Reviewing the Anticipated Series Premiere of "Wolf Pack"

If I recall, it was about two months ago that this series, Wolf Pack, was announced. I was in. I didn't give this a second thought. I've been a fan of the werewolf subgenre for a long time, if you can't tell by some of my fiction pieces. And what could be better than a werewolf-centered series? How about a werewolf-centered series with the queen of the vampire slayers herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar?

So the episode (and series overall) begins with a massive forest fire that is endangering a lot of property close by, and is also causing a traffic jam that includes a bus full of high school kids--with one of them attempting to record Renata, the bus driver, as he tries to shame her into letting him exit the bus (it fails, of course, as it should). However, chaos does ensue, beginning with a large ram (no, not Aaron Donald) suddenly appearing--with claw marks on its side. The ram is one of a number of animals running across the traffic jam, killing a number of people, including that aforementioned student.

The centerpieces of the melee are students Everett Lang and Blake Navarro, who were both bitten by the main creature responsible for the melee: a werewolf. We later see the effects it has on both central protagonists, and we also learn about them as well. Blake's family consists of a younger brother, Danny, who is on the autism spectrum, and their only parent is their father, Roberto, who is an absolute deadbeat and an alcoholic. As for Everett, he's dealing with anxiety and overbearing parents (mainly his mother), and while he's hospitalized, he receives a phone warning him to get out of the hospital before the next full moon.

We also see Blake and Everett experience several different visions, which include (but aren't limited to) Blake actually seeing Everett in his hospital bed. Also, they both experience small changes; Blake's acne, which we see early in the episode? Gone. They are also the only ones who can see their wounds, and regarding Everett, he has a six-pack all of a sudden.

Now for another of the main reasons why I looked forward to this show: the aforementioned Sarah Michelle Gellar. This is Gellar's first series since the short-lived sitcom, The Crazy Ones, which Gellar co-starred with the late, great Robin Williams. In this go-around, Gellar plays Kristin Ramsey, an arson investigator who enters the hospital looking for Everett, who is out of the hospital by this point. Everett and Blake encounter each other, though while Everett wants answers about what's happening to both of them, Blake wants to wash her hands of the entire thing, though she can't run away from the truth, as Everett reminds her.

We are also introduced to siblings Harlan and Luna Briggs, who are quickly established as werewolves once the siblings are shown at Harlan's club. Harlan notes that his hearing senses have risen at a vast level, while Luna's own powers have increased, with the added note that they have never been high before. The siblings speak of their adopted father, Garrett Briggs, the park ranger who was at the fire and hasn't been seen, though while Luna sees Garrett as her father, Harlan doesn't.

I mentioned Everett noticing his developing six-pack, but afterwards, the large werewolf pops up and attempts to go after the pair, who escape. The aforementioned siblings speak as if their actual birth father could be the beast, and after Everett and Blake escape, the former gets a call from Ramsay, who wants to question him about the arson. She tells Everett that one of his schoolmates could be behind the fire, and adds that Everett knows who it is. Wow! We later see the four teens' eyes roll back suddenly, and it leads all four of them to meet, where Everett confirms that they are not only werewolves, they are in this thing together.

You know, I already spent several weeks being excited about this show, but Sarah Michelle Geller's words on the day before the premiere have me absolutely eager for developments. Reviews I've read have skewered the premiere for the lack of SMG, but come on. It's Week One. You really expect her to take up nearly the entire episode, when the main focus is what the teens are going through? Let's get real. Plus, Gellar said it herself, it's a slow burn. But that's part of it, as Gellar said that twists will be coming:

"It might not be obvious in the first three, but by the time you get to Four and Five, you're going to get some twists."

It gets better. Gellar later adds:

"In Eight, you'll get the me you came to see."

Since the first time I saw this preview, I've had the hope/belief that Gellar's Kristin Ramsey will be a villainess, even as far as the Big Bad. Her words in the interview now increase that hope and belief. Something tells me Kristin Ramsey may be a final boss-esque villainess, which would be nice, as (to the best of my knowledge) Gellar hasn't really played a lot of evil roles. A theory I have is that Ramsey could be the big bad werewolf herself, but that's just a theory, I'll be (pleasantly) surprised if it holds any water.

The premiere episode, "From a Spark to a Flame," was released on Paramount+ on January 26, 2023, the same day that the streaming site received the Teen Wolf movie (which I, as of this writing, have yet to watch). Speaking of, the series was created by Jeff Davis, the same man behind the modern Teen Wolf series, though it is not a spinoff--as some believed. As for the episode count for this inaugural season, it's 8 episodes. One down, seven to go, and the episodes will be released weekly; every Thursday.

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