Raised By Wolves Episode 7 Faces Review And Recap-Mother, Father, The Mouse, And Tally

Raised By Wolves Episode 7 went from a thrilling science fiction puzzle box to a straight-up horror story in one stunning episode.

Our past influences our future. That is the biggest takeaway from Raised By Wolves Episode 7. Everything that came before shapes what is to come. Whether you are human or android, or something else entirely, you can’t outrun history. It has a way of catching up with you. We are encoded with war. It is on our DNA just like the androids are coded with their purpose. War is inevitable.

One of the things that have made Raised By Wolves so interesting is its ability to reinvent itself. Just when you think you know where things are going, a new element, or in the case of Episode 7, a new mystery and fresh look is introduced. Faces looked and functioned unlike any other episode of the season thus far. It was filled with tension, riveting, and gorgeously shot. Easily the best of the season, Raised By Wolves Episode 7, redefined what the back half of the series would be.

Violence always leads to more violence. No matter the intent, if violence is used as a tool towards peace, there will be none. Even on Kepler-22b, where the factions are so small, and every number counts, death can’t be avoided. Or so everyone thinks. Marcus, Sue, and the others need to come together before whatever alien entity affecting everyone gains traction. Already it has appeared to numerous characters. It has caused Marcus to hesitate to destroy Mother, and it seems to be messing with his mind. So much so, that by the end, he is bleeding profusely from a self-inflicted wound. Something is much smarter than they are and way better at manipulation. Let the mind games begin.

Between Mother and Marcus criticizing each other for their previous sins, Sol commanding Marcus to spare Mother, and Tally encouraging Campion to kill himself, there was a great deal of trickery happening this week. It is likely Tally, the voice Marcus hears, and the man he fights, in the end, are the same thing. Campion Sturgis might be a virus in the simpod, but humans are a virus on the planet. The lifeform seems to want to eradicate them. Likely this is because we destroy their delicate equilibrium. By trying to kill us and encouraging Marcus to save Mother, it is all but guaranteeing death. Mother was a war machine before her programming. If she is allowed to live, it’s only a matter of time before she gains her power back and goes on a killing spree.

Irony continues to play a significant role in Raised By Wolves. Having the cleric perform a baptism in a church made from the headstones of Campion’s siblings while wearing a blood-soaked robe is genius. Civilization is often built on the blood and bones of soldiers. It’s no different here on Kepler-22b.

Tempest Continues To Be Compelling

Jordan Loughran(Tempest) brings a depth to the teen mother rarely seen in auxiliary characters. The script is well-conceived, but Loughran makes the most out of every scene. Tempest is soulful and sympathetic without looking like a helpless victim. There is strength to her suffering. Regardless of Holly’s endless justifications and Hunter’s mansplaining, Tempest was violated and understandably has lost her faith. She will play a pivotal role in the episodes to come.

Father is Only Partly Gone

Father is not dead, only reprogrammed. After watching the kind and warm parent of the past six episodes, it is heartbreaking to watch the impassive robot he has become. All of the children feel his loss, even Hunter, who was instrumental in his capture. As cold as his rebuke of Vita was, it served as foreshadowing for his heroism later. He told Vita she distracted him from his job. He said that because they have always been his primary focus, not because he stopped caring. Instinctively he knows who he is even if he is struggling to overcome what they have made him. That programming can be overwritten, but love never goes away. One of the most touching segments finds Mother telling Father how much she cared for him. Finally, she gave him the validation he wanted. It was profoundly moving, and it may be what got through to Father.

What Happens In The Holes Doesn’t Stay In The Holes

Twice now, things that presumably fell and died in the massive snake holes have come back to life. Tally has appeared to everyone in more a ghost form than a corporeal one, but she laughs, talks, draws and makes dolls. She has form in some way as she affects nature around her. Paul’s mouse came back to him. Either the hole can resurrect things, or something is mimicking life. A final possibility is the skeleton dweller from last week’s episode may have somehow saved the mouse and brought it back to Paul. That’s far-fetched but possible. The small agile humanoid might also be what Campion saw in the silo. It is just smart enough to use the information it has on Campion and the others.

The creatures are nocturnal, and we have seen Tally and now Marcus’ other self in both the night and the day, so we know the creatures are not nocturnal to avoid the alien intelligence. Are the animals who live in holes extensions of a greater lifeform or a previous attempt at settlement?

Who Did Marcus Fight?

He fought himself. The hallucinations aren’t just visions; they are carefully executed tricks designed to confuse and create chaos. Considering Marcus stabbed himself deeply, it is working. Tally, the mouse, and Marcus’ visions are all part of something bigger. Listen closely to Tally’s words, and she always says “we” and “us.” Up until this point, the assumption was that it referred to Campion’s dead siblings. What if it refers to a collective “We” as in the Borg? One hive mind that can create life out of nothing and is far superior to humans. Similar to Orson Scott Card’s Speaker For The Dead. If that’s the case, everyone is in trouble regardless of their beliefs.

Who Is The Prophet?

Marcus believes his own hype. Primarily this is because he is an orphan himself who has never known love or had somewhere he belonged. He knew only fighting as a child. In his formative years, he was taught to survive at all costs. As a result, he isn’t a great parent to Paul and is vulnerable to whatever is trying to influence him. He wants to believe he is the prophet because it makes him unique. He is searching for purpose and a home. That makes him very dangerous. Paul may be unlocking the secrets of Mithras, but Marcus thinks he is the true prophet. What happens when Paul steals some of his thunder?

Travis Fimmel is no stranger to playing a leader who is on edge and off his rocker. As Vikings legend, Ragnar Lothbruk, voices were something he often heard. His fearless king was a gifted fighter but questionable father and husband. Fimmel changed a historical fantasy for an epic sci-fi story, but the root of his character is the same. It is what makes his casting so perfect. Fimmel’s quintessential style comes through Marcus. The closer the Mithraic commander gets to madness, the better he is. Prophet or not(I suspect not), he is fascinating to watch.

What Does Tally’s Artwork Mean?

There is one picture on the wall of the orange dome that caught Marcus’ eye. It is a picture of two monoliths and two boys. In the picture, both boys are on one monolith with the other empty. The boys must find a way to reunite. The fate of their world may rely on it. If the open monolith means anything, they need to be prepared to knock someone off of it. Perhaps Marcus. He’s not the protagonist of this story, just another lost boy.

With only three episodes left, there is still a great deal of story to tell. Raised By Wolves Episode 7 was perfectly paced and intricately written. With episode like this, there is no doubt there will be Season 2. Follow all our ongoing coverage here.