Raised by Wolves Review: Virtual Faith (Season 1 Episode 3)
Trust is everything, and on Raised by Wolves Season 1 Episode 3, “Virtual Faith,” it’s like gold.
The sickness affecting the new children but still not hurting Campion is a smart way to throw suspicion on Mother, especially as the continued talk of moving forward and their further insolence towards her threaten her leadership.
That the sickness turns out to be radioactive effects of their crop and not poisoning is a quick answer to the question, and helps explain why the first generation of children also fall to sickness during the first episode.
The retelling of The Three Little Pigs may be massively on-the-nose, but it does allow for a different view on the episode as a whole: hard work and planning prove the best manner of protecting yourself. A lot of characters don’t seem to learn much from it, the way they wander off without a plan.
Mother is abrasive and unkind through her scenes, though it’s unclear if this is frustration eating away at her or if it’s more signs of her overload. She even disparages Father for having compassion, but still has enough forethought to consider she may be unknowingly poisoning the children.
It goes back to whether or not Mother is in full control or not. She may seem like she is, but her outbursts of emotion and need for revenge are rather human than as a robotic baseline.
Her visit to the crash site allows for some great, expansive shots of the wreckage, but it does leave a little bit to be desired that only a single android goes out to fight Mother, and mostly runs away at that. It’s an entirely unfair fight, but you have to imagine the humans have learned how to fight the androids over the years.
Marcus has a problem with wanting to jump headlong into battle while they’re still mourning their dead and scrounging for food. But he is right, in a way, that they don’t have the luxury of time, especially with the children in captivity.
This episode allows us a glimpse into Caleb’s life before all of this, both as a child soldier and as he grows closer to his new son, Paul, through now living as Marcus. It also allows more time with Sue, and with the three as a family, the bonds help explain the need to rescue the children: they have grown to care about Paul through the virtual Ark.
The virtual living space is a neat way to keep everyone active as they hibernate and travel the galaxy. It also allows us to finally hear that Marcus is ranked captain, to show how deep this imposter has ascended.
We may not know the extent of these years in hibernation and whether or not this will further the story on the Ark yet, but it’s in keeping with the previous episode where the gaps are being filled in for the humans.
The situation they now find themselves in on the planet is fairly dire.
It’s also giving time for Marcus and Sue to miscalculate. Marcus forgives a man’s father and manages to pass it off, but the android’s hymn sets off a few alarm bells.
The various rituals will take a lot of getting used to, but they do appear to be things he could have picked up on during the virtual hibernation. The battle hymn is something that he likely could not have known, though.
It’s the chain of command that he still struggles with. He may use their god’s name to win them over, but their current leader appears to see right through him. With the way this leader is slinging around his power, especially with being carried around, it’s likely he won’t make it through the season.
Paul falling into a pit, another literal cliffhanger, is a perilous way to end things. Will Mother make it there first, or will Marcus and his group? There’s also the issue of the bag with the mouse dangling some ways away, and you just know Paul’s going to make a break for it and make matters worse.
The most important moment of the episode comes from the conversation at the end of the episode with Campion and Father. Even though he’s an android, there’s a genuine hurt and disappointment in his loss of trust in Campion. It’s a rather quick scene, but Abubakar Salim is so heartfelt.
One thing that could go a long way with this episode, especially since Paul is both Marcus and Sue’s child, is to have him play a more prominent role not only in the turn against Mother and Father, but also in their escape attempt.
He’s mostly on the sidelines other than the flashbacks, there’s not much attention drawn to the fact that he’s their kid. It’s not treated as a secret or as a concern at the homestead, more that he’s just a character that happens to be there. It feels like a missed opportunity.
“Virtual Faith” does a lot right with the human side of the story, especially with the flashbacks, but the children escaping feels like it’s been done far too many times. With monsters and the harsh environment, it seems best to just tough it out with the nice android and the android dealing with some things.
What did you think of this episode of Raised by Wolves? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Raised by Wolves streams Thursdays on HBO Max.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.