Alien: Earth - Season 1

Alien: Earth is a successful transition from film to series and fits seamlessly into the Alien universe as created in the films. This series also provides a deeper exploration of worlds that were less highlighted in the films. Science fiction/horror has been experiencing a true resurgence in recent years. For instance, the Predator and Alien franchises have been revitalized with the release of strong films. For Alien, the step has now been taken to create a series, which in my opinion perfectly aligns with the high standard set by the latest Alien film (Alien: Romulus). Although Alien: Earth received mixed reviews, I believe it honors the world created in the films by introducing many new elements.

Alien: Earth immediately kicks off with a lot of action, and it doesn't take long before the familiar Xenomorph appears on screen. The story is then further developed throughout the rest of the season, building up to a climax. In the films, Alien almost always refers to the Xenomorph or a variant of it. In the series Alien: Earth, this needs to be seen in a much broader sense. Viewers are introduced to many different types of aliens that exist in the universe.



The story of Alien: Earth is set in the year 2120, two years before the events of the first Alien film. An organization that plays a prominent role in the films, Weyland-Yutani, immediately takes a prominent role. However, many other players are introduced as well. The world during the series is governed by five major conglomerates, of which Weyland-Yutani is one. But it is not central to the series; the central organization in Alien: Earth is Prodigy. Prodigy is led by founder Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin), a brilliant yet narcissistic inventor. His right-hand man is Kirsch (Timothy Olyphant), a synthetic (a robot that is hardly distinguishable from a human).

Although Boy and Kirsch play central roles in the series, the story actually revolves around the development of the character Wendy (Sydney Chandler), who is a hybrid, and the other hybrids. Hybrids closely resemble synthetics but have the actual mind/memory of humans. According to Boy, this is the future.

The series clearly continues the high standard set by the recent films in the Alien universe.

The first season of Alien: Earth consists of eight episodes, each with a runtime between 44 and 64 minutes. There is plenty of action, and the series looks both stunning and spectacular. The acting performances are also very solid. The series fits well within the style of the old films and yet looks sleek and modern. The aliens are well-conceived and clearly add something to the world of Alien. While the series experience is enhanced if you have seen (some of) the films, it is not necessary. I don't think I'm the only one enthusiastic about the series, as a second season has recently been announced. There is also ample room to further expand the Alien world. Perhaps the remaining three conglomerates will play a role, or more new aliens will be introduced. There are certainly enough possibilities/opportunities to continue the series successfully.

In short, Alien: Earth is a good series with action, a solid cast, and it looks spectacular. The series clearly continues the high standard set by the recent films in the Alien world. Hopefully, they will further build on this in the coming years and bring more seasons (and/or other spin-offs). The first season of Alien: Earth is very good, and I will definitely be watching the upcoming seasons!

Based on the above, the first season of Alien: Earth receives a well-deserved 9.