‘Alien: Earth’ is a tense, dark meditation about what makes us human

by

It’s quite remarkable that it’s been close to 50 years since Sigourney Weaver, portraying Ellen Ripley, blasted the Alien, played by someone in an Alien costume, out into space – a region where, as per “Alien’s” famous tagline, no one can hear your screams. This event has been followed by numerous sequels, prequels, and spin-offs.

Over time, this franchise has consistently maintained an air of sophistication, with acclaimed directors such as Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (famous for “Amélie,” if that name doesn’t resonate) contributing to its development. It boasts impressive casts, excluding the “Alien vs. Predator” spinoff, and is characterized by expensive productions and state-of-the-art special effects. Sigourney Weaver played a significant role in the first four movies, bolstering the franchise with her personal and professional reputation.

The popular Alien franchise has made its debut on television with an eight-episode series titled “Alien: Earth,” premiering on FX and Hulu this Tuesday. The show is largely created, written, and directed by Noah Hawley, known for his successful adaptations of “Fargo” and “Legion.” Similar to “Fargo,” the Alien series maintains the essence of the original while incorporating Hawley’s unique, sometimes quirky style. His work often involves intricate themes, literary allusions, political undertones, and unconventional ideas that may not always be straightforward but demonstrate his creative ambition. Hawley is adept at keeping viewers engaged over an extended series and has delivered another compelling show with Alien: Earth.

Television

Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience with the cast of FX’s ‘Alien: Earth’ at San Diego Comic-Con. Witness them signing autographs, exploring the interactive show exhibits, and much more!

Alien: Earth” presents a consistently grim and unyielding atmosphere, possibly more so than other series. A viewer with a sensitive disposition may want to prepare themselves for eight hours of intense body horror and scarcely alleviated tension, which can take a toll on one’s emotional well-being. Even when the tone seems momentarily lighter in this series, it’s always a prelude to the inevitable. And that inevitability arrives.

A newcomer seldom ascends into the prestigious group of iconic movie monsters such as Frankenstein’s creature, Dracula, the Wolfman, King Kong, Godzilla, and others, but the Alien or Xenomorph, designed by H.R. Giger, certainly belongs in that circle. The Alien is a terrifying big armored lizard with a double-layered mouth, perfect for devouring its prey – it’s a rather messy eater. Over nine films, we’ve grown accustomed to the creature’s tactics, so when a baby Alien emerges from someone’s chest (as famously depicted in the original film), it’s more like “Ah, finally!” instead of “Oh my goodness, did you see that?” In an attempt to maintain freshness and provide new thrills, the TV series introduces a small tentacled eyeball monster, similar to an octopus, which has the ability to turn its hosts into zombies.

The story commences in space, fittingly, on board the commercial spaceship USCSS Maginot. In the future depicted by “Alien: Earth,” with the world transformed into a corporate entity, “United States” may be an outdated term, much like the appendix or democracy today. It’s 2120, on the brink of the events portrayed in “Alien,” and this vessel is owned by the Weyland-Yutani corporation, which governs North and South America. The ship’s name, Maginot, a nod to a notorious French defense strategy from World War I, seems like a witty reference for history enthusiasts, and also appropriate.

The team, nearing the end of a 65-year space mission with individuals kept young through suspended animation, are carrying an exotic alien bestiary back to Earth. As is common in such films, it’s not a spoiler to reveal that only one crew member, a security officer cyborg named Morrow (played by Babou Ceesay), will make it past the first episode, and the ship itself will crash-land in New Siam, a region governed by the Prodigy Corporation and its CEO, young tech tycoon Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin). His character description alone piques curiosity. (“I’m not sure how things work in Bureaucracyville,” he says in a meeting with rival corporate head Yutani, portrayed by Sandra Yi Sencindiver, “but in the future, where I live, we move fast and we make trillions,” and if that doesn’t sound familiar, you’re not paying close enough attention to 2025.) The aliens, unharmed, will take center stage, sparking industrial rivalry and underhanded schemes.

Television

In a new leading role on ‘Resident Alien,’ Alan Tudyk has finally taken center stage, yet he’s consistently garnered acclaim within the genre community, and rightfully so.

In the mix of people, half-people, robots resembling humans, and creatures from outer space, the show “Alien: Earth” introduces a unique type of beings. This new breed serves as the central metaphor or reference for the series, drawing heavily on J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan.” Unlike subtly woven references, this connection is overt and pervasive throughout the screen.

A character named Kavalier transfers the minds of terminally ill children into adult synthetic bodies, creating a blend of human and robot. He appears to see himself as akin to Peter Pan, both sharing an element of self-absorption; he’s even named his secret research island Neverland, reads excerpts from Barrie’s novel, and shows the children a clip from the 1953 Disney film before their transfer. The process itself is handled by a married couple portrayed by Essie Davis and David Rysdahl, who have differing views on family, making it a recurring theme in the series.

Marcy (Sydney Chandler) emphasizes that the story’s main characters initially are children due to their adaptability, as she explains, “Adult minds are too rigid; they can’t embark on this journey yet.” To reinforce her point, she will be portrayed as Wendy, whose new persona resembles a Wendy, while the less intelligent, brave, and competent kids who follow her, some of whom are girls, will be known as the Lost Boys (though there are female Lost Boys too). Their names are Tootles (Kit Young), Nibs (Lily Newmark), Slightly (Adarsh Gourav), Curly (Erana James), and Smee (Jonathan Ajayi). The reason for selecting these specific children isn’t discussed, but the unusual situation of being in adult bodies – a common source of humor – is one of the series’ intriguing elements, even if it’s not fully explored. However, there are also monsters competing for screen time, causing much excitement with their chaos, though they may lack depth as characters since they didn’t ask to be kidnapped.

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but ponder when artificial beings with personalities grace the screen – be they robots, androids, or synthetic individuals. This inevitably leads me to contemplate two intriguing questions: A) What exactly defines humanity, and B) why is being human so extraordinary, after all? These queries serve as the emotional heart of many series, including classics like “Blade Runner,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and “A.I.”

The journey even takes us back to Karel Čapek’s 1920 play “R.U.R.” – a fascinating tidbit as it is the origin of the word robot, derived from the Czech “robota,” meaning “forced labor.” (And yes, they do end up eliminating humans in that story.)

In this production, Alex Lawther portrays Marcy/Wendy’s brother Joe, a military medic, and Timothy Olyphant plays Kirsh, a synthetic individual serving as her guide. Despite being a cynical realist, Kirsh isn’t unkind and provides the series with its comedic element. However, they each hold differing opinions regarding what’s best for Wendy, who is determined to make her own decisions. Olyphant, sporting white-dyed hair and eyebrows for his role, skillfully conveys emotion through minimal facial expressions and delivers humor without resorting to jokes. Clearly, someone needs to bring the laughter in this show.

Read More

2025-08-12 00:01