Published: October 20, 2025
I had big doubts about Alien: Earth when it was first announced in 2020: a prequel for a classic sci-fi horror IP, where the xenomorph – the alien that could threaten all life on Earth – had somehow made its way to our planet? Those doubts evaporated as I saw who was involved in production, with director Noah Hawley (director of Fargo and Legion) and executive producer Ridley Scott (director of the original 1979 Alien) at the helm. Five years later, I can happily say I was wrong: Hawley worked his magic, giving us one of the best TV shows in recent memory. Season 1 wrapped up late September, delivering a visually-stunning and deeply insightful entry into the franchise.
1979’s Alien and its wide variety of spinoffs and sequels have always grappled with complex themes and traumatic experiences. More than just a franchise of people stuck in spaceships with scary monsters, its stories grapple with bodily autonomy, corporate dehumanization, identity, humanity’s place in nature and the galaxy, and of course, the classic “humans were the monsters all along.” Hawley doesn’t shy away from this legacy: the very first scene is a discussion between a dispassionate android and a scared child, debating over a captive scorpion’s right to live. As the framing for the catastrophes and crises to come, this dialogue feels like a nod to the sometimes dense philosophy and headiness of the earlier Prometheus and Alien: Covenant: two films I love deeply in spite of their many flaws. Instead of another inaccessible and frustrating work doomed to “cult classic” status, Alien: Earth feels as if it packaged the interesting things it had to say in a cohesive and entertaining experience.
Where the 2024 film Alien: Romulus drew back to the series’ roots (at times to great effect, and occasionally with nostalgia-bait and cringe-worthy line placement), this series swung for the fences and deviated from the core formula in big ways. Taking place on a remote, corporation-owned island, transhumanism and the search for immortality has yielded strange results: technology-augmented cyborgs, the cold and calculating androids unbothered by life’s fragility, and the Prodigy corporation’s newest gamble, powerful synthetic bodies harboring the consciousnesses of children. Hawley’s other big trick in the series is the introduction of a whole menagerie of horrifying and new aliens, brought to our planet under mysterious circumstances. Even though the show gives plenty of well-deserved screentime to our favorite Xenomorph, this bestiary of monsters has a habit of stealing the show – especially T. Ocellus, already a fan-favorite and likely the inspiration for many upcoming Halloween costumes. These monsters and machines clash in tremendous fashion, all while plentiful scientific drama and corporate intrigue feed the increasingly unstable situation.
Blending modern CGI, practical effects, and animatronics, this show’s every scene feels like a work of art – and reminds me why I fell in love with this franchise over a decade ago. The music, writing, and acting all make for a very compelling exploration of new and terrifying themes. Alien: Earth is a must-watch for sci-fi horror fans, and even though I am hopelessly biased in my love for Alien, I appreciate both the accessibility and depth this addition to the world presents to new viewers. The story’s most glaring drawback is the lack of news on the second season: ending on an abrupt cliffhanger (which some fans felt was unsatisfying), viewers are eagerly awaiting news on a season in negotiations – and hoping we get another chapter at all.
