‘Alien: Earth’: Noah Hawley Expands a Sci-Fi Classic Into an Evocative Nightmare 

Alci Rengifo

In 1979 Ridley Scott released “Alien,” which endures as one of the great sci-fi thrillers because of how it channels some very primal fears. The plot’s idea of something gross and otherworldly taking possession of your body has been important in every sequel that followed, to say nothing of the film’s countless imitators. FX’s “Alien: Earth” would seem at first like another addition to the long line of TV spinoffs dependent on audience nostalgia. Another movie in the franchise released just last year and now we are expected to tune in weekly to a show? Creator Noah Hawley dismisses such qualms and has made an atmospheric, intelligent series packing plenty of nightmare fuel. He genuinely expands on the original premise instead of lazily recycling its greatest hits.

Set in the year 2120, the timeline of the show is sometime before the events of the Scott movie. Earth, if not other corners of the galaxy, is now mostly controlled by corporate interests that have essentially supplemented the state. Technological advancements now allow a cancer patient like Marcy to have her consciousness transferred into the synthetic body of Wendy (Sydney Chandler), courtesy of a mega-corporation, Prodigy. The catch is Wendy, along with a group of other child survivors transferred to more adult synthetic bodies, is basically property of Prodigy founder Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin). Meanwhile, up in space the research vessel Maginot is carrying a good number of extraterrestrial specimens when a crisis onboard sends it crashing into our home planet. Once Kavalier realizes the ship’s unique cargo, he sends Wendy and team, along with their overseer Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) and some tactical soldiers, to scope out the potential loot. The Maginot happens to belong to Prodigy’s major rival, Weyland-Yutani, who wants their cargo back. As you can guess, anyone venturing into the craft will also face the parasitic menaces in store, like the dreaded Xenomorph.

Hawley’s previous shows include “Fargo” and “Legion,” both acclaimed productions in the FX catalog. The latter turned an “X-Men” creation into a visually stunning psychedelic experience. “Alien: Earth” also has its own distinct look along with the expected nods at the original movie. The impressive production design is futuristic and vintage, going so far as evoking the computers from the 1979 film. Walking inside the Maginot feels like wandering through some damp industrial entity that sucks the romance out of any notion of space travel. Those classic “Alien” favorites like eggs containing facehuggers are back but the special effects team introduces new creations that brilliantly get under the skin. Among the specimens is a parasite that latches onto a victim and sucks their blood until they inflate like some monstrous tick. Another looks like an eyeball with spider legs that does horrific things to your eye sockets. Unlike other sci-fi titles, the “Alien” franchise comprehends that anything from another world will look vastly different from our own. Imagine how a human would look to inhabitants from a distant galaxy.

Beginning with the first episode “Alien: Earth” ratchets up the tension when Wendy and team venture into the crashed ship and face not only the specimens, but a rampaging Xenomorph doing the usual acid spitting and disemboweling of any poor human that gets in its way. What Hawley and team do very well is balance the action with smarter, slow burner world and character building. The writing remembers there is a philosophical appeal to the “Alien” world. A dark fairy tale element is included in how Wendy is named after the character in “Peter Pan,” while the other rescued synthetics also take on Neverland names, such as Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) and Smee (Jonathan Ajayi). While thrown into a situation of extreme violence, they grapple with their identities. Are they human or just corporate property? The issue becomes urgent when a Prodigy medic, Hermit (Alex Lawther), arrives at the crash site and learns Wendy is the synthetic resurrection of his sister. Their relationship is conveyed with a great bittersweet awkwardness. The question of what constitutes us, consciousness or physical form, drives the show’s deeper meanings. Kirsh, a synthetic in the tradition of the cold operators like Michael Fassbender in “Prometheus” or Ian Holm in the original “Alien,” is programmed to obey but starts to subtly rebel at Kavalier’s stupid arrogance.

By focusing this time on the synthetics over the humans, Hawley challenges the audience to care for machines at the same level as human characters. Hermit (Alex Lawther), the cyborg security officer of Maginot, is so devoted to the creatures now captured by Prodigy that he takes it upon himself to go on a retrieval mission, even after his superiors state he can return to base. Alex Lawther is driven and also wonderfully eerie, caring for the Xenomorph and those other, dastardly creatures, with the love of a parent. He is the contrast to Kavalier, who joins the recent lineup of grotesque billionaires in TV and film who represent our economic overlords willing to do anything for power. The snotty corporate boss doesn’t flinch at the potential horrors of these creatures making their way out into the world, what he cares about is their value and use. James Cameron first captured this idea so brilliantly in “Aliens” and last year’s “Alien: Romulus” also touched on great corporate allegories. By staying on earth, this show goes full throttle in the idea that we live in a time of monsters begetting monsters.

The structure of “Alien: Earth” is a thing of rather dark richness. Each episode opens with an almost symphonic theme by Jeff Russo that is grand and menacing. Conversations carry real dramatic weight, yet the images will burn themselves in your memory, from Kirsh experimenting with a Xenomorph fetus to strange specimens floating in vials, hidden purposefully in shadow so our imagination can do the rest. Hawley takes chances and has produced a series that can rank with the best “Alien” sequels including Ridley Scott’s own “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” which set a standard for how to balance pulse-pounding gore and action with serious musings on our role as a species. Wendy’s journey is a metaphor for growing up, learning life is full of pain and what it takes to survive. When the volume tones down in an episode, we’re engaged by the fate of a brother and his synthetic sibling. However, for the squeamish it would be wise not to eat while watching.

“Alien: Earth” season one premieres Aug. 12 and airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on FX.