Well, we were promised the return of old allies this season, and Wolfblood has definitely delivered, with old friend Jana, Rhydian’s mum Ceri and other members of the wild Wolfblood pack back in Stoneybridge and looking for Rhydian’s help. And with an old threat resurfacing and old family members reappearing, will the Wolfblood/human pack find time to go to a Manchester United match?
In “Alpha Material”, Rhydian’s plans to search Canada for Maddy get put aside when he runs into his mother, who’s carrying an injured Jana. With Jana shot and poisoned, it’s down to Rhydian to find a suitable doctor who won’t call the authorities. This episode was billed as testing Rhydian’s leadership skills, but it didn’t do it in a conventional way. It’s not about Rhydian asserting his dominance. It’s more about him accepting the responsibilities that he now has, as a human and as pack leader in the absence of the Smiths, whether that’s spending more time with his foster brothers or accepting Shannon and Tom as fully part of his pack.
While the characters are all desperately missing Maddy (can she ever be found now that she’s in hiding in Canada, of all places?), it’s really nice to get to see more of the other characters. With a focus on Rhydian comes more insight into his home life. The Vaughans tend to get glossed over in Wolfblood, more a convenient place for Rhydian to stay rather than anything else, but this episode gave Mrs Vaughan a bit more to do. The realisation that Rhydian had run away again must have been devastating, so at least this is acknowledged.
“With Friends Like These” is mainly a continuation of the previous episode, with Jana recovering in the Smiths’ empty house with Ceri and Aran to look after her. But when Tom stumbles across Aran and Rhydian as they’re poaching from Liam’s dad, it just means that the pack are back in Liam’s sights. Liam is one of the best threats that Wolfblood could possibly have. Back in the first season, to steal a Harry Potter analogy, Liam seemed to be the physical Crabbe to Jimi’s rich-boy Malfoy, not as witty or intelligent enough to figure out the Wolfblood secret. But through his tenacity, Liam’s already indirectly led to Maddy’s flight, and he’s still determined to find out what’s happening with Jana and Ceri. Blackmailing back and forth has to have its limits, and someone is going to end up losing.
“With Friends Like These” is mainly a continuation of the previous episode, with Jana recovering in the Smiths’ empty house with Ceri and Aran to look after her. But when Tom stumbles across Aran and Rhydian as they’re poaching from Liam’s dad, it just means that the pack are back in Liam’s sights. Liam is one of the best threats that Wolfblood could possibly have. Back in the first season, to steal a Harry Potter analogy, Liam seemed to be the physical Crabbe to Jimi’s rich-boy Malfoy, not as witty or intelligent enough to figure out the Wolfblood secret. But through his tenacity, Liam’s already indirectly led to Maddy’s flight, and he’s still determined to find out what’s happening with Jana and Ceri. Blackmailing back and forth has to have its limits, and someone is going to end up losing.
If the previous episode was all about Rhydian’s leadership, this was the episode to prove Jana’s position as leader of her pack, even if the only person she had to assert dominance over was Aran. The battle Rhydian faces between his wild Wolfblood heritage and the human world he grew up in finds a resolution in Jana, who’s willing to accept the best parts of both worlds and combine them to do the best for her pack. With Meinir back with the pack in Jana’s absence, she’s probably going to have more of a fight on her hands to regain dominance when she finally leaves Stoneybridge.
While there’s always been romance in the air in Wolfblood, like any teen series, it’s mostly been focussed around Rhydian, whether that’s the Three Ks flirting with him, or the love triangle with Maddy and Jana. Season two saw Shannon entering a relationship with school guitarist Harry. They broke up in “Alpha Material”, both accepting that they weren’t right for each other, but in “With Friends Like These”, Shannon and Tom ended up in a fake relationship. The series has been subtly building up the relationship between the pair, the camera lingering on the occasional handhold in times of danger, although slightly more explicit with the comparison to Shakespeare’s feuding lovers Beatrice and Benedick. It’s not a case of pair the spares, but feels like an organic development of their friendship. After all, no-one else has the same experiences as they do, and Tom never really had any chance with Maddy.
While there’s always been romance in the air in Wolfblood, like any teen series, it’s mostly been focussed around Rhydian, whether that’s the Three Ks flirting with him, or the love triangle with Maddy and Jana. Season two saw Shannon entering a relationship with school guitarist Harry. They broke up in “Alpha Material”, both accepting that they weren’t right for each other, but in “With Friends Like These”, Shannon and Tom ended up in a fake relationship. The series has been subtly building up the relationship between the pair, the camera lingering on the occasional handhold in times of danger, although slightly more explicit with the comparison to Shakespeare’s feuding lovers Beatrice and Benedick. It’s not a case of pair the spares, but feels like an organic development of their friendship. After all, no-one else has the same experiences as they do, and Tom never really had any chance with Maddy.
“Wolfblood Is Thicker Than Water” sees Rhydian’s father coming back into his life, and the reveal of why Segolia were so interested in Rhydian in the first place – they were searching for his father. In a way, this just created more questions. We’ve only just found out about Segolia, so what the hell is Cerberus? And who’s creating irregularities in the accounts?
What’s kind of turning out to be the overwhelming theme this season is the looming future. Whether it’s the careers fair or work experience, pretty much every single school scene seems designed to remind the characters and audience that not everything can stay the same forever. While they’re pack while they remain in the village, Rhydian, Shannon and Tom might not be able to stay together in the same way that a wild Wolfblood pack can. And whether it’s Liam or the new threat of Victoria Sweeney, something is going to tear them apart.
What’s kind of turning out to be the overwhelming theme this season is the looming future. Whether it’s the careers fair or work experience, pretty much every single school scene seems designed to remind the characters and audience that not everything can stay the same forever. While they’re pack while they remain in the village, Rhydian, Shannon and Tom might not be able to stay together in the same way that a wild Wolfblood pack can. And whether it’s Liam or the new threat of Victoria Sweeney, something is going to tear them apart.
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