Teen Wolf Screentime Project: Season 5a

This is a continuation of my Teen Wolf Screentime Project. You can find information on my methodology and categorization in part 1. There won’t a lot of analysis here as this is just the first half of season 5 which–unlike parts one and two of season 3–was not meant to be viewed as a separate arc from the second half. I’ll do a much more detailed look at the conclusion of season 5.

Lead Characters

Overall, the average percentage of screentime for the Lead Characters is currently down to 11.98% (the lowest to date, following season 3b’s 12.12% average), with all the lead characters seeing a drop in screentime from season 4, except for Stiles who saw a 0.07 increase.

The decrease in screentime has dropped both Kira and Malia to the Tertiary LC level, leaving Lydia and Liam (just barely) as Secondary LCs while Scott and Stiles remain Primary LCs. However, I do want to note that prior to her absence in the last two episodes Kira had 10.12% screentime (whereas Malia had 7.77% at that same point).

Recurring Major Supporting Characters

Unlike the Lead Characters, the remaining Recurring Major Supporting Characters have seen increases in screentime from season 4 thus far, though none above what they have had in previous seasons and all below the 5% threshold.

*Peter Hale and Chris Argent still fall under this category, but as they have not yet made an appearance this season, I’m did not include them for ease of viewing and comparison.

Non-Recurring Major Supporting Characters and Significant Minor Characters

The most significant thing to note is Theo Raeken’s amount of screentime as a Non-Recurring Major Supporting Character. He is the first non-Lead Character to surpass the 9% threshold (discounting Kira’s and Liam’s introductory seasons before officially become “Lead Characters”). This currently makes him the most profusive of Teen Wolf’s villains in terms of screentime in a single season, though Peter Hale and Kate Argent still have more screentime over the course of the entire series. The Dread Doctors, by comparison, have the typical amount of screentime usually seen for a secondary Major Villain.

Final Notes

As I mentioned earlier, season 5 is a departure from the usual structure of Teen Wolf’s storytelling format and 5a is not meant to stand alone. I think this is most apparent in that most, if not all, of the Non-Recurring Major and Minor Supporting Characters with more than 2% screentime are carrying over from 5a to 5b, something that has never happened before, not even for the transition between 3a and 3b. However, this is a quick look at how things currently stand.