FX’s Alien: Earth Is the Best Thing to Happen to the Franchise Since Aliens

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A spacecraft racing through the universe. A fearless female protagonist. The crew, equipped with weapons, cautiously moving through narrow, tense corridors where danger might be waiting at every turn. An intimidating alien that resembles a large, armored scorpion in fetish attire and secretes corrosive acid similar to infected mucus. The ominous drip of alien saliva hanging overhead.

The distinctive features of the Alien series, found throughout its seven main movies (and two additional Alien vs. Predator spin-offs), continue to be present, with the fearsome Xenomorphs returning to our screens every few decades since the first installment was released in 1979. However, Alien has always been a flexible concept. In 1986, James Cameron built upon Ridley Scott’s chilling space horror with Aliens, an action-packed film tailored for a period of maximalism. Instead of the solitary struggle for survival by character Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), we witness a military campaign to eliminate aliens that are terrorizing a human settlement; Cameron populates the screen with confident Marines, sleek space vehicles, and a lovable orphan who sees in Ripley a nurturing figure. Both films are highly regarded within their respective genres.

Following features haven’t fared quite as well in terms of success. In the ’90s, filmmakers like David Fincher (Alien 3) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Alien Resurrection), working from a script by Joss Whedon, struggled to effectively manage the franchise. Even Ridley Scott’s intriguing but complex origin stories from the 2010s and Alien: Romulus from 2024 (with a sequel on the way) have failed to shake the feeling that the series’ golden age was over 39 years ago.

Given its precedent, FX’s exceptional series Alien: Earth, a prequel to Scott’s film and the first live-action Alien series, is truly impressive. Yet, it’s not entirely unexpected. With successful small-screen adaptations like the Coen brothers’ masterpiece Fargo and Marvel’s Legion under his control, its creator, Noah Hawley, has earned a reputation for breathing new life into challenging intellectual properties. These series are driven by a deep understanding of what keeps a story from decades past relevant today. In the case of Earth, debuting on August 12, themes such as artificial intelligence and corporate dominance offer plenty of material for thought-provoking sci-fi horror that resonates with the anxieties of 2025.

In the year 2120, two years prior to Scott’s Alien, the movie Earth commences with two intertwined narratives. In the cosmos, the crew aboard the Maginot, ominously reminiscent of France’s costly yet fruitless World War II defense, emerges from prolonged cryogenic sleep in anticipation of their journey back to Earth. Their valuable cargo, destined for the franchise’s infamous megacorp, Weyland-Yutani, consists of a diverse array of new lifeforms, among which are striking eggs that resemble those from previous stories. As expected, events take an unexpected turn and the creatures slaughter everyone except the ruthless security officer Morrow (portrayed by Babou Ceesay), who is a cyborg. Simultaneously, on an island known as Neverland, prodigious billionaire Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) is employing covert technology he invented to transfer the minds of terminally ill children into artificial, superhuman, theoretically immortal humanoid forms. The inaugural of these hybrids, our stand-in for Ripley, names herself Wendy (played by Sydney Chandler); in line with the Peter Pan motif, the kids she guides through this process will be christened after Lost Boys.

In this storyline, the Maginot line of technology crashes onto a city governed by Kavalier’s innovative firm, Prodigy, causing chaos and destruction. The event, aside from its human toll, also triggers both geopolitical and commercial repercussions. For those who recall the ’90s, there might be a fleeting reminder of an AOL alternative bearing the same name. Set in our timeline, the universe is dominated by a fragile alliance among five colossal corporations, with Yutani and Prodigy being two of them. Their competition in the quest for immortality will shape the destiny of the cosmos. Prodigy, a 22nd-century game-changer like Uber or Airbnb, is heavily invested in hybrid technologies. Meanwhile, Yutani could be exploiting the wildlife on distant planets in search of eternal life’s secret.

In this setup, Hawley aims to recreate the familiar ambiance cherished by Alien enthusiasts: narrow passageways, sudden frightening encounters, disgusting creatures, even the alien’s dripping saliva. The aesthetic aspect has always been crucial to the franchise, notably in Scott’s films; the cybergoth artist H.R. Giger played a significant role in designing the visual style, particularly for the original Xenomorph itself. Earth shares similar dark visuals and terrifying creatures, many of which are new to the series. The sound design is equally chilling, effectively capturing sounds like the squelch of a scalpel cutting through alien flesh. However, after an engaging opening half of the premiere, excessive slow-paced action and horror sequences almost halt the progression of the storyline and character development until Episode 3.

The fourth episode unveils some fascinating truths. It’s captivating in its portrayal of a conflict between two ruthless corporations vying for dominance over Earth, while simultaneously delving into the unique perspectives of Wendy and the Lost Boys-individuals who appear adult but perceive the world as children. Their physical and mental enhancements give them an almost robot-like quality, yet their emotional expressions hint at childish innocence. Kavalier, now a grown man, posits that their genius lies in their youth, suggesting they have unlimited imaginative potential. The creators of these beings, Arthur (David Rhysdahl) and Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis), worry about whether they’ve made a grave mistake by merging child minds with synthetic bodies, fearing they may have unleashed artificial intelligences that believe themselves to be human. If their concerns are validated, it could mean a horde of AIs roaming free, thinking they’re human. This episode, much like a spaceship escaping to the safety of its home solar system, is firing on all cylinders: narrative, stylistic, psychological, philosophical.

In a recent conversation, I found myself echoing Hawley’s thoughts: Science fiction, to me, is primarily about one essential query – whether we, humans, truly deserve to endure. This question resonates profoundly in narratives of first contact or venturing into space and encountering beings that surpass us in intelligence or superiority in destructive power.

The global phenomenon, The Three-Body Problem, by Chinese author Cixin Liu, is a testament to this, having captured the imagination of millions worldwide, even being adapted into an English-language series on Netflix last year. Even the latest Superman film hints at the possibility that our troubled species could benefit from an extraterrestrial genetic upgrade.

As the environmental crisis intensifies, as the toll of lives continues in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, as authoritarianism gains traction, it’s not hard to understand why creators are presenting the idea of extraterrestrials eradicating or transforming humanity as a potential boon for Earth, if not the universe.

On Earth, Hawley’s critique of hypercapitalism and ambiguous attitude towards artificial intelligence is manifested. The ruling body, known as The Five, wields unfettered financial and legal authority over Earth’s inhabitants. When Wendy’s human brother Hermit (Alex Lawther), a high-ranking technical officer and medic for Prodigy, requests to be released from his contract so he can pursue his dream of medical school, a mechanical arbitrator dispassionately denies his plea. This scene, developed before Donald Trump’s second term but filled with relevance regarding Elon Musk’s time there, portrays the chilling possibilities of AI reinforcing corporate dominance, stripping humanity of its essence.

To clarify, you might be wondering about the connection between aliens and AI in this context. Interestingly, the word ‘alien’ contains ‘AI’. Androids have always been part of the franchise, but the unease surrounding human-synthetic hybrids is a more recent development. In the show, the themes between these two entities are more intertwined than before. Both are highly intelligent and present lethal, existential threats to humanity, which we, in essence, have brought upon ourselves. Although one is a creation of humankind and the other originates from another planet, neither would’ve been dangerous if not for the reckless actions of tech magnates releasing them from the Pandora’s box of technological advancement. Scenes depicting aliens controlling their captors with ease are some of the subtlest yet chilling moments in the series. Given this, it is not surprising that Wendy, who initially seeks Hermit, begins to question whether she might find a stronger connection with the lab subjects instead.

In this rephrased version, let’s consider extraterrestrial beings as a reflection and metaphor for artificial intelligence, drawing parallels with the ruthless and self-serving Weyland-Yutani employee from the film “Aliens,” portrayed by Paul Reiser, who embodies the ’80s yuppie stereotype. By doing so, the series “Earth” preserves the franchise’s signature themes while also enriching and modernizing its conceptual scope. Showrunner Hawley describes his approach to exploring “the darker aspects of human nature, particularly our capacity for harming one another,” as a form of “moral horror” that lies beneath the “physical or creature horror.” Although the traditional horror elements, such as the recurring theme of alien pregnancies, are still present and reinvented, it’s the moral horror that elevates “Earth” above just another bloody space battle. The season’s best episodes could even be viewed as standalone “Alien” films, but it’s the profound exploration of humanity’s flaws that sets “Earth” apart.

In a comparable fashion, Hawley utilized a similar strategy with shows like Legion and Fargo. The former, featuring a seemingly schizophrenic superhero, served as a vibrant psychedelic lens through which it explored the rapidly changing cultural discourse on mental health. Particularly, Fargo, a witty, dark comedy crime series set in the snowy Midwest, much like the film, skillfully employed the Coens’ good-vs.-evil narrative to engage with sensitive topics such as gender and race. Hawley demonstrates great faith in the audience’s cognitive abilities and resilience. Although this method may occasionally border on self-indulgence, as seen in the enigmatic later episodes of Legion or the deliberate pace of some Fargo storylines, generally it is invigorating to witness television that respects its viewers’ maturity. In an era where many streaming platforms adjust their content to prevent confusing viewers engrossed in their phones, it’s a breath of fresh air to enjoy TV that acknowledges adults as intelligent viewers.

As a devoted fan, I find the most chilling scene in Fargo’s third season, crafted during the 2016 election period, to be when good and evil stand off, locked in an eternal struggle. It feels as if this season is holding up a mirror to our current reality, yet we’re left guessing about its outcome. When it was first aired, Noah Hawley remarked that the show might serve as a reflection of our time, but we don’t know how it ends. If Fargo hints at his moralistic leanings, teetering between hope and despair regarding whether humanity will triumph, Alien: Earth solidifies this notion. In this tense standoff where people face off against corporations, AI, and extraterrestrials, the human eye, with its permeable nature, truly faces some formidable competition.

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2025-08-05 17:06