‘Alien: Earth’ is Everything an Alien TV Show Should Be

At a Glance: An inspired season of television from beginning to end, Alien: Earth is a canvas where the cast and creatives explore uncomfortable ideas, existential horrors, and new corners of the Alien universe.

When Disney first committed to reviving the Alien franchise, I was as skeptical. Could the House of Mouse really breathe fresh life into a languid franchise, one that is solidly aimed at adult audience?

Then Alien: Romulus debuted and, despite its flaws, it started to build a sense of hope that the franchise might be back on track. With the announcement of Alien: Earth, the first television series in the saga, that excitement once again waned. I expected the type of mostly-filler TV set in Volume-enhanced soundstages that has become the hallmark of the Disney+ library.

Imagine my surprise when the first episode was not just a cheap Alien movie set on Earth, but a meditation on the ship of Theseus with a bunch of children trapped inside synthetic bodies and forced to take on the personas of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. My interest was piqued almost immediately, and it sustained through 8 breathtaking episodes of prestige TV that felt more like an HBO drama than a Disney+ cash grab.

The series takes place in the year 2120, two years before the original Alien film is set, on an Earth that has come under the complete control of 5 all-powerful corporations. The newest of the five is Prodigy, run by the eccentric “boy genius” named Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin). Like Peter Weyland in the Prometheus/Covenant films, Kavalier has an unyielding, narcissistic obsession with immortality (synergistically filtered through the Disney IP, Peter Pan).

His insane solution to the death problem is to develop a system in which he can upload someone’s consciousness into a synthetic body, making them practically immortal. These “Hybrids” as he refers to them are stronger, faster, and more durable than a human – but there’s one catch. This technique does not work on adult minds. Therefore, he tests the process on children – terminally ill children – with disturbing results.

Meanwhile, a Weyland-Yutani ship containing five different species of alien parasites (including our beloved Xenomorphs) crash lands in Prodigy territory. Not one to waste an opportunity, Kavalier acquires the specimens and transports them to his private island, the very same that houses his juvenile Hybrids. What unfolds is a haunting story of identity loss, corporate hubris, and class warfare that satisfies on both an intellectual level and as a thrilling sci-fi/horror nightmare.

It’s impossible to ignore the creativity of showrunner Noah Hawley, who also helmed FX’s Legion and Fargo series. He’s built quite the reputation for taking existing IP and transforming it into prestige TV with innovative new takes and subversive storylines. He manages to seamlessly blend the writing, direction, and production design into a fully-realized experience worth every penny of its production budget.

Of equal note is the cast, particularly Kavalier ‘s band of Hybrid Lost Boys who manage to brilliantly capture the innocence of childhood with authentic displays of curiosity, courage, and kindness. Sydney Chandler’s Wendy/Marcy anchors the series as its protagonist and puts on a performance that is both sympathetic and chilling at times. I could go on gushing about the cast forever, so just know that every single actor brings their A-game in this series.

In all, Alien: Earth is a delightful surprise willing to take risks and delve into some deeply human themes with no easy answers, while still delivering plenty of blood and guts for those looking forward to some Xeno-mayhem.