Faces
Prisoners
In episode 7 of Raised By Wolves, Marcus races toward Mother who lies bleeding out. As Marcus and his soldiers arrive, he brandishes a gun and a stand-off ensues. With her dying breath, Mother convinces him to drop the gun and end this in peace. This peacefulness leads to Campion being barricaded inside one of the huts while Marcus holds Mother up captive.
Marcus has been released from prison and is now looking to start fresh. He’s excited to have his freedom and to start over, but he’s also worried about what the future holds. He remembers the hallucination he had during episode 5, where he saw a needle that looked like Paul. Marcus was sure that this was a dream, but now he’s not so sure. Could this be another sign that his relationship with Paul is still alive and well?
When Marcus returns to speak with Mother, she comments on his surgical scars and realizes his secret. The two verbally spar about the future of humanity and the path it should take next. She decides the future should feature no war or suffering. Marcus laughs and mentions the Arc, specifically all the people she killed onboard. At a stalemate, Marcus instructs no one is to enter the tent without his approval first. Elsewhere, Father is reprogrammed to be just like every other android.
Tempest of all people comes to the aid of Campion, who is locked up alone at the camp. She tells the other kids how Father and she saved them from the soldiers and gave them a home. Together, Tempest heads out to visit Campion, who confirms that Father has been reprogrammed and is eating fungus.
A Whisper In The Wind
As Tempest leaves, Campion starts hearing whispers uttering “we miss you.” As he clutches a bone, the voices goad him to “kill his Father.” Could this be another version of the same possession Marcus is experiencing right now?
Marcus eventually heads back in and speaks to Mother. She mentions how she’s been programmed to be a caregiver. Marcus meanwhile only serves his own self interests. As she continues on, Mother calls him a lost boy and comments how he’s not fit to raise Paul. It gets under his skin too but Sol’s voice continues to tell Marcus to let her live.
That evening, the group hold a baptism for Campion. Campion reluctantly joins the rest of the community as they gather together and watch. Campion repeats the sacred words. Only, just before he finishes the scripture he notices the stones symbolizing the children left behind. The soldiers simply shrug at their symbolic meaning and try to convince Campion they don’t mean anything. After all, it’s for atheists.
Campion struggles to calm himself as he watches the other men leave. This is made worse when Paul arrives and tells them that the test results mean nothing. As he looks to walk away, Father stops Campion and puts him back in the silo. ..
Mother’s Fate
Marcus has been listening to Sol, the android, and has decided that he should spare her life. He is not sure why, but he believes that Sol is telling the truth. Marcus is torn between his loyalty to his friends and his obligations to the people of Earth.
That evening, Campion continues to experience hallucinations. This time though it involves the rope before him and whispers in the air. Those ghostly whispers materialize themselves in the form of Tally. She arrives in a robe and whispers that he’s alone now. Encouraging him to look outside, Campion watches as Father drags Mother away at Marcus’ command.
Tempest watches as the four-legged creatures stalk Marcus and Sol from afar. He hides behind rocks and watches them as they walk into the forest. Just before they slide into the hole, Marcus speaks again and tells them to let Sol live.
In a scene from Netflix’s Annihilation, we see that the two figures seem to be in sync. Marcus and this doppelganger of his previous self know each other’s moves. While they fight, Mother saves herself from the hole with a little help from a stationary Father.
Elsewhere, Paul finds his pet mouse but Sue is concerned. That concern is well warranted as Paul stumbles back to the settlement. She finds his cuts deep and seemingly self-inflicted. As he whispers about the prophecy, the episode comes to a close. ..
The Episode Review
HBO Max has renewed Travis Flimmel’s show “Vikings” for a second season. This is great news for fans of the show. ..
The episode provides some interesting insights into the descent into madness. Father’s unrecognizable state and his finger twitching seem to suggest that he may still have some remnant of humanity left after all.
That’s to say nothing of the kids either who all seem to have been happier with Mother and Father than Marcus’ troupe. This brings up some intriguing ideas again about religion and atheism, which this show thrives from.
So far, so good with Raised by Wolves. It continues to raise the stakes and deliver a decent dose of drama. It also showcases the best aspects of Ridley Scott’s ideas. Let’s hope that this one continues to embrace thought-provoking questions across the rest of the season. ..
