It Was an Animal Attack

Spin-off! Your hosts talk the "Animorphs" and "Gone" books from the minds of Applegate and Grant, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and copaganda through the years, and "Riverdale" and the meta-narrative dissonance of the teen drama series. Also: villains manipulating protagonists' new allies, the silly fun of masked characters, and the many neverending medical dramas.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of coercion, grooming, homophobia, mental manipulation, pedophilia, racism, religious trauma, sexism, and sexual abuse and assault.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

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Fear, face, fight! Fadzai and Sandile go from pillar to post with the bereft beta of the Hale pack, Isaac Lahey.

A Beacon Hills student introduced in the second season of Teen Wolf, Isaac lives under the abusive hand of his single father - that is, until new alpha Derek Hale turns him into a werewolf, and his father is killed in a bizarre attack. Isaac is one of several recruits for Derek's new pack, and enjoys the power and confidence that lycanthropy bring him, but time and trials prove that the life is more trouble than...

Alphas, Omegas, twins! Sandile and Fadzai double the trouble with Teen Wolf's twin werewolves, Ethan and Aiden Steiner.

Part of the "Alpha Pack", collectively one of the antagonists in Season 3A, the twins are two of five Alpha werewolves who slaughtered their entire packs to gain greater power, and now have designs on Derek Hale (and secretly, Scott McCall) as new recruits. Given the abuse they faced at the hands of their pack, as well as their closeness in age to the show's main characters, Ethan and Aiden are placed in a more sympathetic position - and...

Healer, philosopher, mother! Fadzai and Sandile clock in an emergency shift with the night nurse of Teen Wolf, Melissa McCall.

Single parent of the show's lead, Scott McCall, Melissa balances her parenting duties with her demanding job as an emergency room nurse at Beacon Hills General. While unaware of the supernatural, she is a guiding force for Scott in matters of life, romance, and coming of age, as well a fracture point of safety when it comes to his enemies. When she's finally drawn into the masquerade, despite an initial negative reaction, she quickly becomes an aid...

Introducing the Bestiary Pages! A series of episodes that chronicles the supernatural (and mundane) lore of the Teen Wolf world, much like the archaic tome of the Argent family themselves.

In the first entry of the series, your hosts bring you all there is to know about the titular supernatural creatures: Werewolves. Existing somewhere between shapeshifters and literal wizards, Sandile and Fadzai will hash out the convoluted details so you don't have to!

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

All...

Spin-off! Your hosts talk Obsession (2026) and Teen Wolf's Michael Johnston, Get Out (2017)'s narrative "twist", and X-Men:First Class (2011) and the strangeness of adaptation. Also: Kilgrave of Jessica Jones infamy, Harry Potter and Religious Objection, and Legally Blonde: The Musical.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of coercion, homophobia, mental manipulation, pedophilia, racism, religious trauma, sexism, and sexual abuse and assault (and potentially some slur usage? Still 50/50 on that).

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

All our...

Blue blood, blue eyes, can't miss! Sandile and Fadzai make the rest of the world the problem with the prince of Beacon Hills, Jackson Whittemore.

High school rival to Scott McCall in the early seasons of Teen Wolf, Jackson enjoys a level of popularity due to his role as an athlete, and becomes antagonistic when Scott starts to pull that spotlight away from him. His suspicion over Scott's strange new behaviour leads him into the world of werewolves and the supernatural, one he is desperate to access as a way to return to his glory status, though...

Alpha, Beta, Omega! Fadzai and Sandile run a mile with the born wolf and prodigal son, Derek Hale.

A tritagonist of the early seasons of Teen Wolf, Derek appears in the show as the first other werewolf encountered by Scott McCall. Initially thought to be the one that turned him, Derek becomes a reluctant mentor to Scott after revealing the actual culprit is an Alpha that killed his sister, whom he needs Scott's help tracking down. Derek moves through various stages over his time in the show, at times an antagonist, but ultimately evolving into a reliable...

Draw, aim, fire! Sandile and Fadzai begin the Teen Wolf season by discussing the huntress herself, the Allison Argent.

The deuteragonist of the series (at least during her time on the show), Allison arrives in Beacon Hills to begin her junior year, and quickly becomes a love interest for the lead, Scott McCall. Over time, though, she learns the truth about werewolves and the supernatural goings-on in town, as well as secrets about her family - the Argents - and their position as hunters of the supernatural. Her physical prowess, common sense intelligence, and her capacity for...

Sandile and Fadzai prepare to return to Beacon Hills as they discuss the subject of the second season of the podcast - Teen Wolf. A bit of a chaotic entry for supernatural drama of its era, the show ran on MTV from 2011-2017, and developed a niche but strong following that remains well after its conclusion.

Join your hosts for this brief introduction before jumping into the first official episode, and the first of many characters that made the show so iconic.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!<...

Spin-off! Your hosts unsurprisingly went on a lot of tangents during the Mid Season, and they have been compiled here for your listening pleasure.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of antisemitism, homophobia, incest, and racism.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

All our online stuff!

Podcast: It Was an Animal Attack

Twitter: @animattackpod

Instagram: @animalattackpod

Tiktok: @animalattackpod

YouTube: @animalattackpod<...

Your hosts welcome the end for The Secret Circle! This week, Fadzai and Sandile cover:

Episode 21, "Prom": Blackwell asks Cassie to use her dark magic to find a crystal hidden at the school; Faye asks Jake to prom even though he stood her up two years ago; Dawn tries to stop Blackwell.

Episode 22, "Family": Jake, Melissa and Adam try to save Faye from the witch hunters; Blackwell tells Cassie and Diana that they must use their dark magic to unleash the crystal skull; Dawn and Charles discover a new...

Your hosts boot and rally for The Secret Circle! This week, Sandile and Fadzai cover:

Episode 19, "Crystal": Everyone in the circle start looking for the remaining crystals. Meanwhile, Jane and Charles form an alliance against a common enemy and Cassie discovers another secret about her father.

Episode 20, "Traitor": When a crystal is magically stolen from the abandoned house, the Circle decides it was the traitor witch working with Eben, and call for a meeting with Isaac to see if they can get him to change sides.

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Your hosts band together for The Secret Circle! This week, Sandile and Fadzai cover:

Episode 17, "Curse": After what happened between Cassie and Adam, Blackwell says a curse has arisen. They go to visit Jane. Faye goes to go visit Lee and is suspicious of Eva.

Episode 18, "Sacrifice": An old acquaintance of Jake's shows up with a message for Blackwell; Cassie learns what Eben is planning; Diana worries that her secret is putting a wall between her and Grant; Faye and Melissa make a deal with Adam.

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Your hosts dive deeper into The Secret Circle! This week, Fadzai and Sandile cover:

Episode 15, "Return": Cassie's father returns, but she and Adam fear his reason for it. Callum, to his delight, discovers Melissa is a witch and confronts Lee about his unclean reasons for associating with Faye.

Episode 16, "Lucky": While the school conducts a casino night fundraiser, John's search for sway raises suspicions, and a love triangle turns deadly.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of addiction, childhood trauma, drug abuse, ephebophilia, familial...

Your hosts dive further into The Secret Circle! This week, Fadzai and Sandile cover:

Episode 13, "Medallion": The desperate woman Cassie encountered in Jake's memories shows up at Cassie's door, to warn of approaching witch hunters.

Episode 14, "Valentine": Cassie finds herself stalked by witch ghosts as two parties vie for Blackwell's medallion. Melissa takes Devil's Spirit too far at an anti-Valentine's Day slumber party.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of addiction, childhood trauma, drug abuse, ephebophilia, mass murder, racism, religious bigotry, and ritual sacrifice.<...

Your hosts brace themselves during The Secret Circle! This week, Sandile and Fadzai cover:

Episode 11, "Fire/Ice": With Lee's help, Faye finally regains her solo magic but at a terrible price. Finding out where Cassie's father used to live stuns the circle.

Episode 12, "Witness": Jake returns for a trip down memory lane with Cassie - his memories - to see what events took place during a famously tragic town fire.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of childhood trauma, drug abuse, ephebophilia, mass murder...

Your hosts hit a turning point with The Secret Circle! This week, Sandile and Fadzai cover:

Episode 9, "Balcoin": As Jake continues to gather intel on the Circle, Isaac fears it's time to remove him from the group before an attachment to Cassie forms. Meanwhile, Charles' spell addles Jane's brain.

Episode 10, "Darkness": As Dawn chafes at having Charles in charge, and Faye turns to voodoo to regain individual power, Diana's visiting grandmother takes a keen and potentially lethal interest in Cassie.

Content Warning: This episode...

Your hosts delve deeper into The Secret Circle! This week, Fadzai and Sandile cover:

Episode 7, "Masked": With Jane's permission while she's away, Cassie throws a Halloween party, unaware of encroaching witch hunters targeting her circle for elimination.

Episode 8, "Beneath": Looking for Old Henry and Jane, the kids wind up overnighting at Henry's cabin, trapped by a storm, raging hormones, and uneasy questions. Faye experiences unwelcome visions.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of drowning, ephebophilia, and religious bigotry.

Questions...

Your hosts return to The Secret Circle! This week, Fadzai and Sandile cover:

Episode 5, "Slither": It's a fight to the finish when the demon Abaddon possesses one of the witch kids to free more of its kind into the world.

Episode 6, "Wake": In the wake of Nick's death, leading up to his wake, Cassie wakes to the fact he'd a brother named Jake - a tall, handsome dude with a troublesome past, whom many but she pray his presence won't last.

Content Warning: This...

Your hosts continue with The Secret Circle! This week, Sandile and Fadzai cover:

Episode 3, "Loner": Just as the kids find themselves individually powerless, along comes a lone man, knowledgeable, upset and aiming to end their witchcraft by killing one of them, and he doesn't care who.

Episode 4, "Heather": Finding her late mother's best friend magically locked in a catatonic state, Cassie enlists help from another witch to break it, only to find there was a good reason for it.

Content Warning: This episode contains...

Your hosts kick off their rewatch of The Secret Circle! This week, Sandile and Fadzai cover:

Episode 1, "Pilot": The death of Cassie's mom (no accident) forces teenage Cass to move in with her grandmother, where young witches await her to complete their coven and unlock their full power.

Episode 2, "Bound": There's peer and other pressure aplenty to get Cassie to bind the Circle, all except from Faye who doesn't favor the idea of her reckless whims being controlled. Grandpa Henry pays a call to investigate a complaint of misused...

It's the first MID SEASON, where Sandile and Fadzai do an episodic rewatch of a cancelled one-season show in the genre of supernatural drama series! Take a detour to Chance Harbour as they revisit "The Secret Circle", a CW hopeful from the creators of "The Vampire Diaries" that didn't quite stick the landing.

Join your hosts for this brief introduction before jumping into the first official episode!

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

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In this S1 special of It Was an Animal Attack, Sandile and Fadzai present the Vampriety Hour! An hour (or two) of fun, games, laughter, and unserious musings themed around The Vampire Diaries and the end of the podcast's first season.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:16 - Segment #1: The Progressively Harder Vampire Diaries Quiz

00:24:43 - Segment #2: Game of Quotes

00:38:30 - Segment #3: Vampire Diaries Trivia Bunker Quiz

00:46:45 - Segment #4: The Vampire Diaries Cast as D&D Characters

01:18:40 - Segment #5: Tier Ranking Almost Every Important TVD Character

01:58:00...

In this S1 special of It Was an Animal Attack, Fadzai and Sandile put two generational giants of the genre in the ring - The Vampire Diaries and Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Character archetypes, genre tropes, story inspiration and influences (and sometimes, direct rip-offs), along with the usual episode nonsense.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of gratuitous violence, homophobia, murder, racism, religious fanaticism, sexual assault, and slavery.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

In this S1 special of It Was an Animal Attack, Sandile and Fadzai present the inaugural Animal Attack Awards! A celebration of the conclusion of the podcast's first season, and a joyous farewell to The Vampire Diaries, marking its many memorable characters and moments.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of conversion therapy, familial abandonment, gratuitous violence, homophobia, murder, racism, religious fanaticism, sexual assault, and slavery.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

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Spin-off! Your hosts talk Storm in X-Men: Evolution and various other adaptations of the X-Men comics, The Little Mermaid and its surprising metaphors, and some early to mid-2000s vampire-related Disney movies. Also: a Tyra Banks throwback, more X-Men comics (the Krakoa era!), and the silliness of "gingercide".

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of fetishisation, internalised bigotry, misogynoir, and racism.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

All our online...

Hell-raiser! Fadzai and Sandile close out the season finale with a fiery bang alongside Bonnie Bennett!

One of the main characters of The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie is the best friend of lead character, Elena Gilbert, and a budding witch with ties leading back to Salem and the founding of Mystic Falls. As she discovers more about her powers, and the existence of vampires and the greater supernatural lurking in her town and out in the world, Bonnie is at first hesitant to get involved, given the historical fate of witches in and beyond her family. By the...

Living dead! Fadzai and Sandile planeswalk the line between life, death, and several realities with Bonnie Bennett.

One of the main characters of The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie is the best friend of lead character, Elena Gilbert, and a budding witch with ties leading back to Salem and the founding of Mystic Falls. As she discovers more about her powers, and the existence of vampires and the greater supernatural lurking in her town and out in the world, Bonnie is at first hesitant to get involved, given the historical fate of witches in and beyond her family. By...

Spin-off! Your hosts talk the acclaimed musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: S6E07 - "Once More, with Feeling". Also: General thoughts on Buffy Season 6 (which Sandile is still watching!), and comparing various musical episodes of TV over the ages.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

All our online stuff!

Podcast: It Was an Animal Attack

Twitter: @animattackpod

Instagram: @animalattackpod

Tiktok: @animalattackpod

YouTube: @animalattackpod<...

Spin-off! Your hosts talk the live-action God of War casting, the most recent incarnations of the Addams Family, and some chatter on Castlevania and Nocturne. Also: Talk to Me (2023) and skibidi teens, the career of Bianca Lawson, and the retelling of a truly insane episode of Touched by an Angel.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of racism.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

All our online stuff!

...

Happy Halloween! Fadzai and Sandile darken their hearts as they turn to the dark arts with Bonnie Bennett.

One of the main characters of The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie is the best friend of lead character, Elena Gilbert, and a budding witch with ties leading back to Salem and the founding of Mystic Falls. As she discovers more about her powers, and the existence of vampires and the greater supernatural lurking in her town and out in the world, Bonnie is at first hesitant to get involved, given the historical fate of witches in and beyond her family...

Fadzai and Sandile make magic and mayhem with the wonderful witch of the southeast, Bonnie Bennett.

One of the main characters of The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie is the best friend of lead character, Elena Gilbert, and a budding witch with ties leading back to Salem and the founding of Mystic Falls. As she discovers more about her powers, and the existence of vampires and the greater supernatural lurking in her town and out in the world, Bonnie is at first hesitant to get involved, given the historical fate of witches in and beyond her family. By the...

Spin-off! Your hosts talk the Harry Potter TV reboot money-grab, the cursed 2025 version of War of the Worlds, and the longest, gayest chat anyone's ever had about 13 Reasons Why. Also: The Umbrella Academy's Allison Hargreeves, the Winx reboot, and the least cursed lore from The Mortal Instruments books.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of attempted suicide, gratuitous violence, internalised homophobia, sexual abuse and assault, and regrettably, J.K. Rowling.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA...

Sandile and Fadzai cobble together a hero's journey for the final human, Matt Donovan.

One of the main characters of The Vampire Diaries, Matt is the best friend and ex-boyfriend of lead character, Elena Gilbert, and often paired with Tyler Lockwood or Jeremy Gilbert in the context of the Mystic Falls gang. Being the one who spends the longest unaware of the supernatural, his primary focus is typically his relationships, schooling and sports, and his work at the Mystic Grill to take care of his household - given the Donovan's lesser standing, and his absentee parents. Once...

Sandile and Fadzai keep it chill and regular with emotional support human, Matt Donovan.

One of the main characters of The Vampire Diaries, Matt is the best friend and ex-boyfriend of lead character, Elena Gilbert, and often paired with Tyler Lockwood or Jeremy Gilbert in the context of the Mystic Falls gang. Being the one who spends the longest unaware of the supernatural, his primary focus is typically his relationships, schooling and sports, and his work at the Mystic Grill to take care of his household - given the Donovan's lesser standing, and his absentee parents. Once...

In this S1 special of It Was an Animal Attack, Sandile and Fadzai (from 2023) discuss John Gilbert, recurring character from the first two seasons of The Vampire Diaries, as a test episode for the podcast!

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of familial abandonment, gratuitous violence, murder, racism, and religious fanaticism.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

All our online stuff!

Podcast: It Was an Animal Attack

In this S1 special of It Was an Animal Attack, Fadzai and Sandile discuss and review S4E20 of The Vampire Diaries - the backdoor pilot to its spin-off series, The Originals!

Discussion proper begins at (00:09:20).

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of child abuse, oppression, racism, and slavery.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

All our online stuff!

Podcast: It Was an...

Spin-off! Your hosts talk mutant telepaths and the "Omega level", various Disney love songs, and Stranger Things writing choices. Also: The plight of Sarah Connor, the genius of Graham Norton, the many roles of Jamie Campbell Bower, and that anti-abortion comic from months ago.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of abortion and anti-abortion sentiment, incest, insects, mental illness and related stigma.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!

E-mail: [email protected]

Refs and Links: IWAA S1

All our...

In the fifth instalment of Killer Bites, Sandile and Fadzai commit to the bit with the Gemini twins, Lucas and Olivia Parker. Sliding in during the back half of The Vampire Diaries' fifth season, Luke and Liv are witches who infiltrate Mystic Falls with the intent on stopping the Travelers, and briefly become central in the sixth season when the Gemini coven comes into focus.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of child abuse, familicide, mass murder, mental coercion, and torture.

Questions, queries, or just to say hi!