On Raised by Wolves, one of the earliest mysteries surrounding the androids is what happened to their children. On the HBO Max sci-fi series, created by Aaron Guzikowski and produced by Ridley Scott, Earth has been destroyed by a war between the Mithraic and atheists. In the hopes of securing their survival, the atheists dispatch two androids, Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubaker Salim), along with 12 human embryos to Kepler 22-b. The androids' mission is to colonize the planet, but only one child survives, Campion (Winta McGrath).
After landing on Kepler 22-b, Father immediately hooks Mother up to six umbilical cords attached to external wombs. Nine months later, Mother gives "birth" to five healthy babies and one stillborn. After Mother holds the lifeless baby to her body and hums, he begins breathing. They decide to name him Campion after their creator. A brief time jump shows Mother and Father caring for six seemingly healthy toddlers. The androids have also built additional shelters and planted crops to help sustain the family. Campion, who serves as the narrator, describes Mother and Father as selfless parents. They never get tired or lose their temper despite the challenges they face keeping Campion and his siblings alive.
After 12 years on the Kepler-22b, all of Campion's siblings are dead. Having failed to achieve their objective of repopulation, Father wants to send a signal to the Mithraic ship Heaven. The ark is carrying the last of Earth's survivors -- a religious sect who worship a deity known as Sol. Father believes Campion is better off with his kind, but Mother is determined to keep Campion away from delusional religious zealots. Motivated by either maternal instinct or adherence to her programming, Mother deactivates Father. It's the first indicator that Mother isn't quite so benevolent. Mother becomes singularly focused on protecting Campion. When a Mithraic scouting party arrives, one member states that Mother probably killed the other children. Four die from a mystery ailment, and one, Tally, falls into a deep pit. The cause of the Gen-1s deaths appears straightforward. It's Mother's conflict with the Mithraic that plants the seed that she is sabotaging humanity's survival.
The Children All Died From a Sickness
When the Mithraic attempt to take Campion, Mother reveals she's a necromancer, a weapon of mass destruction. She destroys the Mithraic ark sparing only five children who she views as replacements for the ones she lost. During episode 2, "Pentagram," Hunter (Ethan Hazzard) tells Campion his brothers and sisters didn't get sick. He says Mother killed them, and she might not have even realized it. As the Mithraic children begin to fall ill, Campion believes Hunter is right.
It's difficult to reconcile the dichotomy that exists within Mother. She mourns her deceased offspring, holding on to sentimental keepsakes as reminders of them. She criticizes Father for his "strange mimicry of love," but she cries over Campion's lifeless body. She questions if she killed the Gen-1s, which shows a sense of self-awareness and self-doubt. Whether or not she murders the Mithraic because she wants to or because she has to is debatable. Her actions indicate mankind is only worth saving if they value science over religion. Ridley Scott's forte is androids with uncertain or insidious agendas.
During episode 3, "Virtual Faith," Father discovers the four dead children suffered from radiation sickness. The children ate carbos, which contain a radioactive pit. Once the carbos are harvested, the pits break down, contaminating the rest of the "tubor." The Gen-1s were exposed to this radiation early, so it took longer for them to succumb to the radiation. Even if Tally hadn't fallen into the pit, she would have died like the others. The Mithraic children became ill as soon as they were exposed. This revelation proves Mother didn't knowingly kill her children. It also raises the question of how humans can survive, much less flourish on this planet. There's the promise of more forgiving terrain and climate in the tropical zone.
The Mithraic Think They Died Because Mother is a Necromancer
As the Mithraic survivors regroup following the ark's crash, Marcus (Travis Fimmel) is eager to rescue his son Paul and the other children. He tells Ambrose (Steve Wall) the atheists programmed a necromancer to be a caregiver. Like Hunter, Marcus is convinced Mother killed her other children. The man who accused Mother of killing everyone but Campion during episode 1, "Raised by Wolves," didn't know she was a necromancer at the time, so why did he think some low-end model android would commit such an atr0city? The Mithraic view androids as a means to an end: the machines do the dirty work, allowing the Mithraic to remain pure.
Ambrose is skeptical, stating no one has ever successfully reprogrammed one of their necromancers. Because the revelation about the contaminated food doesn't happen until later in the episode, the evidence that Mother poses a threat to the Mithraic children lingers. A necromancer who values life has a purpose that is contradictory to its design. Ambrose's views about Mother are opposed to her own. In the aftermath of her killing spree, she tells Father that she drew on a part of herself she didn't even know existed. It makes sense this side of her is triggered when she encounters anything she perceives to be a threat to Campion and the Mithraic children.
Why Campion Was The Only Child To Survive
Campion has been exposed to the same radiation that sickened the others, so why has he remained healthy? Father tells Campion he's special in a way that neither he nor mother understands. It's unclear how they've drawn this conclusion. Campion lives when the others didn't: a feat made more impressive and mysterious following the radiation sickness revelation. There are also extraordinary circumstances surrounding his birth. Raised by Wolves should address how Campion's body could overcome radiation, but the audience may be expected to accept his survival as dumb luck. Campion's somehow adapted, or he'll develop symptoms in future episodes.
When the Mithraic scouting party first encounters Campion, one of the men mentions "an orphan boy who dwells in an empty land." The disciples of Sol believe this boy will discover the Mithraic Mysteries. Paul speaks to Sue and Marcus about a "Pentagonal Prophecy": an orphan boy who will lead the Mithraic to a city of peace. The storyline is moving towards the Mithraic embracing Campion as their prophet. Like the androids, the Mithraic believe Campion is special. Although so far in the series, he's done nothing to prove it other than survive. Campion does believe in some type of higher power. Sci-fi icon Ridley Scott, a self-professed atheist, would be an unlikely producer for a project that rewards or glorifies Campion for his faith. The first few episodes of Raised by Wolves raise interesting questions, and hopefully, some of the answers will come later in the season.