‘Alien: Earth’ Review – A Sensational Must-Watch Series

We have seen many iterations of the Alien franchise, but only for the second time in the series’ history are we getting a TV series in Alien: Earth. The eight-episode journey is debuting on FX on Hulu on August 12. It was created by Noah Hawley (Fargo), where the series is set to serve as a prequel set two years before the events from the original 1979 movie Alien. 

Alien: Earth follows a space vessel that has crash-landed on Earth, and a young woman and a group of tactical soldiers discover that it puts them face-to-face with the planet’s biggest threat. The series stars Timothy Olyphant, David Rysdahl, Essie Davis, and Sydney Chandler. 

The series opens with us following a group of people inside the space shuttle, navigating and understanding the characters and what they are doing on board. Quickly, within the first episode, we see things go awry when the ship lands on Earth. This leads to mass chaos, with Wendy leading the charge in an attempt to head down to save the ship while fending off those on Earth who are discovering what is in the ship. With many iterations of stories within this universe, it is nice that the creators go back in time to dive into the world in the events leading up to the first movie. This allows them to make their own unique story and deliver something fresh within this universe. 

As we have seen with Apple TV+’s Stick, FX’s Justified, and Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & The Six, Timothy Olyphant is no stranger to delivering top-notch performances. Olyphant is the perfect side anchor to help bring that star power and veteran presence in his role of Kirsh. I also love the slight comedic timing his character has, as it was needed within the dark undertone of the series. 

I said side anchor, because Sydney Chandler, my goodness, what a performance. This is the Sydney Chandler show, period. Chandler is the emotional backbone of Alien: Earth. The mysterious nature of Wendy’s story that she battles unpacks many layers within herself, showcasing this beautiful and profound vulnerability. It is the subtle and warm moments where Chandler stands out the most. Her ability to bring so much emotion to the role is astounding. 

Technically speaking, there won’t be many shows that look or sound as aesthetically pleasing as Alien: Earth. The collaboration process of bringing these aliens to life is awe-inspiring because they make them look cool yet TERRIFYING at the same time. There are also moments that are downright GROSS. The VFX team and makeup department will surely be in the Emmy conversation next year. 

Of course, the same can be said about composer Jeff Russo’s score. This might be far and away the best score of any TV show of 2025. The level of intensity brought within those softer moments and the reveals of the aliens is brilliantly executed. I hope this is released as a vinyl, because I will be picking it up ASAP. I also loved the song choices throughout because, at times, it felt like you were at a rock concert. 

Alien: Earth is a bold, character-driven prequel that breathes new life into the iconic franchise.