Space Invasion Examination: Visually Impressive but Script Falls Short, Lacking Coherence
In the year 2120, the world is run by five mega-corporations: Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, Threshold, and Prodigy. Amidst this corporate-dominated era, a new TV series titled "Alien: Earth" has made its debut, created by Noah Hawley.
The series, set two years before the original "Alien" film, is the prequel closest to the original film's place in the timeline, around thirty years after the events of "Prometheus". The first episode of this intriguing series is visually excellent, setting the stage for a thrilling narrative.
However, the first two episodes of "Alien: Earth" are wildly uneven in quality. The opening episode, while visually stunning, struggles to maintain a consistent pace, with the second episode offering a more cohesive and engaging storyline.
The series features two separate storylines. One involves a spaceship, the USCSS Maginot, and its crew bringing alien specimens to Earth. The other storyline revolves around a terminally ill girl named Marcy, who has her consciousness transferred into a synthetic body and becomes Wendy.
Wendy, played by Sydney Chandler, delivers a compelling performance, demanding to find her brother despite the risks. She is sent on this mission by Boy Kavalier, a character whose role is yet to be fully explored in the series.
Meanwhile, the Xenomorph onboard the ship hunts soldiers and partygoers in the city of Prodigy City, New Siam, which is run by the Prodigy corporation. The crash of the research ship only damages one building in the city, but the chaos that ensues leads to the disappearance of Young Joe, the medic's brother.
The series is set in a future that is stuck in the 70s and 80s in terms of technology, with spaceships that can travel millions of light years and powerful blaster rifles. The world of "Alien: Earth" is part of the "cassette futurism" subgenre of science-fiction, featuring CRT monitors, space ships with a thousand buttons, and green typewriter text.
Timothy Olyphant delivers a deeply unsettling performance as Kirsch, the synth handler and Prodigy chief scientist. His character adds an intriguing layer to the corporate world depicted in the series, raising questions about the ethics and motives of these powerful entities.
Despite the occasional unevenness, "Alien: Earth" promises an engaging and visually stunning journey into the world of the Xenomorph. As the series progresses, it will be interesting to see how the two storylines converge and how the characters navigate the dangers and mysteries that lie ahead.
One thing is for certain: Earth is not the peaceful planet we know, and "Alien: Earth" is not a nature documentary. The title, some might argue, is uninspiring, but the series delivers on its promise of alien encounters, corporate intrigue, and a thrilling adventure.
