The Pack (7 Apr. 1997)

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

Director:

Bruce Seth Green

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Matt Kiene,

Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase (credit only)
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Ken Lerner	...	Principal Bob Flutie
Eion Bailey	...	Kyle DuFours
Michael McCraine	...	Rhonda Kelley (as Michael McRaine)
Brian Gross	...	Tor Hauer
Jennifer Sky	...	Heidi Barrie
Jeff Maynard	...	Lance
James Stephens	...	Dr. Weirick
David Brisbin	...	Mr. Anderson
Barbara Whinnery	...	Mrs. Anderson (as Barbara K. Whinnery)
Gregory White	...	Coach Herrold

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...

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Plot Keywords:

hyena | bully | zoo | piglet | dodgeball | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 1997 (USA)

Filming Locations:

1800 Stewart St., Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

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.

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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.

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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.

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Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

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Soundtracks

"All I Want"
Performed by Dashboard Prophets

User Reviews

Buffy the Vampire Slayer:The Pack

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.