The Pack

Original Airdate: April 7, 1997

Writers: Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer

Director: Bruce Seth Green

Possession, in one form or another, is a good plot device the writers on this show have used many times over the years to move things along. Usually the best examples are when possession throws things into disarray, like the Angel episode "Billy". This episode has some very jarring moments as the hyena possesses Xander, but he manages to avoid long-term backlash because his actions weren't attributed to him. This is the big problem of the episode. Perhaps the first season would've been more intriguing had the gang had some tension between them leading up to the finale.

For this episode, they focus on high school sociology, paralleled with wildlife possession. With supernatural analogies, this works very well. Cliques in high school can be absolutely brutal teasing others just like predators in nature prey on weaker creatures. Have a mean spirited pack become possessed by hyenas, then have Xander become entranced as well, and you got a workable scenario. It works well enough that Giles initially dismisses it until the pack chows down on the mascot.

It's good that they reminded us that Buffy is supposed to be an outcast on the show. Considering the fact that Buffy is smoking hot and stylish, it could be easily forgotten why she isn't popular. With Lance, it's clear why he is singled out for humiliation. He could be an early version of Jonathan. The characters could be switched and it wouldn't affect the scene.

The gang itself reminded me of many of my junior high/high school tormentors in their ruthlessness. They are rude, obnoxious, but also wielding a certain amount of power. At heart, this episode is a cautionary tale of peer pressure and where it could lead (OK, you won't eat your principal and mascot, but the point stands).

Xander, at the start, is a good guy who sticks up for Lance when Kyle and his friends are teasing him, but he quickly finds himself entrenched in Kyle's ranks. We've all known one of our friends (or been one) to go to another group, one who may not be best for us. Mob mentality and peer pressure can be very dangerous, but the episode doesn't quite deliver that message as effectively as it could've.

While it would've been too much for Xander to eat a human being, but it doesn't seem right that Buffy would shake off his attack that well. Yes, he was possessed, but his actions were still very real and would shake even a seasoned slayer like herself. Without being spoilery, there are events of a similar nature that rock Buffy to her core, but this she can almost laugh off.

Even Willow, who Xander abuses emotionally, recovers a little too easily. This is the first episode where Willow explicitly expresses how she feels about her friend, which makes Xander crushing those thoughts all the more hurtful to her. To have your high school crush totally crush you is devastating. Yet she manages to bounce back once the spell has been lifted. It seems too easy for them to let it go.

Willow also shows a little bit of jealousy towards Buffy. It makes sense, since Buffy is the object of Xander's affections, not her. Buffy's also the new girl in town, shaking up the dynamic they've had since they were kids. She's sexy too, which definitely hurts Willow, still away from coming out of her shell. How can she compete, even with Xander not interested?

The brutal and sudden death of Principal Flutie raises the stakes for Buffy to reverse the possession. On shows like Buffy, it's common to have many red-shirts die during episodes like this one, but the importance of character warranted it. It was also a very good decision character wise, as Flutie wouldn't have been nearly as effective in the future high school episodes as his replacement, Snyder. One nit pick; despite eating a pig and Principal Flutie alive, the pack don't have a speck of blood on them or their clothes. They must be the cleanest savages ever.

It's doubtful that anything came from investigating Flutie's death. Since Xander remembered being possessed, the pack would certainly remember eating a human being alive. That secret isn't going to go beyond them (besides what Buffy's gang may say). Also, while the autopsy would reveal evidence that humans were responsible, the authorities would likely want to keep this very quiet, instead passing the blame on wild dogs. Such concepts as these won't become clear until later seasons, when we learn more about the politics of Sunnydale.

Not much happens in this episode as far as the on going storylines involving The Master or Angel, although he is briefly mentioned. Like "Witch", this episode seeks to show us that there is more to this show than vampires. Some of the central elements of season one's story, like The Master and Angel (who is briefly mentioned), aren't featured, but it wouldn't have been as problematic as if they decided to amplify the consequences. At least they learned the problem with that for future episodes.

Score: 7/10

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