Teen Wolf: The Complete Season One

MTV's entry in the supernatural-teenager series genre is ostensibly an updating of the Michael J. Fox 1985 horror comedy, although it never treats the situation as a joke, instead coming across as a coming-of-age drama by way of young adult melodrama for the post-Buffy era. Tyler Posey is Scott, a high school kid who is bitten in the woods and starts to manifest feral qualities during full moons and adrenaline surges. Crystal Reed is Allison, the new girl he falls hard for (who just happens to come from a line of werewolf hunters), and Dylan O'Brien is Scott's best friend, Stiles, whose movie geek knowledge turns out to be spot-on when it comes to relevant lore. All that teen angst and surging chemistry comes into play as Scott learns to control his werewolf powers (a metaphor for young adult hormones, of course, but one that works just fine) and choose his pack, rather than let the pack choose him. Teen Wolf is a stylish, clever series with an interesting supernatural mythology. Compiling all 12 episodes from the 2011 debut season, DVD extras include episode commentaries, behind-the-scene featurettes, deleted and extended scenes, and a gag reel. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)