Carl Roberts 
“Alien: Earth is what we all hoped for. A return to the horror of the Xenomorph while expanding and opening the franchise up with possibilities.”
It is finally here. THEY are finally here. After forty-six years, the Xenomorph has made its way to Earth. The new series, Alien: Earth, five years in the planning and two years in the making, arrives on Hulu in America and Disney+ on August 12th in the United States and August 13th around the world. Set two years before the events of the original Alien, it stars Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, and Adarsh Gourav. We were lucky enough to attend the European premiere of the first episode in London and got the chance to see what the series contains. But is the series a welcome and enjoyable companion piece to the cinematic franchise? Or does it crash land before leaving the ground?
THE PREMISE
When the space vessel Maginot crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s biggest threat.
THOUGHTS
Franchise fans need not fret. The series fits in brilliantly with the movie franchise. All the elements are there, things we are used to seeing and expect to see are here. There are also elements that are a complete surprise. The franchise has been significantly expanded. From this opening episode, the sandbox is open for more intriguing elements and world-building to be added moving forward. There are more, different Xenomorphs seen here, opening up the possibility of these new Aliens to become a staple of the franchise. Instead of sticking to what’s been done before, creator Noah Hawley has pushed the envelope. Expanding the lore and giving the franchise a shot in the arm of new, fresh blood.
SYDNEY CHANDLER
Sydney Chandler plays Wendy, the first hybrid (a person who has their human consciousness transferred onto a synthetic body). How and why Wendy is a hybrid, I won’t reveal here. The less you know about the series, the better. It needs to be experienced for yourselves without spoilers. The actress brings a childlike innocence to her role, one that resonates from the minute we first meet her. Later in the episode, she shows more adult qualities and a selfless sense of duty. This can be argued to be manipulation on the part of the slimy human CEO of the Prodigy Corporation, Boy Kavalier (played evilly at times by Samuel Blenkin). Either way, Wendy becomes the hero we will follow for the most part throughout the series.
Again, no spoilers abound here, but Wendy becomes the leader of a group of fellow Hybrids that name themselves The Lost Boys. By now, you’ll have guessed that the movie Peter Pan plays a big part in this group’s lives. Sydney Chandler delivers a brilliant performance throughout. We can’t help but adore her childlike qualities at times while marvelling at her resilience in others. But we also see a defiant side to her nature, mainly concerning her brother CJ “Hermit”, a human soldier (Alex Lawther). No matter what she’s told and forbidden to do concerning him, Wendy does it anyway. It feels akin to a child entering their teenage years, which is a perfect way to describe Wendy (you’ll discover why). Sydney Chandler nails it from the first time she appears.
TIMOTHY OLYPHANT
Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh, Wendy’s synthetic mentor and trainer, is equally as good, although he doesn’t play a significant role in this opening episode. But the actor, sporting a dyed blond hairstyle, is never anything less than majestic. His sheer presence manages to elevate the material. His character is a mystery, never showing too much in the way of emotion at times. Who or what he is is open to conjecture. Is he human? Is he a hybrid? Or is he something totally different? We will have to wait for the answer to reveal itself. But for now, we are happy when he appears on screen. His interactions with Sydney Chandler feel like a relationship between mentor and student, just as they are supposed to be. And they come across as warm and heartfelt.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
The main cast is rounded out by Essie Davis as Dame Silvia, a human. Adarsh Gourav as Slightly, a synthetic. Kit Young as Tootles, a synthetic. David Rysdahl as Arthur. Babou Ceesay as Morrow. Jonathan Ajayi as Smee, a synthetic. Erana James as Curly, a synthetic. Lily Newmark as Nibs, a synthetic. Diêm Camille as Siberian, a human soldier, andAdrian Edmondson as Atom Eins. All play their part in this opening episode to varying degrees. Each brings terrific qualities to their roles, allowing us to feel either warmth or cold feelings towards them. Going forward, we must wait to see how they develop, what their roles will entail, and who may not make it to the finale. Some will inevitably fall before the season ends. But it’s a question of whether we will be sad to see them fall, or be pleased they’ve received what they deserve.
WRITING AND DIRECTION
With Alien by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett acting as the basis for the series, and having the advantage of having Ridley Scott as one of the executive producers, Noah Hawley has a leg up from the start. That’s not to say he’s taken on an easy job, far from it. Creating a TV show that has to fit into the franchise mythology while expanding its scope is not something many people could take on. Hawley takes to the franchise like a duck to water. He seamlessly manages to create an Alien series that feels like it belongs within the franchise. And, as I’ve said, he manages to open up the franchise to limitless possibilities and not just concentrate on our favourite Xenomorph.
His set design for the bridge of the Maginot and the interior of the ship feels like we’ve stepped back on board the Nostromo. It is an almost perfect replication of the design. Add in the credits, both opening and ending are exactly the same as the original Alien, and we are in familiar feeling territory. It is a fallacy. From these familiar moments, and the appearance (ok, ONE spoiler!) of the now iconic Xenomorph, we are thrust into something that isn’t familiar to us. And that is a refreshing change. Instead of seeing something we’ve seen many times before, we are presented with something similar but different. And that is to the series’ advantage.
VERDICT
Alien: Earth is what we all hoped for. A return to the horror of the Xenomorph while expanding and opening the franchise up with endless possibilities. This opening episode comes across as a child’s story, a war movie, and an Alien story with a distinctive element from Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. It is scary, gory, violent and contains some strong language. But what would you expect from an Alien Project? Tone it down, and you end up with the original Alien vs. Predator. And we all know how that turned out (Hint: it wasn’t good.) The series does exactly what it needs to: keep us guessing about what’s going on, why certain characters have done what they’ve done, and when the Xenomorph will start spilling blood.
That’s for the next seven episodes to explore. But, for now, we have been given the perfect tonic to quench our thirst for something new with the franchise. It throws us a mystery that we fear we know the answers to, but we could be wrong. The twists and turns the series will take us down could be frightening avenues that we haven’t seen or experienced before. This opening episode promises us that much. With superb performances from Sydney Chandler and Timothy Olyphant to anchor it, Alien: Earth may see the Maginot crash and burn, but the series flies high in the space above us. In space, no one can hear you scream. Here on (Alien) Earth, everyone can hear us whoop and cheer. A brilliant start.
Alien: Earth premieres on Hulu in the United States on August 12th, and the rest of the world on Disney+ on August 13th.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
