- Created by Noah Hawley
- August 12, 2025 to Present
- FX / FX on Hulu
- Based on Alien by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett
Main Cast
- Wendy-Sydney Chandler
- Marcy (Wendy’s original human form) Hermit-Florence Bensberg
- Joe Hermit-Alex Lawther
- Dame Sylvia-Essie Davis
- Boy Kavilier-Samuel Blenkin
- Morrow-Babou Ceesay
- Slightly-Adarsh Gourav
- Aarush (Slightly’s original human form)-Rishi Kuppa
- Curly-Erana James
- Nibs-Lily Newmark
- Smee-Jonathan Ajayi
- Arthur Sylvia-David Rysdahl
- Siberian-Diêm Camille
- Rashidi-Moe Bar-El
- Atom Eins-Adrian Edmondson
- Kirsh-Timothy Olyphant
Recurring Cast
- Zaveri-Richa Moorjani
- Yutani-Sandra Yi Sencindiver
- Tootles-Kit Young
- Hoyt-Lloyd Everitt
- Rahim-Amir Boutrous
- Chibuzo-Karen Aldridge
- Shmuel-Michael Smiley
- Malachite-Jamie Bisping
- Teng-Andy Yu
- Bronski-Max Rinehart
- Petrovich-Enzo Cilenti
- Sullivan-Victoria Masoma
- Dinsdale-Tanapol Chuksrida
So we’re here at episodes three and four. Here’s to hoping that the positive trend continues.
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When the Weyland-Yutani vessel Maginot crashes, a group of children transferred into synthetic bodies sent to help come face-to-face with a xenomorph.
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Metamorphosis
- Directed by Dana Gonzales
- Written by Noah Hawley and Bob DeLaurentis
- August 19, 2025
Wendy (Sydney Chandler) was presented before airing as the main character of Alien: Earth but this episode pulls the android equivalent of knocking her unconscious to keep her to the side for a good 40 something of the episodes 50 something minutes. It involves a good xenomorph battle scene but the obvious point of it is to keep her and her brother’s story on the back burner as they develop other characters and build scenarios. It’s a battle scene but done with all the shadow you would’ve found in the first two films. It is terror and adrenaline mixing together in the moment.
With Wendy being put out of commission, other characters get a lot more time to shine. Though it opens with scares Metamorphosis certainly starts developing the rest of the cast. With 8 episodes beefing everyone up is questionable.
This continues keeping the children acting like children. I cannot appreciate that enough. Well, it does so mostly but not entirely. The hybrid Curly (Erana James) engages in a conversation with Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) on why Wendy is his obvious favorite. Curly acts too mature and her dialogue with Boy Kavalier hints to me of some sinister agenda conceived by someone that should have more experience than she.
What begins here between Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) and the cyborg Morrow (Babou Ceesay) not only on the Maginotbut also at Neverland has me excited. Not only did it give a good reason to focus a little more on Slightly, but it moves Morrow from pure villain into being a guy who has nothing left and is more just holding on to all he really has remaining which is his mission.
Made up a bit too much like Bladerunner’s Roy Batty, Timothy Olyphant as Kirsch is a consistent scene stealer. The character is better than an android needs to be courtesy of the actor. He is equal parts from a job perspective looking out for Kavalier and from a character-oriented view tired of the kid. Olyphant can be tough without ever using a gun or swinging a fist and shows this in his time with Morrow using words alone.
Maybe they understand to never show too much when something is supposed to be scary. Maybe they are trying to emulate Alien. The use of darkness and shadow to create a horror feel and allow your mind to do much of the work by the people behind this is a sign of excellent craftsmanship and artistry. There’s also a nice contrast between the disturbing and the otherworldly horror presented by the xenomorph and creatures found on the ship in the aftermath of the events.
I’m not sure what the ending means. Wendy re-joins the episode in the climax as Kirsh and pals are studying a face hugger and pull out something that I don’t believe has been seen before. I’m not sure if Wendy is having some kind of weird machine hallucination or she now has a magical connection to the xenomorphs because of damage to her head. She’s a robot. Let’s keep it a little grounded. Admittedly she’s a very sophisticated piece of machinery but let’s not make her near magic. Boy Kavalier may have said he gave her other abilities but that does not mean magic.
I like how this addresses the whole Peter Pan thing. It takes the general awkward attempt at a Peter Pan theme off the table because the characters openly questioning it. Plus it provides a good character moment of doubt.
Metamorphosis was entertaining. I really can’t wait to see what comes next.
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Observation
- Directed by Ugla Hauksdóttir
- Written by Noah Hawley and Bobak Esfarjani
- August 26, 2025
So, apparently Wendy (Sydney Chandler) does have some mystery connection to the aliens. At least she can pick up on the sound from them. In what I think is a worrisome revelation we learn the chittering noise that they make is a language. Do we need to make him smart? They work best when their mindless killing machines. I am glad this because an aspect of her construction but the development worries me.
One of the biggest shocks of Observation was when Nibs (Lily Newmark) reveals to Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis) that she believes she is having a baby. Newark had a cold and disconnected from reality that conveyed this delusional child was extremely dangerous with Davis making the viewer scared for her character. Certainly the scariest part of the episode and one of the more disturbing parts of the series so far that could push things in an unexpected direction.
Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) to me is hinting at having his own agenda though if it were hand-in-hand with Weyland-Yutani I do not think that Morrow (Babou Ceesay) would need the assistance of Slightly (Adarsh Gourav). Is this the twitchiness that was referenced in Aliens by Bishop? It would be a smoother connection than I have seen in other legacy properties. Kirsh mildly underminesBoy Kavalier’s (Samuel Blenkin) authority and somehow knew enough to monitor Slightly and his communications with Morrow. Did he see whatever Morrow did on the crashed ship?
Morrow moves from possibly tragic to threatening in his communications with Slightly. He even goes so far as to locate the kid’s parents to use for intimidation. Kudos to Babou Ceesay for being able to create a character that you can almost feel sympathy for and then be not nice at all and very single minded about his goals.
The development with Slightly’s family connects to Wendy and her wispy brother who is now allowed to stay but only if he acts as a monitor for Wendy to see the effectiveness of the process. They hold the payment of his new lung (the old being used to nurture a baby xenomorph) should he leave and they terminate his employment.
Boy Kavalier is becoming more weird and quirky. He was certainly different before but his character traits are becoming more unusual. I’m not sure if that’s a good move because you start questioning how this guy can be a trillionaire and run a multi planet corporation that also doubles as a planetary government.
There’s plenty of disturbing and plenty of creepy in this episode. It’s not monster horror, but psychological horror. Mostly the scary stuff comes from the human or human like a characters. Overall good episode and that keeps things moving.
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With revelations of the chittering noise being a language (maybe), I think this might be heading in a Starship Troopers direction but less artfully and make people the main or only monster. I do not think the xenomorphs need to be intelligent with a language.
That aside I can’t complain too much here. I’ve enjoyed this. It may not be perfect but it is certainly a step in a positive direction for the Alien franchise.
Warren Watched A Movie 