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The Amazon Prime Video series Wolf Like Me is an entertaining look into how relationships can be complicated by a person's emotional baggage and character flaws.
Plot of Wolf Like Me
The plot of this unique series revolves around a father dealing with the loss of his wife while trying his best to raise his daughter well. The other piece of the plot puzzle is the unusual woman the father meets by sheer coincidence and the events that transpire after their meeting.
The literal wolf in this series is a metaphor for problems such as anger, alcoholism, narcissism, ego issues, and so on. This is comparable to the personification of aspects of the human personality as shown in Life of Pi.
The fact that the wolf is actually shown only once in 6 complete episodes is a testament to the fact that the Wolf is a metaphor for personal issues that plague relationships.
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Cast of Wolf Like Me
Isla Fischer is a great choice for the role of a Werewolf as she has that raw quality to her that plays out well on-screen. Her hair and makeup are done in such a way that it constantly reminds you of an unkempt wild dog, even though it looks clean on the surface.
Then there's Josh Gad, whose incredible range you get to see in this series. From Frozen's adorable Olaf to the jerk he played in the movie Little Monsters can play anything with relative ease. Incidentally, Abe Forsythe, who directed Little Monsters has directed this series as well.
Emma Lung and the child star Ariel Donoghue are cast perfectly as well, playing the role of Josh Gad's sister-in-law and daughter respectively.
Production
The same production companies that created Severance were involved in the creation of Wolf Like Me as well. These interesting enterprises are named Endeavor Content and Made Up Stories. The fact that they've chosen Australia as their shooting location is a refreshing change as you get to see a landscape other than the US or Canada in a series.
The special effects in this series are nothing to write home about, but the acting and cinematography make up for it. Although the actual wolf could have been less cheesy and more realistic once it's finally shown on-screen.
Season 1 of Wolf Like Me
Mary, Gary, Emma, Sarah, and Ray played by Isla Fischer, Josh Gad, Ariel Donoghue, Emma Lung, and Anthony Taufa have their lives intertwined when Mary saves Gary and Emma from a car crash.
Gary begins to fall in love with Mary while Ariel begins to like her as well. But Gary seems to be bothered by something that Mary seems to be hiding. He ends up finding that Mary is actually a Werewolf that transforms once every full moon night.
The finale of this season shows Mary, Gary, and Emma going on a camping trip where Mary saves both of them again in a terrifying manner.
Season 2
Wolf Like Me's second season builds on the premise of the love story between Mary and Gary while maintaining the Werewolf aspect as a functional plot element.
The second season is more gentle and human, with a great series of songs as the soundtrack. You see the love and trust between Mary and Gary blossom into something that is beautiful, with Emma forming an unbreakable bond with her Werewolf stepmother as well.
As Mary gets pregnant with Gary's child, she is faced with new fears and challenges about the mother she will become. What if the world discovers her Werewolf existence, what if she eats her baby right after its birth? Mary spirals into panic and fear with Gary and Emma by her side all the way.
There's also a new character that waltzes into Mary's life having a shared experience with her and offering much-needed advice.
Gary's sister Sarah gets embroiled in the challenges faced by the Werewolf trinity of Gary, Mary, and Emma. There are jump scares in this season that are funny and original.
Despite the plot elements of this series, the second season is even better and more soothing than the first. Although the finale of this season will need some questions answered about the plight of the family.
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Should You Watch Wolf Like Me? Hell Yes!
This is a brief series that you can watch one episode at a time throughout the week, or binge it on an idle Sunday. It is meaningful, thought-provoking (to an extent), and intelligent in that it uses the plot device as a metaphor for character traits that hamper relationships.
While the first season does a good job of introducing the plot concepts, the second season is funnier, more gentle, exciting, and poignant, all at the same time.
It is available on Prime Video as an Amazon exclusive and on the Peacock network.
