Giving Noah Hawley the keys to the Xenomorph kingdom is a quick way to grab anyone’s attention. That said, the Alien: Earth trailers haven’t shown an awful lot – apart from the fact that the Xenomorphs arrive on our home planet and do what they do best. It’s a promotional tactic that could backfire, especially among those still on the fence about the show, but give it a shot. This series – along with Alien: Romulus – is the franchise back to its bloody best.
So, how best does one describe Alien: Earth without giving away spoilers? Let’s stick to the basics. Set in 2120, the series’ events take place two years before 1979’s Alien. In this future, the major corporations rule the world, calling the shots and putting technology above humanity (yeah, yeah, it’s already happening, thanks to these maniacal techbros). Disaster strikes when the exploration space vessel USCSS Maginot, which is owned by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, crash-lands into Prodigy Corporation’s building. Resultantly, Prodigy’s CEO Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) sends Wendy (Sydney Chandler), the first synthetic-human hybrid, and a team to the ship to help any possible survivors, but also to get a sneak peek of what’s on board.
That’s about all that can be said right now, because there’s a lot more that happens in Alien: Earth to color in between the lines, as well as to explain certain characters’ relationships with others. Keep your eye on Chandler’s Wendy, who proves to be central to the events of the show. What Hawley and his team do well is to create an intricate web of connected events – much like the showrunner did in Fargo and Legion. Each passing episode provides another piece of the puzzle that makes the story clearer than before. The fifth episode, in particular, holds a lot of answers, so be sure to not skip over that one.
Hawley also demonstrates an impressive understanding of Alien as a concept. While the Xenomorph is considered the perfect organism and an unstoppable killing machine, the real enemy in the franchise is corporations. As demonstrated in previous films, Weyland-Yutani doesn’t give two hoots about the safety of humanity. If it believes it can turn a profit with the Xenomorph, it’ll sacrifice anything to achieve it. Of course, these muppets are “shocked” and “horrified,” when the alien shreds everything and everyone to pieces.
Alien: Earth builds upon this theme by expanding and focusing on the other evil players like Weyland-Yutani. Much like the current gung-ho approach to artificial intelligence, it’s a race to the bottom in the future. None of these companies care about the impact they are having on society, as the narcissists in charge chase personal legacy and profit above all else. Ultimately, the regular individuals – and even the Xenomorphs – become pawns on the chessboard.
Having said that, Alien: Earth isn’t a bunch of execs rubbing their hands in glee and twirling their imaginary mustaches. It’s (chest-)bursting at the seams with Xenomorph mayhem and anxiety-ridden moments. Much like in Alien: Romulus, practical effects triumph over CGI for the most part, as the Xenomorphs live up to their dangerous reputation. The second episode, “Mr. October,” possesses some of the gnarliest kills in Alien history, reminding everyone that these creatures aren’t playing around here.
In an interview with The A.V. Club, Hawley stated that he isn’t out to remake the Alien movie as a television show. “My job, as I have also discovered with Fargo, is to figure out what the original movie makes me feel and why, and then to recreate that feeling for you,” he said. “My hope, without saying too much about the show, is that there’s one thing I do know. And that is why the original movie could never be done again.” After watching six episodes of Alien: Earth, it’s fair to say he achieves this. In terms of the visual and sound design, Hawley and Co. successfully recreate the foreboding atmosphere from yesteryear, but they also explore certain questions that may have not been fully answered before.
A few years ago, you couldn’t blame anyone for thinking that Alien: Earth sounded like an unnecessary addition to the franchise. Now? It’s one of the best parts of it. It’s Xenomorphin’ time!
RELATED: 10 Disturbing Facts About H.R. Giger, the Dark Mind Behind Alien
Alien: Earth |
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When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat. |
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| Creator: Noah Hawley |
| Cast: Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Kit Young, David Rysdahl |
| Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror |
| Number of Seasons: 1 |
| Streaming Service: FX, Hulu |
The Review
Alien: Earth
Alien: Earth proves that this franchise, much like Predator, is back to its best.
Review Breakdown
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Verdict
