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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
“Violence won’t help.” Raised by Wolves‘s seventh episode is titled “Faces,” written by novelist Karen Campbell and directed by Alex Gabassi.
Some minor spoilers ahead for those who have not yet seen this episode or the previous episodes of the series. If you have not done so, get to that now, then return to this article!
The Mithraic survivors invade the androids’ compound and begin to colonize in this newest episode of the science-fiction drama. The plot settles on themes of negotiation and conversion. Continuing from the previous episode, Kepler-22b-born human Campion (Winta McGrath) is placed in confinement away from the other children, while Mother (Amanda Collin) is also in confinement and Father (Abubakar Salim) is turned into a service model android for the humans but still has his flaws.
Campion is kept inside of a silo with the carcass of a creature hanging from the ceiling. Paul (Felix Jamieson) and Lucius (Matias Varela) offer to have him baptized and purified of his sins in order to be released from captivity, but he ultimately refuses to undergo this change after noticing that the colonizing humans tampered with the headstones of his deceased family members. He is met by his former sibling Tally (Grace Li)’s apparent spirit after getting a hold of her doll.
With the surviving adults reuniting with the children, Holly (Aasiya Shah) restores her religious faith. Tempest (Jordan Loughran) deflects and instead hopes to help Campion by telling him to pretend to accept the god Sol as his personal savior. She also refuses to reveal her pregnancy to the adults and would rather do the heavy lifting to pull her weight around the compound.
Marcus (Travis Fimmel) and Sue Drusus (Niamh Algar) have a heated discussion involving Paul in their matters. Sue had expressed leaving the Mithraics as she and he are still atheists at heart, but Marcus refused to make this decision. Mother asks Marcus to take the children and leave, only to have this request denied. She reasons with him in their likenesses, knowing the truth about his identity before leaving Earth: “We have an opportunity, you and I, to shape the future of humanity, to build the civilization founded on humanity’s belief in itself. Think about it. No war, no suffering … Serving humanity has always been my mission.” He later says that it is absolutely necessary to take risks as a means of survival and learning lessons here and there along the way. Mother responds by saying, “The past informs every decision the human makes, and every choice you have made has served your own self-inter[est].” Both she and Marcus argue that they have what it takes to be a good parent and raise a family, extending to a growing community; however, the former tells the Drusus man, “You’ve only known destruction, loss, never nurtured anything in your life.” This angers Marcus, who takes these pent-up emotions out on Paul; and Sue later berates her husband for this.
Marcus also has his murderous urges — specifically toward his wife and son — as Sol speaks to him, questioning a change in his sanity, and later he fights a hallucinated figure of what seems to be the god or Marcus’s past self, Caleb (Jack Hawkins). The voice in his head tells him to spare Mother’s life, so he wounds himself and frees the android, who promises Father to return for him and the children.
Paul uses rocks from around the compound to construct a miniature version of city he has seen in his dreams — and his pet Mouse appears in the model of the city –, and the adults observe with their notions that he could have been an orphan who unlocks the city’s mysteries. Marcus claims that the orphan boy is rather himself.
McGrath has a terrific performance as Campion, especially in his scene with Tally; although, one flaw might be that he is seen holding a shank during his baptism, and yet no one could have stopped him sooner, but perhaps this is required to further drive the plot. Jamieson’s Paul and Algar’s Sue develop their chemistry as son and mother, which looks great when juxtaposed with Campion and Mother.
“Faces” is an episode title that delves into the reflections and facades of our characters and makes more Biblical approaches in its allusions to the New Testament. Marcus sees another person in a mirroring image of himself. Mother is tied up at one point in a laid-down position, where she is soon almost dropped deep into a pit. In the previous two episodes, she had lain down in the simulation pod and her mind is driven deep into another reality. Mother begins the episode restrained in a dark room, her shoulders and wrists tied and made to look like Jesus Christ when he was crucified. Hunter (Ethan Hazzard) starts to feel guilty for what betraying the androids, particularly Father, much like how the Disciples felt after the wrongdoing wrought on Christ. Additionally, the episode takes a good look at outsiders’ attempts to convert the religious practices of natives. For what it’s worth, this seventh episode of Raised by Wolves is remarkable for its views on the human and the machine as both are usurped on common grounds, and Campbell has done a splendid job at putting the pieces together.
What do you think of the series? Have you seen the show yet? Let us know! For more science-fiction, drama, HBO Max, and Raised by Wolves-related news and reviews follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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