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"He stripped off his skin and tossed it into the fire and he was in human form again." - Hans the Hedgehog

"Hans the Hedgehog" is a Brothers Grimm tale of a half man, half hedgehog. When the creature comes to the aid of a king lost in the woods, the king agrees to give him anything he desires for his aid. The hedgehog asks for his daughter's hand in marriage. When the King agrees but then deceives the hedgehog, the hedgehog captures the daughter and returns her to the king pierced and bleeding from his spikes. The king comprehends his threat and finally concedes, and the hedgehog promises never to harm his daughter again. On his wedding night, the hedgehog takes off his skin and burns it, revealing a handsome young man underneath.

Like Hans the Hedgehog, the Wildermann Larry Mackenzie in the episode is seriously misunderstood because he's not like everyone else, and is uncontrollably stuck in a state of half man, half beast. His violence is uncontrollable, and the damage he does is a consequence of his circumstances rather than his intentions. While the hedgehog is able to remove his spikes and show his true "inner beauty," Larry is unable to overcome his obstacles and remains a prisoner of his duality until death.

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