Raised by Wolves - 01: 04 - Natures Course

[ctg]

Father tries to teach the children how to hunt some of Kepler-22b's mysterious creatures for food. Meanwhile, the Mithraic make a stunning discovery that potentially fulfills a Mithraic prophecy, and a debate about how to proceed ignites a conflict between Marcus and the Mithraic leader, Ambrose.

 

[Dave]

They don’t need to build a forge if Mother can melt metal just be blowing on it.

Campion is extremely proficient at using the lander and it’s analysis unit after having only seen it for the first time a few days ago. I wish they would explain this as it really bothers me and I can’t suspend my disbelief. If they said he was given a super-intelligence gene or Mother had artificially added some memory to his brain.

I’m not sure what they have been doing for the last 12 years though. There is so much they could have already achieved if they had tried a little. How could they not have discovered those nuts on the trees when looking for food?

The civilisation is a puzzle. They built pyramids and bottomless shafts but no apparent machines. Are the Skitters the builders, or some devolved descendants of the builders? The wall that heated up seemed to react to the argument and anger – is it psychic? Does it react psionically? Are their machines all psionic? Does that explain the vision of Tally? I can see how Campion’s compassion might become a larger plot device.

I didn’t understand what the other android wanted to achieve with the earworm and Marcus. Later, it wasn’t malfunctioning but running to a plan to kill Marcus. It had to have been ordered by Ambrose. Maybe the idea was to make Marcus look like a danger that needed to be stopped. If so, I think that should have been better explained. It doesn’t really matter now that Ambrose is dead and Marcus has appeared to have the backing of Sol.

I think the children do need to learn how to fight and hunt, but killing the Skitter seemed like a bad idea. They’ve killed three, so highly likely there are more. They don’t seem very intelligent but might be, or might be a larval stage of some intelligent animal, or the worker bees to a queen. Anyway, the humans have invaded a world with an ancient civilisation, destroyed some major infrastructure, killed three natives (one pregnant). Unless they are looking to start a brand new war then some further investigation and attempt at communication might have been a better idea.

 

[ctg]

They don’t need to build a forge if Mother can melt metal just be blowing on it.

True. She keeps having these powers that are absolutely amazing and she makes Father to look so simple, almost human.

Campion is extremely proficient at using the lander and it’s analysis unit after having only seen it for the first time a few days ago. I wish they would explain this as it really bothers me and I can’t suspend my disbelief. If they said he was given a super-intelligence gene or Mother had artificially added some memory to his brain.

Some kids are like that, they are very proficient with machines and the machines were built for people. It's the analysis part that's breaking the illusion, but luckily Father saved the day by reading the stuff and saying, "It's toxic." If he would be coding and debugging info, and going deeper into the secrets of the machine without having some sort of training in between, then that would a big flaw from the writers perspective. At the moment, it's pretty simple, open the biomatter chamber, shove the thing in, close the chamber and wait for the machine to finish the analysis.

So, no need super-intelligence for that part, but it would be more pleasing if there was a hint of innocence in his play. Maybe the problem is that he's a child actor and playing technically inept person is a challenge for him. It also might be a director issue. But for now, let's just slip it until he shows coding and hacking abilities.

The civilisation is a puzzle. They built pyramids and bottomless shafts but no apparent machines. Are the Skitters the builders, or some devolved descendants of the builders?

Not pyramids, dodecahedrons, with pieces that had more than four corners. Not a simple thing to construct in any way or shape. Not talking about putting the machinery inside the whole thing and making it to function for long periods of time. I'd assume that the giant lizards died around 100 to 300 years before the crash. But there is no easy way to date the dodecahedron or the circular holes.

I was amazed that they showed what's at the bottom of one of those structures. Magma, and it was still flowing, and not even rising up to the tube. If I would have to guess, there was a giant machine that did those holes, but there's no tracks around the holes.

The amazing thing is that the dodecahedron burned the faux priest and then saved rest of the group by warming up nicely. It was either a God or then something else, maybe even an AI set to monitor the whole planet. But that would also mean that there are aliens, and not just the ones they eat now. The actual Builders as you call them.

Does that explain the vision of Tally?

I thought about the vision. It's interesting because it happened to both of them. Not just Father, but to Mother as well. That would suggest that they have been here already, and they are now in a time-loop. But it could also be a supreme machine that has already accessed Mother's internals and it/they can now plant codes and data directly into their processes.

I loved the moment, where Father was shouting at Mother about his processing power. Almost as if he really believes that it can chop all the data, even though he's so completely blind to everything that surrounds them.

I didn’t understand what the other android wanted to achieve with the earworm and Marcus. Later, it wasn’t malfunctioning but running to a plan to kill Marcus.

It was under the control of faux priest or then Marcus did it, and by the time it was accused it realised it was about to lose its life. So it tried to draw to only get shot in the head. If Marcus would have lost, the faux priest would have got his way, whatever that would have been. It's more like Mother and Father are malfunctioning, and they don't have a complete picture about what's really going on in their chosen location.

I think the children do need to learn how to fight and hunt, but killing the Skitter seemed like a bad idea. They’ve killed three, so highly likely there are more. They don’t seem very intelligent but might be, or might be a larval stage of some intelligent animal, or the worker bees to a queen.

Interesting. In some ways they act like our primates, but in the other they clearly show intelligence and extreme curiosity. To me they're like overgrown pixies (without wings). We still don't know for sure where they live.

 

[REBerg]

Mother's necromancer powers do seem unlimited.
A flesh-destroying sonic scream, anti-gravity flight and instant armor? OK.
Expelling air at a temperature range capable of freezing AND melting metal? Hmm.
She can also shape molten metal into a scalpel using only her bare hands? She's magical.
Poor Father, in contrast, can't even handle babysitting duties, although Mother noted that he can be amusing. A sense of humor is a survival trait, but Creator Campion could have given him something more utilitarian than an extensive joke data base. Retractable flamethowers?
Young Campion's most exceptional trait, other than a rebellious attitude, is his ability to thrive on radioactive food. Dumping food candidates into the shuttle tank doesn't require a lot of expertise. Father has been analyzing the results, so maybe his isn't as useless as he feels.
Was Campion the stillborn one brought back to life by Mother's tears? That might explain his survivability.

 

[Dave]

...his ability to thrive on radioactive food...
Was Campion the stillborn one brought back to life by Mother's tears? That might explain his survivability.

Good call! That has to be the reason.

 

[ctg]

Poor Father, in contrast, can't even handle babysitting duties, although Mother noted that he can be amusing.

I think Father has too many restrictions to be really useful. I try to explain it in the next episode.

 

[REBerg]

I think Father has too many restrictions to be really useful. I try to explain it in the next episode.zedz

I think the problem is that it's easier to restrict than to enhance.
Creator Campion had to blunt the necromancer's powers to make her more compatible with motherhood, whereas a service droid can't be significantly weaponized.

 

[svalbard]

I am starting to see some inconsistencies but will hold my thoughts for a another few episodes. Initial thoughts are that Marcus is trying to channel his inner Ragnar...

Sue, like Father and Mother, is one of the more interesting characters and actor.

I am also getting a mild vibe of Outcasts(a criminally underrated and too quickly cancelled British Sci-fi show) about the planet.

 

[REBerg]

Initial thoughts are that Marcus is trying to channel his inner Ragnar...