Being a dedicated follower of the Alien franchise, the initial episodes of the Xenomorph series left me feeling more let down than I had anticipated.
Nevertheless, the latest third episode of Noah Hawley’s series unveiled a number of captivating mysteries that captured my attention. If you share similar sentiments, continue reading.
Alien: Earth is currently unveiling episodes on Disney+ in the UK and on Hulu in the US. To ensure you don’t miss the upcoming episode, refer to our episode release guide. For a comprehensive analysis of the new season, delve into my review of the initial five episodes.
Warning: Spoilers for Alien: Earth season 1, episode 3 below
Morrow (Babou Ceesay), a cyborg working for the Weiland-Yutani Corporation and serving as the Chief Security Officer of the Maginot spaceship, emerges as the most unsettling character in the series thus far.
Initially, it appeared that he was prepared to endanger the lives of the crew to fulfill his mission of delivering the alien specimens to his superiors. However, it turns out he is not responsible for the spaceship crash. His actual goal is to uncover the reasons behind the destruction of the Maginot and to retrieve the creatures stolen by Boy Kavalier.
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During his exploration of the wrecked ship in episode 3, Morrow encounters two hybrid boys, Smee (Jonathan Ajayi) and Slightly (Adarsh Gourav). After intimidating the children, posing an enigmatic riddle (“When is a machine not a machine?”), and uploading data directly to his brain, Morrow vanishes into the shadows.
He resurfaces shortly after, contacting Slightly through a chip covertly implanted in the boy’s neck. In a rather eerie conversation, Morrow hints at his realization that Slightly is a hybrid and expresses his desire to enlist him in his mission. The cyborg appears poised to manipulate the vulnerable boy into acting as a spy within the Prodigy facility – the only uncertainty being whether Slightly will consent to the proposition.
2. What’s Up with Nibs?
In episode 2, while exploring the wreckage of the spaceship on Boy Kavalier’s orders, Nibs (Lily Newmark), a red-haired hybrid girl, comes under attack by a terrifying eyeball octopus.
The crafty parasite infiltrates the victim’s eye socket, taking control of the nervous system and turning the individual into a zombie – a fate witnessed with the unfortunate cat aboard the Maginot.
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Nibs manages to fend off the creature, but the encounter leaves a lasting impact on her. Unlike her fellow children, Nibs displays reluctance towards experimenting on alien creatures. She roams the Prodigy facility and spends an extended period gazing at her reflection in the mirror. She even presses her pupils with her fingers, a behavior that is undeniably unsettling, despite her synthetic body.
It is plausible that the trauma stemming from the alien attack has led Nibs to develop personal issues that her caretakers will need to address in the forthcoming episodes.
3. Why Does Wendy Experience the Pain and Clicking of the Xenomorphs?
In the initial episodes of the series, hints were dropped regarding Wendy’s (Sydney Chandler) ability to hear the clicking sounds of the Xenomorphs within the Maginot ship wreckage. Episode 3 confirms this phenomenon.
Following an altercation with an adult Xenomorph that leaves her wounded, Wendy undergoes diagnostics. Upon awakening, she not only hears the sounds emitted by the Xenomorphs but also feels the pain inflicted upon them by Kirsh, who has commenced experimenting on facehuggers in the Prodigy lab.
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Thus far, only one individual in the universe has demonstrated an ability to directly connect with the cosmic predators – Ellen Ripley’s clone in the campy Alien Resurrection from 1997. However, this being, brought to life in a distant future, was a product of combining human and Xenomorph DNA. Consequently, it is understandable why Ellen could share a hive mind with the aliens.
Given that the hybrids in this series possess bodies made of synthetic tissues, and no Xenomorphs had ever been captured by human scientists prior to the events of the show, it is perplexing how Wendy, or Marcy, could have a link with these predatory creatures.
While the series has hinted at vague recollections of Marcy and Hermit’s father, there has been no mention of their mother. Conceivably, her identity is being withheld for a specific purpose and may prove pivotal in explaining why Wendy, also known as Marcy, is deemed “special” by Boy Kavalier.
4. What Motivates Kirsh to Experiment on Hermit’s Removed Lung?
In episode 3, Hermit (Alex Lawther), a military doctor and Wendy’s sibling, undergoes a surgical procedure to replace his damaged lung.
The excised organ is subsequently utilized in a peculiar experiment. The synthetic Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) introduces a Xenomorph germ into a container housing the lung, facilitating the infiltration of the tissue by the creature.
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In the Alien universe, androids, or synths, showcase a marked fascination with alien life forms and an ambivalent stance towards humans. Some, like Ash from Alien, exhibit unwavering loyalty to the corporation that programmed them, while others, such as David from Prometheus, rebel against their creators.
Kirsh from Alien: Earth remains an enigma. He shares David’s penchant for experimenting on aliens but also appears dedicated to the Prodigy corporation.
By permitting the Xenomorph germ to consume human tissue, Kirsh may simply be driven by scientific curiosity – or there could be a darker motive behind his actions.
5. What’s the Story Behind the Man with the Steam Device in the Corridor?
Earlier in the season, we glimpsed a man in an unusual suit wielding a mysterious device that seemed to be engaged in decontamination within the Prodigy facility. In episode 3, he makes a reappearance, once again attired in an outfit reminiscent of the costumes from Blade Runner or David Lynch’s Dune.
He might simply be a custodian diligently maintaining the cleanliness of the building, but… is that all there is to it?
