Grady's dad preparing to put down Wolf after he's suspected of the Fever Swamp murders. Grady's reaction can hit home for anyone who's lost a beloved pet that way.
When you think about it, the revelation that Will is a werewolf. He didn't choose to be one and was presumably abandoned by his parents because of it. As a human, he seemed to genuinely want to be Grady's friend. In the TV episode, he even warns Grady to stay away because he doesn't want to hurt him. Because of this, he could be considered a sympathetic Designated Villain.
The episode contains examples of:
As cheesy as it may seem now, the TV adaptation has two particularly sad revelations: The Swamp Hermit was trying to hunt down the monster that killed his family. He dies trying to save Grady. Later, the werewolf partially changes back, revealing it to be Grady's friend Will, who is distraught by his transformation and warns Grady to stay away. Grady tries to find help for him, but Will realizes it's too late and dies after becoming a monster again. He even says "poor Will" after he dies.
