Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Two Bitten, Two Born

Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 2, “Two Bitten, Two Born,” steps away from the wildfire’s smoke to tease the pack’s dynamic and entertain a new suspect in the arson case.

This episode immediately makes improvements from Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 1, “From a Spark to a Flame,” by delivering exposition more efficiently, finding necessary levity, and securing its spark — all with the help of seamless transitions.

“Two Bitten, Two Born” thrives off the chaos the series premiere sets in motion and makes the longing for stability a common ground for the characters and viewers.

Blake embodies that sentiment in the opening shot as her eyes symbolically turn around when her world turns upside down upon the reveal that she is a werewolf — to which Blake has a refreshingly reasonable reaction.

The episode also uses that unsteadiness to its advantage by striking down an assumption about Harlan and Luna. “Two Bitten, Two Born” indicates that the twins aren’t all-knowing about their abilities, despite being born as werewolves.

Furthermore, Wolf Pack quickly distinguishes their skills from Everett and Blake’s — Harlan has never healed like Everett. Equally noteworthy is that Harlan and Luna don’t know all the ins and outs of what happens when a werewolf bites someone.

That disclosure provides additional context to how Harlan and Luna have grown up as teen wolves and what they have (or haven’t) done to preserve their secret. That approach to Wolf Pack‘s werewolf lore creates a more level playing field for the core four and an engaging viewing experience as the mythology comes together.

The comedic beats that arise during more mundane interactions, like Everett’s unique line of questioning about Connor’s bite, throughout “Two Bitten, Two Born” also make for a more enjoyable viewing experience.

The series premiere is dark and dramatic, and this episode carries that torch with pride while weaving necessary humor into the scenes. 

Chloe Rose Robertson and Tyler Lawrence Gray get some fun back and forth in mid-run, and those interactions only get better — and funnier — when Luna and Harlan introduce Everett and Blake to Prisha.

Nevertheless, Wolf Pack amplifies its drama and tension on interpersonal and supernatural levels by putting the four characters in the same car with their shared secret looming as heavily over them as the next full moon.

The full moon has expected (heightened emotions) and surprisingly unnerving (ominous and realistic dreams with independent reflections) impacts on the teen wolves. Their mostly unified reactions make Connor’s lack thereof stand out.

Still, Wolf Pack maintains a grounded perspective through the elevated humanity in its characters and how that clashes with the full moon’s supernatural fallout. For example, in a flash, Blake goes from admiring her complexion where her acne scars have healed to fearing her reflection when her werewolf fangs emerge.

Armani Jackson’s performance during “Two Bitten, Two Born” also stands out. Jackson’s physical approach to representing Everett’s anxiety is so realistic that it’s almost too difficult to watch as someone who also struggles with anxiety.

The sound mixing and the direction elevate Jackson’s performance as Everett feels his anxiety grow. The intensity of its accuracy is commendable to Jackson’s talent and Wolf Pack‘s writers. Consequently, the episode could use a trigger warning. 

Similarly, Garrett Briggs has a much stronger emotional tether in “Two Bitten, Two Born” than in the show’s debut. Much of Garrett’s dialogue in the first outing carries the weight of exposition to establish his dynamics with Luna and Harlan.

As contradictory as it sounds, considering he spends most of the two episodes in the depths of a wildfire, Wolf Pack‘s second outing gives Garrett (and the other characters) a lot more room to breathe.

Rodrigo Santoro brings believable paranoia and heartfelt concern to the forefront of his performance as Garrett fights the fire and potentially fabricated images of (presumably) Harlan and Luna’s biological werewolf father.

Garrett’s most emotionally compelling scene in “Two Bitten, Two Born” is his final one. Luna wraps her finger around his in a touching callback to the flashback of the small paw-turned-baby hand reaching out to Garrett after he found the twins as cubs.

Wolf Pack understandably focuses on the supernatural consequences of the wildfire, but that hospital scene poignantly ties them together with the more mundane ones. No matter that they’re werewolves, Luna and Harlan stand by with the other patients and loved ones affected by the environmental disaster.

Then, “Two Bitten, Two Born” reaches a dramatic fever-pitch when it leaves over-stuffed dialogue behind to sharpen its delivery of werewolf lore through the Alpha’s focus on Connor — the weakest link, the Omega.

The decision to deny any confirmation that Connor is dead sets him up as a pivotal character in the converging plots. His disappearance will likely make him a prime suspect in the arson case from Kristin Ramsey’s perspective. Furthermore, it allows the Alpha to make a scene of its power and raise the stakes. 

Wolf Pack could see its puzzle pieces lock into place in a more casual way that complements its slower pacing once the teen wolves return to a bit of normalcy (and distraction) with high school. But one thing is inevitable on a supernatural teen drama — high school is yet another beast.

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