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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.
“Belief doesn’t happen overnight. That’s not how it works.” Raised by Wolves‘s eighth episode is titled “Mass,” written by Sinead Daly 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!
Few events occur at such a fast pace, however, we are nonetheless provided with some good lessons. The episode gets its title from the noun, “mass,” which is divided into three definitions:
- Generally, a large quantity/group of people or objects;
- Scientifically, the weight of size of a whole; or
- Religiously, a celebration of a Holy Eucharist or Communion.
Here, one affects the other. In one subplot, Marcus (Travis Fimmel) and Sue Drusus (Niamh Algar) continue to fight over who gains the influence on their son Paul (Felix Jamieson)’s survival on the Kepler-22b planet, but Sue gets the upper hand as her husband is consumed by the Mithraic god Sol and the devout population of human survivors who follow. Meanwhile, Mother (Amanda Collin) has fled the compound and is looking for reinvigorating health in the form of the Ark of Heaven’s machinic leftovers. She encounters many androids who repair living organisms — one figure whose name is Karl (Carel Nel). What she discovers lurking inside of her is a secret her creator Campion Sturges (Cosmo Jarvis) has planted without her full knowledge, although hopefully, it is safe to assume this was consensual.
Father (Abubakar Salim) continues twitching his index finger, which does not go unnoticed by Hunter (Ethan Hazzard). The boy realizes this is Morse code, a primitive form of human language. Although, he soon discovers that perhaps it is too late: Father is brainwashed by the Mithraic, confirmed when his Morse code spells out, “Sol is the light.”
Campion (Winta McGrath) digs his way out of one of the silos as he is taunted by a spiritual or mental figure in the form of his late sister Tally (Grace Li). The androids’ son further develops his friendship with Paul, although Marcus forbids them from establishing any contact. This mirrors colonizers’ harsh relationships — if one were to call this that — with native peoples. In the introductory scene to the episode, Marcus dreams he is cutting the skin off from his face, revealing the muscular flesh underneath. We can see here that Sol is gradually taking over. He then tells Paul about the fragilities of all living organisms and that the boy must learn to survive; and according to him, Sol tells his followers that colonization is rather difficult. If this does not exhibit the harm religion brings to the minds of the masses, what will? In a flashback scene, Marcus, Sue, and Sol’s people are seen walking through a population of atheists, where a young atheist commits suicide via detonated explosives. The secular and the religious are profoundly juxtaposed here. One group has been living under harsh conditions and is susceptible to death, while the Mithraic have developed themselves advanced technologies to further prolong their ways of life. Sue helps Paul, Holly (Aasiya Shah), and Vita (Ivy Wong) flee from the Sol-driven Eminence as the mass’s church burns down, although they are not yet safe.
Mother is tracked down by Tempest (Jordan Loughran), but the girl is pushed away when the Necromancer android is consumed by all that she has devoured. When Tempest leaves, Karl tells Mother she is only alive due to her caregiving role over the children, who are only a test compared to her one true mission: the child inside of her. She confides in him about what worries her, that she claims she and Father “suffer” from their humanistic impulses. Karl tells her that “[h]umans often complain of suffering, but they also herald it.”
“Mass” is unusually-paced, utilizing short scenes aggregated into one near-50 minute episode. Fimmel delivers a great performance as his character Marcus, especially in scenes shared with Algar’s Sue. The viewer can tell that religion will prove difficult to separate from the state, but it isn’t impossible. All it takes is even the smallest amount of individuals who will think otherwise about its belief system, and from there, anything can happen.
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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