Alien Earth Review
Alien Earth, the first TV show adventure into the Alien universe, came out last summer, but I didn’t give it a try until these Christmas holidays. Unforgivable for a die-hard Alien fan, I know. I wanted to binge-watch it properly, and with work piling up in the last quarter of the year, I left it for a cozy moment on the couch.
I went into the show with mixed expectations. Alien: Romulus impressed me in some ways and disappointed me in others, though I still called it a good entry overall. As for Ridley Scott’s more recent Alien installments, I appreciated the ambition and philosophical depth of Prometheus: the Engineers, the origin myths, David as the creation playing the creator. Covenant, however, left me questioning far too many decisions. Knowing Scott was an executive producer here, even though the show was directed by Noah Hawley, it was hard not to fear more of the same.
Thankfully, Alien Earth proved to be a breath of fresh air.
Original, daring, and packed with strong references, the show manages to pull in new fans while still leaving longtime admirers of space’s deadliest creature very satisfied. There’s even one episode that stands as a clear homage to the classics. Let’s dive in. Spoiler warning — although, at this point, it’s been out for almost half a year, so… come on.
The series opens with a provocative idea: the ability to move a human conscience into a synthetic body, giving birth to the first synthetics, or simply synths, on Earth. A group of children is selected to become these first synths, nicknamed “The Lost Boys”. Yes, expect plenty of Peter Pan references throughout the show.
The central premise is straightforward. A Weyland-Yutani (building better worlds) science ship crashes, carrying some of the deadliest, or at least most exotic, creatures in the universe, including our beloved Xenomorph. The ship comes down on an island owned by a rival corporation, Prodigy. The Xenomorph roams free, the other creatures are recovered and studied, and, as expected, everything spirals out of control.
Suddenly, the title Alien Earth makes complete sense. This is no longer a story about a single, or even multiple, Xenomorphs. We’re introduced to entirely new species, causing all kinds of mischief… or simply hanging around eating spare metal parts. Beyond the fresh setting, new corporations, new characters, and new aliens, the show delivers some excellent callbacks to the classic films: the unspoken time cost of long-distance interstellar travel, Weyland-Yutani’s “crew expendable” mindset, a close relative of the M41A Pulse Rifle, androids bleeding white, and one episode that serves as a slightly twisted homage to Alien, the eighth passenger.
But references aren’t why the show works.
What truly makes Alien Earth effective is its balance: innovation without abandoning the core. The slightly overpowered synths who still behave like children. The parapsychopathic android, brilliantly portrayed by Timothy Olyphant, who feels like a natural evolution of David rather than a repetition of him. The cyborg, essentially a human pushed dangerously close to android territory. Miss Yutani’s embodiment of pure corporate relentlessness, clashing with Prodigy’s young CEO and his plan within a plan. And, crucially, the decision to introduce new alien specimens without ever stealing the spotlight from the Xenomorph and its trademark brutality.
That said, Alien Earth isn’t flawless.
There are moments that invite a raised eyebrow, or a quiet “wtf”. A single Xenomorph can slaughter ten armed soldiers in seconds without a scratch, yet later a random character escapes a full on-foot pursuit for what can only be described as plot convenience. The Alien–synth connection also doesn’t fully land. While not outright damaging, the “maybe this one can be good” angle feels uncomfortable when applied to a creature that has always been amoral, singularly focused on survival, not on pleasing a master or forming any meaningful bond, whatever connection it appears to establish with Wendy.
The egg-hatching rules also felt slightly forced. Yes, proximity triggering activation is consistent with the original Alien, when Kane approaches the eggs in the derelict ship, and even Alien Resurrection, where kidnapped colonists are brought towards them. It becomes more debatable in Aliens, where colonists are taken to hatcheries for reproduction, and in Alien³, where eggs hidden aboard the Sulaco open while survivors remain in cryo. Still, the show’s interpretation holds together well enough, even if it occasionally invites skepticism.
The philosophical layer remains present, but it’s handled with restraint. Rather than returning to creation myths and the dangers of playing god with forces beyond human comprehension, the show shifts its focus to a more grounded question: if our minds are transferred into mechanical bodies, free from the limitations of flesh, are we still ourselves? If continuity of consciousness exists in a new shell, is identity preserved? Are we still human if our bodies are not? It’s a thought-provoking line of inquiry, particularly in the current cultural moment.
“If I’m not human, what am I?”
Wendy
Crucially, these questions never hijack the show. They don’t overpower the narrative or derail the pacing. Instead, they run alongside the story, giving the viewer space to reflect on the evolution, mistakes, and dilemmas of the Lost Boys. In that sense, Alien Earth occasionally echoes Blade Runner, another Scott-related work, without attempting to imitate it outright. I guess synths really do dream of electric sheep.
Not perfect, but unafraid to take risks, Alien Earth ultimately surpassed my expectations and left me wanting more. Noah Hawley delivers a confident series: the writing is solid, the ideas are fresh, the setting is well chosen, and the characters are engaging enough to carry the season. The Xenomorph is neither overused nor sidelined, and the new creatures are given just enough room to justify their presence.
Overall, the show respects Alien’s DNA while carving out a deserved space of its own. Alien Earth works because it re-centers Alien as horror rather than myth, resists the philosophical excess and narrative wandering of Prometheus and Covenant, and asks meaningful questions without hijacking the genre. It’s a strong watch for Alien fans and, more broadly, for anyone with an interest in solid sci-fi television.
And yes… the little eyeball, or eye-octopus, was an undeniable fan favorite. Mine too.
This little guy didn’t just steal some bodies. He almost stole the show.