Despite a promising opening that hints at a greater range of potential, Wolf Pack -- the new Paramount+ series debuting Jan. 26 -- lacks any real bite. While never necessarily bad, Wolf Pack can't escape the shadow of predecessors in the genre and instead feels like a mediocre attempt at taking a swing at the "supernatural/teen drama" throne. While there are signs of potential, there's nothing particularly impressive worth pointing out about the series quite yet.

While a wildfire spreads through a local town, anxiety-riddled Everett Lang (Armani Jackson) and surly Blake Navarro (Bella Shepard) are caught in the chaos of an evacuation when panicked animals overrun them. In the chaos, both Everett and Blake are bitten by a mysterious creature. As the two realize their bodies are changing Spider-Man-style, they unknowingly share a newfound connection to two of their high school peers -- siblings Luna (Chloe Rose Robertson) and Harlan (Tyler Lawrence Gray), who've quietly been keeping their status as werewolves hidden from the greater world.

As some mysterious force hunts down Everett and Blake -- setting up a meeting between the two duos -- other threads play out across the course of the pilot. This notably includes the search for Luna and Harlan's adopted father, Garrett (Rodrigo Santoro), as well as the introduction of Kristin Ramsey (Sarah Michelle Gellar), an officer investigating the fire as a possible arson. Wolf Pack follows in the footsteps of a lot of different shows, ranging from similar fare by the same network (like Teen Wolf) to contemporary attempts to revitalize the supernatural soap opera (like AMC's Interview with a Vampire series). The deepest shadow is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, an unavoidable comparison due to the presence of Gellar within the show's cast and as one of the show's Executive Producers.

It's familiar territory for genre fans, meaning the show will live or die on the merits of the characters it throws into supernaturally-themed teen drama. The problem is that the cast doesn't quite sell themselves within the show's opening episode -- leaving the entire affair a little shaggier than it could be. Jackson and Shepard have fairly stock starting points but hint at a fun dynamic that could grow over time. By contrast, Robertson and Gray are fairly wooden, which stems from the general lack of unique character in their roles. Robertson, in particular, suffers from this in the pilot -- Harlan at least gets to set himself as the show's eye candy, but Luna has little to do but offer exposition.

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Wolf Pack character in hospital bed

The older cast is likewise stifled, with Gellar's character oddly sidelined and unable to properly interact with the younger cast outside a one-note confrontational hunt. Gellar is solid enough in the role, but the part feels needlessly pushed to the side. There are flashes of potential in Wolf Pack, a modern inheritor to Buffy that -- thanks to the less restrictive rules of streaming versus cable -- could really hit at some sudden bursts of scares or sexuality. The pilot's chaotic stampede, in particular, features some real flashes of violence while finding some particularly strong imagery. Jackson and Shephard try to bring some life to Everett and Blake, but none of the central cast of characters ever feels particularly sympathetic or likable, and none of them are campy or entertaining enough to inspire curiosity.

Wolf Pack lacks a lot of the go-for-broke earnestness or energy that successful takes on this genre often rely on, and it's a shame. Perhaps if the pack gets a longer stay on Paramount+, they'll find their footing -- something even the now iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer needed following a somewhat rocky first season. As the series stands now, there's a lot more development that needs to go into making Wolf Pack anything truly special.

Wolf Pack premieres Jan. 26 on Paramount+.