Giving a glimpse into a surreal alien world, creators Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner have expanded their 2016 short film ‘Scavengers’ with this animated science fiction series. ‘Scavengers Reign’ follows a group of survivors on planet Vesta who lose touch with their command crew after landing. On a mission to establish a human settlement, they simply struggle to survive as they come across mysterious alien creatures. This series highlights the struggles of these characters in the first three episodes, making us wonder what more is in store for them. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Scavengers Reign Episode 1, 2 and 3 Recap
In the first episode, Demeter 227 is missing, and there’s no sign of possible survivors. On planet Vesta, Sam and Ursula have been around for months and have learned how to work with unusual creatures. While some of their parts serve as lights, the others can be turned into ropes! They’re trying to get the Demeter ship to the ground, but there isn’t enough battery. In another pod on a tree, angry Kamen is stuck with no way out. Azi and her robot Levi are trying to create a sustainable life for them on the planet till someone finally rescues them. But something is wrong with Levi, and it has to do with the yellow goo inside him. When Azi faces a threat from some intimidating creatures, Levi steps in and shoots them.
With the help of another creature with psychic abilities, Kamen is freed from the pod but becomes the slave to the creature who wants to control him. Sam and Ursula manage to get the charged battery and finally succeed in bringing Demeter to the ground. In Episode 2, Demeter has landed, but Sam and Ursula are still a few days’ journey away from it. The only problem is that they need to reach it before any dangerous alien creatures do. Azi and Levi have spotted the ship, too, and are headed in its direction. But they’re all forced to find shelter when a deadly storm breaks out.
Kamen seems to be in a trance, always hallucinating about Fiona. Sam and Ursula hide inside a sea creature but are soon attacked by a rogue creature aiming for the kill. It’s about to consume Sam, but Ursula attacks it and saves his life. Episode 3 begins with a creature entering Demeter and finding the crew. Sam and Ursula are lucky to have human company and keep sharing stories. They come across a wall, which Ursula opens with a glowing shell-like object nearby. They’re all trying to approach Demeter, but have plenty of obstacles in front of them.
Scavengers Reign Episode 3 Ending: Why is Kamen Acting Strange?
From the beginning, Kamen is always angry about everything. We learn from flashbacks that his anger can be traced back to his regular human life. His relationship with Fiona is explored extensively through flashbacks and hallucinations, making it clear that he yearns to be with her and regrets how badly he has always treated her. While back home, even the simplest things about the patient and caring Fiona irritated him, he knows now that he would do anything to just sit next to her in silence.
Kamen’s journey on the planet starts off with him being trapped in his pod for months till he comes across a mysterious creature who can influence his mind and take him to his happy place. His memories are now an addiction, and when one of those creatures rescues him from the pod, it’s clear that Fiona is his greatest weakness. Kamen is now a puppet for the creature, and despite his attempts at resistance, the creature knows how useful Kamen can be in helping feed it. The creature also saves Kamen’s life on multiple occasions but has found the perfect prey in Kamen, whose anger, physical strength and mental weakness can be easily used against him.
This is why even if Kamen keeps resisting, it’s very natural for him to fall back to his older patterns, since his need for Fiona is greater than his need for survival. From flashbacks, we also learn that the grumpy Kamen was responsible for fixing a coolant leak, which was probably why their mission was compromised, and they all ended up trapped on the planet. It seems like Kamen’s mental state has a lot to do with guilt and the subsequent anger that comes with it. In a strange land with suspicious creatures, he’s burdened a lot more by guilt, and wants to escape his sad fate. He also feels guilty about asking Fiona to come along with him on the mission as part of the robotics department and is not sure if he’ll ever see her again.
Why Does Ursula Stay Inside the Wall?
In the third episode, Sam is eager to reach the ship urgently before anything from the planet beats them. After many obstacles, they come across a wall that needs to be crossed. Ursula, who is better at spotting solutions, finds something that can open the wall a bit for them to pass through to the other side. They’re off to a good start, but when the wall starts closing again, Sam urges her to run towards the opening. Ursula follows him but gets distracted by a light she spots in the wall. While Sam manages to get out, Ursula voluntarily stays behind to examine the new creature in front of her.
When she touches the source of light, it reveals a flower that emits more light, with a single tiny creature inside with sad eyes, who eventually shrivels away. When she comes out, Sam is frustrated about Ursula not understanding the urgency of the situation. Ursula, on the other hand, feels very differently. She knows what she’s doing and feels like something about that creature drew her to it. She also claims that she sort of had a conversation with it without words. While this seems pointless to Sam, Ursula knows she can easily find her way out with the object she holds.
It’s also clear that the creatures on this planet fascinate Ursula a lot. While Sam keeps panicking, Ursula is the curious cat who goes around figuring out the best solutions to their problems. It feels convincing when she suggests to Sam that she can take care of herself, since it feels like she’s more interested in uncovering the secrets of the strange land. Ursula is aware of the dangers of the planet, but everything around also fascinates her. She’s an explorer and views their time on this planet as an opportunity. The look of wonder on her face when she looks at some creatures also confirms this.
Will Sam Survive?
At the end of the third episode, a creature they saw earlier drags Sam inside and possibly up a huge tree with an opening. There’s no clear path visible, and Ursula tries her best to run after him, but falls herself and loses sight of Sam. This happens moments after Sam and Ursula get into a huge fight, where the angry Sam feels she’s being irresponsible for abandoning him and not sticking around together. Ursula also loses her cool for the first time and says something that truly hurts Sam. After Sam confesses that he needs her around to survive this, Ursula angrily answers that she can do it on her own.
Ursula never meant to be so mean, but Sam is already hurt, and she loses him to a creature in a few moments after that. While it’s not clear what will happen after this point, Ursula is very likely to find Sam and rescue him on time. Throughout their journey, whenever Sam has been in a critical condition, Ursula has stepped up with her presence of mind and problem-solving skills to save him. This situation is arguably much more uncertain, but with the only path leading inside the tree and Ursula’s ability to be perceptive and creative, she seems quite capable of finding Sam on her own, especially since he depends on her a lot, and she cares deeply for him.
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