Raised by Wolves: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 99 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 99 Ratings

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Raised By Wolves

Now Playing: Raised By Wolves

Season Details & Credits

HBO Max | Season Premiere Date: September 3, 2020

Summary: Two androids (Amanda Collin and Abubakar Salim) raise human children on a new planet, but their lives are changed when a ship from Earth arrives in the sci-fi drama created by Aaron Guzikowski.

Genre(s): Drama, Science Fiction

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. The Beginning
Air Date: October 2, 2020
tbd
S1:E10. The Beginning
Air Date: October 2, 2020
tbd
S1:E9. Umbilical
Air Date: September 3, 2020

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Clint Worthington

Sep 3, 2020

Put simply, it’s the purest expression of the classic 1960s science fiction allegories of Clarke, Amisov, and Walter Miller Jr.: show us the inevitable destruction of mankind in the unimaginably far future, and dramatize its last gasps at survival. It may not be for everyone, but if you like your sci-fi more thoughtful than spectacular, Raised by Wolves is ready to scratch that itch. Read full review

Meghan O'Keefe

Aug 27, 2020

Raised by Wolves has the potential to be the first great sci-fi show of the ’20s. Visually stunning, technically marvelous, and trippy as hell, it feels like both a callback to the golden era of sci-fi and a template for what the genre could be in this century. Raised by Wolves is a must-watch for sci-fi devotees and a return to early career form for Sir Ridley Scott. Read full review

Hank Stuever

Sep 2, 2020

A welcome dose of high-quality science fiction. ... Even when “Raised by Wolves” gets bogged down by its frenetic plots and a frigidly brutal vision of what lies ahead, the show seems exactly right about one thing: A whole new world should totally feel like a whole new world — from the untouched grit beneath one’s boots to a complete reordering of right and wrong. That’s the point of breaking free. Read full review

Darren Franich

Aug 27, 2020

I’ve seen six episodes, and worry that the momentum drags. This is the kind of show where two sides fight, and then spend half a season preparing to fight again. The eccentric performances are intriguing, though. Read full review

Rob Owen

Sep 3, 2020

Early episodes offer some intriguing conflicts and points of view to consider. But later in the season – HBO Max made the first six of 10 episodes available for review — the show devolves into a less interesting cat-and-mouse game between the atheistic robots and the religious invaders. Read full review

Melanie McFarland

Sep 4, 2020

The sheer ambition of "Raised By Wolves" and the brand-name visionary behind it may be enough to claim a portion of the audience's fascination for these 10 episodes. Certainly it was enough to draw my interest, and certainly it was a disappointment to struggle to connect with this series over the course of its first six episodes. Read full review

Daniel Fienberg

Aug 27, 2020

It's more than possible that the momentum of that first episode might be enough to carry some viewers — fans of evasive-yet-ponderous hard sci-fi — through the series. I found the next five episodes a study in diminishing returns, the breathtaking aesthetic fading with Scott and Wolski's baton-passing after the second episode and the overall world of the show becoming less and less compelling with each contrived plot point and thinly sketched new character. With nobody and nothing to really care about, I'll probably skip the season's last four episodes. Read full review

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User Score

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7.4

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User Reviews

Hoplite

Sep 5, 2020

Refreshingly creative and original, epic story. Few directors can capture what the future looks like as Scott does, creating worlds we are eager to explore. Terrifying, beautiful, mesmerizing. A story that forces us to experience things we have not yet felt, putting humans in situations thatRefreshingly creative and original, epic story. Few directors can capture what the future looks like as Scott does, creating worlds we are eager to explore. Terrifying, beautiful, mesmerizing. A story that forces us to experience things we have not yet felt, putting humans in situations that will get us to think twice about our existence. I hope Ridley Scott is around to make many many more things for us to watch.… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

guilhermefdias

Sep 6, 2020

Absolutely loving the serie. Everything a sci fi should have, it there plus much more.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

Erezbaron2002

Sep 19, 2020

Best sci fi in a long time highly recommended
Very good story telling very original

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

geewah

Dec 24, 2020

While far from perfect, this was an entertaining season 1.
Ridley Scott's fingerprints are blatantly obvious on this production from it's stylistic look and in it's writing.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

viroodiem

Sep 5, 2020

While it definitely has some issues, This is the sort of weird, abstract, yet utterly enthralling in its bizarreness that we get far too little of and in modern times (2000-present) is virtually extinct.

It is ripe with symbolism, metaphors, and analogies that examine things likeWhile it definitely has some issues, This is the sort of weird, abstract, yet utterly enthralling in its bizarreness that we get far too little of and in modern times (2000-present) is virtually extinct.

It is ripe with symbolism, metaphors, and analogies that examine things like desolation, motherhood, mental health, crumbling identity, science vs theology, and fears of the unknown. At times it has a very grim fairy tale feel to it that hopefully it can infuse much more of as the season progresses.

The visuals are mostly top notch with a few odd weak points, like using Aloe plants in place of alien flora.

The acting has been solid all around. That is impressive considering how many children in the cast and children actors typically being terrible. The secondary children mostly follow that same pattern while Winta McGrath turning in decent performances in the first three released episodes. As for the adults the cast is doing good work to support the narrative. Amanda Collin does a superb job creating Uncanny Valley primarily with unnatural body movement to really differentiate her Android role from anything human. Fimmel is the one most audiences would expect to turn in the best performance but as of the first three episodes he has been mostly adequate. This is likely to change as the season starts to crescendo.

Sound is one area of issue. The soundtrack is very muted and mostly unmemorable. They could have really played up the alienness by putting forth counter intuitive beats and discordant, yet ethereal melodies. There is some of it there like that was what they were going for but you are at a 3 and we need you at 11. OK maybe 8.

All in all the 3 episodes served to take a show that flew completely under my radar (despite being prime target demographic for it) and made it my primary new sci fi show of the year. When I think of Science Fiction, THIS is the kind of unearthly thing that I think of rather than just workplace dramas set in space like recent popular sci fi shows such as The Expanse that make space just another place where humans are.

Now one thing I did find a bit distasteful was the release (though it has little impact on the show itself) . I am not fond of the hybrid style "release 3 episode premier then revert to weekly" model. I get that 2020 slowed production of shows and I hope that this is not signaling a new trend trying to straddle the consumers desire to binge watch shows and the creators desire to stretch out interest to keep viewers engaged. Recent examples such as Altered Carbon show what happens when you take abstract sci fi and leave the audience disengaged for too long as they forget, lose interest and move on. Then the follow up season fails to connect and in turn dooms the series. So it feels like this is an intentional design to try to balance both types. Especially seeings how its the same model that was employed by Amazon the same week with their second season of The Boys.

Truly enjoying the potential the series has at this moment, while still remaining cautiously optimistic because there is a reason WHY this sort of abstract show is not common. All too often they quickly run off the rails into absurdness and audiences quickly lose interest. This production so far looks like it CAN avoid that pit fall, the question is will consequent episodes manage to pull it off, or will it just wander into a nearby lava tube and never be seen again.

EDIT: While fully supporting the series 3 eps in, I would say that for most viewers who are not into abstract sci fi it might be better to wait for the entire season to be complete in order to binge it all. That would make keeping track of the plot substantially easier than digesting meaning and relevance week to week between episodes. While this is the type of show that definitely will benefit from that longer digestion period, its definitely abstract enough that audiences who tune in so that they can mentally tune out might not be willing to pay that much attention and thus not be willing to invest that much time waiting week to week.… Expand

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

bth31383

Sep 3, 2020

Alright, there are (at the time of writing this) only four reviews and this show deserves better than 4.8

I've only seen the first three episodes and if you are familiar with Scott's recent sci-fi work you will recognize a lot of similar themes. The visuals are spectacular and worth it byAlright, there are (at the time of writing this) only four reviews and this show deserves better than 4.8

I've only seen the first three episodes and if you are familiar with Scott's recent sci-fi work you will recognize a lot of similar themes. The visuals are spectacular and worth it by themselves. I am undecided on the story but i will say i am somewhat intrigued. They have me for another episode.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

Miuk

Sep 7, 2020

Feel more fantasy than science, takes you back to star trek hippie idiotic like nonsense from the 50’s and 60’s, didn’t expect to see such a trash production on hbo, what a shame, it’s like going back to cable and browse on cheap network sci-fi.

6 of 16 users found this helpful610

SEE ALL 21 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

68

Series Overview
Season 2

84
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: February 3, 2022
Season 1

64
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E10. The Beginning
  Air Date: October 2, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E10. The Beginning
  Air Date: October 2, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E9. Umbilical
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E9. Umbilical
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E8. Mass
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E8. Mass
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E7. Faces
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E7. Faces
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E6. Lost Paradise
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E6. Lost Paradise
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E5. Infected Memory
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E5. Infected Memory
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E4. Nature's Course
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E4. Nature's Course
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E3. Virtual Faith
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E3. Virtual Faith
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E2. Pentagram
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E2. Pentagram
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E1. Raised by Wolves
  Air Date: September 3, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E1. Raised by Wolves
  Air Date: September 3, 2020