The Pack (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
| "The Pack" | |
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| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
Xander with his new pack of friends
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Bruce Seth Green |
| Written by | Matt Kiene Joe Reinkemeyer |
| Production code | 4V06 |
| Original air date | April 7, 1997 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"The Pack" is the sixth episode of season 1 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode was written by story editors Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer, and directed by Bruce Seth Green. In the episode, Buffy's friend Xander and four classmates are possessed by animal spirits, causing them to act increasingly like predators.
Buffy and her Sunnydale High classmates are on a field trip to the zoo. A gang of four kids taunt and terrorize other students, and when one boy, Lance Lincoln, does not have the courage to tell Principal Flutie what they have done to him, they "reward" him by taking him with them to the Hyena House even though it is under quarantine. Xander follows to help him, whereas Willow and Buffy are stopped by a warden. In the Hyena House, the hyenas' eyes flash as they look at the gang of four and Xander. Their eyes flash in return.
Xander is now part of the gang, and his behavior has changed; he becomes insulting and cruel, especially to Willow. Even more ominous, the school's new mascot piglet Herbert tries to flee when it smells Xander. Giles shows no inclination to believe anything is wrong with Xander except that he is a 16-year-old boy. His attitude changes when the missing Herbert is found dead - and eaten. After checking his books, Giles warns that they could be dealing with a case of possession. Buffy runs to find Xander, and finds the piglet's cage demolished. Xander jumps Buffy, pins her to the floor and tries to rape her, Buffy knocks him unconscious with a desk and locks him in the book cage in the library. When Principal Flutie finds the mascot dead, he knows that the original gang of four are involved and calls them into his office. There, they start encircling him, close in and finally attack, kill and eat the terrified Flutie.
Returning from a teacher's meeting to the library, Giles tells Willow and Buffy about what happened to Principal Flutie. Giles and Buffy go see the zoo warden who tells them that he is not surprised by the possession and knows about the magic involved, but is not sure how the students were affected: he hasn't been able to figure out the ritual. Giles supplies the missing information: a predatory act is required, like when the original four students tormented the boy.
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