Highly anticipated since its initial announcement, Alien: Earth has finally crash-landed onto our screens, marking an exciting first foray into a TV format for the legendary sci-fi series. In 2120, a mysterious deep-space research vessel called the USCSS Maginot collides with Earth, unleashing a Xenomorph and other monstrous nightmares that have been captured from the cold depths of space. With Earth divided into five corporate factions – Dynamic, Lynch, Threshold, Prodigy, and Weyland-Yutani – the race is on to secure the groundbreaking yet highly dangerous specimens by any means necessary.
Set just a couple of years before Alien, the show launches straight into a fan-comfortable, claustrophobic tone, instantly tipping its hat to the iconic cinema outings that paved the way before it. This then balances out with a delicate story and action sequences that are delightfully huge in scope. Series creator Noah Hawley (Fargo) has stated that he is a lifelong fan of the world created by Ridley Scott, Dan O’Bannon, and Ronald Shusett, and you’ll see a terrifying influence from across the entire movie timeline shine respectably through each disturbing episode. Whether it’s through military one-liners, practical effects, or soundtrack composition, the admiration is consistently there.
At the core of every Alien movie is a memorable synthetic; from Ash to Bishop through to David, the important back and forth between the human protagonist and their android associate has always been extremely intriguing. Within Alien: Earth, Hawley brings synthetic lore right to the centre, and it is very rewarding to witness.
The main cast assembled all put on an exceptional performance. Sydney Chandler effortlessly displays her complicated human-synthetic hybrid character Wendy, Babou Ceesay captures one of the most scarily determined cyborg personalities you have ever seen in Morrow, and Samuel Blenkin keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats with his unpredictably ambitious ego-filled portrayal of Boy Kavalier. You never quite feel safe when Kavalier is on-screen.
Although the new horrors that land on Earth alongside the Xenomorph are not in the same instantly fear-inducing league as the legendary creature itself, and some plot points may have a debatable response within the die-hard fanbase, it’s clear to see that Noah Hawley has dared to swing big with Alien: Earth. He takes a fascinating leap with story ideas, most notably by digging into and pushing synthetic possibilities, whilst reminding us of the dangers of egotistically backed human curiosity. With his acclaimed writing work on Fargo still making an impact, it’s very possible that Hawley can give us an entity just as long-lasting when Alien: Earth arrives at its conclusion.
With an anxiety-inducing approach, the pacing is relentlessly gripping, and the series will claw its way into your subconscious, offering a refreshing angle at a world we thought we knew so well. This is Alien for a new generation. Noah Hawley has delivered the most crucial sci-fi show of 2025, effectively leaving you with a disturbing version of Earth that you cannot wait to revisit.
ALIEN: EARTH premieres Wednesday, August 13th, with the first two episodes available to stream on Disney+ in the UK. A new episode of the 8-episode season will premiere each following Wednesday on Disney+.
