One episode from the season finale,Raised by Wolveshas everything to lose. But with episodes like “Feeding”, the series is rocketing towards a satisfying conclusion with some of the best science fiction streaming TV has to offer. Season 2, episode seven comes courtesy of series newcomer Lukas Ettlin and series creator Aaron Guzikowski. Ettlin is most often credited as a cinematographer or director of photography, but he has director credits on shows likeBlack SailsandDaredevilunder his belt. Under Ettlin’s unique eye for detail, the always-stunning South Africa scenery stands out.
After the harrowing birth scenein the previous episode, “Feeding” starts with a mass effort by members of the former Collective to find Tempest’s stolen infant. Father leads a detachment of his children on this dangerous mission. Kepler-22b has only revealed new dangers each time someone turns a corner, and the planet has really come into its own as a space-horror setting.
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The acidic ocean introduced in season two has yielded new wonders and horrors that have flexed the writer’s creativity. This episode briefly introduces an aquatic drone equipped with a camera that allows the series to show off the unique depths of its ocean in a jaw-dropping scene. As Father and company seek the lost infant, they’re joinedby a new facethat completely shakes up the group dynamics. It’s beautifully tense and well-executed and gives the series another great chance to show off its clever grasp of philosophy.
Perhaps the strangest singlemoment in the seriescapped off last week’s episode, turning one of the strongest and best-written characters in the second season into a tree. Sue’s transformation is moved past with the level of efficiency fans expect from the series, but her new form is key to the narrative. Though it serves a major role, Sue’s absence is certainly felt. Marcus and Peter’s newfound bond, their apparently happy family reunion lasted a matter of minutes before Sue turned into a plant. Her sudden change has radically affected the faith of the only two true Mithraic believers in the plot, and it’s fascinating to see Marcus slide back towards his season one cynicism. The more astonishing details come as the purpose for the tree comes into focus. The series hasbeen slowly hinting atwhat Sol might be, but the products of its apparent power have grown from disconcerting to horrific.
Marcus has been a wild card in this season. Forming his new Mithraic flock, gaining superhuman power, taking on the atheist Collective, then losing both in short succession. He’s been up-and-coming, he’s been on top, and he’s been in a hopeless scenario. This episode puts him in a new position that tests his limits as a character. Travis Fimmel was probably the most established TV actor on the cast, given hislead role inVikings, and he’s been a joy to watch as this complex character. Seeing him retake the loving father role to Peter while questioning the faith that he believes has saved him countless times is an engaging new direction.
Without wishing to spoil, this episode features the most incredible monster design of the series thus far. Guzikowski and the team have put some impressive creatures of all types and scales on screen, but the latter half of the second season has placed it amongst the higher echelon of space horror design. TheInside the Tropical Zonespecial attached to the episode features some fun detail on how the creatures were created. The series has, so far, managed some promise of theAlienfranchise, without tying up thefun in needless complexitylikePrometheus. There are still huge questions left unanswered, but that ambiguity makes the setting, concept, and characters so much more interesting. Because the lore isn’t what matters, the people, real or artificial, and how the new form of society affects them. There are absolutely gutting emotional moments in this show. While a lot of sci-fi or horror films would take breaks in the action to build character,Raised by Wolveshas managed to cleverly interweave the harrowing events and the gripping human drama with impressive success.
As far as anyone knows, next week’s episode is the final episode of the season. Eight episodes in season two, down from the ten-episode first season. In seven hours, the show has made some truly incredible progress in the storyline. It doesn’t work fully on its own, viewers willstill need the first seasonto make sense of a lot of the detail, but it feels like a satisfying, yet original sequel to season one. The pieces are set for a truly incredible finale to season two, and this episode was a masterful work of the series' best parts. Fans need only wait and see how this incredible series sticks the landing on the grand finale.
