2.1 Leader of the Pack The threat of Shannon and Tom discovering the Wolfbloods’ secret now removed (not that it’s stopped Stoneybridge’s Mulder from continuing her investigations), fresh peril was required for the series two opener. It arrived in the form of wild Alpha Ulric, set on killing Rhydian. Ulric’s introduction, if he goes on to fulfil a traditional ‘big bad’ role (nothing’s a given in Wolfblood), signals an older, more frightening direction for series two. Considering that the worst the gang faced last series was capture and social embarrassment, bringing a trio of fanged, veiny, yellow-eyed hunters through the school gates sends an unmistakeable message. Maddy and Rhydian are growing up, and so is Wolfblood. Sofa cushions at the ready. This episode’s photography plan, and Maddy’s blackmail negotiations (surely the first time a school assembly projector has been instrumental in fending off baddies?) took care of the problem at hand effectively and more rapidly than Daniel and Emma’s slow-moving parental phone call to a higher power would have done. For the wish-fulfilment side of children’s fiction to work, the adults not only have to be largely absent, but less effective strategists than the kids. Wolfblood understands this brilliantly, and so has Maddy, Shannon, Tom and Rhydian saving the day again and again, like a gender-balanced, supernatural Famous Five. The Kays bundling Jimi aside, hitting the ground running with action and menace understandably left little time for comic relief in The Leader of the Pack. The Smiths did some characteristic joshing around early on – Daniel discovering a taste for cow hide thanks to Tom’s well-meaning but ultimately insulting gift – but were more or less shelved after Maddy schooled them in pack loyalty. Once again, the child was the teacher of the adult; an irresistible prospect for Wolfblood’s young audience, and more proof that our Maddy isn’t just a quick-thinking but also a warm-hearted hero. In many ways, Leader of the Pack revisited series one opener, Lone Wolf. In both, Rhydian appears at school unannounced with a question mark over him, turns Maddy’s head, sets the Kays’ eyelashes fluttering, and immediately gets into a fight with poor Jimi. With thirteen episodes behind it having laid down a bed of themes about family and identity though, it feels much richer this time around. The Wolfblood world has expanded, the characters are learning more about themselves, and – if this episode marks the start of a trend – the action and snarling quota has ratcheted up a notch or two. Romance, Wild Wolfbloods, and Danger then, all accounted for in this confident, eventful series opener. Blended with series one’s themes of Secrets, Growing Pains, Friendship, and Wolfblood’s warm sense of humour, and it looks as though CBBC audiences (and ageing interlopers like me) are in for another treat this year. Wolfblood series two continues on Tuesday the 10th of September on CBBC at 5pm. Read our interview with Wolfblood creator Debbie Moon, here. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
