We’re running a debrief for you… Wolf Pack, for those who are nostalgic for Teen Wolf

Wolf Pack tries to take on Teen Wolf with the same awesome teen drama recipe. Yes, but with Sarah Michelle Gellar headlining…

What is wolf pack? In California, a bus carrying teenagers is caught in the middle of a raging wildfire and the young passengers are brutally attacked by a mysterious creature. Among the victims, Everett (Armani Jackson) and Blake (Bella Shepard) are bitten and taken to the hospital. During the next full moon, the two are inexplicably drawn into the woods, where they reunite with twins Luna (Chloe Rose Robertson) and Harlan (Tyler Lawrence Gray)… As they try to figure out what’s happening to them, an investigation ensues initiated by the FBI is entrusted to agent Kristin Ramsey (Sarah Michelle Gellar).

This isn’t a spoiler given the title: after teenage wolf and while Paramount+ offers the film to wrap up the series, Jeff Davis returns with the werewolves wolf pack. And he’s taking Buffy Summers with him. Or rather his interpreter, whose name has been on everyone’s lips since we sold it wolf pack as « The new series by Sarah Michelle Gellar “. Which isn’t entirely true since the actress isn’t actually the heroine of this story, but it’s understandable why the promotion has given in to the temptation to tap into the undying affection that the audience had for Buffy.

Available on Paramount+ at a rate of one episode per week (eight total) and adapted from the book of the same name by Edo van Belkom, wolf pack bears above all the… touch of its creator. Though Jeff Davies confirmed it’s not a spin-off, there are a lot of similarities teenage wolf in terms of genre, mood, topic and target group. For better or for worse, depending on what’s expected of the series.

It all begins when a bus carrying a group of high school students is caught in the middle of a devastating California wildfire. Except that this is no ordinary fire, or rather has unexpected consequences: in the woods there is something supernatural, a force or a creature that will brutally unleash the fire, injuring or even killing several teenagers. . Four youths will be directly affected by the phenomenon. On one hand, Everett and Blake: Bitten by the creature, they are quick to show signs of lycanthropy or other paranormal disorders (hypertrichosis, appearance of fangs, visions, miraculous healing, etc.). On the other hand, Arlan and Luna, two twins adopted by the local sheriff who became werewolves years earlier under similar circumstances. The four are inexplicably pulled into a clearing at full moon – like a pack – and together they try to understand what is happening to them, discover the connection to fire and solve the mystery of the origins of the wolf. -Original goods emerged from the forest that transformed them.

Also read: We have rediscovered for you … Buffy vs. the Vampires (WB/UPN) (vl-media.fr)

That’s all well and good, but where is Sarah Michelle Gellar in all of this? Patience, it arrives in the second half of the first episode. She plays Kristin, an FBI investigator who seems to know more about the secret of the forest than she lets on, and about whom we don’t really know if she’s a simple investigator, an ally or an enemy of our young heroes. And as much as we have reservations about young actors who don’t necessarily excel in stereotypical roles (in her defense), Sarah Michelle Gellar is excellent. Apart from affection and nostalgia, she objectively feels very comfortable in the skin of this mysterious character who gradually reveals herself and especially from the fifth episode.

But I’m not sure if that’s enough. wolf pack is undeniably your typical fantasy teen drama, ticking all the boxes for both the teen side and the fantasy side. And not necessarily successful, at least in the first few episodes… Like a pilot that we’ll classify as mediocre and which at least has the advantage of leaving the series a lot of room for improvement. As far as the script and the characters go, everything is typical, calibrated and predictable: a group of beautiful and mysterious teenagers plagued by personal difficulties, the first milestones of the inevitable romance, the supernatural manifestations that take them to the most mundane Ways to influence possible… Everything we’ve seen countless times, a typeface that deals more with twists than the meticulous development of its characters and situations, and a construction reminiscent of series of the same kind from the 2000s.

As for the shape… OK, there are good ideas there, like the fire scene with the play of light and shadow, the luminous photography, the chaotic atmosphere. Unfortunately, the rest have a hard time following him. If we can forgive a classic or even dated production without originality or risk-taking, we are stricter on the special effects. And especially the werewolves, with almost ridiculous digital effects in 2023. We try to let the pill go down with fast scenes and a few shadows to cover up the flaws, but that’s not enough: every time a digital beast dies enters the scene, let’s smile a little. Which, let’s face it, is still extremely problematic for a series called wolf pack.

Your typical teen fantasy drama with teenagers caught between romantic relationships, family strife and a supernatural element crashing into their lives, Wolf Pack offers nothing new. Apart from the presence of Sarah Michelle Gellar, which alone is not enough to compensate for the series’ flaws and in particular its twists to the detriment of the story structure and its poor special effects. However, Teen Wolf nostalgics and fans of the genre (assuming they’re indulgent) will find familiar elements that they’re likely to enjoy. Although the wolf pack is barking more than biting at the moment.

wolf pack
8 episodes of about 50′.
On Paramount+