Some Immediate Thoughts On Alien: Earth — Episodes 1 & 2 Review
August 13, 2025
Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth has been positioned as the next big hit in the Alien franchise, bringing the sci-fi thriller series into the live-action TV space for the very first time. The hype is strong. The marketing push is massive. Unfortunately, the first two episodes don't quite deliver. While the production value is impressive, the writing is lacking. It's hard to expect much out of an Alien story, but Alien: Earth feels a little flat with its initial premise. The show does some great things, but it also makes some equally bad choices in its premiere.
Note: This article contains light spoilers for Episodes 1 & 2 of Alien: Earth.
The Most Immediate Of Thoughts
Some of the writing in Alien: Earth is really annoying to watch. A lot of stupid decisions get made by various different characters. Decisions that are outright unexplainable by basic logic. Thankfully, the main characters have some of the most aggressive plot armor you'll ever see. With how competent the Xenomorph is at killing fodder characters, it's just really hard to believe that Joe survived multiple encounters with the alien.
Pacing is another issue with Alien: Earth. Based on how the first two episodes have gone, I actually have no clue where this show plans to go with its story. Alien: Earth feels like it cares more about getting all of its references in than building up the suspense in its narrative. Speaking of which...
The Peter Pan References
It's impossible to watch the first episode of Alien: Earth without noticing the abundance of Peter Pan references. While you might feel clever for picking up on them early, the show is anything but subtle. The parallels are laid on thick. The writers very clearly want you drawing a connection between Neverland and Prodigy's own take on the concept. I wasn't kidding when I said there's a complete lack of subtlety, by the way. The research island where the hybrid kids reside in is called 'Neverland'. A part of the animated Peter Pan movie is even shown playing in the middle of the episode. It's pretty excessive.
As for why Peter Pan is so symbolically important, Prodigy is developing the foundations of a society that has no need to 'grow up.' These hybrids have been spared from the evils of adulthood, twice over in fact, as they had little to look forward to in the near future. Many were sickly or disabled prior to being moved to their synthetic bodies, and some were even on the verge of death. Prodigy offered an escape. A new life. And what does the 'Peter Pan' of this world yearn for in exchange? Boy Kavalier, Prodigy's CEO, simply wants to feel outsmarted.
The most promising of the bunch, in that regard, is Wendy. Her name is actually Marcy, but the first thing she said about her new body was that it looked like a 'Wendy.' It's definitely no coincidence with how the writing of this show works. Wendy is unique in her ambitions. Much like the character she is named after, she chooses not to forget. Despite only being part-human, she feels very much attached to her old life. Wendy is a character that develops a lot in just the first two episodes. You could even say that we get a direct window into her unexpected 'growth.'
Kill Or Be Killed
Alien: Earth leans heavily into the concept of the survival of the fittest, serving as a pointed critique of society's self-interested nature. The show quickly lays out the ongoing battle for supremacy, stating that the future of the world will ultimately be left in the hands of either cyborgs, synthetics, or hybrids. Normal humans aren't even a factor, destined to be left obsolete. Only the mega-corporations have a legitimate chance at changing the world, and they have no reason to play nice, given the competitive environment.
Honestly, the explored themes are quite interesting. The aliens even fit in as a weird parallel to the humans. In a world full of advanced beings, the xenomorph would be out of place. It wouldn't be able to feed. It wouldn't be able to reproduce. All it could possibly do is display its savage instincts. That's a bit of a reductive way to think about our humanity, but the similarities are there. We understand the alien creatures to be a destructive force, but they simply reinforce the kill or be killed nature of the world. Humans have been capable of worse. Alien: Earth shows us that there is no perfectly moral being out there. Even the hybrids have their flaws.
Breathtaking Visuals
Where Alien: Earth really shines is in its visuals. The story could be absolutely nonsensical and I still think the show could be enjoyed just for how it looks. The space scenes are beautiful. The shots of nature look gorgeous. The tension is perfectly captured. Peering into the darkness feels concerning, and that is exactly how an Alien production should feel. The CG is pretty good, for the most part. The budget gets put to great use.
