Alien Earth has been a long time coming. The Xenomorph on Earth? I am in, but there is so much more to this. This show, just in the first two episodes, recontextualizes the entire Alien franchise. There is so much lore dropped here, and we get to see how the government, or lack thereof actually exists together.
Alien Earth opens by explaining what it has all been about this whole time. Immortality. Why is Weyland so obsessed with the Xenomorphs? Also why are there so many synthetic life forms? It is all because of the obsession with escaping death, for living forever. This is the core plot of this show, and boy is it compelling.
The early scenes in the show are giving us context of how we could become immortal, transporting human consciousness into a synthetic body. The show showcases this in such a good way, it’s like Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. They are children who will never age; they are eternal. We get a look into our main character, Marcy or Wendy depending on the time of the episode, has a ton of character depth. She is curious, and young and scared but also willing to give any risk her dedication. She is saved from death by cancer as a child, by a new participant to the synthetic/evil corporation game, Prodigy.
On the flip side though, we are also following a cyborg working for Weyland-Yutani who is orchestrating a typical and safe Alien plot on a spacecraft that inevitably crash lands on earth. This plot line isn’t actually tackled as much as I had expected, but I kind of love it. The show literally starts almost the same as the original Alien film and it feels like we are going to get another classic Alien story of people trapped on a spaceship, space station, or colony being attacked by Xenomorphs, but then, in a great subversion, we skip ahead. We get to see the aftermath of a Xenomorph escape and the horrifying reality of that beast on Earth. Our android protagonist, or perhaps antagonist would be a better word, is dedicated entirely to bringing the Xenomorph to Weyland-Yutani. This becomes a problem when the ship crashes in one of the cities owned by Prodigy, Weyland’s competitor. We also get a brief lore dump about five companies owning earth, though only two are named the aforementioned Weyland-Yutani corporation and Prodigy.
The show also has some great character writing and moments. Wendy, the new hybrid synthetic and organic girl, is obsessed with her brother who she is never allowed to see again. We also get to see her brother, a medic for the military owned by Prodigy. These aren’t the Weyland related colonial marines we are used to seeing in this franchise, and they are mostly fodder for the beasts inhabiting this spacecraft, which number far more than just Xenomorphs. This show is really showing us this world and its monstrous creatures and I can’t wait to see what other horrors exist within this crashed ship. Wendy’s brother, Hermit, is an aspiring doctor, but is unfortunately trapped in his job as a military medic. This dead end job, forcing him out of his dreams is really sad to see, but also kind of real. So many people lose their lives over things out of their control. The show does a great job though at giving the audience a reason to see these two characters, Wendy and Hermit, reunite. The brother who thinks his sister is dead, and the girl who only wishes to see her brother.
The show balances these character moments and introspection so beautifully with its horrific alien action, however. The Xenomorph, and its new apex predator pals, get a lot of screen time. There is so much action, carnage, and gore to keep lovers of the genre excited and engaged with its story! Both episodes have a ton of action, enough for a full movie in each one individually, but together they tell a great story full of death and destruction. If the show continues like this, it will probably be my second favorite entry in the entire franchise.
That isn’t to say it doesn’t have its flaws, though. While the show is pretty gritty and dirty, it kind of goes “Disney” in a few ways. The main cast of kids to be androids are referred to as the Lost Boys, and that their home is “Neverland.” This is pretty interesting but the show has to really nail it into you by showing clips from the original Disney Peter Pan film. Wendy even directly gets her name from said film. I like the idea of using “Neverland” and the Lost Boys as a core to the immortal children, but it also feels a little forced to remind the audience that Disney now owns the Alien franchise in execution. There is also a bonding moment over Ice Age 4 of all films, it isn’t so bad the first time it’s referenced, but the second time is a little awkward with a strange overlay of Sid the Sloth on Wendy.
Despite those flaws, Alien Earth delivers spectacular heart, a compelling story, huge lore drops, and gore enough for several films to be a completely engrossing addition to the franchise. If your favorite part of Alien has been the world in which it exists in, this is for you. If you love the gore and scary Xenomorph action, this is for you. If you like compelling sci-fi stories about the human condition, this is for you. Alien Earth is masterful sci-fi storytelling at its finest and is for any fan of the genre. Don’t miss out on this amazing series.
