So many things happened this episode, I briefly considered creating a flowchart! However, Ill just give you some of the highlights instead.

Brett (Colton Haynes) has finally gotten into real trouble, as expected. While running with the pack, they run into a hunter, who wounds Lukas (James Preston). Brett accidentally kills the hunter. This gets him into hot water with Coach Ross (Roger Cross), who we learn is the pack beta.

Claire (Rhona Mitra) meets Christian Harper (Paul Blackthorne) at a bar again while her husband Dylan (Luke Mably) is at the Daddy-Daughter dance with their daughter. Unfortunately, they are spotted together by the town gossip, Barbara Jansen (Barbara Alyn Woods).

Andie (Skyler Samuels) is still unaware that she is a budding succubus, but her power is getting stronger. Charlie (Travis Caldwell) falls ill only moments after sharing a passionate kiss with her.

It has been a year since the shooting incident that caused Nick Monohan (Frank Grillo) to leave the Chicago police force. He confesses to his wife Sarah (Marisol Nichols) the shocking truth that the shooting was not accidental.

As suspected, Teresa (Shannon Lucio) is not who we thought she was. She used Marcus (Justin Miles) to get into The Gates, and she has a surprising connection to Nick.

Finally, just as it looks like Dylan and Nick are beginning to develop a friendship, Dylan is forced to reveal his true nature.

What Worked

There were a surprising number of important plot developments packed into this episode, and they were all handled very well. There were also several unexpected twists, and I am eager to see what happens next week.

The revelation that there is a highly organized adult werewolf pack renders this story line much more interesting. I hope we find out soon who the pack alpha is.

In general, some of the previously uninteresting characters are beginning to take on a bit more life. This is probably to be expected with such a large cast.

What Didnt Work

Last episode ended with an intriguing plot twist involving Leigh Turner (Janina Gavankar). However, she didnt even appear at all in this episode. I am concerned that juggling this many story lines and characters may ultimately hurt the series. Viewers could potentially get frustrated if their favorite characters or story lines disappear for several weeks.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"The Gates" stars Frank Grillo, Marisol Nichols, Rhona Mitra, Luke Mably, Travis Caldwell, Skyler Samuels, Colton Haynes, Chandra West and Victoria Platt. The Monster Within" was directed by Paul Edwards, and was written by Gabrielle Stanton.

"The Gates" airs on ABC Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.