TV Obsessive
Raised by Wolves
Caemeron: Raised by Wolves is, in one sense, the craziest show I have ever seen. I’ve seen it described as a “kitchen sink” show, and that certainly gets to something. But I find myself mixing another metaphor and thinking about how people will talk about throwing spaghetti against the wall and hoping something sticks. Now, that seems like a criticism, but here’s the thing: when it comes to Raised by Wolves—at least so far—I feel like somehow everything sticks.
I suppose that makes the idiom inapt but seriously, this show has everything: androids, a post-apocalyptic future, alien life, religious prophecy, strange tech, simulated reality, maybe a ghost…I half-expect time travel to be thrown in there by the end because why the hell not? But where all of this might make a lesser show feel unfocused, Raised by Wolves seems to somehow be pulling it off.
The first episode, which has been made available on YouTube, might feel a bit slow at first, but it grabs you by the end through a truly stunning series of events. I kind of feel like maybe I was supposed to be on the other side of that in terms of the show’s intent when it comes to rooting interests, but I’m not sure and (more importantly) I’m not sure it matters.
The central conflicts of Raised by Wolves cut across the easy divisions the show gives us. There was a war between atheists and believers, but the believers are not Christians (they are Mithraic), and the Atheists talk about themselves in a way that makes you feel like you should capitalize the word, which stands in contrast to how most atheists I know would tend to think about things in the real world. So the parallels aren’t tidy, and neither is the question of whether the androids ought to be considered persons.
But again, all of this works in the show’s favor as opposed to being to its detriment. Of course, by the end of the day, it’s possible that this might end up in Prometheus territory. With this much going on, my biggest worry is some attempt to over-explain or tie things up in a neat little package. But even if they do, Raised by Wolves is a lot of fun at the moment, and currently what I am most looking forward to watching each week. Given that it is competing with Lovecraft Country, I feel like that is saying a lot.
And if you have seen the show, be sure to check out Brien Allen’s weekly coverage. I’m enjoying reading/editing that, too.
Those are our recommendations this week! What are yours? Let us know in the comments!
