In Lovecraft Country season 1, episode 2, "Whitey's On The Moon", it was revealed that the "Sons Of Adam" play a large role in the beasts of Devon County and the lineage of Atticus Freeman. Mixing creature features with esoteric practices of alchemy, the series captures the dangers of the secret order as well as what the travelers will have to their advantage (or disadvantage) throughout its entirety. As important as the Sons Of Adam are, "Whitey's On The Moon" introduced various elements of the organization that necessitate an explanation.
Lovecraft Country follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), his childhood friend Letitia "Leti" Lewis (Jurnee Smollett), and his uncle George Freeman (Courtney B. Vance) travelling to Devon County in search for his father, Montrose Freeman (Michael K. Williams). The series is one of the many cinematic adaptations that are based on the works of the notoriously racist H. P. Lovecraft. His contributions to the horror genre have been essential in popularizing supernatural and absurd characters such as Herbert West in Re-Animator. In 2020, Lovecraftian horror started to appear much more frequently, such as with Cthulhu featured in Underwater. While Lovecraft gained notable popularity with symbols of horror such as the Necronomicon and Cthulhu, no director has taken the opportunity to expand on his writings of alchemists until Lovecraft Country.
When Lovecraft was in his late teens, he wrote the short story titled "The Alchemist". It follows the lineage of Count Antoine and the curse placed on his family which results in their deaths at the early age of 32. In order to rid themselves of the curse, they must conjure or create the elixir of life. This story undoubtedly contributed to the structure and goals of the Sons Of Adam.
The Sons Of Adam Explained
In "Whitey's On The Moon", Atticus, Letitia, and George find themselves as guests of Samuel Braithwhite's home with no explanation as to why. They quickly discover that he is the leader of a patriarchal alchemist order known as the Sons Of Adam. Once the trio discover that Atticus shares a direct bloodline to their founder and sole descendant, it is revealed that he is the "son of all sons" who can order the entire group to do whatever he demands. Even bigger than that, he is the only person who can open the garden of Eden and find immortality. This can be viewed as Samuel's attempt to find an elixir for eternal life, similar to Count Antoine did in "The Alchemist". Unlike the Count, he cannot do it alone or without a direct descendant of Titus Braithwhite. This makes Atticus one of the rarest individuals in the world, with such strong powers in the realm of alchemy that he could bring upon their destruction in later episodes.
There is no explanation as to why The Sons of Adam wish to obtain immortality, but it is possible that it is due to the fact that they want to retain their powerful status. The Sons Of Adam want to stand at the highest point of power in society. They even create and nurture the Lovecraftian creatures that dwell within the woods of Devon County. While the episode saw Samuel reach an extraordinarily chaotic end, Atticus, Letitia, and Montrose made it out of the mansion alive. It is unknown if there are survivors of the Sons Of Adam.
If showrunners intend to follow the plot of "The Alchemist", it's only a matter of time before the gates open. The trailer for Lovecraft Country also alluded to an adventure similar to the one depicted in "The Alchemist". As there are multiple chapters across the country, the Sons Of Adam will likely return somehow and expand the existing mythos. Now that Atticus knows of his own alchemist abilities, he may be a much bigger threat to them in the future.