Raised By Wolves: Season 1/ Episode 4 “Nature’s Course” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

As Marcus and Sue struggle to maintain their cover, Father pushes the children to lose their innocence.

As Marcus and Sue struggle to maintain their cover, Father pushes the children to lose their innocence.

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Director(s)	Luke Scott
Writer(s)	Aaron Guzikowski
Aired (HBO Max)	September 10, 2020

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Recap

The Fall of Ambrose – Ambrose, Sue, Marcus

While neither Sue nor Marcus are Paul’s biological parents, after thirteen years in suspension, you couldn’t tell them that. Hence why Marcus continues to aggressively push for a rescue mission, and Sue, with being the only medic around, tries to, with subtlety. However, neither find themselves breaking through with their methods chosen. So, something more drastic is done.

Now, what is that? Well, during the journey to who knows where, a huge rock that looks like a smoothed out meteor is seen as a sign from Sol, and it’s warmth a blessing since it’s winter. However, the heat eventually dissipates, and this leads to a few choice actions which may or may not have been concocted by Marcus.

The first being a ticker, or ear wig being found on Marcus, which could have acted as evidence against him and Sue over them not being who they portray themselves to be. For after stumbling with knowing Mithraic nursery rhymes, and their culture, Ambrose was catching on. Thankfully, between the technology found paired with an item one of Ambrose’s androids had, seeds of doubt are planted.

What tips things over is Ambrose trying to blow up the structure in hopes it would lead to a door or something of that ilk so everyone could enter and get warmed. But, with the way things are, certain members of the Mithraic aren’t supposed to do aggressive or violent actions, and people like Marcus are. He decides not to blow up the item but rather press Ambrose against it, and with Ambrose lighting on fire, it is used as a sign that Marcus was in the right, and Ambrose set on fire due to him trying to abandon Sol’s children.

A Balance of Powers – Father, Mother, Campion

After Campion’s actions, there is clearly an imbalance of power and purpose. One that leaves father with a need to exert himself and his position and mother allows this to happen. Why? Well, it is increasingly becoming clear the children have and are capable of rebelling against her, and father is the only ally she has. So if he needs to prove he is useful and his place, she believes it must be allowed.

Then, to really allow him to assert himself, she goes off to a Mithraic ship she found while looking for Paul, who was saved, and links into the virtual world of the Ark. A place where she finds herself revisiting her memories of when the children killed the embryos from the ship that Mother apparently found a way to save but didn’t give life to.

Desperation Breeds Savagery – Tempest, Father, Campion, Mother

While Mother and Father are in agreement with having Father prove his role and assert himself, one issue is how to handle Campion. In terms of his empathy and innocence, Mother doesn’t want him to lose that. However, in Father’s mind, there are creatures out there that they won’t be able to stop from hurting or killing him, or the others, forever, so he wants to teach them to hunt and kill.

One of the issues with this is Campion is vehemently against this, but the others are starving, and there are no alternative foods on the planet. So one of them takes the first stab, but don’t get the job done. However, being hungry, angry, and pregnant leads Tempest to do so and seemingly eat part of the creature raw. But upon seeing it was pregnant, it seems she loses her appetite – especially with holding the baby in her hands.

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Considering Father is an android, why would he see what is clearly not there?
2. Rather than Campion, could Marcus (Caleb) be the person who is spoken about in the Pentagonal Prophecy?

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

You are a creator, whereas all I’ll ever be is a creation.
— Mother

Review

Highlights

The End of Ambrose

Don’t you love when a character that isn’t giving you any sort of feeling, good or bad, is just eliminated? Never mind, with someone like Mother in place, pales in comparison in terms of being any sort of a villain? Not to forget, their death is so satisfying for with him being burnt to a crisp, it just makes you feel as warm inside as he likely was on the outside.

Father’s Pursuit of Purpose

Both Father and Mother have evolved since we originally met them. Mother in a more, in your face way, due to her being a Necromancer and it being clear they are not only a symbol of death but highly destructive. With father, things have been handled differently.

When it comes to his journey, you see one which deals with gender dynamics and with Mother being the protector, someone who can do all he can, and more, what’s his place? Which, in my mind, is slowly showing us how things like gender dynamics, amongst other things, shall come to exist. For the start of civilization seemingly be with everyone having a role, and with Hunter still being allowed to keep his hands clean, you can see some of the old world issues transferring over.

Leaving you to wonder if any of what old world Campion wanted can actually exist in human society? Even with the chance to start over?