Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 6 Review: After Party
Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 6, “After Party,” establishes the multiverse of teen wolves through a worthwhile twist and a misdirect that will make Teen Wolf fans howl.
Despite the rate at which the plot unfolds, a few noteworthy character beats allow the slow burn that is this Paramount+ show to simmer effectively.
The plot-driven progression works because the theory of the werewolf being contemporary to the pack starts to crystalize on Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 5, “Incendiary.” “After Party” begins to examine it from a character-driven perspective.
Baron being the werewolf is less than jaw-dropping because his identity doesn’t come at the cost of cheaply outsmarting the viewer’s experience.
Instead, the twist rewards the viewer who catches the details, like Baron’s apparition-like appearance at the pool party coming after Everett and Harlan theorize that a werewolf could turn back into a wolf — let alone a human.
The most exciting part of the reveal (so far) is how Baron’s inability to remember his name folds back into Wolf Pack‘s building of werewolf mythology while finding emotional resonance in Garrett’s relationships with Luna and Harlan.
In turn, that development reframes the werewolf with a more sympathetic lens because Baron’s just a kid (like the rest of the pack) who has forgotten his humanity.
That final scene sees Harlan and Luna reel from the possibility of having a brother, but the real stinger is Garrett breaking through to Harlan’s humanity.
That whole sequence is the first time Wolf Pack allows Harlan to be vulnerable around Garrett, and Rodrigo Santoro and Tyler Lawrence Gray play through it so well. They tap into something really genuine when Harlan apologizes to Garrett.
Harlan’s violent outburst stems from a place of betrayal by Garrett and fear for Cyrus. Those feelings land authentically because of the prolonged tension between Harlan and Garrett and the work “After Party” does to develop Cyrus and Harlan’s connection.
Their stolen kisses in the woods are reason enough to board this ship. However, Harlan desperately trying to hear Cyrus’ heart to confirm that his own heart isn’t wrong to trust Cyrus before he risks everything to protect Cyrus is even better.
Gray and Zack Nelson’s chemistry keeps improving with every episode. Harlan and Cyrus have come a long way from Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 3, “Origin Point.”
“After Party” works for Cyrus and Harlan but falls flatter with Blake and Everett.
Everett saying that he doesn’t need a phone to find Blake is sweet and exactly what she needs to hear, but Blake and Everett play as two people drawn to each other because of their shared experiences from their supernatural connection.
It’ll be interesting to see how — or if — they come together once everything settles.
This episode’s more compelling angle for Blake is its follow-up on one of Wolf Pack‘s earliest narrative threads. Finally, Blake and Phoebe are in the same location long enough to actually speak to one another.
It’s the first time Blake’s hatred of phones has any grounded reason and the only time the former friends’ rift gains depth.
The potential for more from the duo collides with a frustrating blow when the werewolf seemingly kills Phoebe, gratuitously dragging her body in Austin’s eye-line, as if these kids haven’t been through enough.
Before her apparent death, the scenes with Phoebe help Wolf Pack make a case for more opportunities to get to know the characters and build out its world through and beyond the werewolf mythology.
Though he’s a new character, Malcolm is another example because his retelling of the initial wildfire expands the show’s world through a poignant performance from Gideon Emery, who appeared on Teen Wolf as Deucalion.
His introduction confirms the teen wolf multiverse by (once again) distancing the Paramount+ show from the MTV series, and for most of his scenes, Malcolm serves as a viable misdirect from the unknown caller’s identity.
Anyone who knows Teen Wolf well enough to remember Deucalion as soon as Malcolm rounds the corner will maintain their confidence from Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 1, “From a Spark to a Flame,” that Ian Bohen is the anonymous voice.
Withholding that confirmation is clever because it enhances the mythology and the stakes of the generational mystery.
There’s someone within the show’s universe who knows about the complex tragedy caused by the initial wildfire and has no qualms with replicating it to appease some twisted, supernatural motives. If that doesn’t sound like a villain Bohen could play, Wolf Pack must have a much larger trick up its sleeve.
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Shelby Elpers
Shelby is a TV enthusiast and pop culture writer. She's an avid podcast listener, green tea drinker, and soccer fan. Her brand can be summarized in rom-coms, superheroes, teen dramas, and workplace comedies.
One thought on “Wolf Pack Season 1 Episode 6 Review: After Party”
Sarah Michelle Geller had to be the mother wolf tbe minute she stepped onto the screen. She’s back for her cubs and to get revenge on any of the townfolk who were involved 17 years earlier.
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