‘Wolf Pack’ 1×02 review: “Two Bitten, Two Born” is action-packed but underbaked

Last week, Wolf Pack’s premiere ended with the four teen wolves, Everett Lang (Armani Jackson), Blake Navarro (Bella Shepard), Luna Briggs (Chloe Rose Robertson), and Harlan Briggs (Tyler Lawrence Gray) drawn together by the howl of an unknown Alpha. The question of who started the Wildfire that caused all this is still being raised by Wildfire Investigator Kristin Ramsy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Harlan and Luna’s father, Park Ranger Garrett Briggs (Rodrigo Santoro), is still missing in the forest.

Episode 2 provides plenty of action and also drops some interesting editing into the mix. After being dismissed by Harlan and yearned for by Luna, Blake and Everett are back home and trying to get some sleep. They are mixed up in nightmares and struggling to decipher what’s real and what’s fantasy. They imagine each other sleeping side by side. Is it romance? Is it destiny? Is it some wolfy kin thing? These mishmash edits are great for showing audiences complex emotions and giving the impression of telepathy, but they also act a bit like filler.

I’m conflicted about how Jeff Davies has aligned these stories together because, on the one hand, I know what he’s trying to establish. Still, certain aspects of the supernatural teen story are being rushed/ignored. Wildfire Investigator Kristin Ramsy must be incredibly integral to this story because she keeps popping up everywhere. Still, it also infringes on how Everett and Blake should adapt and understand their new bodies and abilities.

Everett’s friend has odd symptoms from a bite he received on the highway around when Everett and Blake were bitten. However, Connor’s (Sean Philip Glasgow) experience is much different from theirs, and he seems not to have the super healing aspect of the bite because his leg is still broken. Everett is curious nonetheless about what is going on with his friend, but he feels more like a character introduced to die to show the ‘severity’ of the situation to the other characters but arguably not a character we care about. If I’m honest, I found this guy pretty annoying.

The full moon is apparently out, and Luna and Harlan talk about feeling particularly sensitive and on edge. Harlan’s exciting scenes at the gym give us a little more reassurance that this character is, for sure, 1000% gay. A bit overkill, but we love to see it; thank you, Queen Jeff. The clarification wasn’t needed, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Now that Park Ranger Garrett Briggs has been found, it will be interesting to learn more about Luna’s character. In the chaos of it all, it may have been hard to notice, but her characterization, compared to the other characters, has been highly lacking thus far. The only real, impactful thing we know is that she’s a twin, lonely, and desperately wants her daddy back. Compared to Harlan, who already had a few solo scenes exploring his sexuality and pastimes, Luna is a stranger.

The timeline of this episode is all over the place. I’m not sure all conversations and scenes line up to a seamless linear story. It feels like Luna and Harlan’s story is hours ahead of Everett and Blake’s. It’s also a bit confusing how much time has passed in general. We’re told that Blake and Everett slept for essentially an entire day, making this two days after the initial fire. But at the same time, some of the emotional recovery and general vibes feel a little more removed than that.

The simultaneous chase for Connor and the Briggs family reunion was staggered and poorly paired. Then it all felt minute when Wildfire Investigator Kristin Ramsy finds Everett, and we see Blake in the backseat of the SUV like we’ve jumped from the inconclusive, unsatisfactory ending of one storyline to another that takes us away from the supernatural of it all.

Is Wildfire Investigator Kristin Ramsy in on the supernatural elements of the fire? Does she have insight that can pull this whole thing together? Or will we be strung along this arson story until she’s finally brought into the loop about the supernatural elements of the fire? Are we dragging it out or jumping right in, Jeff?

Despite the action and acting, some of the stories feel a little juvenile and underbaked. Regardless, network shows often take a few episodes to get into their groove when the writers have found a rhythm and the actors understand their characters better.  Hopefully, Wolf Pack doesn’t disappoint the hardcore Teen Wolf fans who are along for the ride; they’re big shoes to fill—or at least the first few seasons are hard to beat. I’m still enjoying the overall experience of having a wolf show back in my life. Let’s hope Wolf Pack can deal with migrating actors better than its predecessor could.

Feature image courtesy of Paramount+