By Jamie Miller
Greetings Nightlighters, it is I “The Wannabe Werewolf” Jamie Miller back after a very extended absence for another Nightlight. Now as you no doubt know by now, I have a love for shows dealing with the supernatural. From so-called documentaries such as “Paranormal Witness” or “A Haunting” to more accepted fiction such as “Teen Wolf” or “Lost Girl.” One of my favorites however would have to be “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” This show along with the spinoff “Angel” are two of my favorite shows of all time. I mean, for the longest time these were the main shows I watched obsessively to the point that I could quote certain scenes verbatim. This was the show which really got me into other supernatural series including the above TV shows. So imagine my absolute joy when I learned that Buffy Summers herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, was starring in and producing a brand new werewolf oriented show, and when I learned that it was the brainchild of Jeff Davis, the creator of “Teen Wolf.” I was absolutely pumped and the results were… interesting.
“Wolf Pack” which is very loosely based on a book series of the same name, largely tells the tale of an ensemble group of teenage protagonists who upon a deadly wildfire, discover they share an unlikely connection and are forced to band together both to find out who started the wildfire and to discover who or what has been murdering people in their town. The whole time a mysterious arson investigator is hot on their trail, and seems to know far more about what’s going on than she should.
“Wolf Pack” stars Armani Jackson as Everette Lang, a high schooler with anxiety issues who upon being bitten by a strange wolf-like creature has gained superhuman strength. Bella Shepard plays the part of Blake Navarro, a girl from an impoverished background who upon being bitten gains superhuman speed. Chloe Rose Robertson stars as Luna Briggs, another teenager who was born with her abilities rather than being bitten and possesses a superhuman sense of smell. Tyler Lawerence Gray plays the role of Harlan Briggs, Luna’s more abrasive and foul mouthed brother who possesses a superhuman sense of hearing and was also born with his abilities. Rodrigo Santoro, known for roles in movies such as “300” and TV shows such as “Lost” and “Westworld” stars in the role of Garret Briggs, the adopted father of Luna and Harlan, a firefighter and one of the few aware of what Luna and Harlan really are. The above-mentioned Gellar stars as Kristin Ramsey, a mysterious arson investigator who seems to know exactly what’s really happening. Gideon Emery known for playing the werewolf Deucalion in “Teen Wolf” also has a recurring role as Malcolm, a firefighter who watched his entire unit die in an oddly similar forest fire years ago and was scoffed at upon insisting they were killed by a werewolf-like creature.
This show was something. The computer-generated imagery (CGI) for the murderous werewolf left a bit to be desired and some of the acting was a bit stiff at times. Though as the season went on, the show got better to the point where I actually really enjoyed the last episode. Gellar was definitely the highpoint of the show as were the other main adult actors. All in all not bad, solid five and a half torches out of 10. I really hope they make a season two so that they can hopefully build on the great last episode of the first season.
