THE STORY – When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.
THE CAST – Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay & Erana James
THE TEAM – Noah Hawley (Showrunner, Writer & Director)
This review is only of the series premiere of “Alien: Earth.”
On paper, a Noah Hawley-run “Alien” series sounds like an intriguing collaboration, one that someone like me never would’ve imagined would come to fruition. Hawley, an Emmy-winning showrunner whose work on “Fargo” and “Legion” has catapulted him to become one of the most reliable showrunners on television, gave FX all the confidence they needed to hand the keys to one of the most coveted franchises in pop culture. Ever since the Disney-Fox acquisition, it was only a matter of time before “Alien” found its way to the world of streaming, and with the success of Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus,” the series has sparked renewed interest for a newer generation. Does it live up to the hype? If the rest of the season is anything like the series premiere, then “Alien: Earth” will certainly have longtime fans feeling some type of way despite how well-crafted it is.
In “Alien: Earth,” five corporations vie for societal dominance – Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic, Threshold, and, of course, Weyland-Yutani. Taking place only two years before the original film, the series primarily focuses on Wendy (played by Sydney Chandler), the first-ever hybrid ushered in by Prodigy CEO and wunderkind Boy Kavalier (played by Samuel Blenkin). To Kavalier, she’s only a part in the next step in the evolution of man’s attempt to defy mortality. Wendy, on the other hand, is just happy to see another day above ground. Her story is the catalyst that connects each thread, whether the plot is setting up her desire to reconnect with her living brother, Hermit (played by Alex Lawther), or the fiery Weyland-Yutani ship that’s headed directly to Earth with an unknown cargo that forces these two siblings on a collision course back into one another’s lives.
From the first episode alone, “Alien: Earth” is providing Hawley a sense of scale that’s never been afforded to him. The show’s budget, which even exceeds the massive undertaking pulled off by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks’s “Shogun,” pulls no budgetary stops in the series premiere alone. The costume and production design are top-notch, along with Jeff Russo’s digitized electronic-heavy score, all of which aid Hawley in trying to recreate the feeling that Ridley Scott’s original film created. Even if it means narratively, Hawley is most likely negating what Scott eventually developed with his later entries in the series (“Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant“). It’s a decision that’s sure to ruffle a few feathers, especially for a series aimed at honoring the source material but not accepting it in its totality.
Chandler, who has briefly appeared in series such as “Sugar,” steps into the limelight with ease, as she brings a childlike wonder to Wendy that makes her unqily positioned to be a lead protagonist for this series already filled with unforgettable characters. There’s a sincerity that Chandler can conjure up, only building interest from the viewers in the relationships in Wendy’s life, whether it’s Hermit or her mentor-esque figure, the synthetic Kirsch, played by Timothy Olyphant. While not much of Olyphant appears in the series premiere, he does have a great monologue to end the episode on a good note.
Episode one is purely setting the stage as Hawley plants the seeds for an array of characters with unknown motivations that will undoubtedly run into each other at some point. “Alien: Earth” starts on a tepid note, if not a promising one, that doesn’t do too much to make itself stand out from previous entries in a more engaging manner. If anyone could land the plane, it would be Hawley, so at the very least, he has my attention for the next few episodes.
THE GOOD – A well-crafted entry in the series. Showrunner Noah Hawley does a good job of immersing audiences in this world and creating interesting new characters spotlighted by Sydney Chandler’s work.
THE BAD – Hawley’s decision to negate Ridley Scott’s previous “Alien” films leads the main narrative, which is sure to divide audiences from the first episode alone.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) & Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
THE FINAL SCORE – 6/10
