Alien Earth – Episode 4 Review 'Observation Review'

The series slams on the brakes with its latest entry, Observation.

We rejoin Wendy (Sydney Chandler) as she wakes after collapsing in the previous episode. Around her, Hermit (Alex Lawther) and the facility staff examine her closely, discussing the incident and planning their next move. These opening minutes are entertaining to say the least, and I loved them. Wendy soon discovers she can communicate with the Xenomorphs, chittering like a cat spotting a bird. This adds a whole new level of intrigue to the series. Could this be leading to the first Xenomorph Queen we've seen in over 20 years? I can't help but think so — especially with Weyland-Yutani set to appear in Predator: Badlands (2025), possibly teasing a clash of the heavyweights.

Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) is fantastic this episode, with a performance reminiscent of L (Death Note). He's weird, sporadic, and dangerous, but in a way that makes sense - his concern over who controls the specimens feels less about greed and more about fear of what might happen if he doesn't.

Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) and Morrow (Babou Ceesay) blur the line between villain and sadist, once again proving that androids are a terrible choice of companion in this universe. Both bring authority to every scene. Morrow is the more unpredictable of the two, relentless in his mission to recapture his specimens (and, frankly, banned from every child-related event worldwide at this point). Kirsh, on the other hand, uses calm menace to create a lingering sense of danger. The way he interacts with others feels like foreshadowing - will he pull a David (Prometheus) and sacrifice the crew for his own experiments?

The "eye alien" is both awesome and eye-wateringly creepy. It's weirdly cute - the kind of thing I'd want to keep in a tank like a bearded dragon - but also horrific, as shown by the fate of the sheep it burrows into. Its strangeness makes it a compelling predator, and if it breaks containment, the chaos it causes will be one to watch. It's no wonder Nibs (Lily Newmark) is traumatised by it.

Speaking of Nibs, she remains one of the most unsettling and compelling characters. Her creepy "pregnancy" comment was deeply disturbing, and her outburst at Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis) was surreal. Both performances in that scene were excellent and felt brutally real. Nibs continues to stand out, but given the trajectory, I wouldn't be surprised if she meets a grisly end before long.

Across the board, the performances remain superb - authentic and convincing, making the audience genuinely care about these characters. The series has now taken on a tone reminiscent of the Resident Evil games: eerie when it wants to be, but fun and strange too, with experiments and dread at the core. This experimental approach feels vital. While Alien: Romulus (2024) was an excellent but safe entry, and Alien 3 (1992) tried something different without fully landing, Alien Earth strikes a middle ground - a weird but effective way to breathe life back into a franchise many had written off.

Hawley and his team are bringing a bold, unique vision to Alien, and it's working. Much like the video game Alien: Isolation (2014), the show is compelling and builds tension in a way that feels oppressive and inescapable. Something terrible is brewing — and we know we don't want to be there when it finally boils over.

Read More:

• Alien Earth Episodes 1—2 Review
• Alien Earth Episode 3 Review

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Blake Reilly