Chances are if you’re reading this, you jumped on the Wolf Pack train for Sarah Michelle Gellar. And while I love her return to sci-fi (and how she will champion these young talents) she’s not the only shining star of this Paramount+ show. Bella Shephard, Armani Jackson, Chloe Rose Robertson, Tyler Lawrence Gray, and Rodrigo Santoro shine just as bright. And it’s because of this balance that Wolf Pack will draw in fans and keep them.
On the SMG front, I was right about her from the trailer alone. She’s not Kate Argent from Teen Wolf. That’s for sure. She’s just an adult trying to figure out what is going on in this small town and who is causing these mysterious fires. If that means she’s a bit creepy and mysterious, then so be it. She can’t give all her secrets away and it was fun trying to figure her out and where she stands in all the supernatural shenanigans. Here’s hoping that she doesn’t fall in the way of the evil Argent because that’s tired and SMG deserves better.
As for the rest of the cast, they’re what genuinely carry the show. Sorry SMG fans. She’s in Wolf Pack. But she isn’t the focus of this story. It’s the teens that are. First off there’s Everett Lang (Armani Jackson) who is dealing with some mental health issues and a transformation, which is always refreshing to see in teen dramas. Then there’s Blake Navarro (Bella Shepard) who is dealing with a transformation while dealing with a rough home situation. And then there are the siblings Luna Briggs (Chloe Rose Robertson) and Harlan Briggs (Tyler Lawrence Gray) who want to know where they come from.
Together, this Wolf Pack of teenage werewolves begin on a journey of self-discovery that will make them family. Now that’s not a spoiler. It’s called Wolf Pack and if we’ve learned anything from Teen Wolf it’s that the family that you choose is still family. Maybe even more so. And when you throw being a werewolf into the mix, you’ve got a recipe for disaster, mayhem, and tons of drama. Because what isn’t a supernatural show about found family without a healthy dose of drama?
Wolf Pack does have some of the trademarks of a supernatural teen drama in particular. There are the beginnings of young love, awkward flirting, family problems, and supernatural shenanigans fixing things. They made Scott McCall the hot girl after he became a werewolf on Teen Wolf. And since this is from the mind of Jeff Davis, you know they’re going to go in the same direction. Which you can see Davis’ and his fingerprints all over this. That’s why we’re happy SMG is around. To advocate for these young talents from the first moment they set foot on set to the last.
Ultimately, Wolf Pack is fun, campy, and somehow refreshing. Because yeah, we’ve seen teen werewolf drama. But we haven’t seen it with SMG (and with on-screen parents like Santoro’s Garrett Briggs around) on board to help guide the ship and the next generation of a Scooby gang. Or a pack to be more precise.
Wolf Pack premieres January 26, 2022 on Parmount+.
