ALIEN: EARTH: SEASON ONE
Starring: Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Kit Young, David Rysdahl, Babou Ceesay, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diêm Camille, and Adrian Edmondson
Creator: Noah Hawley
QUENTIN
In case you have the same fear I did — that Alien: Earth would only tease the xenomorphs until the finale — fear not! The titular aliens (and other related creatures) show up in the premiere and make regular and frightening appearances throughout the entire series. On top of that, the biggest compliment I can give is that Earth is very much in line with Ridley Scott’s classic in horror tone, terrific imagery, and compelling characters (Episode Five, especially). Although the plot is sprawling, featuring a lot of moving parts and very dense, slow-burn storytelling that can occasionally lead to pacing issues, every franchise fan should be thrilled.
PAIGE
Creator Noah Hawley does a wonderful job of skillfully crafting a series that fits right in and expands Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise. Though there are some wonky CGI moments and pacing issues, when the show uses practical effects and leans into its themes, it thrives. Alien: Earth combines heady sci-fi ideas with thought-provoking topics that feel so relevant and topical to today’s real world. Packed with strong performances from its ensemble and unique comparisons and references to Peter Pan’s “Neverland,” this series certainly proves that this franchise still has something worth bursting out of the chest for.
ROBERT
When you hear that an established movie IP is being translated to TV, you get nervous. How will that look on the small screen? Well, if you have Noah Hawley at the helm, it works out fantastically. Alien: Earth further expands the lore of the Alien universe by showing creatures beyond the Xenomorphs and fleshing out how long Weyland/Yutani has been trying to monopolize the bioweapon market. Centering the story around corporate jockeying and espionage is timely and thought-provoking, but to have the type of scaled action revolving around it is truly special. While a slow burn, it emanates bright.
