Showtime’s The Man Who Fell to Earth Updates a Sci-Fi Classic with Stellar Results

In the new Showtime series The Man Who Fell To Earth, K. Faraday’s story sounds like one told by so many immigrants—at least initially.

When Faraday (Chiwetel Ejiofor) first sneaks into the United States, he can’t speak English, and he’s so unfamiliar with American customs that he’s immediately arrested. But a tireless work ethic and incredible intelligence lead to success. Faraday eventually becomes a famous tech guru and one of the wealthiest men on the planet. He’s even referred to as a “tech god Willy Wonka.”

While this rags-to-riches tale sounds like a story from Horatio Alger, it’s much more unique than that. Faraday is a different kind of illegal alien: one from space. His planet and species are dying, and he knows what’s happening back home will happen to Earth if he doesn’t act. Faraday’s mission is to save the Earth, and if he’s lucky, maybe his own family—if only he could get some help from the locals.

Fascinating, humorous, and at times inspiring, The Man Who Fell to Earth is based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name and the 1976 film. It follows a new alien character, and once again proves Chiwetel Ejiofor has acting chops that match his magnificent name.

The pilot episode opens with a glimpse into Faraday’s future. He’s standing on a stage, talking at an event that looks like a Ted Talk mixed with an Apple press conference. Faraday has invented a revolutionary, yet tiny, box that will change the world. Classy, suave, and with a self-deprecating sense of humor, his charisma has the audience hanging on his every word. This is a far cry from the man who first arrived on Earth.

The Faraday of the present, though, is struggling to get what he needs because he’s literally learning what it’s like to be a human being. He’s landed in Los Alamos, New Mexico and his body is going through sensory overload. Every sound, sight and smell is overwhelming. Faraday also has few clues on how to communicate. He picks up verbiage by repeating what he hears.

So when a police officer processing him after his arrest sarcastically says, “Sometimes here on Earth, when you tell folks you want something in a really loud voice and say ‘fuck’ a lot, it works.” This leads to Faraday shouting, “Fuck! Water!” much to the surprise of the officer, K. Faraday (Martha Plimpton), who he names himself after. It’s a jarring and funny moment, and one of many in the first four episodes (of the ten episode season) made available for review that exemplifies Chiwetel Ejiofor’s incredible range.

At first sight, Faraday appears to be a walking contradiction. His speech is incredibly awkward, almost hysterically so, but it evolves over time. Faraday’s rudimentary understanding of relationships is blunt yet strangely insightful (“You store your aged and forget about them.”) He’s also clearly intelligent, at one point taking tossed-aside electronics and turning them into a tracking device. Even more intriguing is Faraday’s appreciation for music. Whether it’s “Oh Girl” by the Chi-Lites or “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations, when he hears music his face is full of surprise and delight. Everything is new to him, so he takes no experience for granted. In many ways, Faraday feels more human than most humans, making Ejiofor’s performance both convincing and brilliant.