Great news, readers, I recently got access to Disney+ through my Sky subscription. Yay for me! So what to watch? I flicked through what was available and then stopped. Yes, a new series about Aliens, the kind that like to break through your ribs. Happy days! To date, I have watched the first three episodes of the first of what I hope will be many series.
Alien: Earth is an American science fiction horror television series created by Noah Hawley. It is the first television series in the Alien franchise and is set two years before the events of the 1979 film Alien. The series stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, and Timothy Olyphant in main roles.
Set in 2120, the story unfolds in a dystopian Earth dominated by five mega-corporations, including the ever-sinister Weyland-Yutani. When the deep-space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands, it unleashes horrors that force humanity to confront not only the classic Xenomorph threat but also new, unsettling alien forms and the blurred lines between synthetic life, human consciousness, and corporate exploitation. The premise cleverly weaves in elements reminiscent of Peter Pan (with character names like Wendy, Hermit, Tootles, and Slightly), creating a haunting, almost fairy-tale-like undercurrent amid the body horror and corporate intrigue.
The performances are outstanding across the board. Sydney Chandler delivers a breakout turn as Wendy, the synthetic infused with human consciousness, bringing vulnerability, strength, and quiet menace to a role that could have been one-note. Alex Lawther as Joseph Hermit is magnetic—wry, haunted, and deeply compelling—while Timothy Olyphant’s Kirsh adds layers of authoritative menace that fans of his work will savor. The ensemble, including Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, and others, feels lived-in and real, grounding the high-concept sci-fi in human (and post-human) emotion
.Visually, Alien: Earth is a triumph. The production design, practical effects, and CGI blend seamlessly to create some of the most bone-chilling creature sequences ever put on television. The Xenomorphs remain terrifyingly iconic, but Hawley introduces new designs and behaviors that expand the lore without cheapening it. The atmosphere is thick with dread—shadowy corporate towers, rain-slicked wastelands, and claustrophobic crash-site carnage—while the overture-style episode openings (flashing, atonal images set to an unsettling score) are a masterstroke that demands your full attention.
I’m really looking forward to watching the rest of the series and promise to give you all a quick update. So far, four stars out of five from me.
Do you agree?
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