Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 Episode 6: The Pack

One of my favorite episodes in season 1 written by Matt Kiene & Joe Reinkemeyer. We start off in the zoo as four bratty kids go around picking on people. Starting with Buffy and moving on to some nerdy guy. Willow and Xander point out to Buffy that even if the zoo is lame at least they aren't in class and she suddenly likes it more.

The jerk kids take the nerd into the hyena exhibit that is closed off. Buffy gets ready to go in and help but Xander jumps the guy and goes in first. Buffy and Willow try to follow him but the grounds keeper keeps them out. Telling them that some times hyena's can call out your name. Creepy.

Xander confronts the kids and the hyenas look up at them. Suddenly they aren't kids anymore but hyenas in kids bodies. With Xander as their leader. Willow tells Buffy how much she loves Xander and points out that Buffy feels the same way about Angel. She tries to deny it but Willow points out the leather coat that she is wearing. Xander picks this moment to show up. He is acting strange and not like himself at all.

Xander sniffs Buffy, very weird. The rest of the pack comes in and seem to pack down to Xander. They pick on some kid, calling him fat and Xander laughs. Willow and Buffy don't find it funny. Neither do I.

Principle Flutie chases a cute little pig with razors tied onto his back. This show seems to love pigs, or hate them depending on how you look at what happens to the little guys. Willow tries to teach Xander about math and he seems to be getting worse and worse at it. He freaks out and storms off. The pig is scared out of it's mind when it sees Xander.

It's a rainy day so PE plays dodgeball. The nerdy kid is on the same team as the pack including Xander while Buffy and Willow are on the other side. Xander takes out Willow leaving Buffy against the pack and the nerd. The pack attacks the nerd and leaves Buffy be. Buffy goes to stop them but they all take off and the PE teacher says how much he loves the game. Willow goes to confront Xander and he tells her off, that he doesn't need her and he wants nothing to do with her anymore.

The pack, lead by Xander eat the poor pig. It jumps from that to the scene where the pack walks through the cool looking way to cool. I don't know why but I have always loved this scene. It's so much fun and makes Xander look like a badass.

Willow feels like Xander just loves Buffy and hates her now. Buffy thinks that something is wrong with Xander and Giles thinks that is it just Xander being 16 years old. Buffy figures out that Xander is acting like a Hyena and Giles figures out about the primals.

Flutie calls the Pack, minus Xander into his office to confront about the poor pig while Xander tries to mate with Buffy by force. She puts him in check. He may be stronger but he isn't slayer strong. While Buffy is fighting off Xander the rest of the pack eats Flutie, thus giving us the end of the nice principle. Buffy locks Xander into the cage that sits in the library as Giles comes in and tells them about Flutie's death.

Buffy leaves Willow to watch Xander while Buffy and Giles go to talk to the grounds keeper. Xander tries to talk Willow into letting him out. He tries to play on her feelings for him and turn her against Buffy but he over plays his hand. She figures him out. The grounds keeper seems to know that the hyenas can do weird things. He tells Buffy it can be reversed and that the rest of the pack will come for Xander, which means Willow is all alone with a pack of man eating teenagers.

The pack frees Xander and Willow runs and hides. The pack finds Willow but Buffy saves her just in time. The two of them and Giles lock themselves in class to hide. The pack attacks a family trying to get into their car and Buffy stops them. She then leads them to the zoo. Giles goes inside to get things ready while Willow keeps watch outside.

Giles figures out that the grounds keeper wanted the power for the hyenas himself and he set it all but failed to figure it out and the pack stole his power by mistake. Willow rushes in and the grounds keeper is there alone. He ties Willow's hands up and tells her that he is sing her as bait. She buys it at first but quickly comes to figure out what is happening. She yells a warning to Buffy. He does a spell and takes the hyena's spirits from the pack. Xander rushes to free Willow but the guy fights him off and Buffy tosses him in with the real Hyenas who make quick work of him. This is when Giles picks to wake up.

Xander fakes not remembering anything and Giles tells him that he won't tell anyone. It's a fun episode that I've always enjoyed.