Who (or What) Is ‘Mother’ on ‘The Boroughs’? The Creature, Explained

What is a monster? That certainly seems to be the question posited by The Boroughs, the new science-fiction series executive-produced by the Duffer Brothers for Netflix. Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Boroughs Episodes 1 through 8.

The series wastes no time introducing us to — and, perhaps more surprisingly, showing us — a pack of spindly, spider-like creatures that crawl through a sewer system below the idyllic Boroughs retirement community and suckle on residents’ cerebrospinal fluid in the night.

After one of those feeding sessions turns deadly for Jack Willard (Bill Pullman), his neighbors Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina), Renee (Geena Davis), Judy Daniels (Alfre Woodard), Art (Clarke Peter), Wally (Denis O’Hare), and security guard Paz (Carlos Miranda) methodically track down the creatures and discover there’s so much more to the story than meets the eye.

The beings, they soon discover, are the “children” of an ancient humanoid called “Mother.” And as harmful as it is for them to be siphoning off old people’s fluids, they’re not doing so for fun. Instead, they’ve been imprisoned by the community’s ageless CEO, Blaine Shaw (Seth Numrich), and his wife, Anneliese (Alice Kremelberg), and trained to do this ritual at night to feed the “Mother,” whose blood has fantastic healing properties that keep its drinkers alive, young, and healthy indefinitely.

As dutiful as her “children” are at keeping her alive, “Mother” is merely a prisoner of the Shaws, doomed to spend eternity as their immortal blood bank. Only, “Mother” isn’t immortal. As her health fails, they lure Wally away from the group and convince him to help restore the health of “Mother” in exchange for access to her blood — an offer he can hardly refuse, of course, because otherwise he’s facing death by terminal cancer.

Related

'The Boroughs' Stars Explain That Ending & Major Cliffhanger

The powers of “Mother” aren’t just physical, though. She also has a form of telepathy and can reach those who are lost in some way. In most cases, the people she connects with can’t help her; they’re usually too afflicted by mental disabilities to do anything about it. However, she is able to reach Sam since his world is “split” due to his overwhelming grief over the loss of his wife, Lily (Jane Kaczmarek). After learning more about her thanks to the Duchess (Mary McDonnell), a mostly catatonic resident who can be awakened with cigarettes, of all things, Sam learns that “Mother” just wants to be free. She wants to die in a cave her “children” have prepared for her. The death of Jack, she reveals, was merely an accident; she means no harm to anyone.

More from this section

Movies and TV shows casting across the US

The Gordon Ramsay effect: How celebrity chef endorsements actually change what we buy

Netflix

The group then works together to sway Wally back to their side, convincing him that longevity is no substitute for sacrificing his soul to the Shaws’ dark side. With some struggle, they are able to return “Mother” to her final resting place, and she explodes in a sea of light while surrounded by her “children.”

So who is the monster, then? Arguably, it’s the Shaws, who’ve found the fountain of youth but squirrel it away for themselves, sacrificing both “Mother” and their residents’ lives for their own well-being. Meanwhile, “Mother” is the one to use her last little bit of strength to save Judy before she dies from injuries caused by the Shaws.

The Boroughs, weekdays, 11a/10c, ABC

More Headlines:

• ‘Today’s Jenna Bush Hager Recalls Crying When Her Dad Decided to Run for President
• ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Train Conductor Groans Loudly After Losing $55,000
• Everything to Know About Stephen Colbert’s Final ‘Late Show’
• Who (or What) Is ‘Mother’ on ‘The Boroughs’? The Creature, Explained
• When Is Hulu Shutting Down? Recent Updates Hint It’s Coming Soon