FX’s new series ‘Alien: Earth’ is one of the best shows so far this year. The show opens with a familiar scene from the science fiction horror film franchise, setting the stage for a story that pays homage to Ridley Scott’s classic 1979 film Alien while introducing new elements.
The crew of the USCSS Maginot is working for Weyland-Yutani, the same corporation that ran everything in those earlier films. The show’s creator, Noah Hawley, has crafted a program that lovingly callbacks to the best elements of Alien, especially its original two films. The area where the Maginot crew gathers looks similar to the dining hall from John Hurt’s chest scene, and the spaceship’s futuristic look matches the ’70s-era vision presented in Scott’s film.
The crew has been on a 65-year mission for Weyland-Yutani to capture a host of alien species from deep space. When their ship malfunctions and they crash in an area owned by Prodigy, the creepy aliens escape, leading to chaos.
Prodigy is controlled by young trillionaire Boy Kavalier, who has developed technology to create hybrids – humans with artificial parts or entirely synthetic bodies. These hybrids are created by transferring human consciousness into superior bodies, allowing them to live indefinitely and ageless.
The show explores classic themes from the Alien franchise, including humanity’s arrogance and ambition leading to its downfall. Hawley brings these ideas together in an interesting way, as the Maginot crew encounters aliens from nature and creations of human technology.
Synthetic person Kirsh, played by Timothy Olyphant, leads a group of hybrid children on a mission to corral the creatures. His character embodies a sense of humanity’s hubris, warning that “there is always someone bigger or smaller” who would eat you alive if they had the chance.
‘Alien: Earth’ has become one of the best TV shows of the year, offering a suspenseful and tense experience that stretches across eight episodes. The show evokes feelings from the original Alien movies, as characters and viewers learn more about these aliens and their terrible ways of taking down humans. With its complex storytelling, science fiction elements, and tantalizing possibilities for the future, ‘Alien: Earth’ is a must-watch for fans of the franchise and science fiction enthusiasts alike.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/12/nx-s1-5496323/alien-earth-review-fx