spreads a circle of Mountain Ash around the whole works. Corey will then return to the roof and remove the lightning rod while Mason and Hayden stay on the lookout for more Ghost Riders.

Scott agrees that this is the best idea they have right now. Theo points out that everything will need to go perfectly or the Ghost Rider could escape and kill them all. Hayden points out that his transformer could catch fire. Mason, tongue in cheek, points out there could be a massive solar flare too.

Mason uses some sort of device (the same one Garrett Douglas used in Ghosted) to test the transformer. It ramps up the joules and lightning flashes around the cage. They all seem pleased with the results.

Melissa Fixes Peter[]

Melissa explains to Malia that her father has third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body. She says Malia should be saying her goodbyes. Malia says she doesn't need to say goodbye. She needs Melissa to fix him so they can find out what he knows about the Wild Hunt. Melissa reminds her that Peter is a ruthless con man who always has a devious plan to hurt everyone around him. She questions what Malia plans to do once Peter is back up and about. Malia says she has a plan.

Peter is in a private room inside a sealed plastic tent designed to keep in an oxygen rich atmosphere to promote healing while at the same time reducing the chances of his burns becoming infected. Melissa says she's unsure if her efforts to heal Peter will work. Malia says he's dying anyway so what does he have to lose. Peter says he's not dead yet and can hear them discussing his fate.

They breach the tent. Melissa explains that Malia asked her to treat him. He wants to know what's in it for him. Malia says it's simple, Melissa helps him then he helps her. Peter says it's too open-ended. He asks what happens if he doesn't agree and Melissa says she'll leave him for dead. Peter doubts Melissa, questioning what she knows about "our kind" of medicine. She whips out a syringe full of green gunk and says she knows about the "Nine Herbs" (See Ghosted) and stabs the syringe into his chest.

Peter immediately begins to convulse and a greenish foam dribbles from his mouth. Malia questions if it's working and Melissa says it should be because it looks painful enough. Soon Peter's burned skin begins to fall away revealing fully healed skin underneath.

Malia and Melissa support Peter as they make their way to the elevator. Once inside, Peter points out that he and the nurse never went on their second date (See Co-Captain from Season 1). Melissa drops him on the floor of the elevator with a thud.

Lydia Figures out Claudia[]

Lydia is lying on her bed. Her mother joins her and asks if she is still thinking about how to prove the Riemann hypothesis. Lydia says she's thinking about a dead kid she just met. She explains about Lenore and how she managed to conjure up her dead son because she couldn't deal with the loss of everyone in Canaan. She speculates that the Sheriff may have accidentally conjured up Claudia to fill the void left by the loss of Stiles. Natalie Martin is skeptical saying she just saw Claudia.

Lydia points out that so many things don't make sense. Claudia had a fatal disease but then she's fine. She says her Jeep was stolen 20 years ago, but it's Stiles' Jeep. Lydia says Claudia looked scared when she started peeling the wallpaper off the wall blocking Stiles' room. Like she was protecting a secret.

Natalie speculates that, if it's true, maybe Sheriff Stilinski needs Claudia, maybe it's his way of coping. Lydia wonders if Claudia's presence is keeping Noah from remembering Stiles. Her mother warns that if Claudia isn't real, Lydia doesn't want to be the one to tell him.

The Trap is Sprung[]

The plan seems to go well at first. Lightning strikes. The Ghost Rider appears and chases Hayden into the cage. She exits the back and Liam closes and locks the gate behind her. Scott moves in to shut the front gate but it sticks. Theo jumps in to help but gets his arm wedged in the opening. He urges Scott to force it closed anyway. Theo's bones break. Liam joins and pulls Theo away, and after a brief struggle with the rider, Scott closes and locks the gate. Mason runs through and completes the Mountain Ash circle. They apparently caught the Rider known as "The Outlaw" (Marti Matulis). He reaches for his gun but Scott managed to grab it in their struggle.

The Outlaw reaches his hand skyward and calls down lightning. It dances around the cage but doesn't reach him. He reaches both hands up and again electricity races around the cage.

Lydia in Stiles' Room[]

Lydia steps through the ragged hole into what was Stiles' room. The sheriff is incredulous that he didn't know about it in the 18 years they've lived in the house. He says the room is on the blueprints.

Lydia begins to see the things that should be in the empty room. First, she sees Stiles bed in the corner near the window. She then sees the corkboard and "murder" board where Stiles displayed his work when they were figuring out a case. She sees his desk. Then Noah says her name and the room is empty once again.

The sheriff says he doesn't understand how Lydia knew the room was there. He says he's open to discussing the possibility that he had a son. She closes the door.

Interrogating the Ghost Rider[]

Scott, Theo, and Liam decide to try to talk to their prisoner. Liam addresses him as "Mr. Ghost Rider" and then "Mr. Rider." He offers to let him out if the Rider tells them how to get their friends back. The Rider stands silent.

Theo is gobsmacked. He can't believe that this was their plan. Liam admits that they didn't have a plan for this part of the plan. Scott says they have him trapped and now just need to figure out how to communicate. He wonders if the Rider can even hear them. Liam speculates that he might speak an ancient language. Theo suggests he may only respond to pain. Liam thinks fear maybe but Theo says nothing could scare it. He calls it a "walking corpse."

Liam realizes something is wrong. He wonders why the Rider stopped trying to escape. The Outlaw lifts his head and makes a gargling sound. Theo thinks he just called for backup. Liam recalls that when Corey made the Ghost Rider visible at the party, another one showed up (See Sundowning). Scott says they need to figure out how to talk to him or get the hell out.

Mason is watching the sky. Hayden arrives and asks about Corey. Mason points to a tree straight at Corey despite the fact the chimera is invisible. Mason says, "There's a refraction of light around your silhouette that I can always see. I don't know. It probably has something to do with pheromones or some other chemical interaction. It's my only power, finding you."

Hayden reports the woods are clear of Ghost Riders. Hayden gets a text from Liam who explains they can't get the rider captive to talk. This sparks a thought for Mason. He realizes that the Ghost Rider was trying to communicate with Jordan Parrish at the party during Sundowning. Mason says they need to find the Deputy.

Lydia Explains to Noah About Claudia[]

Still in Stiles' room, Lydia tells Noah about Lenore conjuring up her dead son. She explains that Lenore was trying to fill a void and her son manifested to do that. She says they could all the see the boy, he was real. Lydia explains that Lenore saw everyone disappear from Canaan but didn’t want to believe it. Instead, she chose to believe in her son.

It dawns on Noah that Lydia is trying to draw a parallel between Lenore's dead son and his wife. He doesn't believe her and become agitated at the thought that he made up a "phantom wife." Lydia says he's afraid to remember Stiles. He becomes angrier, insisting Claudia is flesh and blood. He says everything Lydia is saying is just speculation and conjecture based on a ghost town.

Lydia notices Stiles' lacrosse jersey and helmet sits on a chair nearby. She reaches out, picks it up, and breathes in the scent of him. The sheriff can't see it. He says she's deeply disturbed. Lydia says Noah is afraid to remember Stiles because he's afraid of what it means. He asks why Lydia cares so much that he remember Stiles. She says because he loved Stiles. Then, from his perspective, Lydia mimes throwing nothing, but suddenly a lacrosse jersey is flying toward him. Noah catches it. He stares at it confused and looks back to Lydia.

The Ghost Rider Speaks[]

Parrish arrives to visit the trapped Ghost Rider. At Liam's urging, he asks it how to get everyone back. The Rider gargles something at him that Parrish can apparently understand. He says The Outlaw said, "Hellhound."

Parrish asks the Rider what it wants from them. It speaks and they all can understand. "We are the Wild Hunt. We hunt forever. Those who hunt with us hunt forever." Liam asks what that means and Parrish asks what the Rider wants. The Outlaw simply repeats himself.

The Rider stares at Scott. Theo suggests he's figured out that Scott is the Alpha. Scott asks what it wants. The Rider says, "There is only the hunt. No one resists. No one escapes." Scott says if they can't be bargained with, they'll have to fight them. Scott steps to the Rider and says he won't stop coming for his friends and everyone else the Riders took.

The Rider turns to Parrish and gargles at him. Suddenly Parrish is burning, transforming into the Hellhound. He burns through the Mountain Ash barrier and Scott realizes Parrish is going to free the Rider.

Daddy/Daughter Bonding[]

Malia drives Peter out to the woods to look for the rift where he came through when he escaped the Ghost Riders' phantom train station (See: Radio Silence). Peter tries to talk her into running away but she is steadfast that they need to rescue Stiles. As they enter the Beacon Hills Preserve on foot, Peter says he doesn't know where he came through. Malia says she marked the spot but they couldn't see the actual rift. Peter says he doubts anyone could see it or get back through it.

He points out that the human he watched try to escape got burned alive. He says humans can't get through it and if they try, Stiles will die too. Malia says they'll find another way to get him out but first they need to get inside. Considering her lack of self-preservation instinct, Peter wonders how Malia could be his daughter.

Peter says Malia's attachment to Stiles is unhealthy. She growls at him and he says she could at least try to act like a human. She says she needs Stiles for that because he's her anchor. Peter says they'll find her another anchor because Stiles is not coming back. She says he's being disingenuous since he is the one who worked so hard to bring Stiles keys through the rift. He claims he did it to save himself but she's not convinced. She says Peter was warning them about Stiles and Canaan and what might happen to Beacon Hills.

They arrive at the burned spot where Peter landed when he came through the rift. There is no rift visible. Peter says they can't just poke around and expect to find a supernatural train station. At that moment, they hear the Ghost Riders horses.

A Rider Dies[]

Scott and Liam try to stop Parrish from releasing the Ghost Rider. Theo tries to help, and Parrish's skin burns his hand. Parrish knocks him to the ground. Scott and Liam manage to push him back and outside.

Theo restores the Mountain Ash barrier and notices Mr. Douglas standing in the doorway. The teacher speaks in a thick German accent and says he couldn't stay away. Theo threatens to tell who Douglas really is. He calls him Hauptmann. The Löwenmench stares at the rider and his eyes glow bright red.

As two Riders approach, Peter urges Malia to run. She eventually agrees while he stays behind to face the Riders.

Douglas' face deforms into a more monstrous appearance. Theo tries to run, but the Alpha stabs him in the back with his claws. He threatens to rip him in two and forces Theo to break the Mountain Ash barrier.

Douglas enters the cage with the Rider and says, "It's been a long time." The Outlaw takes out his whip and flicks it at the Löwenmench but he catches it in midair and pulls the Rider to him. He then bites into his skull.

The Riders in the woods reach Peter. He has his full Alpha face on ready to fight. The Riders seem to sense what is happening to The Outlaw. They scream and then turn around and ride away.

Now away from the Rider, Parrish seems to regain control. He tells Scott and Liam not to follow him and runs away into the woods.

Douglas digs around in the Rider's skull and removes an extra-large pineal gland. He bites into it.

Scott, Hayden, Mason, and Liam return to the trap and find the Rider dead and Theo cowering in the corner. They think he killed the Rider. He explains it was Douglas and they soon realize he's telling the truth because the teacher ate the pineal gland and those murders have been going on for weeks. They also realize the Rider's whip is gone.

Corey is walking through the woods alone. He's surprised to see Mr. Douglas and asks what the teacher is doing. The Alpha's eyes glow a pale green (the same color as the wounds inflicted by the whip and the puffs of smoke that occur when the Riders take someone) and he says, "Something I have been waiting to do for a very long time." He cracks the whip at Corey catching him around the neck. When he pulls, Corey disappears in green smoke.

Episode List[]

← Season 5 Season 6
#01 Memory Lost	#06 Ghosted	#11 Said the Spider to the Fly	#16 Triggers
#02 Superposition	#07 Heartless	#12 Raw Talent	#17 Werewolves of London
#03 Sundowning	#08 Blitzkrieg	#13 After Images	#18 Genotype
#04 Relics	#09 Memory Found	#14 Face-to-Faceless	#19 Broken Glass
#05 Radio Silence	#10 Riders on the Storm	#15 Pressure Test	#20 The Wolves of War