The Pack - Did this depict the real Xander?

[Grey Ghost]

I watched the earlier this evening (doing a rewatch of S1), got to thinking does this show the real Xander, the guy he wants to be or deep down is his real personality?

instead of the geeky Xander we have a stronger personality but nasty with it. His lust for Buffy comes out in a more aggresive way and belittles poor Willow who's been with him no matter what forever (with the exception of when Xander stole her Barbie at 5 years old😱).

It could be argued that it was the hyena curse that changed him, but the only thing it did to the rest of the Pack was turn them into carnivors.

There was another episode in which a similar Xander emerged - so is Xander really an aggressive person?

 

[ashleigh]

I think it was Xander without an ego/superego. He wanted Buffy and there was nothing there to tell him it wasn't moral to try to 'have' her. So we saw him with no control over himself. So no, I don't feel that that is what Xander wants to be. On the contrary, Hyena Xander is everything Xander tries not to be. (Note that he did not take advantage of Buffy in Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.)

Maybe the others didn't change much because they were aggressive anyway. Plus we only saw them for one episode, so changes in their behaviors wouldn't be as noticeable as the change in Xander's was.

 

[Ripper666]

Of course. I think this character fits to him. Growing up next to "Superheroes" wakes a natural desire for power in him. We all have this "power-desire"! To get accepted by a group, who does not want this? Of course it was overplayed in the episode but I am sure he has such desires and he is unable to hide them. For example when he didn't tell Buffy about Willows plan in the end of season 2 and so she killed Angel.

Yeah Xander can be an asshole but he is a very loyal friend and he is one of my favorite characters. You have to live with his good sides and all his mistakes.

And in the end he wasn't a macho.He felt very sorry for the things he said and did and this is what counts. I could imagine a future macho-Xander if Buffy and Willow hadn't been there on High-School. His mad family could be one reason for such a future-Xander.

 

[JCoatsworth]

I don't think it showed the real Xander.
The real Xander never would have hurt Willow like he did in The Pack. The Xander we know from all the other episodes is who Xander really is.

In my opinion the curse just suppressed his weak qualities and made his aggressive side stronger.
Stuff like his "lust for Buffy", like you called it, was still the same, he only acted more recklessly.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I don't think this was the real Xander at all. We have seen time and time again throughout the show that Xander's has a deep love and loyalty to his friends. This curse that possessed him gave him a hyena's spirit; therefore it's pretty obvious it was the hyena and not Xander.

 

[Jodast]

Once again the Mutant Enemy writing squad took their metaphor and ran with it. It shows how when people get in with the wrong crowd they can change and that when they have support around them they feel like they can do anything without fear of reprisal.

The real Xander, though, when not under the influence of mystical whoosits and hyena spirits has shown many times that he is a great friend and basically a good person, as people above have said.