Season Review: Alien: Earth

Welcome back to the blog readers. It suffices to say the Alien (1979-) franchise has been

stagnant since Aliens (1986), but it can be argued that Alien: Romulus (2024) kind of revived the franchise in a way. From the beginning, I was a little unsure of how this show would fare since we really don't get too many horror shows created by people not named Ryan Murphy or Mike Flanagan. Plus, with a franchise as loved and hated as the Alien series, and creator Noah Hawley behind the wheel, I elected to have a little bit of confidence in the show, especially since early reviews for the show were glowing. Would the risk be worth it in the end? Would I believe that the Alien franchise could make a triumphant return when all is said and done? Stick around to find out.

Alien: Earth was created for television by Noah Hawley, who also served as the showrunner for the series. The series featured direction from Hawley in addition to Dana Gonzales and Ugla Hauksdóttir. The series stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Jonathan Ajayi, David Rysdahl, Diêm Camille, Moe Bar-El, Adrian Edmondson, and Timothy Olyphant. In the series, a young hybrid woman and a group of tactical soldiers make a discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's biggest threat when a space vessel collides with Earth.

NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the season.

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As I mentioned in the introductory paragraph, I have not really been able to delve into horror shows due to lack of access and lack of interest in the genre as a whole. But Alien: Romulus really got me on board with a prequel to the original Alien (1979), a film I have not seen and am aware I will get crucified on the internet for not seeing. One day, I will for sure. Hearing all the high acclaim the series was getting from before I watched it, I was prepared to be a bit let down in all honesty. I thought I would not get behind the characters or the television format for a franchise that has only been feature films since '79, but thank goodness I ended up loving this series as much as I did. The performances from Sydney Chandler and Babou Ceesay are star-making, and the story we are given is amazing, even if it does not have the best of finishes.

I want to start by talking about Sydney Chandler. The daughter of "Friday Night Lights (2006-11) boi" Kyle Chandler (who you can next see in next year's Lanterns (2026) show as Hal Jordan), Sydney has not been in too many projects before this series. Yes, she did have a small role in Don't Worry Darling (2022) and she was in such smaller projects like Pistol (2022) and Sugar (2024), but she has never really had the vehicle she needed to break out into the mainstream...until now. What she brings to the character of Wendy is one of the most fascinating things I have seen all year. Since the character is basically the consciousness of a human child in an adult synth body, there has to be multiple levels to the performance Chandler gives. And I think she gives each level with as much grace and as much excellence as I could have ever imagined. There are fleeting moments of childlike innocence in Chandler's performance, such as in the first episode when Wendy is figuring out what she now is, but this is the character that has received the most growth throughout seven episodes of the eight-episode series. She goes from an innocent child to a strong-hearted and steadfast leader and it was such a joy to watch. Some of the moments that really stood out to me in highlighting the growth of the character happen later on in the series, such as when Wendy learns she can communicate with the Xenomorphs in the fourth episode, and this is where the tide begins to turn for the direction this show decides to take; another moment has to be in the seventh episode when she is discussing what it means to be human. Wendy has spent the last bit on this island trying to develop into something more than what she was meant to be, and she does that with a fire and a conviction that I loved seeing, and Chandler's performance being as great as it was really cements Wendy as one of the best characters in television all year.

Notice that I didn't say Wendy was the best character on the show anywhere in that last paragraph? I only said one of the best characters in television this year. The special reservation of best character on this show has to be the character that Babou Ceesay plays named Morrow. Ceesay has been an under-the-radar performer in his native Britain for most of his career, although he did have a minor role in Rogue One (2016), which is the highest-profile thing he has done in his career thus far. But what he brings to Morrow in this show completely stunned me. I did not know who this man was, but I will be following his career with great interest after this. When we first meet Morrow, we believe that he is a one-layered character with no edge and no grit, but that could not be further from the truth. Morrow is an emotionally complex character that Ceesay brings to life so well in this series. There is real doubt that this character portrays, and he pulls this off with such a mastery that I did not look away whenever he was on screen. There is a conviction that he brings that is must-watch. Some of the moments that highlighted Morrow's growth as a character include his conversation with Slightly in the third episode on what it means to be human, his entire arc in the fifth episode when he is figuring out who the saboteur is on the Maginot and reminiscing on his past, and in the sixth episode when he is discussing existence with Kirsh. Because of all of these examples, and the straight fire Ceesay brings to the role, I strongly believe Morrow is the best character in this show and one of the best characters on television all year. Prove me wrong doubters.

I want to spend the rest of this blog by talking about what this series has done for the history of this franchise. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to be able to tell that this nearly 50-year-old franchise had been on some tired wheels over the last two decades, with the last good film in the franchise being Aliens (1986). We have had meandering, stale product, and an unnecessary collaboration with the Predator (1987-) franchise that they are somehow trying to bring back with the upcoming Predator: Badlands (2025). Alien: Earth and Alien: Romulus are bringing prestige back to the Alien franchise, and is making me excited for more films (or series) in the franchise, but I want to talk about the story we have gotten in this series. I want to start by talking about the evolution of the hybrids from children to confident leaders. When we first meet the children that will become the hybrids in the first episode, I did not think they would be a central point to the story. Thankfully, I was wrong because the development these hybrids go through is absolutely stellar. Over seven of the eight episodes, these hybrids evolve into capable and confident leaders that go on their own journeys of self-discovery and growth. I mentioned before the growth that Wendy goes on, but for other synths like Curly and Nibs, they have grown into confident leaders themselves. But Slightly has the most tragic story of any of the Lost Boys by being humiliated, harassed, and tortured by Morrow and forced to basically kill Arthur in order to keep his family alive. But he is able to overcome his demons and become the leader he was meant to be.

In conclusion, Alien: Earth stunned me with its great characters, great performances, great monsters, and a story that puts a fresh coat of paint on a franchise that is rebuilding. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.