Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 1, Episode 6

The Pack (7 Apr. 1997)

TV Episode  -   -  Action | Drama | Fantasy
7.2
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.2/10 from 925 users  
Reviews: 6 user | 1 critic

Xander and several other students are possessed by the spirit of a demonic breed of hyenas that wreak havoc at the high school

Director:

Writers:

(creator), , 1 more credit »
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 15 titles created 9 months ago
 
a list of 12 titles created 26 Mar 2012
 
a list of 12 titles created 5 months ago
 
a list of 12 titles created 2 weeks ago
 
a list of 57 titles created 2 weeks ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: The Pack (07 Apr 1997)

The Pack (07 Apr 1997) on IMDb 7.2/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
« Previous Episode | 7 of  145 Episodes | Next Episode »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Angel (1999–2004)
Action | Drama | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

The vampire Angel, cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and aids people with supernatural-related problems while questing for his own redemption.

Stars: David Boreanaz, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards
Action | Adventure | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

Hercules, aided by his best friend Iolaus, goes on many adventures helping people and slaying mythical monsters using his half-god strength.

Stars: Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst, Kevin Smith
Game of Thrones (TV Series 2011)
Adventure | Drama | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 9.4/10 X  

Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.

Stars: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Michelle Fairley
Ghost Whisperer (2005–2010)
Drama | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

A newlywed with the ability to communicate with the earthbound spirits of the recently deceased overcomes skepticism and doubt to help send their important messages to the living and allow the dead to pass on to the other side.

Stars: Jennifer Love Hewitt, David Conrad, Camryn Manheim
Joan of Arcadia (2003–2005)
Drama | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

Millions of people speak to God. What if God spoke back? Life just got a hell of a lot more confusing for teenage Joan Girardi, who already deals with feeling out of place in her family : ... See full summary »

Stars: Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Amber Tamblyn
Immortals (2011)
Action | Drama | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6/10 X  

Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.

Director: Tarsem Singh
Stars: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Stephen Dorff
Legend of the Seeker (2008–2010)
Action | Adventure | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

After the mysterious murder of his father, a son's search for answers begins a momentous fight against tyranny.

Stars: Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, Bruce Spence
Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001)
Action | Adventure | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

Redeemed by Hercules, son of Zeus, Xena, once known as "Murderer," tries to fulfill her destiny as the "Warrior Princess" fighting for the greater good. On her Quest, she meets Gabrielle, a... See full summary »

Stars: Lucy Lawless, Renée O'Connor, Ted Raimi
True Blood (TV Series 2008)
Drama | Fantasy | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

In a world where vampires have "come out of the coffin", Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, discovers a new world of different creatures when she meets Bill Compton, a vampire.

Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell
Dead Like Me (2003–2004)
Comedy | Drama | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

Meet Georgia Lass (who prefers to be called George). She is a young Seattle college dropout who is unhappy with life. She is always at odds with her mom, Joy. One day coming back from her ... See full summary »

Stars: Ellen Muth, Callum Blue, Jasmine Guy
Thor (2011)
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Eastwick (TV Series 2009)
Drama | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.1/10 X  

A mysterious man bestows unique powers to three women.

Stars: Jaime Ray Newman, Lindsay Price, Rebecca Romijn
Edit

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
Cordelia Chase (credit only)
...
Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
...
...
Kyle DuFours
...
Rhonda Kelley (as Michael McRaine)
...
Tor Hauer
...
Heidi Barrie
Jeff Maynard ...
Lance
James Stephens ...
Dr. Weirick
...
Mr. Anderson
...
Mrs. Anderson (as Barbara K. Whinnery)
...
Coach Herrold
Edit

Storyline

On a school field trip to the zoo, Kyle DuFours's gang of bullies taunt good boy Lance, till Xander stops them balancing the nerd over the fence of still quarantined hyena's- suddenly they are all eerily effected by the evil beasts' magical stare. Willow is completely smitten with Xander, but he chucks in her maths tutoring when the hyena spell progresses, as sensed by the piglet Herbert principal Bob Flutie introduces as mascot for the Sunnydale Highschool's 'Razorbacks' football team. Next Xander dumps Wilow, fully joining Kyle's 'hyena pack' of bullies. When the four known bullies are called in Flutie's office for devouring mascot Herbert, they eat him too. Luckily Xander was enforcing himself upon Buffy, so she knocked him down and locked him up. Giles, who first thought Xander was just suffering from pubertal hormones, now realizes it's a Massai 'primary' cult soul transfer, and Buffy tells him about what zoo keeper Dr. Weirick told them about the nasty hyenas, so they go talk to... Written by KGF Vissers

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

hyena | bully | zoo | piglet | dodgeball | See more »

Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

Certificate:

TV-PG

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

7 April 1997 (USA)  »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Buffy states her surprise at Giles "trying to Scully" her she is referring to Dana Scully from X-Files. Scully was the logical one who would often try to debunk Fox Mulder's conspiracy theories. See more »

Goofs

When Buffy picks Herbet the mascot up and walks with principal Flutie the 'razorback' is tied on by string, yet when they go to enter the room with his cage in it, the string has disappeared and the 'razorback' is lying against Buffy's chest. See more »

Quotes

Xander: Buffy, this isn't just about looking at a bunch of animals. This is about not being in class.
Buffy: You know, you're right. Suddenly the animals look shiny and new.
See more »

Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939) See more »

Soundtracks

"All I Want"
Performed by Dashboard Prophets
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Buffy the Vampire Slayer:The Pack
2 January 2010 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Taking a break from vampirism, in this episode of the series, Buffy, Willow, and Giles must uncover a way to help Xander, who has become possessed by an evil hyena(!). Xander was attempting to thwart the menacing shenanigans of a group of annoying high school hoodlums(..four obnoxious troublemakers with a reputation for picking on and ridiculing the weaker students)when he, and they, look into the eyes of a hyena, quarantined by a zoologist, becoming possessed by it. Becoming more and more primal, Xander and the pack are a dangerous brood who could turn cannibalistic at anytime..and do, first chowing on a baby pig mascot(..and, absent Xander, who was attempting to conquest Buffy)eat the principal! Buffy, Willow, and Giles will need to find a way to "transpossess" them before many other humans lie in wait of being lunch meat.

While I certainly don't mind mixing things up from time to time, as The X Files did, this premise of being possessed by the evil spirit of a hyena I couldn't take seriously at all, it was just too ridiculous. That, and if the possessed kids had eaten the principal, there would've been blood and flesh meat all over their faces and clothes. This episode does show that Willow is head-over-heels for Xander and adds an interesting conflict when he, against his will, turns aggressively(..and violently or antagonistically)towards them. The method for the evil transference is hinted at by a camera shot from above those possessed when they stand in a painted ritualistic symbol near the hyena cage. And, for suspense, we see Willow endangered when it is discovered, through research, that the pack return for whoever of theirs is missing(..attempting to molest Buffy, she cold-cocks Xander, dragging his unconscious body to a cage for safe keeping with Willow guarding as she and Giles went to talk with the zoologist, who seems to know quite a bit about the subject of animal possession). This was a wonderful opportunity for Nicholas Brendon to evoke the dark nature of man in a more savage state, though. As always Hannigan, who feels rejected by Xander, is such a sympathetic figure as a young woman in love feeling hurt by someone she cares about.The pack of this episode are quite unlike bullies we are accustomed to..clean-cut kids who look like fashion models for a Tommy Hilfiger add.


0 of 2 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
OT: Your Top 10 Films twolittleredsoxfans
A Game Of 20 Questions jotivihanna
What is your fav dog? flyerzzrul
Whedon Show Intros fauxindigo
Was Jenny surpose to become regular in season 3?. j-laurie91
1313 Cota Drive... fuzzy_wuzzy
Discuss The Pack (1997) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?