As season 2 of HBO Max’s high-minded sci-fi epicRaised by Wolvescontinues to dig deeper into the stranger elements of its plot, the philosophical space horror fans have come to expect is at its best. The show is clearly keeping aces in the hole for the upcoming episodes, but this episode is one beautifully-executed nightmare after another. Episode five: “King” was directed by Alex Gabassi, who directed a couple of episodes of season one, along with episodes of shows likeThe Frankenstein Chronicles. The episode was written by series creator and showrunner Aaron Guzikowski, who takes the opportunity to flex his particular understanding of his own narrative.
Thisepisode is an excellent showcasefor a slightly unappreciated character, Niamh Algar’s Sue. Left desperately scrambling to cure her adoptive son’s condition, she’s swiftly falling apart from the stress. As a new revelation changes the stakes of Paul’s infection, Sue makes a choice she never thought she’d have to and comes away with a bizarre result. Algar is spectacular here, she breaks down, struggles to cope, lives through anAlien-esque horror scene, and even leads a solid fight scene. It’s an emotional journey, and Algar’s performance totally sells it.
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Marcus and his rapidly dwindling Mithraic horde continue to trudge along, suffering onehumiliating defeat after another. The supposed profit is now left without his stolen power, and some of his flock have begun to question his divinity. The viewer is left with an interesting question as Marcus struggles to prove himself; has Marcus really changed from the con-man he was in the first season? His journey from convincing fake to the seemingly devout believer has been arduous, but when things don’t go his way, it’s interesting to see where his loyalties lie. There is a bit of comical plot armor to Marcus, he survives a lot of situations that test the viewers' suspension of disbelief, but he’s interesting enoughto want around regardless. His particular expression of faith has left him with enemies on all sides, and it’ll be interesting to see him try to wriggle out of his new predicament.
Father’s new pet project finally came to fruitionin the last episode, and there are a ton of questions left unanswered. Unfortunately, this episode doesn’t address many of them. The new android is reminiscent of Mother’s Necromancer form but seems to lack the complex emotional and communicative aspects of most of the show’s androids. This episode is more focused on Father’s reaction to the new being. Father’s motivation has been all over the place this season, but with a new life he’s essentially helped to create, his connection with it is strange. He’s immediately taken with the being, crossing a number of bizarre possible lines. The addition of another godlike being to the recently destroyed Collective could lead countless directions, but it lies in wait for now.
Campion seems to have made a near-full conversion to the faith. A devoted fan could craft a chart detailing exactly which characters are religious in each episode. Campion’s sudden change of heart came after a brief glimpse of Father’s new android, but it’s hard to tell exactly how long that impression will last.The narrative overall needsto hold on to at least one character who sees both sides of the conflict, especially when its larger figures keep shifting. Mother’s successful coup against The Trust had a big impact upon The Collective, but her plan clearly still rests upon installing Campion as the leader. Her single-minded desire to defend and empower her children could be interpreted as dutifully following programmed instructions or a convenient excuse.
It’s a bit hard to pin downRaised by Wolvesto any one genre, but the genre it handles best is poignant space horror. This episode throws all of its most viscerally unpleasant and primally terrifying aspects on screen in rapid succession.Ridley Scott’s executive producer crediton the show gave it a ton of press, but the influence of his work ebbs and flows. This episode feels heavily inspired by the long-runningAlienfranchise. Bits of this episode feel lifted from the best parts ofPrometheus, other parts are reminiscent of the expert environment storytelling of the early franchise. TheAlienseries suffered from an obsessive need to over-explain itself, which resultedin an overcomplicated mess. One can only hope thatRaised by Wolvescan practice restraint and leave some details to the imagination.
This is an excellent episode ofRaised by Wolves, and the pieces are in place to go bigger and weirder with the rest of the season. The performances are on-point, the writing is solid, the scares are well executed, characters make their philosophical leanings clear, and Kepler-22b is littered with new threats and possibilities.Raised by Wolvesis great science fiction, great horror, and an intelligent dive into some big questions, and this episode finds all of its greatest hits.
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