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Go Spotting: Teen Wolf Features Go Again

MTV drama Teen Wolf again wove go into the latest episode, making two weeks in a row where the game has been featured prominently. Co-star Dylan O'Brien, as Stiles Stilinski, has been possessed by a dark fox spirit, the Nogitsune, who is controlling his mind and body.  Go is alluded to about twelve minutes in, when two werewolves are discussing strategy.  One is trying to use a chess board to figure out what Stiles would do, but the older werewolf observes "Chess is Stiles' game, it's not the game of a Japanese fox".  Later, using psychic werewolf powers, Stiles' friends are able to enter his mind, where they find him engaged in a game of go with the Nogitsune.  Like all good go players, he is immersed in the game, and deaf to the cries of his friends. It appears that while his mind is trapped in the go game, the Nogitsune has complete control of his body.  We see the board from multiple angles, with Stiles playing white.  Unfortunately, the only move he makes on the board is an empty triangle, although the board position is at least reasonable.  The spell is broken when Tyler Posey, as Scott McCall, transforms into a werewolf and his howl gets through to Stiles.  Suddenly realizing what is going on, Stiles looks up at the Nogitsune, and then sweeps all the stones off the board.  Just as well, nothing good would have come from that empty triangle anyway.  The go match appears at the 35 minute mark, and the entire episode can be viewed on the MTV website here. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo from the MTV website.