Critic Reviews

You'd find answers here, but the premiere ends as inky as it begins, its ambiguity making it all the more appealing as Kanin gradually strips back layers of intrigue in a dark locale where nights outnumber days about 10 to 1, and the forest is a place to avoid unless you're carrying a bazooka. [12 Sep 2001, p.8]

A sinister series that melds X-Files creepiness with B-movie chills, CBS' Wolf Lake gets it right when it focuses on the beasts, but the humans could use a little work.

Shot in an impressively glossy style, and in wide-screen, Wolf Lake at least looks good, in spite of a lack of the visual effects one might expect in a series like this one. [09 Sep 2001]

If the creative team can maintain an element of surprise and trust the viewer to get the premise already, and if Mr. Phillips can relax and seem to have a bit of fun, Wolf Lake could grow on people.

Phillips struts through this show with not so much passion and longing for a lost love but preening, the sense that he is gracing the town, television and the planet itself by his very presence.

Wolf Lake, CBS' brooding series about humans in wolves' clothing (or maybe that should be vice versa) premieres after a total makeover that leaves it more of a furry X-Files meets Twin Peaks than a confusing call of the wild.

Wolf Lake attempts to revel within the originality of its otherworldly concept but never does anything remotely original or otherworldly. [12 Sep 2001]

The new Wolf Lake... is obvious and lumbers to a start rather than moving in Twin Peaks-like mysterious ways. [12 Sep 2001]

Wolf Lake shows signs of turning into the kind of pretentiously mystical drama that attracts breathless Internet fan groups but leaves less-susceptible viewers snickering. Depending on what turn it takes, Wolf Lake could be fascinating or foolish. [11 Sep 2001, p.F1]

Wolf Lake hopes to become a cult hit by slowly feeding us clues about the ways of its wolves. But you may find yourself eagerly awaiting the clue about where one can find a couple of silver bullets. [12 Sep 2001]