Jim 
Alien: Earth
I’ve been an Alien fan since I was first exposed to the franchise in the 80s (thank you, Dad!), and truthfully I’ve bene transfixed with the aesthetics, design, action, world and general lore ever since, throughout all media (films, comics, games etc). Alien: Earth is now fuelling my obsession all the more”
Hearing there’d be an Alien TV series, I feared the worst (my beloved franchise would be ruined forever), however, every franchise has it’s ups and downs (Alien: Resurrection, I’m looking at you), so I’ve been relatively optimistic. As it happens, I needn’t have worried!
Showrunner Noah Hawley has masterfully crafted a series around Ridley Scott‘s source material, and expanded upon it very well, while keeping to the style and atmosphere of what came before.
Although the series probably wouldn’t be as enthralling for newcomers to the franchise, I’d hope either after, or because of watching Alien: Earth, they’d watch the cinematic entries in the world.
What follows is a general review, detailing my feelings/opinions of the series, and I’ll try to keep things as spoiler-lite as humanly possible. I’ll also periodically update this review following each episode (which drops on Wednesdays each week).
The only things I’ll talk about in detail will be information already exposed in the trailer.
Story
From the off, the inaugural episode “Neverland” has a big nostalgia hit, irrevocably linking the series to the iconic 1979 film by Scott, and this is a welcome introduction, if I do say myself!
However, following the initial introduction, the story shifts to centre on Marcie, a child with a terminal disease who has her consciousness transferred to a synthetic, and adopts the name “Wendy” (lots of parallels to Peter Pan throughout, by the way). This cements Wendy’s character as a “Hybrid”.
The other two variants of artificial human are pure “Synthetics” (like Ash, Bishop, David etc), and “Cyborgs”, who are humans with artificial augmentations.
Following several successful procedures to transfer other terminal childrens’ consciousnesses into synths, a Weyland-Yutani deep-space research vessel (the USCSS Maginot) crash-lands due to an escape of multiple alien species (not just the iconic H.R. Geiger-designed xenomorph), and the newly-created hybrids are tasked with rescuing any remaining survivors.
This initially starts as a fairly straightforward storyline, which quickly becomes more convoluted and intricate with each episode. By episode four (which dropped this morning), it’s become a delicate weave of intrigue, corporate espionage, backstabbing and phsycological warfare.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the series so far, and following the initial slow build prior to the ship crash, it’s maintained a constant level of suspense and intrigue. Episode four sees this slow a little bit, in favour of some more “human” backstabbery, but it’s just as entertaining.
At present, my favourite character is Timothy Olyphant’s Kirsch, a synthetic working for Prodigy. He definitely has a few “David-esque” vibes to him, but acts as the patriarch to the “Lost Boys”. However, there’s something semi-sinister (just like David), which becomes more prevalent in episodes three and four.
Style
As I mentioned earlier, Hawley has nailed the aesthetics of Alien: Earth, particularly in the first couple of episodes, which center around the ship crash and survivor rescue.
The Maginot is grimy, claustraphobic, dark and…. wet… but the crash intersects the ship with sections of a building, opening up some of the set-pieces to allow more space, and cleaner sets (until they’re caked in lashings of blood spatter, of course).
The Alien’s presence seems to be largely practical effects, which I’m very thankful for. The close-ups and mouth movements are excellent, and as menacing as always.
What I’m really loving is the presence of the other alien species, some of which are particularly fascinating (as Kirsch comments regularly) in how they attack, gestate and infect/infest their victims. I’m not going to ruin anything, but it’s really fun seeing what the showrunners have come up with.
Soundtrack
This really surprised me – throughout the series so far, the score and soundtrack have been absolutely stellar. Each episode’s score fits perfectly with the on-screen action and atmosphere, and I’m loving it.
However, what I’m really loving is the closing song used at the end of each episode, which features artists like Black Sabbath, Tool, Metallica and Jane’s Addiction, with a song by Nina Simone also used in the first episode.
The inclusion of “popular” music along with the normal thematic score is a great inclusion, and the wind-up to each song as the episode comes to an end just helps to emphasise the events you’re watching, particularly when the beat drops.
I have to admit, it also helps I’m a bit of a metalhead, as when I heard the reverb at the beginning of Stinkfist in episode two I had a massive grin on my face.
Acting
So far I love all the characters we’ve been introduced to, particularly Kirsch, as I mentioned previously. Olyphant’s performance is excellent, and cements my opinion at how underrate an actor he is (I loved him in Scream 2 ffs!).
Kirsch’s detachment and general lack of empathy and emotion is perfect, and reminiscent of David in Prometheus (before he goes completely batshit insane of course), and honestly I’m here for it.
Sydney Chandler’s Wendy/Marcie is masterfully done, and she perfectly depicts the child who had to grow up too fast (as happens when you have younger siblings). Although she has a child-like wonder about her, her determination and grit make for an interesting mix. Plus she’s an absolute badass.
What really surprised me was seeing Adrian Edmondson’s name in the credits, as I didn’t clock him at first (as honestly, I’m used to seeing him portraying Eddie Hitler in “Bottom”, or Vivian in “The Young Ones”), as his role is completely different from his usual comedic fare.
Edmondson is a cold, calculated advisor to Boy Kavalier, the leader of Prodigy (who’s also brilliant, in his own philanthropic/sociopathic way), and although he doesn’t do much in the initial episodes, he gets more interesting with each minute he spends on screen.
The other “Lost Boys” are intiguing in their own way, with the majority of them falling into the child role, however, there are a couple of them who’re getting more interesting; Erana James’ “Curly”, and Lily Newmark’s “Nibs” are definitely ones to keep an eye on.
My current thoughts
So far I’m very impressed with what Alien: Earth has brought to the franchise, and I’m really very excited to see what’s coming. There’s a few ominous events which feel like they’re going to build up to something much larger pretty soon, and I’m hoping we’re going to see Yutani kick off at some point and start a full-on company war.
I’ll be updating this section (and potentially others above) as the series develops and new characters emerge, and again, I’ll try to keep things as spoiler-free as I can. I’ll make sure to post a spoiler warning if I need to explain anything in any immense detail though.
What’re your thoughts on Alien: Earth so far though? Do you agree with what I’ve written above, or do you prefer other characters etc?
Please be warned, I’m not responsible for any spoilers posted in the comments, so read/interact there at your own peril!
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