Alien Earth Episodes 1&2 - Review

Alien fans are experiencing a real renaissance right now. The franchise has become a hit machine again, consistently delivering top-tier content. Alien: Earth is no exception, following in the footsteps of last year's excellent Alien: Romulus (yes, it was great, film bros). The new series carries that same tone of dread, paired with stunning visuals that remind us why this franchise is so beloved.

The Alien universe has always thrived on a mix of scares, brutal body horror, and the sheer terror of the Xenomorph. No matter how many times we've seen it, the creature never stops being terrifying - though it's always grimly satisfying to watch it annihilate its victims.

Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth mostly delivers on the gore, suspense, and action fans expect. Episode one is a slow burn, building tension while setting up major plot points. Some choices - like transferring children's consciousness into adult synthetic bodies - didn't quite land for me, but the corporate intrigue being teased is intriguing and has real potential.

The series opens with a mysterious synthetic man setting coordinates for a catastrophic crash into a populated Earth city. In true Alien fashion, we then join a ship on a mission for "the company," revealed to be Yutani, the sinister corporation we know all too well. From here, the series poses an age-old question: who is more monstrous, the instinct-driven Xenomorph, or Yutani's greed? The Xenomorph appears at the end of episode one, portrayed with a new, feral, almost dog-like energy - more animalistic and savage than ever.

We follow two main groups. First, the synthetics: led by Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) and Wendy (Sydney Chandler). Both are excellent, with Chandler in particular shining as a child consciousness trapped in an adult body - a performance that feels uncomfortably believable. Still, the whole terminally ill children-in-synthetic-bodies concept felt jarring and a little goofy at times, and the way they were assembled had an Avengers-style cheesiness I couldn't shake.

The second group is the Rescue Squad, with CJ (Alex Lawther) at the centre. Lawther's anxious medic is a highlight, and his journey through the wreckage - as his squad is picked off one by one - makes for tense, engaging viewing. When it's revealed that CJ is Wendy's brother, the narrative threads converge, bringing both groups together in a collision that feels organic.

One of the series' best decisions is the inclusion of other alien variants, which only emphasizes the Xenomorph's status as the apex predator. Watching it tear through everything in its path, while other creatures kill in different ways, makes its intelligence and brutality all the more terrifying. The standout sequence of it stalking the rescue team by posing like a statue before exploding into violence was pure nightmare fuel.

That said, some story choices don't entirely work for me. Aside from the synthetic children, placing the show just before the original films complicates continuity. If an apartment block on Earth was massacred by a Xenomorph, it stretches belief that Ripley's crew on the Nostromo wouldn't have known about it. To be fair, Yutani covering it up is a plausible explanation - but it still lingers.

Despite these issues, Alien: Earth is shaping up to be a fantastic addition to the franchise. The cinematography is gorgeous, the effects flawless, and it's clear Hawley and his team approached this project with genuine passion. The pacing, scares, and tension are all on point. While it occasionally leans into goofiness, it's an excitingly fresh take on Alien that still respects its horror roots.

Overall, this is a strong start. I'm eager to see where it goes next - and I fully expect more gore, more tension, and more Xenomorph carnage.

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Blake Reilly