New coverage highlights how HBO Max's "Raised by Wolves" combines the epic scale of "Dune" with the character-driven storytelling of "The Lord of the Rings," a comparison the outlet argues has been underappreciated. The two-season series, executive produced and partly directed by Ridley Scott, follows two androids, Mother and Father, tasked with raising human children on the planet Kepler-22b after a religious war destroys Earth, and is praised for drawing on themes from Scott's earlier science-fiction films.

The report details how the series echoes "Blade Runner" through Mother and Father's struggle to outgrow their programming, and "Alien" via their android biology and encounters with hostile alien lifeforms. Its central theme, however, is belief: the Mithraic religious order that caused Earth's destruction contrasts with Marcus, a former atheist who comes to believe he is fulfilling the will of the god Sol, leading him to commit violent acts. Series creator Aaron Guzikowski and Scott are credited with exploring both the noble and destructive potential of faith, a quality the article says makes the show more compelling despite its short run.