Raised by Wolves season two has been all about the other side of the planet as Mother, Father, and their children make sense of an atheist settlement. There’s also a flying snake that has been bothering the locals and religious zealot Marcus (Travis Fimmel) wandering around looking for more converts. In the third episode titled “Good Creatures,” the robots get central focus and the roaming snake’s purpose becomes more clear.
This episode opens where we left off with episode two as Mother (Amanda Collin) hunts the flying snake that she believes is a baby. The age of the snake becomes much more important later in the episode, but it’s cool to see Collin strapped with a harpoon moving through the alien flora and fauna. There’s a Ripley vibe to her badass look and seriousness. Meanwhile, Father (Abubakar Salim) is the shepherd of some human bombs meant to kill the snake. The immorality of what Father is doing is brought into focus when Mother runs into him and questions it, but it was commanded by the central computer known as the Trust.
This episode strays from the somewhat repetitive reminder in the first two episodes that the colony is very bad. That’s a benefit, though, as new discoveries open up the possibilities of the narrative. Father had found an ancient skeleton in a previous episode and he learns in this episode, after being killed by Marcus, his white blood empowers the creature to regrow.
This reveal is well done as the skeleton has an incredible design as if the bones were ornate and made of lace. When Father’s blood makes it grow a gold skin, and a kind of fleshy covering called a caul is torn away, one gets the impression Father is proud as if he is giving it life. Earlier in the episode Father points out he loves Mother, but one can see he’s gaining some autonomy from Mother in this episode with his new secret skeleton.
There’s also some great action with Father, who faces off against a rudimentary robot in order to get more blood for his growing skeleton. The scene is shot well in a gladiatorial-style ring. It’s another win for Father, who seems to be growing confident and maybe even realizing there is more to life than being a parent.
When it comes to parenting there are some interesting developments there as well. Mother seems to be learning as your children age problems may arise between them. Father is clearly finding a footing and realizing he can be more than just a parent while also proving he can do just as his mother did.
Other characters go through some evolution and growth in the episode too. Marcus seems to be growing in strength as if he’s gaining superpowers while Mother is soothed being a parent to the flying snake. Campion (Winta McGrath) bonds with a child robot planting the seeds for a possible relationship, Sue (Niamh Algar) also gets a few moments showing she’s coming to realize what the flying snake really is as well as her stressful life as the colony doctor. All in all, the show manages to progress each character, even a few of the other kids under Mother’s care, to great effect.
The only weakness of this episode is Paul (Felix Jamieson) who is rather obnoxious for the plot’s sake. He wants to protect Marcus, even though he killed his real father. Jamieson is a great actor and sells the part, but there isn’t quite enough there to convince the audience he’s not being rash and counter to his true self after the hell he was put through last season. He’s certainly not going to like what he gets by the end of the episode.
Raised by Wolves is starting to hit its stride now with episode 3. The character work is good, the new mysteries tantalizing, and the growing power of Marcus looms large. This is a show you’ll love thanks to its strong acting and characters. Raised by Wolves is ambitious and creative, fueled by great acting and intriguing characters.
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