Alien: Earth - A Wild Ride

Overview

This episode critiques the new series Alien: Earth, exploring its strengths and weaknesses across the first two episodes. While the show initially promises a compelling blend of sci-fi horror, philosophical undertones, and world-building, it quickly devolves into frustrating tropes, poor character decisions, and inconsistent execution.

Notable Quotes

- The first two Alien movies were compelling because the humans were smart and logical... I don’t care about any of the Lost Boys because they’re [idiots]. - On the lack of relatable characters.

- The xenomorph just mindlessly butchers every human it comes into contact with, like Leatherface after several pints of Red Bull. - On the oversimplification of the iconic alien threat.

- Is it going to be a smart and mature sci-fi horror with philosophical undertones or a dumb-as-[hell] slasher action flick with the Alien name plastered over it? - On the show’s conflicting tone.

🛸 The Promise of a Strong Start

- Episode 1 delivers on the franchise’s classic elements: sci-fi horror, corporate conspiracies, gory body horror, and atmospheric visuals.

- The show introduces intriguing philosophical questions about artificial life, human consciousness, and the implications of android technology.

- The production design strikes a balance between the retro-futuristic aesthetic of the original Alien films and modern updates.

🚀 Plot Threads and World-Building

- The first plot thread follows a research ship transporting alien species to Earth, leading to a catastrophic crash in a populated city.

- The second thread explores a billionaire’s experiment to transfer terminally ill children’s consciousness into android bodies, creating a Lost Boys dynamic.

- The show attempts to expand the Alien universe by exploring Earth under corporate rule, showcasing the power dynamics between mega-corporations like Weyland-Yutani.

🤦‍♂️ Episode 2’s Downward Spiral

- Episode 2 abandons the thoughtful setup for predictable chase scenes, over-the-top kills, and illogical character decisions.

- Characters split up in dangerous situations, ignore basic survival instincts, and deliver clunky, exposition-heavy dialogue.

- The Lost Boys concept feels forced, with the children-turned-androids being unrelatable, invulnerable, and irritating.

👾 The Mishandling of the Xenomorph

- The xenomorph, once a symbol of existential horror, is reduced to a mindless killing machine, losing its nuanced menace.

- The show leans on frustrating tropes like humans inexplicably failing to use weapons effectively against the alien threat.

🎭 Cast and Performances

- Timothy Olyphant shines as the android Kersch, delivering an unsettling performance reminiscent of Blade Runner’s Roy Batty.

- Babu Ceesay impresses as the morally ambiguous science officer, while Sydney Chandler balances innocence and determination as Wendy.

- However, the strong cast is undermined by poor writing and inconsistent character development.