BtVS season 1: The Pack

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Am feeling very tired today for some reason, and my brain feels like it's full of treacle. However, since I re-watched The Pack on Thursday, I thought I ought to try and write a review before I forget everything about it. I'm afraid it's not a very good review. Treacle in the brain will do that.



The Pack is another good episode, the teenagers turning into hyenas being a metaphor for (I suppose) school bullies and predatory, out-of-control teenagers in general– though, this being Sunnydale, the teenagers in question all look like they come from affluent middle-class families.

There are some great scenes, including the slo-mo power walk across the school campus with the rock music in the background, and the dodge-ball scene. Also, the first time I watched this episode, the scene of Principal Flutie's horrible death made me realise BtVS was a show that wasn't afraid to take risks.

In fact, with the benefit of hindsight, and especially after having re-visited the AR scene from Seeing Red and the mental anguish it caused me quite recently, there's another scene in this episode that I should have paid more attention to the first time I watched it. Of course, I mean Hyena Xander's sexual assault on Buffy. For obvious reasons, I really took notice this time when watching this scene, and it is in fact quite a nasty attack, and Hyena Xander's motives are far more those of the 'traditional' rapist than Spike's were in Seeing Red. In other words, it's all about the power. Xander even says so. He's almost as strong as Buffy, thanks to the hyena power, and he's going to take what he wants from her – and he makes what that is pretty clear.

However, not only is Buffy not scared, she hardly bats an eyelid and seems a gazillion miles away from being traumatised afterwards. In fact, when Giles tells Buffy and Willow what has happened to poor Principal Flutie, the girls are relieved because Xander wasn't involved, what with him having been busy trying to rape Buffy at the time.

And it never gets mentioned again.

I'm not really sure what, if anything, Joss was trying to say with this scene, but I suppose it's an important character point for Buffy, in that it seems she has 'form' from the very beginning of her career at forgiving/excusing people for their bad acts, if those acts were undertaken when under the influence of something malign – either a predatory hyena spirit in Xander's case or a lack of soul in Spike's and Angel's.

This is not me saying that I think they should have made a big thing out of it, by the way, or that Buffy should have felt differently about Xander after it. I get that this scene is part of a metaphor whereas the SR scene isn't, but it is still interesting to compare the two. I suppose the different reactions we, as viewers, have to them, not to mention the very different reactions of the characters, do have something to do with the fact that Joss allowed them to grow-up and with that growth their perspective changes and becomes more adult, though the difference is actually not that great in Buffy's case. It seems with her, the motive behind an act is always more important than the actual act itself. Here, she knows that Normal Xander would never act this way so it's easy for her to dismiss it from her mind. With Angelus's murder of Jenny, she knows that Souled Angel would never have done such a thing. Finally, with Spike in SR, although she is shocked and horrified by his actions - I think more because they were a breach of trust than anything else - she also realises they weren't premeditated. And then Spike gets his soul back anyway, which is sort of the equivalent to the hyena possession wearing off. Thus, Buffy is able to forgive all three of them (though of course, with the possible exception of Xander, because we're never shown it, they never forgive themselves).

A-and I'm thinking about this way too much, but the comparisons are there to be made.

Also in this episode, we learn just how deeply Willow feels for Xander and, when Buffy says it would be nice to feel that way about someone and Willow mentions Angel, we get (I think) the first inkling that Buffy is genuinely interested in him (being attracted – which she clearly is from the first time she sets eyes on him – and being interested are not IMO the same thing). However, Buffy doesn't think Angel is interested in her, because he never shows up except when he has some doom-laden warning to impart.

Nick Brendon is very good indeed at playing mean, possessed Xander, and given how DB blossoms when Angel goes evil in season 2, I suppose it must be true that the devil gets all the best lines.

Other stuff

The four actors playing the 'mean kids' are way, way too old to be in school. They're pretty good, though.

The drums! The dashed awful drums! I love the cheesy Tarzan film music that plays in the background almost all through the episode (except, as previously mentioned, in the very effective hyena kids power-walk slo-mo scene).

Giles's protective gear is hilarious! A Watcher's life is hard. Also, he gets hit on the head and knocked out for a second time. It's already getting to be a habit.

Poor, poor Principal Flutie! Not to mention the pig.

Silly stuff

The hyena kids are very neat eaters. They manage to polish off Principal Flutie without getting any blood on themselves at all.

Why on earth is Willow watching a scene of African wild dogs on an endless loop while guarding Xander in the library? Couldn't Joss find any genuine hyena footage?

Best line:

Giles again (re: Hyena Xander): It's devastating. He's turning into a sixteen year old boy. You'll have to kill him.

Also quite good is Willow (re: Hyena Xander): Why couldn't Xander be possessed by a puppy, or some ducks?

Willow obviously has a completely unrealistic idea of what ducks - the Hells' Angels of the bird world - are like, or she wouldn't say that.

Comments

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

Why on earth is Willow watching a scene of African wild dogs on an endless loop while guarding Xander in the library? Couldn't Joss find any genuine hyena footage?

*SNOGS YOU* I think about that every time I see this ep. I love you for recognizing them as African wild dogs, haha. *squish*

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The noises are hyena noises, though. At least, I think so - unless you know otherwise.

:squishes you back:

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

It seems with her, the motive behind an act is always more important than the actual act itself. Here, she knows that Normal Xander would never act this way so it's easy for her to dismiss it from her mind. With Angelus's murder of Jenny, she knows that Souled Angel would never have done such a thing. Finally, with Spike in SR, although she is shocked and horrified by his actions - I think more because they were a breach of trust than anything else - she also realises they weren't premeditated. Thus, she is able to forgive all three of them (though of course, with the possible exception of Xander, because we're never shown it, they never forgive themselves).

A-and I'm thinking about this way too much, but the comparisons are there to be made.

Yes, they are. And valid points as well.

[shapinglight]

Thanks. Buffy seems to be able to compartmentalise her mind very easily, though of course she's not the only Buffyverse character to do this. Fred does the same with Wesley after Billy.

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Why on earth is Willow watching a scene of African wild dogs on an endless loop while guarding Xander in the library? Couldn't Joss find any genuine hyena footage?

ROy invariably says exactly that, when re-watching this episode!

I do like the idea of being possesesed by "some" ducks - why did it have to be more than one?

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I do like the idea of being possesesed by "some" ducks - why did it have to be more than one?

Yes, that's very odd. Knowing Willow, she was probably thinking of one of those troupes of fluffy little ducklings you see in the spring (which are invariably smaller and smaller in number as the weeks pass).

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

My favorite thing about this ep is the guy who plays the evil zookeeper, I remember him mostly from The Paper Chase -- and now I am blanking on his name.

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I don't remember his name either. It does amuse me, though, that he paints the hyena stripes over his beard.

[danna7001.livejournal.com]

The hyena kids are very neat eaters. They manage to polish off Principal Flutie without getting any blood on themselves at all.

I think it's no secret that I don't spend much time analyzing the shows, but this is something I've often wondered about as it applies to the vamps. Doesn't Spike get blood on his leather coat or on his clothes a lot? So I assume he's got the whole laundry routine down, or knows of some store where he can always steal the same type of black T shirt and jeans over and over.

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Either that or he's a very neat eater too - though fanon would have it that he's quite the opposite.

Not sure where that's come from.

[twilightofmagic.livejournal.com]

That's more or less NB's best moment, his height of physical beauty and the way he conveys it. In the slowmo walk and the closeup at the end, he is just gorgeous. Then he becomes lumpy and misshapen. Still have a very fond spot for Xander though and will keep writing him, though I think it's more the Xander of fanfic than the Xander of the show.

[shapinglight]

I seem to remember he still looked pretty good in season 3. It was after that he sort of went to pot. Not that he was ever my type (not sure I have a type, for that matter).

[diachrony.livejournal.com]

I really enjoy all your BtVS episode reviews. I love your insight and the little details you point out that might have been missed.

I've always thought Buffy to be very forgiving of others - though not of herself.

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I really enjoy all your BtVS episode reviews. I love your insight and the little details you point out that might have been missed.

Thanks, that's very kind of you, and I'm glad you've enjoyed the posts.

Also, I would have agreed with you that Buffy wasn't very forgiving of herself until I read beer_good_foamy's comment below. Now, I think he's right and it probably depends on the circumstances.

[diachrony.livejournal.com]

Very interesting point Beer Good makes - that Buffy also forgives herself if she does negative things under supernatural control, but judges herself *and* others harshly if she believes they were done by free will.

Yes, I think he's probably right.

[kassto.livejournal.com]

Interesting comparison of Seeing Red and The Pack. The two attack scenes are played so differently. One's a straight-forward supernatural possession and Buffy's not the slightest bit bothered, and I don't think we are meant to be either. The other is a hyper-realistic part of fucked-up sad adult relationship — Spike isn't possessed but just desperate and out-of-control. Buffy is initially vulnerable because she actually trusts him.

I thought Xander played bad brilliantly too. And yes, hyenas and vamps eat far too cleanly. There should be gore and blood and ripped-out throats right through BTVS but maybe it was too expensive on costumes or something.

[shapinglight]

And yes, hyenas and vamps eat far too cleanly. There should be gore and blood and ripped-out throats right through BTVS but maybe it was too expensive on costumes or something.

Either that, or that level of gore isn't permissible on American young people's TV (though I thought it was just the sex they objected to).

Yes, the two incidents are very different, despite some surface similarities. However, with hindsight, I admit it does bother me somewhat just how unbothered by this Buffy is.

It's also weird that in spite of the way Hyena Xander zeroes in on her in this episode, she still doesn't seem to cotton on to the fact that Normal Xander is rather keen on her.

[candleanfeather.livejournal.com]

Interesting catch on Buffy's character and the importance she gives to intentions or motives. Your comparisons between Seing Red and The pack are fruitfull too.

"The Pack is another good episode, the teenagers turning into hyenas being a metaphor for (I suppose) school bullies and predatory, out-of-control teenagers in general". I always saw the group or tribe mentality so developped in teenagers at highschool being at the core of the metaphor and how the membership in one of these "packs" can really modify someone's behaviour when the values of the group prevail on everything else. Besides, the theme was already more or less there when they introduced Cordelia and her little "court" of followers. As for the choice of "hyenas", there are many unsympathethic cliches about these predators which could convey "the message" intended by the authors, and there is perhaps also the fact that the "social organisation" of the packs of hyenas is also one of the more complex existing amongst predators. Although, had the writers choice been a little more documented, Xander would never have been the leader,the "alpha" generally being the older female in real packs of hyenas . :)

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I always saw the group or tribe mentality so developped in teenagers at highschool being at the core of the metaphor and how the membership in one of these "packs" can really modify someone's behaviour when the values of the group prevail on everything else.

Yes, that's a much better description of what happens than what I said about feral teenagers, though as you say, the hyena pack metaphor can't be taken too literally, since Xander seems to end up being the pack leader.

I think that, given he doesn't even have Willow watching footage of the right animal, it's likely Joss doesn't know much about actual hyenas.

[lusciousxander.livejournal.com]

I think your right that the difference between The AR of The Pack and The AR of Seeing Red is due to Xander's possession. If Xander wasn't possessed and had sexually attacked Buffy, it would surely break her. (If Xander took advantage of her in BB&B when he had the chance, Buffy would have been broken indeed.) And if Spike was possessed in Seeing Red, Buffy wouldn't have been upset.

[shapinglight]

I think your right that the difference between The AR of The Pack and The AR of Seeing Red is due to Xander's possession.

That's not actually what I said. I said that Buffy finds it easy to forgive people when she can persuade herself the motives of that person were not malign (ie. Spike never set out to hurt her in SR) or their acts are not under their control (ie. they were possessed by a hyena spirit in Xander's case or didn't have a soul in Spike's and Angel's).

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

The power-walk itself makes the episode worth. Sexy Xander much!

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Sexy Xander much!

I guess. I'm afraid he doesn't do much for me, even in this episode.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's an important character point for Buffy, in that it seems she has 'form' from the very beginning of her career at forgiving/excusing people for their bad acts, if those acts were undertaken when under the influence of something malign

Very good point. Buffy (the character, but not necessarily the series - people tend to get the two mixed up) seems to fully believe this, and it comes through again and again. Not just applied to others, but to herself as well. For instance;
- she easily forgives herself for trying to kill everyone in "Normal Again" ("I tried to kill my friends, my sister, last week and guess how much they hate me? Zero. Zero much. ... They'll deal.") since she was under the influence of the Glarghk Guhl Kashma'nik...
- ...however, when Tara tells her that there's nothing wrong with her in "Dead Things", that breaks her. If there's nothing wrong with her, then she's doing it all herself and then she's responsible for her own actions.

ANDREW: It's not fair. Spike just killed people, and he gets to go.
BUFFY: Spike didn't have free will and you did.

Her ability to forgive Willow after the events of s6 and her trouble forgiving Faith can probably be explained by that, too. As well as her inability to understand why others might not see it the same way - viz her refusal to accept that Angel or Spike can still be risks once they've got their souls back. Come to think of it, that might even explain why she'd be so cold towards them in s5 of Angel; if they're both souled, they have no excuses for working for W&H.

[diachrony.livejournal.com]

Fascinating insights I have to say. I was thinking of Buffy as being more forgiving of others than she was of herself, but as you point out it has to do with context - whether supernatural influence or free will was involved.

[shapinglight]

Great comment. Before reading it, I would have agreed with diachrony that Buffy is far more forgiving of others than she is of herself, but obviously that's not so. It's all about context. She's very good indeed at separating what happens under magical influence (Hyena Xander's attempted rape, the incident in Normal Again you mention, Spike killing people under the influence of the First Evil) from bad things people do when there's nothing wrong with them, like Andrew killing Jonathan.

And she does seem to have a kind of half-way house, where people who do bad things for reasons she can understand, like season 6 Willow, or were unsouled at the time, like Spike and Angel, get put temporarily before being completely forgiven (unless they screw it up again, like Spike and Angel in season 5).

Faith, however, as you point out, seems permanently consigned to outer darkness, which is rather unfair. In fact, very unfair.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

From a meta POV, I think part of it goes back to the nature of what Buffy is; since she's supposed to fight the supernatural, she can handle that - but when it comes to real life, she's just as weak as anyone else. Probably even a bit more, considering that she's a bit of a control freak and really doesn't like it when there's something she can't handle by herself. And so she always has the most trouble with human villains or natural causes; she can beat up the demons until the cows come home; but in, for instance, "The Body", "Seeing Red" or "Grave" she's powerless; natural death, psychos with guns and crushing grief doesn't fall into the "Slay" category.

ANYA: He said 'The Slayer can't stop her.'

Which is not to say that Buffy can't be a little holier-than-thou sometimes (Faith being a prime example). But there's method to it.

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I think I'm a little in love with your brain.

Probably even a bit more, considering that she's a bit of a control freak and really doesn't like it when there's something she can't handle by herself.

Oh, absolutely. Explains perfectly her arc in season 7, plus the fact that she continues to keep stuff from her friends and Dawn no matter how many times they get exasperated enough to challenge her about it.

But with Faith? Yes, I'd say holier than thou describes it pretty well. Buffy seems prepared to give almost anyone a second chance, except Faith.

Well, I know she set out to kill Anya in Selfless, but it's notable that in the very next episode, she's saving Anya's life from D'Hoffryn's hitmen. She may not like Anya, but she sees her as very much 'one of her people.'

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I think I'm a little in love with your brain.

I can't see it right now, but I think it's blushing and scraping its foot cerebellum going "Awww shucks." :-)

Explains perfectly her arc in season 7

Yup. And, if Comic!Buffy is anything like her, should lead to some interesting trouble down the line with the new big Slayer Army.

Buffy seems prepared to give almost anyone a second chance, except Faith.

Well, they do start to mend fences at the very end of the series. I think post-s6 Buffy would be more capable of understanding Faith (and post-redemption Faith more capable of understanding Buffy) than before. Which of course leads to them having lots of sex. Sorry. But I always thought these two bits-o-dialogue spelled it out pretty well: as clichéd as it sounds, and as much as she's still a very well-drawn character in her own right, Faith is (or symbolises) everything Buffy can't stand about herself or her situation. Of course, since Buffy is to some extent aware of this, it becomes even harder for her to accept Faith; if she can't accept human weakness in herself, why should she accept it in Faith? It's always so much easier to blame the Other. That goes for both of them.

BUFFY: Jealousy!
TEACHER: Buffy. Right. Very good. Jealousy clearly is the tool that Iago uses to undo Othello. But what's his motivation? What reason does Iago give for destroying his superior officer?
BUFFY: Well, he was passed over for promotion. (...) He, um, he sort of admits himself that his motive are... spurious! He, um, he does things because he, he enjoys them. It's like he's not, he's not really a person. He's a, the dark half of Othello himself.

BUFFY: I gave you *every* chance! I tried *so* hard to help you, and you *spat* on me. My life was just something for you to play with. Angel, Riley, anything that you could take from me, you took. I've lost battles before... but nobody else has *ever* made me a victim.
FAITH: And you can't stand that. You're all about control. You have no idea what it's like on the other side! When nothing's in control, nothing makes sense! There's just pain and hate and nothing you do means anything. You can't even -
BUFFY: Shut up!

[shapinglight]

I think I'm a little in love with your brain.

I can't see it right now, but I think it's blushing and scraping its foot cerebellum going "Awww shucks." :-)

Heh! See, this is exactly why I love it.

And, if Comic!Buffy is anything like her, should lead to some interesting trouble down the line with the new big Slayer Army.

There are some similarities, but Comics Buffy is kind of flat. No, seriously - the last couple of issues have been the first time I've recognised Comics Buffy as being anything remotely like Show Buffy. To me, she was most unrecognisable as the same person during the Faith arc. I still don't really know what was going on there, but that's what made me say that Faith is the only person to whom Buffy isn't willing to give a second chance (which - dammit!- suggests I was thinking of the comics as canon in spite of myself). As far as the show goes, I thought that Buffy and Faith had gone a long way to reconciling their differences from Empty Places onwards. Buffy actually told Spike in Touched that her being thrown out of the house wasn't Faith's fault when Spike called her a bitch.

I still find the way that Buffy instantly jumped to the conclusion that Faith had gone evil in the comic unbelievable because of that, even though of course she does have a longer history of seeing Faith as her dark mirror, like in those quotes, than as an ally.

Oh well. I suppose it's perfectly true that people do keep making the same mistakes over and over again.