Alien’s franchise has disturbed and astonished audiences for over four decades, from Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror success to James Cameron’s blockbuster follow-up Aliens. Now FX and Hulu have introduced the Xenomorphs to television with Alien: Earth, a striking new series two years before the first film. But does it live up to the legacy or is it merely another corporate money-grab?
A New Spin on Classic Horror
Written by Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion), Alien: Earth delves deeply into the moral and philosophical questions that have long simmered in the shadows of the franchise. In 2120, humanity is a dystopian planet ruled by five giant corporations, one of them the infamous Weyland-Yutani. The game-changing technology? Hybrids human consciousness-transferring artificial entities created by Prodigy Corporation’s whiz kid CEO Boy Kavalier.
The protagonist, Wendy (Sydney Chandler), is an accomplished hybrid, a terminally ill child brought back to life in a near-immortal artificial form. Accompanied by a group of fellow-resurrected kids, Wendy travels through a world of corporate wars, alien hostility, and crisis of identity, mortality, and humanity’s place in the universe.
More Blade Runner Than Aliens?
The critics were swift to suggest that Alien: Earth resembles as much a spin-off of Blade Runner as a prequel to Alien. The series’ focus on synthetic consciousness, artificial intelligence, and creation ethics provides the franchise with a shot in the arm of philosophical gravity. The series was praised by TV critic Alison Herman for tapping into the long-form possibilities of television to explore character development that is beyond the capabilities of the films2.
Rad Simonpillai, another reviewer, cautioned that audiences should not expect the same guttural fright of Alien or the adrenalin buzz of Aliens. Instead, Hawley uses a more cerebral approach, focusing on mood, suspense, and thematic richness over shock-fills.
Nostalgia Meets Innovation
On a visual level, Alien: Earth pays homage to the retro-futurism of the original films. Industrial shipbuilding design, grimy costume details, and unsettling soundscapes recreate the cramped horror of the Nostromo. However, the show constructs new alien life and expands on the lore in unexpected ways too.
Timothy Olyphant and Babou Ceesay shine as artificial beings, adding gravitas to the show’s exploration of artificial life. The dynamic between Wendy and her rebellious brother CJ (Alex Lawther) adds depth, grounding the sci-fi spectacle in human drama.
Verdict: A Bold, Thoughtful Expansion
So, is Alien: Earth a worthwhile addition to the Alien universe? Absolutely if you’re open to a different kind of horror. It’s not a rehash of past glories but a thoughtful expansion that respects the franchise’s roots while carving out new territory. Hawley’s vision is ambitious, unsettling, and deeply relevant in an age of AI and corporate dominance.