Raised by Wolves

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Season 1
  • Network: HBO Max
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 3, 2020
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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Critic Reviews

  1. Consequence
    Reviewed by: Clint Worthington
    Sep 3, 2020
    91
    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.
  2. Paste Magazine
    Reviewed by: Jacob Oller
    Sep 2, 2020
    90
    Smart and crunchy rather than sleek and slick, Raised by Wolves won’t be for everyone. It’s tragic, thought-provoking sci-fi that works through its problems rather than relying on big flashy twists. But for those itching for something unabashedly weird and devoted to its own rules, the show won’t disappoint. ... It’s a world built to last and a show built for fans of Scott’s particular brand of imperfect, muscly fence-swings.
  3. Decider
    Reviewed by: Meghan O'Keefe
    Aug 27, 2020
    90
    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.
  5. CNN
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Sep 3, 2020
    80
    Raised by Wolves might be the year's most original series, an audaciously cerebral science-fiction concept that covers so much ground in the premiere it's hard to imagine where the show can ultimately go. Produced by "Blade Runner" and "Alien's" Ridley Scott -- who also directed the first two episodes -- it's uneven in places, but by virtue of its risk-taking joins the alpha tier of the streaming pack.
  6. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Sep 2, 2020
    80
    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.
  7. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    Sep 1, 2020
    80
    “Raised by Wolves,” created by Aaron Guzikowski, is a provocation. And an utterly absorbing one. The storyline is involved, but keeps a viewer off-balance in a good way. It looks great. And Mother, the lethal android “necromancer” with the abundance of maternal instinct, is the most memorable female/female-like space entity since Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in “Alien”—or the alien in “Aliens.”
  8. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Tim Surette
    Aug 27, 2020
    80
    It is a show that pulls you in with its eccentricity, holds you captive with unpredictability, but leaves you unsure of your own thoughts. After checking out the six episodes (of 10 total) that HBO Max sent in advance, I still don't know if it's a masterpiece of modern science-fiction or if it's a messy misfire that we should meme into oblivion. What I do know is that I can't wait to watch more.
  9. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Sep 3, 2020
    70
    Scott’s initial direction sets an elegant tone, and he conjures up some memorable visuals, especially in scenes involving Mother in a weaponized mode. Apart from whatever satisfaction you might derive from chewing on questions of reality and consciousness, religion and freedom from religion, “Raised by Wolves” is a pretty good watch, just on a these-guys-versus-those-guys basis.
  10. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Aug 28, 2020
    70
    Raised By Wolves may be too self-important to qualify as fun, but there's fascination in its visual wonder and mystery. [31 Aug - 13 Sep 2020, p.6]
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  11. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Darren Franich
    Aug 27, 2020
    67
    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.

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020
31
#31 Most Shared TV Season of 2020

User Reviews

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User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 99 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 76 out of 99
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 99
  3. Negative: 11 out of 99
  1. Miuk
    Sep 7, 2020
    0
    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 aFeel 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.… Full Review »
  2. viroodiem
    Sep 5, 2020
    8
    While it definitely has some issues, This is the sort of weird, abstract, yet utterly enthralling in its bizarreness that we get far tooWhile 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.    … Full Review »
  3. Hoplite
    Sep 5, 2020
    10
    Refreshingly creative and original, epic story. Few directors can capture what the future looks like as Scott does, creating worlds we areRefreshingly 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.… Full Review »
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