Created by Aaron Guzikowski, “Raised by Wolves” is a sci-fi drama series that explores faith, human nature and the definition of sentience in a harsh, alien setting. In “Raised by Wolves”, Earth has become habitable due to a war between atheists and followers of the Mithraic faith. After losing the war, the atheists send two androids, Father and Mother, to Kepler-22b with six embryos, hoping that humanity will have a fresh start there. But things get more complicated as Mithraics and other atheists arrive on the planet. Paul (Felix Jamieson) is a Mithraic child whose parents are murdered by atheist imposters. Along with four other Mithraic children, he is taken to Kepler-22b by Mother after she destroys the Mithraic Ark.
Of the six embryos, only one survived: Campion. Paul and Campion grow closer over the course of the series. Along with the other Mithraic children, Paul comes to accept the father and mother as parental figures, especially after learning what happened to his real parents. In Season 2, Paul becomes collateral damage in the ongoing war between Atheists and Mithraics. If you’re wondering if he survives, we’ve got you covered. FRONT SPOILERS.
Does Paul die?
Paul never loses faith despite living among atheist-made androids and later in the atheist colony called the Collective. He develops a complex relationship with Sue/Mary and Marcus/Caleb, the imposters who killed his parents. In Season 2, her relationship with Sue becomes increasingly antagonistic as she clings to her atheist beliefs. However, as Marcus goes through a drastic faith transition, Paul comes to forgive him. Also, they both hear what they believe to be Sol’s voice, which also brings them closer.
In Season 2 Episode 4, titled “Control”, the Trust, the quantum computer at the head of the Collective, attacks the remnants of Mithraic faith with a bio-bomb implanted in Paul’s mouse. After learning what happened, Mother takes Paul from Marcus with her necromancer eyes, returns to the Collective, and closes the Trust. Paul is placed in Sue’s care. Sue is a doctor and probably Paul’s best chance for survival. Despite Paul’s recent behavior, she hasn’t stopped loving him. The problem is that there is no antidote to Paul’s condition, as the Trust tells Mother. So if Paul survives, something remarkable, even by the “Raised by Wolves” standard, must happen.
Right after being exposed to the bio-bomb, Paul’s pupils turn into slits. His body is covered with an organic layer, which later becomes a cocoon. It is possible that he undergoes a metamorphosis inside of it and could emerge as a snake or even a distraught human. Given that Sue’s interactions with the herbivorous snake have become a major plot element in Season 2, the chances of the premiere seem greater. And if Paul becomes a snake, it will open up several interesting new narrative avenues. Her friendship with Campion can be explored in a different context after her transformation, as can her relationship with Sue and Marcus.
Paul’s greatest chance of survival as a human probably rests with his mother. Marcus is unaffected by the bio-bomb due to the necromancer’s eyes. Now Mother has them back. If Paul heals, these eyes will most likely play an important role.
Read more: Who is Decima in Raised by Wolves?
