1.6 The Pack

Plot Synopsis (Display)

Highlights

• Giles trying to convince Buffy that Xander is just behaving like a normal teenager, then having to radically change his opinion, and admit that she was right all along.
• When Xander reverts to normal, he immediately rushes to save his Willow. He may not be in love with her, but he cares deeply and shows it.

Firsts

First time anyone gets locked in the library cage.

Pop Culture References

Willow describes mating zebras as being "like the Heimlich with stripes"
The 'Heimlich Maneuver' is a well-known first aid technique for choking, which involves wrapping your arms round the victim from behind and pressing your fist into their upper abdomen with a quick thrust.

When the gang of bullies walks into the Bronze, Buffy refers to them as 'the winged monkeys'.
This is a reference to 'The Wizard of Oz', either the book by L. Frank Baum, or the 1939 film it inspired, starring Judy Garland. The winged monkeys were the pets and servants of the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Shouldn't you be hovering over the football stadium with 'Goodyear' written on you?"
A rather cruel reference to the famous helium-filled advertising balloons which traditionally hover above sports stadia, both in America and in the UK. Basically, as Xander puts it, "the kid's fat".

When Buffy suggests something strange is happening, Giles is initially unconvinced, and an exasperated Buffy retorts "I can't believe you, of all people, are trying to Scully me!"
This alludes to the cult TV series 'The X-Files' in which the sceptical Scully generally tries to propose rational scientific explanations for unexplained phenomena which her partner, Mulder, usually believes to have more supernatural causes.

Rationalising the Impossible

Students possessed by supernatural hyenas actually eat the school Principal, and the official story is that "wild dogs got into his office"??

Nitpicks

• WHY is there a cage in the school library??