I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been this excited about the Alien franchise and that’s why I want everyone to watch this show.
I got to watch the first part of Alien: Earth, and it blew my mind. It took everything we love about the franchise and gave us more of that, while also presenting a completely new story. It retcons some previously established lore, which might upset some fans, but to them I say: view this as a standalone series.
The show starts like most Alien movies, with a team waking up from a long slumber and carrying some alien species, and quickly, things go wrong. The franchise also finally shows us Earth, which is likely where the series got its name. Earth is the main setting, but it still feels like classic outer space sci-fi.
The story is essentially a battle between two corporations, while aliens and humans come into contact. The show is set in 2120, two years before the events of the first film, and it follows Wendy and a group of other hybrids. They are people whose consciousness has been transferred into the bodies of synthetics, all done by a new company called Prodigy.
At the start of the series, a Weyland-Yutani ship, the USCSS Maginot, crashes to Earth into a building owned by Prodigy. Boy Kavalier sends in an extraction team to retrieve the alien specimens, but things aren’t as easy as they expect. A Weyland-Yutani cyborg tries to recover the specimens, while the hybrids try to adjust to their new lives.
That’s all I can say without giving away too much. The show is phenomenal in my opinion. I was captivated by the characters, the setting, the story, the horror, and the action from the start. It feels like a combination of the first three films with the special effects of Alien: Romulus.
Let’s talk about the story first (spoiler alert), most of the hybrids are children in adult synthetic bodies. It definitely adds to the narrative that a bunch of kids are now caught in the middle of this adult war. They’re still figuring out who they are, while fighting aliens and corporate greed.
The story is once again a tale of capitalism at its worst, while exploring the lives of those on the ground. I was immediately drawn in by the great writing, and it adds more depth to the franchise’s universe. I know some of the new world-building elements might get hate, but I personally like the expansion.
The show is also visually stunning, with some of the best set-pieces in the Alien franchise. And you better believe there are some great horror moments. It builds on what Romulus did, bringing the Alien series back to its horror roots—while still feeling like a sci-fi adventure.
There’s a lot to love and appreciate about the show, but for newcomers, it might be a little confusing at first. The story also drags a bit at the beginning, but each episode has its high-octane moments. I’m excited to watch more and to share more as the series progresses. Alien: Earth is fantastic, and my rating might just go up by the end of the season.
The show was created by Noah Hawley and stars Sydney Chandler as Wendy, Alex Lawther as Boy Kavalier, Timothy Olyphant as Commander Aziel, and Alex Lawther as CJ “Hermit”.
The show will premiere on Disney Plus on 13 August.
