Teen Wolf: Scott McCall’s 5 Best Quotes (& 5 Of Derek Hale’s)

Svetlana Sterlin
7 min readNov 28, 2021

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In many ways, Scott follows in Derek’s footsteps. These two powerful werewolves end up with some of Teen Wolf’s most memorable quotes.

As the hero of the story, Scott McCall needs a mentor to help guide him along his journey. In the early seasons, it appears that Deaton might be this mentor, but as time goes by, it becomes increasingly clear that Scott is following in the footsteps of Derek Hale. However, this doesn’t mean that the two werewolves are similar in character.

Scott decides to travel down a different path than Derek has, which is why he ends up with the True Alpha’s red eyes and Derek’s fade to the Omega’s blue. Though Derek is never Scott’s Alpha, the two have a bit of role reversal when Scott becomes Derek’s leader. These two powerful characters end up with some of Teen Wolf’s most memorable lines.

10. Scott: “I’m The Hot Girl?”

Scott begins the series as a somewhat nerdy outcast. When he starts feeling the effects of his werewolf powers, he realizes that people treat him differently — even his classmates who don’t know that he’s a werewolf. By season 3, Scott has become an irreplaceable member of the lacrosse team, which is enough to cement his place in the social hierarchy.

Stiles notices this change as well because his status hasn’t changed much since the beginning of the show. So when, even after becoming an Alpha, Scott is too shy to approach Kira, Stiles tries to boost his morale. “You’re like the hot girl that every guy wants,” he tells Scott. Isaac also supports this theory, and Scott goes to class much happier than he was before.

9. Derek: “We Don’t Like You.”

For most of the series, Derek is known as a serious, enigmatic, and very blunt person. He doesn’t mince his words, but he also prefers to talk when it really matters.

For example, when Derek and Isaac are devising one of their intricate plans to help Scott, Peter happens to overhear them from outside. After he disturbs their planning session, Peter delivers one of his best quotes of the series: “I hope you’re comfortable saying whatever it is that you’re feeling straight to my face.” Derek doesn’t hesitate to tell him that nobody likes him, which Peter doesn’t take much offense to as he is self-aware of his alienating nature.

8. Scott: “My Mom Does All The Grocery Shopping.”

One of the most iconic scenes in Teen Wolf is when Jackson interrogates Scott about his new athletic ability. Jackson is used to being the best player on the team, but when Scott outplays him in practice, Jackson fears that his role as team captain is under threat.

Jackson corners Scott in the deserted school hallway and intimidates him with his overly aggressive questions. He says that there’s no way Scott has suddenly gotten better at lacrosse without assistance. “Where are you getting your juice?” he asks. Scott considers this for a moment, clearly confused, and answers the only way he knows how: truthfully and with a disarming naivete. Of course, this isn’t the kind of juice Jackson is referring to which makes Scott’s response all the more memorable…and hilarious.

7. Derek: “I Was Evolving. Something You’ll Never Do.”

Season 4 reveals a lot of Derek’s backstory, including the extent of his relationship with Kate Argent. When the two finally clash, the climactic moment results in a big payoff.

At the start of the season 4 finale, Derek appears to be dead after a battle with one of Kate’s Berserkers. Later in the episode, Derek reveals that he’s evolved after attacking Kate in wolf form. Somehow, the Berserker’s attack gave Derek more strength and, apparently, the ability to shapeshift. Even though Kate spends a long time supposedly dead, she doesn’t change the way Derek does. Derek reminds her she will always stay the same, and will always lose as a result.

6. Scott: “You Might Be An Alpha, But You’re Not Mine.”

At the end of season 2, Scott forms an alliance with Chris to take down Gerard — an event that changes everything for Teen Wolf. Meanwhile, thinking he’s in charge, Derek has recruited Peter’s help in dealing with Jackson. All parties converge in a parking lot, where Scott reveals that Gerard has cancer.

Scott unveils a plan he and Deaton devised long ago that involved feeding Gerard mountain ash to cure him. Derek asks Scott why he didn’t tell him, to which Scott replies, “Because you might be an Alpha, but you’re not mine.” Even though his eyes are still yellow, Scott has already asserted his position as a leader, and he doesn’t agree with the way Derek runs things.

5. Derek: “You’re Gonna Be Good At This.”

Derek rarely cracks a smile, which is why anytime the other characters see his cold exterior falter, they never fail to remark on it. When Scott begins to mentor Liam, Derek realizes that he’s doing a much better job with the young werewolf than he did with Scott.

After reassuring Liam that everything is going to be okay, Derek smiles proudly at Scott, which prompts him to ask why he’s smiling. “You’re gonna be good at this,” Derek says, acknowledging his own shortcomings but also praising Scott for his natural leadership skills. He understands what Liam is going through, which is why he tries to be a friend to him as well as a mentor.

4. Scott: “I Swear, If We Make It Back Alive, I Will Watch The Movie.”

Stiles has a habit of mixing up his priorities, especially in life-or-death situations. He often makes references to pop culture, and one of the show’s running jokes is Stiles’ disappointment that Scott hasn’t seen Star Wars.

Scott repeatedly reassures Stiles that he will watch the movies, but of course, he always backs down on his promise. When he organizes a date with Kira, Stiles even forcibly gives him the DVDs, but Scott knows they’re not going to watch them. This relatable quote from Scott reflects how realistic — and fun — his friendship with Stiles is.

3. Derek: “Scott’s Always Been About One Thing — Saving His Friends.”

In season 1, Scott thinks he has a lot to learn from Derek. However, by the end of season 3, Derek realizes that he’s the one who has learned from the Beta. He’s trying to convince Ethan and Aiden to firmly join their side of the fight, but they don’t understand what it means to be loyal to Scott.

Derek understands that in their Alpha pack, they only had to support the leader, but Scott won’t trust them unless they support his cause. He inspires the twins with a speech about what Scott stands for: “He will do anything … to save the people he cares about. When there’s no chance of winning? He keeps fighting.”

2. Scott: “Life Can’t Ever Be All Bad Or All Good … Eventually, Things Have To Come Back To The Middle.”

At the start of season 5, Scott and Stiles are hanging out at the lookout, reflecting on their recent experiences and the senior year that awaits them.

Scott is apprehensive because the summer has been reasonably peaceful, but he doesn’t want to wait for something bad to happen. He tells Stiles that Deaton once told him about regression to the mean. “It was his way of saying that life can’t be all bad or all good,” he explains. The boys wonder which way the scale is going to tip, but this quote applies even to the non-supernatural.

1. Derek: “I Don’t Care About Power. Not Anymore.”

A turning point for Derek is when he announces that he’s not interested in gaining power the way he used to be. In seasons 1 and 2, his main goal is to become an Alpha. But as a leader, he only cares about power — he doesn’t want respect. So after reuniting with Peter in season 3, it’s a big deal for Derek to decide he doesn’t care about power anymore.

With Cora dying, Peter reveals that there’s only one way to save her — and it would require Derek to give up his Alpha powers. Peter lists all of the disadvantages that would come with renouncing his Alpha status, but Derek says he doesn’t care. He cares more about saving someone he loves, and this open acknowledgment of his emotions and his past mistakes is a huge turning point for him.

[Originally shared via ScreenRant.]

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Svetlana Sterlin
Svetlana Sterlin

Written by Svetlana Sterlin

Svetlana Sterlin lives and writes in Brisbane, Australia, where she completed a BFA. Her work appears in several online and print publications.

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