There’s room for only one emotionally traumatized werewolf in Beacon Hills.
The supernatural town of Beacon Hills, California initially only has room for one werewolf wracked with self-doubt, and that man is Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin). A spiritual successor to cult classic, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, MTV’s Teen Wolf took the tried and true supernatural teen romance formula and did something great with it. After the true hero of our time, Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) gets bitten by a werewolf, he collects a pack full of ragtag teens to battle the forces of darkness. Derek occasionally joins in these battles while suffering from the guilt of his entire family dying in a tragic fire.
But season two invited even more traumatized children including fellow teen wolf, Isaac Lahey (Daniel Sharman). Introduced in season 2, Isaac is an isolated teen suffering abuse at the hands of his father — Dawson’s Creek’s own John Wesley Shipp (how could you, Mitch!)
As Derek famously states, the bite is a gift, and he gives this gift to Isaac. Now aided with the regenerative abilities of lycanthropy, Isaac has the strength to stand up to his father. This was a dark turn for the series, which only continued to get frequently more mature as the seasons went on. Isaac turns from a rival of Scott’s to a member of his pack in his own right.
But even after he began to date resident hunter, Allison Argent (Crystal Reed), he disappeared from the show entirely. Entertainment Weekly soon announced that Sharman had decided to pursue other acting opportunities, which was why Isaac’s story was left hanging in the air. Showrunner Jeff Davis left his story open for a return, but season 3 is the last we see of the tormented werewolf boy.
Season three was an end of an era for many characters. As Scott gains his destiny as the True Alpha, he also loses things in equal measure. A nihilistic void known as the Nogitsune possesses Stiles (Dylan O’Brien), while Scott tries to move on from his breakup with Allison. Scott has a bourgeoning relationship with Kira (Arden Cho), and Allison falls into the arms of Isaac. But all these romantic trials are tested when Stiles’ villainy reaches new heights. Allison dies in a tragic and heartbreaking final stand against the Oni.
Confessing her feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Allison dies in Scott’s arms. Her death rocks the group’s foundation, including Isaac, who felt a kinship with the Argent family. Allison’s father, Chris (JR Bourne) embraces Isaac like a son. His relationship with the hunting patriarchy is a far different dynamic from the one he shared with his biological father. Chris and Isaac are so shaken by the loss that they leave town. Chris has already lost his wife, as well as his daughter, and spiriting Isaac away is the only way he can stay sane. Isaac survives the encounter with the Nogitsune but at a high cost, thus he leaves Beacon Hills, never to return.
Why did Daniel Sharman leave Teen Wolf?
At the time, Sharman’s reason for leaving the show was kept under wraps. It could have seemed as though the actor would be giving up a sure thing. Isaac was part of Scott’s pack and would have had steady work for the next several years. But recently, Sharman elaborated to Square Mile exactly what he had been struggling with and how he still appreciates what playing the role of Isaac did for him.
“I owe a lot to it. I owe a lot to Jeff Davis and I owe a lot to the friendships that I’ve formed. I owe the fans of it a lot. I was in a really rough place in my life and it gave me a community and it gave me experience. It gave me money. It gave me a way out of some of the addiction that I was in.”
Quickly after that, Sharman landed a role in another supernatural series. He appears in 12 episodes of The Originals, the spin-off of the CW’s prolific vampire romance, The Vampire Diaries. But even though he was afforded some stability as the Original vampire Kol Mikaelson, who possesses the body of a witch, he still wasn’t happy. Sharman declined to have his role expanded and left that series as well. But all in all, it was the best thing for the actor. It gave him the space that he needed to get sober, and he moved on to significant roles in Fear the Walking Dead and Medici. Sharman didn’t return for the much-maligned Teen Wolf film for Paramount, but that was probably for the best.
