When the idea was first floated of bringing the iconic Alien franchise to TV, many were skeptical. Films such as Ridley Scott’s 1979 original and James Cameron’s 1986 sequel are all-time classics. Follow-ups, like David Fincher’s 1992 film and Scott’s 2012 return, were also noteworthy for their own reasons. Alien just felt like a franchise that had been very well-explored already and could only be damaged in translation to a different medium.
Well, I am elated to report that any skeptics, myself included, were beyond wrong. Alien: Earth is not just a worthy addition to the Alien franchise; it’s the best thing that’s happened to it since James Cameron’s Aliens. The show is an imaginative, surprising, and fascinating evolution of the franchise in every single way. Creator Noah Hawley somehow found a perfect balance of everything we know and love about Alien, combined it with new, wild perspectives on those preconceptions, and then centered it around an emotional, riveting human tale. Alien: Earth is an excellent show that is both worthy of the Alien franchise and also makes the entire thing immeasurably more interesting. The Alien franchise is better today than it was yesterday thanks to Alien: Earth.
io9 saw six of season one’s eight total episodes, and after watching them, we are extremely confident those final two won’t change any of this. The story is too rich, the twists and turns too fun, and the scares too perfect to get messed up. We can’t wait to see where it all goes and to explore everything about it, all season long.
Set three years before the events of the first Alien, the inciting incident of Alien: Earth is when a Weyland-Yutani ship, the USS Maginot, crashes into a city run by a corporation called Prodigy. While all the Alien movies have had their plots based on some kind of Earth story, we never actually saw what was happening on Earth, and this show takes that concept and runs with it. On the show, Earth is run by five mega corporations, two of which are Weyland-Yutani and Prodigy, and when the Weyland-Yutani ship crashes in Prodigy territory, all bets are off.
That’s especially true because the Maginot is not a normal ship. It’s a deep space research vessel that has been away for 65 years collecting alien creatures to bring back to Earth for study. One of those, of course, is the xenomorph. But there are others too, some of which are even grosser and creepier. And, if you’ve seen an Alien movie, we bet you can figure out how a ship full of killer creatures ended up crashing into Earth instead of landing safely. (Which the show at first teases, and later explores in an episode that’s akin to its own Alien movie.)
All of this, however, is merely set dressing for the main story of Alien: Earth. That’s the story of Wendy (Sydney Chandler), a hybrid person created by Prodigy. Prodigy, and the other companies, are in a race to figure out immortality, and Prodigy has innovated technology that transfers the consciousness and memories of a child into a superior, mechanic body. Wendy is the first, but she’s followed by others, and their childlike wonder and curiosity factor into them being sent to the Maginot crash to aid in the rescue efforts. That Wendy’s brother Hermit (Alex Lawther from Andor) is there is also a big part of it, especially since he thinks his sister is dead.
And while that super compelling story of cyborgs, hybrids, and immortality is always present, Alien: Earth never loses sight of the fact it’s an Alien show. The xenomorph, and the other creatures, are slightly tangential at the start but very quickly become crucial to the plot. That, in turn, then leads to lots and lots of scary, bloody, Alien-worthy scenes. Also, by having aliens actually make it back to Earth, we get to see almost an Alien fan’s fantasy of what these companies would actually do if these creatures were returned safely. Everything in the movies was always just about Weyland-Yutani getting a xenomorph back to Earth, but it never happened. Here, we learn it has happened, and those stories are some of the most satisfying, shocking, and awesome moments in the series. Alien: Earth might technically be a prequel to the movies, but it delivers in ways the movies never do.
As this is all happening, Hawley also makes sure every inch of every frame screams “Alien.” Wires are exploding from everywhere. Chains with hooks hang down from the ceilings. Plenty of blinking monitors and broken crates illuminate spaces. Everything has this almost gooey, gross feeling about it. That even extends to the characters, such as the head of Prodigy Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin), a “boy genius” trillionaire who sees major opportunities when the Maginot crashes into his city. There’s also Kavalier’s synthetic sidekick Kirsch, played by Timothy Olyphant, who is supposed to be trustworthy but always has that whiff of something being wrong with him. We are constantly on our toes around these slimy characters, and it adds even more drama and mystery.
The heart of the show, though, once you get past the xenomorphs, is Wendy. Putting this superheroic robot, who has the mind and demeanor of a child, at the center of the action adds an extremely unique and profound feel to the whole show. She’s loveable, she’s sweet, she can rip your head off in two seconds, and she can jump off cliffs without a scratch. As we watch her struggle with her new body, her emotions, her past, and eventually these creatures, we’re watching not just this fascinating, layered character; we’re watching a megastar be born in Chandler. She’s incredible.
Alien: Earth is incredible too. It took this self-proclaimed, lifelong Alien super fan on a ride unlike anything I’d been on in years. I was left completely entertained, wholly engaged, and desperate to learn more about everything in this world. There are scares, surprises, and a story that keeps you wanting more and more. Best of all, all of it can, and will, be derailed at any time by a well-placed Facehugger, a Chestburster, or one of those giant, acid-for-blood monsters.
Alien: Earth debuts with a two-part premiere on August 12 on FX and will continue throughout the summer. Don’t miss it.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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