Though the themes of the show are often quite dark, MTV's Teen Wolf also manages to leave a lot of room for humor. Stiles Stilinski is often the main source of this humor, but many of the side characters also lighten things up. Stiles evidently inherits his witty sarcasm from his father, the Sheriff, who has a wry outlook on the whole supernatural realm of Beacon Hills.
Peter Hale begins as the main antagonist in season 1, but over the course of the series, his character evolves. One thing remains consistent about him, though, and that's the fact that nobody ever trusts him. Characters like Stiles are often forced to become Peter's allies, which leads to a lot of snark from both parties. Peter's unique sense of humor makes sense for his evil character and helps to modulate the show's trademark blend of light and dark.
Stilinski: "Can She Sense That I'm About To Kill You?"
When Stiles first tells his father about the population of supernatural creatures living in Beacon Hills, he uses a chessboard as an analogy. The Sheriff, however, is unable to believe his rather comedic explanation. Later, Noah shows up at Stiles' school to ask him about the supernatural element of an investigation he's leading.
Stiles begins to tell him about Lydia's premonitions, but Noah points out that Lydia wasn't on the chessboard. Stiles explains that she's a banshee, which means she can sense when somebody's close to death. Noah responds the only way he knows how: "Can she sense that I'm about to kill you?" This prompts a friendly wave from Lydia, who watches the interaction from a safe distance.
Peter: "His name Is 'Allison'? His Is Also 'Allison'?"
In season 1, Peter abducts Stiles in the hopes that he'll help him unlock Scott's computer. It turns out that Peter doesn't really need Stiles' detective skills for this, because Scott isn't the most intelligent character.
Reluctantly, Stiles gives up the name and to Scott's laptop, but Peter only rolls his eyes. "His name is 'Allison'?" Stiles types in the , and Peter realizes his elaborate plan was a waste of time. "His is also 'Allison'?" Stiles jokingly asks Peter if he still wants Scott to be in his pack.
Stilinski: "Well, Thank You, Son I Should Have Had."
Scott and Stiles share a bond that borders on brotherhood, and their respective parents are so much a part of their lives that they're almost one big family. In fact, Sheriff Stilinski often expresses his pride and respect towards Scott, and Scott's mom treats Stiles as if he's her own son, too.
In season 5, Noah is getting ready for a date, but he won't tell Stiles who it's with. Later, the audience learns that it's with Lydia's mom. As he's getting ready in his office, Noah says he should've gotten a haircut. Stiles jokes that Noah is lucky he still has hair at that age, while Scott reassures him that he looks great.
Peter: "I Was Going To Wait For Dramatic Flair, But When You Look This Good, Why Wait?"
Peter has a fondness for dramatic flair, but at the moments the audience most expects it, he defuses the tension and deadpans. However, when he has his sudden transformation at the end of season 1, he relishes the moment and enjoys everyone's shock.
Peter had sustained significant burns to his face and body when the Hale house was set on fire, but he's managed to heal himself and return to power in secret. The big reveal at the end of the season comes when Stiles finally realizes he's the Alpha, and Peter ires his new reflection in the mirror.
Stilinski: "When The Flying Monkeys Come ... You Will Have My Undivided Attention."
Stiles always wants to be as involved with the latest investigations as he can be. When he comes to his dad about Liam, who has recently been turned into a werewolf, his dad doesn't seem surprised. At this point, nothing shocks him.
"Your best friend is a werewolf," he tells Stiles. "You are dating a werecoyote. I still don't know what Kira's supposed to be. When the flying monkeys come soaring through this station, you will have my undivided attention. Until then, go to school." Despite his protests, Stiles has little choice but to be a normal teenager for the rest of the day.
Peter: "A Former Lunatic. I'm Much Healthier Now."
In season 4, Peter is a key piece of the puzzle surrounding Meredith and the Dead Pool. It takes the pack a long time to understand the circumstances that led to the creation of the Dead Pool, and what motivated its curator, and surprisingly, Peter has the answer.
He realizes that Meredith heard his thoughts when he was paralyzed in the hospital after sustaining his burns: "She was listening to the ranting and raving of a lunatic." He quickly corrects himself and adds, "A former lunatic." Meredith happened to be in the same room while Peter was comatose, but even in his unconscious state, his hatred raged, and he wanted to wipe out the town's supernaturals and build his own army.
Stilinski: "You've Got To Let Your Heart Catch Up With Your Head."
Stiles' principal struggle throughout season 5 is his guilt after killing Donovan in self-defense. This ultimately leads to his fallout with Scott, something Stiles fears all along, and something Theo predicts early on.
The only person who can offer Stiles any kind of advice is his dad. Noah tells Stiles that he's still a good person, that his head knows it was an act of survival, but his heart thinks it was murder. He advises stiles to start by forgiving someone else before he can forgive himself, and of course, this someone else is Scott.
Peter: "I'm Out Of Commission For A Few Weeks And Suddenly There's Lizard People ..."
After the season 1 finale, Peter is believed to be dead - in fact, he is dead. Luckily, he has a plan to be revived, and Lydia is the only person who can see it through. In any case, while he's out, all hell breaks loose in Beacon Hills, and Peter finds this amusing.
After being killed by Derek in season 1, he returns to taunt him after his resurrection: "I'm out of commission for a few weeks and suddenly there's lizard people, geriatric psychopaths, and you're cooking up werewolves out of every self-esteem deprived adolescent in town." Derek is indeed scrambling to assemble his own pack, recruiting lonely teens like Erica, Boyd, and Isaac with the promise of power.
Stilinski: "Have You Been Time Travelling?"
The Sheriff often jokes about the ridiculousness of the very existence of supernatural creatures, especially given his career. He prefers to investigate using his sense of logic, deduction, and intuition. But when Scott and Stiles return from what Noah believed was a camping trip, he's pushed to the limits of his belief. They try to explain their discovery of a much younger Derek.
The Sheriff appears to process with utter solemnity, then asks them if they've been time traveling. "Because if time traveling is real, I'm out," he quips. He then asks where they found Derek. "Swimmin' in the fountain of youth?" But Stiles rattles off the specifics of his exact location ("... in a tomb of wolfsbane in an Aztec temple in Mexico in a church ...").
Peter: "It's A Laptop. What Century Are You Living In?"
Werewolves, along with all of the other supernatural creatures of the show, have an air of mystique about them. But when characters like Peter Hale give the audience an insight into their everyday lives, the effect is broken.
In season 1, Stiles is surprised to find that Peter knows how to operate a laptop. Later, when searching for the bearer bonds, Peter and Derek wind up in the Hale family vault. Everything in the vault has historical significance, so when Peter drags out a dusty box, Derek expects it to contain an old book. Peter looks at him as if the suggestion is ridiculous. "It's a laptop. What century are you living in?" This may be poking fun at the misconception that all supernaturals are ancient and old-fashioned, like vampires or zombies.