If you guys haven’t figured out by now, I am quite literally the #1 fan of Teen Wolf (the one with Dylan O’Brien, not Michael J. Fox). And in my opinion, there just aren’t supernatural shows like that anymore… until now.

Created by the mastermind behind my beloved TW, Paramount+’s Wolf Pack follows a new set of teens dealing with high school woes: parental problems, crushes, anxiety, and ofc, being werewolves.

Light spoilers ahead.

In what I would consider a highlight in my writing career, I got to talk with one of the series’ leads Bella Shepard (she/her) who plays Blake Navarro. And if you’re wondering if she watched MTV’s biggest hit like me, well… let’s just say my age is showing. “I was only 10 years old when it came out, so I didn’t watch it,” she says. “The great thing about streaming shows is that it’s so fun to discover them later! I have always loved stuff with some kind of lore, so this fits in great with shows that I find to be exciting. When I auditioned for Wolf Pack, I didn’t even realize that Jeff Davis [creator of Teen Wolf] was behind it. But when I put two and two together, I was really excited.”

As my devotion makes clear, TW fans can be intense, and Bella definitely felt that pressure at first. “I was nervous when we went to Comic Con because I wasn’t sure if the Teen Wolf fandom would accept us,” she remembers. “After we were announced and took our seats, they showed the fans our teaser trailer. Everyone cheered and while we were explaining our characters someone in the crowd yelled, ‘The Teen Wolf family accepts you!’ and they all applauded. I don’t think they know how much that actually meant to all of us. It was our first Comic Con, presenting after a beloved series, to several hundred hardcore fans of Jeff Davis and Teen Wolf, so it was a surreal moment to have that validation from them.”

And after having the honor of getting a sneak peek of the first 2 episodes of Wolf Pack, I can agree that the Teen Wolf fam is damn proud of this new lore-filled legacy. Because behind the blood, fangs, and claws are raw and real emotions as well. The series explores anxiety, self-image, depression, isolation—a lot of themes that teens deal with. So I had to ask: Can Bella relate to Blake on this? “I definitely relate to Blake. She’s experiencing some difficult situations in her home life because of her parents’ broken marriage, and she has the pressure of trying to fill in for her mother as she takes care of her autistic little brother. She feels so disconnected from her peers because they can’t understand her, so she isolates. Under stress, I have done that as well, so I understand how she feels,” she says. “The problem is that you think you’re protecting yourself, but being alone long term isn’t the solution.”

Shepard brings up another thing that kept me intrigued aside from the mystery: watching disability representation done so authentically. As someone who has an autistic nephew myself, it was just really cool to see on-screen. And Shepard agrees, showing a whole lotta love to her TV bro. “I find it to be very refreshing to see autism being represented, especially when my brother’s character, Danny, is such an integral part of the story. The actor who plays him, Nevada, is talented, bright, open, and we had great chemistry together. I loved filming with him.”

Before I start crying even more, I also have to reveal one last spoiler (unless you’ve already binged the beginning of the series today); thee Sarah Michelle Gellar is back and better than ever. As it turns out, Buffy has always been a huge inspo for Jeff, so getting Gellar to return to her supernatural roots was a huge win for, well, everyone. But is she everything I, and the rest of her stans, ever dreamed of and more? Bella says she totally is. “We were all a little nervous to meet her, but she’s been so important on set. She paved the path for us, and now we have her to guide us, give us advice, and help speak for us. From day one, she told us she was on our side. Creatively, it’s been a privilege to learn from her. She’s a pro, and I truly value her in every way. How could we have been any luckier, ya know?”

With that being said, I gotta go rewatch the first episode.

Howl you later 🐺,
Chloe Trout, associate editor