Wolfpack of Reseda Review
According to popular legend, a father from a clan of Eastern European gypsies that settled near the modern California enclave of Reseda cast a spell on a Spanish missionary who had fallen in love with his daughter. Using black magic to call upon the “spirit of the wolf,” a pack of wild beasts were sent to strike against the unsuspecting missionary. Although he survived the assault, he was bitten nonetheless and quickly began to develop the traits of his attacker. Rather than succumb to the inevitable, the missionary took his own life but the earth under which he was subsequently buried became drenched with his infected blood. Anyone who might accidently stumble upon that ground in the present will themselves suffer the same fate as the bygone missionary.
The above fable does not appear in any history of the San Fernando Valley but is instead posted on the MySpace page for the webseries Wolfpack of Reseda. While the fictional myth may seem like the basis for a contemporary update of Werewolf of London, Wolfpack of Reseda is in actuality a dark comedy with elements of the Michael J. Fox flick Teen Wolf and the NBC comedy The Office intertwined in its narrative. Like the employees of Dunder Mifflin, Ben March (Tate Ellington) labors away at an unfulfilling job. Instead of paper, Ben sales auto insurance. Instead of meaningless conference room meetings led by the inept Michael Scott, Ben is forced to listen as the company’s top salesman recites equally nonsensical motivational speeches.
“Inside everyone one of you is a wild animal,” the aforementioned Vance (Brian Smith) tells his colleagues in the opening episode of Wolfpack of Reseda. “A bad ass, alpha dog, master of the universe waiting to be unleashed on the world. The time has come to tap into that primal animal power and sell the crap out of some car insurance.” Ben March listens in a state of numb disbelief but embraces the philosophy a little too literally when he is bitten by a werewolf by the end of the installment.
Or was he? Ben’s animal control roommate Rudy (Alex Berg) certainly believes so as the potential victim suddenly sprouts exaggerated sideburns, begins eating raw bacon, stays out all night and continually experiences blackouts. Fellow employee and potential romantic interest Sophie (Deanna Russo), however, has the opposite viewpoint. “We can all smell Isabella because she douses herself in that stuff,” she replies when Ben mentions someone’s perfume as proof of his heightened sense of smell. “Everyone can hear what Rod is whispering right now because Rod is a loud whisperer,” she later remarks in regards to Ben’s newfound keen sense of hearing.
Cubicle mates Stu (Justin Giddings) and Norris (Brandon Johnson), meanwhile, not only believe Ben March’s assertion of physical transformation but demand that they be turned into werewolves as well. Unable to break through their skin with his teeth, Ben resorts to cutting Stu and Norris with a knife and spitting into the resulting wounds. The effort proves futile, however, as Stu and Norris remain human, once again raising the question of whether Ben is actually a werewolf or if the supernatural contagion only works on a select group of individuals.
As for Ben March, the auto insurance salesman is torn. After all, there are no such things as werewolves. But as his confidence rises, self-determination increases and personal dreams become reality, Ben becomes obsessed with the possibility nonetheless. Not only does he transform into a Dwight Schrute-like salesman—“He will rip their lungs out and set their car on fire,” Ben tells a potential client about a key member of the auto insurance company who is responsible for dealing with claims—but he even outmaneuvers the arrogant-yet-dimwitted Vance in their rivalry for the affections of Sophie. “It’s the way of the future,” Vance tells Sophie while the two are out on a dinner date. “It’s all social networking.” When Ben arrives to interrupt the proceedings, he counters with, “Thanks for checking in, buddy.”
Wolfpack of Reseda is the initial webseries production of FOX Digital Entertainment and the finished product has the polished feel that one would expect from a professionally produced endeavor. Although no major “stars” appear in Wolfpack of Reseda, the webseries is populated with a bevy of experienced television actors whose credits range from Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 and The Big Bang Theory, to Gossip Girl and Terriers. Much like the trailblazing Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Wolfpack of Reseda also melds a number of different genres as both the writing and directing integrates horror, humor and mystery into an effective, entertaining and highly engaging original narrative.
Wolfpack of Reseda is also skilled at creating various subplots throughout its eight episodes and having them converge and connect by the end of the season. Adding to the theory that Ben March is indeed a werewolf, for instance, is the disappearance of numerous joggers within the community of Reseda. Throw in Rudy’s efforts to rescue his roommate from his supernatural bonds, Ben’s romantic overtures towards Sophie and even the growing rivalry between Ben and Vance, and not only does Wolfpack of Reseda contain a proper amount of comic fodder but a resolution that neatly ties those disparate storylines together by the final installment.
“I want to be my own boss,” Ben March tells his fellow colleagues at Valley Shield Auto Insurance. “Why are we not following our real dreams, people? Come on, let’s ditch this soul suck of a job!” Regardless of whether he was actually bitten by a werewolf or not, Ben has discovered a newfound confidence and determination that continually escapes not only his fellow employees but those of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company as well. Suffice it to say that Dwight Schrute himself is no doubt envious, not only of Ben March but the fact that a webseries like Wolfpack of Reseda can be just as humorous as an actual television show.
Anthony Letizia (April 16, 2012)
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