Episode Trivia
Anderson
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In 2.05 Reptile Boy, both Richard (one of the college guys) and Callie (the kidnapped girl) have the last name Anderson. The name was also used in 1.06 The Pack: the family whose car was attacked by hyena-people were named Anderson.
Andersons
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The Andersons were a couple who, along with their son Joe, were attacked by the hyena-people in their car in 1.06 The Pack. Buffy saved them.
Angel the puppy
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Angel is referred to as a ‘puppy’ on a couple of occasions:
- In 3.09 The Wish, vampire Willow keeps Angel locked in a cage as her plaything, and refers to him as “Puppy”.
- In 4.03 The Harsh Light Of Day, when Parker asks Buffy about the scars on her neck, she replies that they they were caused by an “angry puppy”. They were actually from when Angel bit her in Graduation Day, Part Two.
Puppies are a recurring theme in Buffy and Angel:
- In 2.16 Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered, Giles tells Buffy that one Valentine’s Day, Angel nailed a puppy to something (we don’t find out as Buffy stops him before he can finish).
- In 4.15 Orpheus, we see that Angel saved a puppy from being killed in early 1920s Chicago.
- In Enemies, Faith says that as a child she suffered because her mother didn’t let her have a dog before she kisses Angel.
- In 1.06 The Pack Willow regrets that Xander is not possessed by a puppy instead of a hyena
- In 7.02 Beneath You the puppy’s death is the only thing that seems to move Anya (and also Spike later on).
Angel’s jacket
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The first true hint of a chemistry between Buffy and Angel developed as he gave her his leather jacket in 1.04 Teacher’s Pet - much to Xander’s annoyance. Buffy wore the jacket in several subsequent episodes (such as 1.06 The Pack), even as late as the third season (3.04 Beauty And The Beasts).
Animal instincts
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Xander discovered he had a better sense of smell after being a hyena in 1.06 The Pack, when he tried to sniff out a werewolf in 2.15 Phases.
Barbara Whinnery
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Barbara played Mrs. Anderson (the lady whose family car was terrorised by the hyena-people) in 1.06 The Pack. She played Dr. Cathy Martin in St. Elsewhere, and has been in ER, Brimstone, Matlock, and Diagnosis Murder.
Brian Gross
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Brian Gross played the bully Tor in 1.06 The Pack. He has also been in Las Vegas, Cold Case, Seth, Bones (with David Boreanaz), Big Momma’s House 2, Joey, 2001 Maniacs, CSI: Miami, The Parkers, Walker, Texas Ranger, Saving Graces, Baywatch and Tiger Heart.
Dashboard Prophets
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The band Dashboard Prophets can be heard in the Bronze in 1.02 The Harvest. We hear their tracks “Ballad For Dead Friends” (as the vampires approach the Bronze) and “Wearing Me Down” (Cordelia says she loves the song). Both songs are from their album Burning Out The Inside.
We also hear “All You Want” (from the same album) in 1.06 The Pack in the Bronze, near the beginning of the episode.
David Brisbin
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David Brisbin played Mr Anderson in 1.06 The Pack. David also appeared in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Forrest Gump (as ‘newscaster’) and Leaving Las Vegas (as Nicholas Cage’s landlord).
Dr. Wierick
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Dr. Wierick was the zookeeper at Sunnydale Zoo. He pretended to help Giles in 1.06 The Pack after some students become possessed by hyenas at the zoo. Instead he planned to gain the power from the students and use it for himself. His plan backfired when he fell into the hyena cage and was killed.
Eion Bailey
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Eion played Kyle (the Hyena-peoples’ ringleader) in 1.06 The Pack. He also played Campbell Chasin in Significant Others, which also starred Jennifer Garner from Alias. He played David Kenyon Webster in Band of Brothers, and Billy Konrad in Dawson’s Creek. Eion has also been in Fight Club, Sexual Life, Mindhunters and Almost Famous. He appeared in the HBO feature film And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself, alongside Anthony Stewart Head (Giles) and Alexa Davlos (who played Gwen in Angel).
Far
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In 1.06 The Pack, we hear Far’s ‘Job’s Eyes’ from the album Tin Can With Strings To You as the hyena gang do their slow-motion walk.
Foreshadowy goodness
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Willow watched over Xander while he was in the library cage as a hyena in 1.06 The Pack. This was a practice run as she did the same sort of thing on the nights that Oz turns into a werewolf.
Gregory White
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Gregory White, who played the sports coach in 1.06 The Pack, has also been in Rumor Has It, L.A. Confidential, A Very Brady Sequel, The West Wing, The Drew Carey Show, Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Becker, Suddenly Susan, Beverly Hills, 90210, Ellen, Diagnosis Murder, Home Improvement, Matlock, The Golden Girls and Married… with Children.
Heidi
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Heidi was the blonde student who became possessed by the spirit of hyenas in 1.06 The Pack. The group ate Principal Flutie and Herbert, the school mascot.
Hyena possession
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In the episode 1.06 The Pack, a group of Sunnydale High students (Xander, Kyle, Tor, Rhonda and Heidi) accidentally became possessed by hyenas whilst on a school trip to the zoo. They steadily began to act more like predatory hyenas, culminating with the group, minus Xander, eating Principal Flutie alive. Giles says of the possession, “Apparently there’s a sect of animal worshippers known as primals. They believe that humanity, consciousness, the soul, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. To them the animal state is holy. They’re able, through trans-possession, to draw the spirits of certain animals into themselves.” Primals are completely fictional.
Is that Amy Acker?
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A few people have written to me saying that when Xander walks into the Bronze to meet Buffy and Willow in 1.06 The Pack, he stares at a girl who looks just like Amy Acker (who played Fred in Angel). On closer inspection, it’s definitely not Amy.
James Stephens
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James played Dr. Wierick, the zookeeper in 1.06 The Pack. James has also been in Father Dowling Mysteries, Diagnosis Murder, Moonlighting, Murder, She Wrote and M*A*S*H.
Jeff Maynard
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Jeff played Lance, the boy bullied by Kyle’s gang in 1.06 The Pack. Jeff has also been in Illusion, Diagnosis Murder, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.
Jeffrey Steven Smith
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Jeffrey Steven Smith appeared in 1.02 The Harvest (in Cordelia’s computer class) and 1.06 The Pack (asking Xander about the lead guitarist of a band). In 1.02 The Harvest, Jeffrey he had a very distinct So-Cal accent but the accent was gone when he appeared in 1.06 The Pack, so he was obviously playing a different character.
Jennifer Sky
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Jennifer playing hyena-possessed Heidi in 1.06 The Pack. Jennifer starred in her own show, Cleopatra 2525 - the tale of a cryogenically frozen exotic dancer battling robots in the 26th century. She has also been in Xena: Warrior Princess (as Amarice) and played Sarah Webber in General Hospital.
Joe Reinkemeyer
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Joe was a Buffy writer who wrote with Matt Kiene. They have both written for Andromeda, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Space: Above and Beyond and Law & Order. Matt and Joe also wrote 1.06 The Pack and 2.04 Inca Mummy Girl together.
Jungle welcome
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The following line of Xander’s was cut from the episode 1.06 The Pack: “Welcome to the jungle”.
Justin Jon Ross
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Justin played the young Joe Anderson in 1.06 The Pack, who family’s car was attacked by the hyena-people. He was the voice of Phil the Scout in Recess and has been in Zigs, Little Giants, Ellen, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Men Behaving Badly.
Ken Lerner
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Ken Lerner played Principal Flutie in season one. Ken studied acting in New York, and appeared in a few Broadway shows before moving to Los Angeles. He was cast in Happy Days, where he played several roles, including tough guy Frankie Bing Bong, Demolition Derby driver Rocko Malacchi, and Fonzie’s best friend, Rocko Baruffi. Ken has worked on screen for the last 25 years. He has appeared in more than 50 television shows, including NYPD Blue, Chicago Hope, ER, Judging Amy, The Drew Carey Show, Dharma and Greg, Beverly Hills 90210, LA Law, Family Ties and Hill Street Blues. Ken’s films include Unlawful Entry, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Story of Us and Irreconcilable Differences. Ken has also starred in U.S. commercials for Snickers, Federal Express, McDonalds, Toyota and Delta Airlines. Ken has been teaching acting classes for the past twelve years and has helped numerous actors get acting jobs. His past and present students include Sheena Easton and Famke Janssen.
Kyle
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Kyle was the leader of the gang of students who became possessed by the spirit of hyenas in 1.06 The Pack. They ate Principal Flutie and Herbert the school mascot.
Lance
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Lance was a student who was bullied by Tor and his gang before and after they became possessed by hyenas in 1.06 The Pack.
Madonna
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Buffy’s line in 1.06 The Pack “shiny and new” is a quote from Madonna’s song ‘Like a Virgin’.
“You know, you’re right! Suddenly the animals look shiny and new”
Malleus Maleficarum
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Giles mentions the book Malleus Maleficarum in 1.06 The Pack, saying it deals with demonic possession. The book is real. It was written by Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger, in the late 15th century and acted as a kind of manual for witch hunters. It contained information on how to recognise witches, and the ways ’suspected’ witches should be tortured and put to death.
Matt Kiene
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Matt was a Buffy writer who wrote with Joe Reinkemeyer. They have both written for Andromeda, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Space: Above and Beyond and Law & Order. Matt and Joe also wrote 1.06 The Pack and 2.04 Inca Mummy Girl together.
Michael McCraine
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Michael McCraine played the hyena-possessed Rhonda in 1.06 The Pack. Michael has also been in Luster and Nebraska. Her partner is Stephen Gaghan (who wrote the screenplay for The Alamo which starred Marc Blucas).
Mr. Gordo
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Buffy owns a cuddly toy pig called Mr. Gordo. He was first seen in the episode 2.09 What’s My Line? (Part One):
Buffy: “Just dropping by for some quality time with Mr. Gordo?”
Angel: (confused) “Excuse me?”
Buffy: “The pig.”
The pig was mentioned by Willow in 4.07 The Initiative:
“She has a stuffed piggy named Mr. Gordo, loves Ice Capades without the irony and she’s dragging me to this party tonight at Lowell House.”
Sunday and her gang of vampires stole Buffy’s belongings in 4.01 The Freshman and she saw them throwing Mr. Gordo around:
“I don’t see my weapons trunk down there. It was right by my bed. Mr. Gordo? (to Xander: cold, hard) Go to my room. If it’s not there, try Willow’s.”
Gordo means “fat” in Spanish.
Buffy seems to have a thing with pigs, as she manages to capture the school’s mascot - a piglet - in 1.06 The Pack.
No pants Nicky
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Sarah Michelle Gellar told Jay Leno an on-set story when she appeared on his chat show. She was going to pull down Nicholas Brendan’s pants one day, as he was acting dumbly. At the last moment, she chickened out, so Alyson Hannigan said she’d do it instead. She got a little “overzealous” as Sarah put it and pulled down his underwear as well.
From the way Sarah described, it seems this incident happened during the filming of the dodgeball scene in 1.06 The Pack in front of lots of extras.
Nobody messes with…
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In 6.02 Bargaining (Part Two), Tara says of Willow:
“Nobody messes with my girl”.
This could be a reference to season two’s 2.10 What’s My Line? (Part Two), in which Buffy says of Angel:
“Spike is going down. You can attack me, you can send assassins after me, that’s fine. But nobody messes with my boyfriend.”
Additionally, Xander says in 1.06 The Pack:
“Hey! Nobody messes with my Willow.”
Principal Bob Flutie
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Bob Flutie was the Principal of Sunnydale High who allowed Buffy to join the school despite her “colourful” record. A kind-hearted but nervous man, Flutie was obsessed with ensuring his students received counselling whenever something unusual happened in the school. He was tragically eaten alive by a group of students who had been possessed by the spirit of hyenas.
Razorbacks
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Sunnydale High’s sports teams were called the Razorbacks (first seen in 1.03 The Witch). They got a short lived piglet mascot called Herbert in 1.06 The Pack, but he was eaten by the hyena-people, including Xander.
In 7.09 Never Leave Me, you can see that Dawn has a Sunnydale Razorbacks flag on her wall. The team are seen again in the episode 7.06 Him.
Remember when…
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In 2.15 Phases, Xander brings up the time he spent possessed by a hyena in 1.06 The Pack, but when the girls remind him that he said he didn’t remember anything about his possession, he shuts up pretty quickly.
Rhonda
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Rhonda was the dark haired student who became possessed by the spirit of hyenas in 1.06 The Pack. The group ate Principal Flutie and Herbert, the school mascot.
Shot again
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If you look closely at the shot from outside the school early on in the episode (and use your zoom button on your DVD player!) you can see that the shot was actually taken from 1.04 Teacher’s Pet. Willow can be seen sitting on a bench wearing a red t. shirt and checked trousers, the same clothes she wore in the scene when the gang first see Natalie French in that episode. The same shot can also be seen in 1.10 Nightmares.
Sprung Monkey
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The first ever band to play at the Bronze was Sprung Monkey in 1.01 Welcome To The Hellmouth. They play “Things Are Changing” from their album Swirl as Buffy leaves the Bronze looking for Willow, and “Believe”, from the same album, as Buffy enters the Bronze for the first time. They also play “Swirl” in the Bronze. We hear their song “Saturated” (from the album Swirl) as Buffy is choosing an outfit.
Their song “Right My Wrong” (again from Swirl) can be heard in 1.02 The Harvest as Buffy attempts to leave the school, and “Reluctant Man” (Swirl) can be heard in 1.06 The Pack when the bullies enter The Bronze.
The Wizard of Oz
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The movie The Wizard of Oz, made in 1939, in mentioned several times in Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
- Buffy refers to the hyena-possessed bullies in 1.06 The Pack as the “winged monkeys”. The phrase comes from the scene in The Wizard of Oz in which the Wicked Witch of the West sends her loyal winged monkeys to collect Dorothy and the ruby slippers.
- In 6.04 Flooded, Andrew says he trained flying demon monkeys to disrupt the school play.
- In 1.10 Nightmares, Billy Palmer awakens from his coma and, seeing the Scoobies around his bed, says, “I had the strangest dream. And you were in it, and you”. This is a reference to when Dorothy wakes in her bed and sees her friends around her.
- In 2.10 What’s My Line? (Part Two), Xander says, “Welcome my little pretties”. In The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West called Dorothy her “pretty”.
- Dorothy kills the Wicked Witch of the West by throwing water on her. The following dialog is from 1.17 Eternity:
- In 4.20 The Yoko Factor, Willow says, “If ever a whiz there was.” This is a line from the song in the film ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ / ‘We’re Off To See the Wizard’.
- The episode 5.05 No Place Like Home takes it’s name from Dorothy clicking her heels together and repeating the phrase, “There’s no place like home” in order to get back to her Kansas home.
- A similar reference to this phrase is in the Angel episode 2.22 There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb. In that episode, Lorne also sings the song ‘Over the Rainbow’.
- In 6.22 Grave, Willow says, “Fly my pretty…fly!” when she sends her ball of fire to find Andrew and Jonathan. This is what the wicked witch says to her flying monkeys when she sends them off.
- In 7.19 Empty Places, Rona says, “Ding, dong, the witch is dead.” This is from a song in The Wizard of Oz.
- A similar reference to this phrase is in the Angel episode 4.13 Salvage. Lorne says, “Well, ding-dong, the Beast is dead!”
- The title of the Angel episode 2.20 Over The Rainbow is another reference to The Wizard of Oz, in which the land of Oz is said to be ‘over the rainbow’. In that episode, Cordelia clicks her heels three times (as Dorothy does in the film) and says, “Worth a shot.”
- In 4.15 Orpheus, Cordelia says, “You want to go, Glinda?” This is a reference to Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
- In 5.02 Just Rewards, Angel says, “To see the wizard”, is a reference to The Wizard of Oz song called “We’re Off to See the Wizard”.
- In 5.21 Power Play, Lorne says, “And what if he’s skipped too far down that evil brick road?” This is a reference to the yellow brick road which Dorothy and the others follow to Oz.
(Cordy pulls off the top of a water container.)
Cordy: “Back off!”
Angel: “What are you going to do? Melt me?”
Cordy: “One more step and you’ll find out. You think this is just water?”
The X Files
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The X Files was an influential TV show (1993-2002) following two FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate the unexplained. It has been mentioned in the Buffyverse on several occasions:
- In 1.06 The Pack, Buffy accuses Giles of trying to “Scully” her (Scully was sceptical about Mulder’s supernatural beliefs).
- In 4.02 Living Conditions, Buffy says about Kathy, “You’re right. Ooh! She’s even affecting my work, now. She’s the Titanic. She’s a crawling black cancer… She’s… other really bad things.” The “crawling black cancer” line is likely a reference to The X-Files. In the show, it’s an alien liquid organism which looks like oil. When someone is first infected by the black substance, it crawls up the body like bugs under the skin.
- In 6.05 Life Serial, the trio of nerds test Buffy using different methods, one of which being a time loop. Warren mentions a similar plot in an X Files episode “where the bank kept exploding”. The episode was called ‘Monday’ and was during season six of the show.
- In 6.11 Gone, Buffy says, “Xander and Anya are working on it. Mulder-ing out what happened.”
- The events of the episode 6.16 Hell’s Bells are similar to The X Files episode ‘Synchrony’, in which an elderly man travels back in time to try and stop his younger self (and others) from committing an act which will affect his future self. Perhaps Stewart Burns got his inspiration for his revenge on Anya from that episode? In addition, the actor who played the elderly man in ‘Synchrony’ was Michael Fairman, who also played Adelai Niska in Joss Whedon’s show Firefly.
- In the Angel episode 3.02 That Vision Thing, writer Jeffery Bell included a reference to a creature he created for The X Files episode “Alpha” called a Wanshang Dhole. Wesley says, “I think we might be looking either at a Wan Shan Dhole or a Cantonese Fook-beast”.
- In 1.19 Sanctuary, the following conversation takes place:
Kendrick: “Come on Kate. Everyone knows you’ve gone all Scully. Anytime one of these weird cases crosses anyone’s desk, you’re always there. We used to be friends - what’s going on with you?”
Kate: “Scully’s the sceptic”.
Kendrick: “Huh?”
Kate: “Mulder’s the believer, Scully’s the sceptic.”
Kendrick scratches his head: “…Scully’s the chick, right?” - The X Files returned the favour in it’s season nine episode ‘Daemonicus’ by referencing Buffy with the following dialogue:
Scully: “For the past eight years I was part of a unit known as the X-Files. Some of you may have heard of it.”
Cadet: “Ever slay a vampire?”
Scully: “Sorry to disappoint you, but this is a course in forensic pathology. Hard science. An X-File is a case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Bureau, because such a case cannot be solved it may beg other explanations… a vampire, perhaps.” - Buffy was referenced in the video game The X Files: Resist or Serve in the following conversation between Mulder and Scully:
Dana Scully: “Just because these girls have a high school fascination with witchcraft it doesn’t mean they’re raising the dead”.
Fox Mulder: “Saw them do it on Buffy“.
Tor
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Tor was one of the students who became possessed by the spirit of hyenas in 1.06 The Pack. The group ate Principal Flutie and Herbert the piglet, the school mascot.
Yanni
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In 1.06 The Pack, Buffy says of hyena-possessed Xander, “it’s safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn’t involve a Yanni CD and a bottle of Chianti.” She’s referring to the Greek keyboard player and composer Yanni, whose speciality is new age music.
Zoo
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The Scoobies go on a school trip to the zoo in 1.06 The Pack. All the zoo scenes in that episode were filmed at the Santa Ana Zoo in California. All the signs are in the same font as that in Jurassic Park. The zoo is seen again in 5.08 Shadow, when Glory raises Sobek in the reptile house.
[Goof] Different hair
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When Buffy fights the Zookeeper at the end of 1.06 The Pack, her stunt double’s hair is noticably different to Buffy’s own.
[Goof] Hyena or dog?
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Some of the video clips of hyenas that Willow watches on her computer monitor in 1.06 The Pack are actually of African wild dogs.