What the Show Is About
The series takes place in 2120, two years before the events of the original 1979 "Alien." Earth in the 22nd century is a cybercapitalist nightmare where five corporations control every aspect of human life.Humans coexist with cyborgs (humans with artificial parts) and synthetics (fully artificial people). The main character Wendy (Sydney Chandler) falls into the second category: her human consciousness was transferred into a synthetic body.
Source:
IMDb
Critical Reception Exceeded Expectations
The series earned a 93% critics' approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the third-highest rated project in the franchise after the first two films: "Alien" (93%) and "Aliens" (94%). On IMDB, viewers gave the series an 8.7/10 rating. That's impressive, especially considering recent franchise entries received mixed reviews.What Critics Are Praising
Critics note that series creator Noah Hawley, who previously worked on "Fargo," managed to recreate the atmosphere of classic films by Ridley Scott and James Cameron: "The series evokes that same sense of tension and suspense that Scott and Cameron cultivated in their work, just stretched across eight stunning episodes."The design of the USCSS Maginot spaceship received praise for its authenticity and faithfulness to the aesthetic of Ridley Scott's original films.IMDb user snoozejoncIf you're watching for the xenomorphs, you likely won't be disappointed, as the series offers plenty of creatures and accompanying terrifying scenes. Watching unsuspecting characters encounter what we already know is always engaging. Plus, the film features an unknown number of non-xenomorph alien life forms, which adds intrigue.
IMDb user jwagner-51019The ship sets look like they were copied from the first Alien and feel organic. The world-building is interesting, and the series creators breathed new life into the technology and creatures. Strong cast and very authentic Alien atmosphere.
What's Drawing Criticism
One of Hawley's most controversial decisions was shifting focus from traditional horror to deeper philosophical questions. The series spends considerable time exploring the nature of consciousness, mortality, and humanity, becoming "a rare example of a prequel that serves to enrich the source material."However, this approach has frustrated part of the audience. Some reviewers write that "the series reluctantly gives us xenomorph scenes, instead preferring to focus on anything else." Critics from Mashable even declared that "the xenomorphs are the least interesting part of the series." Other complaints include slow pacing and uneven storytelling.
IMDb user mollywebb-52231Slow, boring, pointless. This is how you ruin a beloved franchise. I tried my best to watch the first two episodes, but it was a waste of time. I give up. It's a confusing mess without any meaning. The actors could have been created with AI and it would've been better.
Impact on the Franchise's Future
Series creator Noah Hawley has already confirmed that if the show succeeds, he plans to connect the series' events with the original 1979 film in future seasons.As zoomboola.com reminds us, the 2010s saw two films in the Alien universe: "Prometheus" (2012) and "Alien: Covenant" (2017). Both received mixed reviews and didn't exactly win over franchise fans.
But 2024 brought us "Alien: Romulus," which earned solid reviews, and now the series "Alien: Earth," which has every chance of landing in the top sci-fi premieres of the year. This could signal the start of a new chapter in the universe's evolution.
