It generates more buzz than any other single issue within Teen Wolf fandom.
It's the ship that many people can't get enough of.
The ship that many people are sick of hearing about.
The ship some people think is ridiculous and could never happen.
It's STEREK.
What is the big deal about a fantasy pairing of Stiles Stilinski and Derek Hale?
I do not consider myself much of a writer nor do I have the arrogance to think that I speak for parts of the fandom or for the fandom as a whole. I just have three points which I think should be considered when discussing the topic.
The Sterek Campaign
The Sterek Campaign has been the focus of love and hate among Teen Wolf fandom.
Many perceive the group as trying to force STEREK on the rest of us.
But if you bother to visit the campaign's tumblr , or just look into what it's about at all, you will see that they clearly state,
- "We want to reinforce the non- demanding nature of the Sterek Campaign project. This is, above anything else, an expression of love and support... so please do not ask, beg, or demand [Sterek]"
They did not start this venture to demand that Jeff Davis make Sterek a reality.
They did, in fact, invent this group to show support for Jeff Davis and to let him know that if he were to make Sterek happen, they would support him.
The leaders of this operation have also said, through posts and live streams that they will continue to support him even if he does not make the pairing canon.
This being said, the only reason I see that you could hate this campaign is that it is supporting something that you do not.
That's fine, by all means, no one is asking you to put your faith in something from which you would get no gratification. But, you should at least ask yourself this, is it really all that bad?
Any group that can form together and raise thousands of dollars for a good cause has my support and the tip of my hat... if I were wearing one.
If you don't support providing a habitat for wolves. Then I guess you would still think this organization was a bad thing. But, you obviously like wolves on some level because, well, you do watch teen wolf.
Just one more point about the Sterek Campaign.
They're very clear that you do not have to ship Sterek to support the Sterek Campaign.
Since part of this group's motive is also to show fan love for Jeff Davis, they offer other opportunities to do that without also supporting Sterek.
One way was participating in buying from the auction they held that raised the money for the wolf sanctuary.
Many people bought or created fanfiction, fan art, and crafts and not all of that stuff was strictly Sterek.
They also had an option to send postcards to the creator, even those that didn't mention Sterek.
Some of their events WERE purely involving Sterek, but they at least gave other people a way of participating too.
Ship Bashing[]
The first section and this section were my original reason for writing this blog. I was extremely purturbed the comment section in one of Paul's frequent news updates.
People are commenting about why they don't like Sterek, the only problem is that I don't see many people providing a convincing argument.
Most things I read are "No more Sterek. No more Sterek."
That is spam. Not a valid reason.
I also have seen people say, "They are not gay."
I don't see as valid either. You do not know if a character is gay or not.
The answer to "why?" is simple: You are not Jeff Davis. You did not create the character. You know nothing about the sexuality of either party.
They don't have to be gay.
There are many other types of sexuality: Bisexual, pan-sexual, etc.
Even if Stiles or Derek do start out thinking they are just heterosexual, there is always the possibility of realizing something very different later on.
You might remember Willow, one of the three original main character's on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She spent three seasons of that show pining for her childhood crush/best guy friend and dating a male werewolf.
Then, in the fourth season, she realized that she had romantic feelings for a female character and started dating Tara.
Joss Whedon did something that I think was rather brave and out there. He broke up Willow and Oz and had her go through a major life change that no one saw coming. It was brilliant and beautifully done but I am drifting from my point.
I am perfectly okay with people disagreeing with the fact that Sterek should be a couple.
That is fine by me.
I just don't like it when people are spamming hate on someone's ship instead of actually engaging in an intelligent debate over why the two characters should or should not happen.
When people do this it leads me to believe they are either homophobic or that you don't actually have a reason for saying that it won't work.
The section below this is my thought out explanation of why they could (not that they will) make a good couple if Jeff chose that particular path.
Would Derek and Stiles Progress the Storytelling?[]
Time and time again I have heard people bashing Sterek because they think that Derek and Stiles getting together wouldn't progress the story.
I believe this to be false.
The first thing I have to ask you is: Do you really have such little faith in Jeff Davis that you think he wouldn't be able to write it and make it progress the story forward?
He's not failed us before, and I doubt he will do so in the future.
Now, keeping that in mind, let's continue.
I don't want to make this section that long because I could go on forever a long time. So I will cut it into three points.
Derek and Stiles, despite being so different, have so much in common.
- They both, though they express it in different ways, have the same views about Scott.
- In season one Scott attempts many times to nullify his responsibilities when regarding his new wolfie powers. An example would be the lacrosse game that Derek forbids him from participating in season one.
- Although Stiles understands why Scott wants to play in it, he also understands Derek's point when he talks to Derek in the cop car.
- Similar situation play out all through season one.
- As Scott tries to suppress his wolf powers and live a normal life, Stiles and Derek try to make him see that he can't.
Derek and Stiles both suffer inside and try not to let people see it.
- Stiles does this through humor and Derek through anger and a tough exterior.
- Stiles, as shown in Party Guessed, blames himself for his mother's death and thinks that he is ruining his father's life.
- Derek is overwrought with guilt after the death of his family, which was caused by Kate Argent who had tricked Derek.
- I think it would be awesome if they recognized this in the show. That both Derek and Stiles recognize what the other has gone through. This would also serve to further progress there characters.
Derek and Stiles DON'T hate each other.
- I think if they truly hated each other they wouldn't spend so much of the show saving each other.
- The first time was when they first discovered who the alpha was in season one.
- Derek shows up and protects Stiles, not only that but voices major concern for Stiles safety over the phone once he realizes that he's in danger from Peter Hale.
- There are other scenes. The pool scene where Derek and Stiles protect each other.
- The scene where Derek stops Isaac from attacking Stiles.
- The scene where Derek tells Scott to save Stiles when Matt is holding them hostage at the police station.
- No matter how hard they play the tension between them in the show, they keep putting them in situations that prove they don't really hate each other.
- It's been written that way to date mostly for humor and because love-hate relationships are a staple of good television and movies (Barney and Robin, Chuch and Blaire, Ron and Hermione).
I am in no way saying this proves why they are meant to be. I am merely explaining why the story could still progress if they got together and why a pairing like them is not so uncommon to want.
It is a standard love/hate relationship pairing. The only difference from what we've seen before on television is that they are dudes.