FX’s Alien: Earth is a Smart, Addictive Expansion of the Franchise’s Terrifying Universe

Tasked with training this band of “transhumans” is Kirsch (Timothy Olyphant), a synthetic scientist without a human consciousness. Supporting the group’s physical and emotional development are the compassionate husband-and-wife team of Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis) and Arthur Sylvia (David Rysdahl) If Alien: Earth’s narrative only focused on The Lost Boys—a group of  “children” adjusting to life in powerful synthetic adult bodies on Kavalier’s island research facility, a sort-of twisted “Neverland” run by Prodigy—it would be a fascinating series. But as the series’ trailers have teased, things get a lot more complicated than that.

When the USCSS Maginot crashes back to Earth, it brings more than wreckage with it; it unleashes five species of predatory aliens into Prodigy territory. Morrow (Babou Ceesay), the Maginot’s no-nonsense cyborg security officer, is determined to contain the threat and deliver the creatures to Weyland-Yutani. But the crash site falls within Prodigy’s borders, and Kavalier is quick to assert a corporate claim. At Wendy’s urging, because her brother Hermit (Alex Lawther) is among those at the crash site, Kavalier dispatches Kirsch and The Lost Boys to retrieve anything of value. Under the law of The Five, territory equals ownership, and Kavalier plans to make the most of it.

The series eventually circles back to the Neverland Research Facility, but across the six episodes available to screen for critics, Alien: Earth never stops surprising. Whether it’s the looming threat of an alien outbreak, the sinister schemes of power-hungry corporate leaders, or the unsettling possibility that one of the hybrids might go full Ash (RIP Ian Holm), Hawley’s story masterfully balances suspense, drama, and action, with all of it feeling seamlessly rooted in the Alien universe.

It certainly helps that Alien: Earth features a top-tier cast. Ceesay gives Morrow a magnetic mix of strength, intellect, and vulnerability. He’s as dangerous as he is compelling. Blenkin is spot-on as Boy Kavalier, a smug trillionaire and prodigy who’s never encountered the word “comeuppance,” let alone considered it might apply to him. He’s the kind of character you admire for his genius and resent for his hubris. Olyphant, always a scene-stealer, is quietly electrifying as the synthetic scientist Kirsch. He’s cold, methodical, and even more watchable than usual. But the series’ true standout is Sydney Chandler.

Daughter of Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler, the actress brings exceptional emotional depth to Wendy, effortlessly capturing the soul of a child in an adult synthetic body. She is also fiercely devoted to her brother, protective of her fellow Lost Boys, and endlessly inquisitive. The performance feels like a fusion of Sigourney Weaver’s grit as Ripley with Milla Jovovich’s sense of wonder as Leeloo in The Fifth Element. Chandler commands your attention every time she’s on screen.

Ultimately, what makes Alien: Earth work isn’t just the body horror or the corporate backstabbing (though there’s plenty of both), it’s Noah Hawley treats this show as something more than an exercise in IP management. He uses the franchise’s DNA to explore questions of identity, mortality, and control, all while staging set pieces capable of leaving your stomach in knots. Nearly 50 years after Ridley Scott introduced the xenomorph, Alien has rarely felt this alive.

Alien: Earth premieres August 12 on FX and streams the next day on Hulu.

Terry Terrones is a Television Critics Association and Critics Choice Association member, licensed drone pilot, and aspiring hand model. When he’s not dreaming of being on Survivor, you can find him hiking in the mountains of Colorado. You can follow him on Twitter @terryterrones.

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