This article was published on 8/12 and republished on 8/14.
If you’re looking for a new show to watch early in the week here, there’s a new one that’s landed on Hulu, throwing back to a storied franchise in a way that is far from a cheap cash-in.
That would be Alien: Earth on Hulu, yet another Alien project and not that long after Alien: Romulus, but it’s the first TV series in its history. It is also extremely good, and I’ve even heard it being called “The Andor of Alien.”
Certified fresh with a full 62 reviews in, Alien: Earth has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s not only good for the current TV moment, but that means it is tied as the best-reviewed Alien project ever. That’s a tie with Alien at 94%, and just above Aliens at 93%. We’re talking projects that were released almost 40 years ago. Here’s the list:
- Alien: Earth – 94%
- Aliens – 94%
- Alien – 93%
- Alien: Romulus – 80%
- Prometheus – 73%
- Alien: Covenant – 65%
- Alien Resurrection – 55%
- Alien 3 – 44%
- Alien vs. Predator – 21%
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem – 12%
I wrote an article similar to this about a week ago, but back then, Alien: Earth was at a 90% and in third place instead. Now, with more reviews in, the score has only gone up, which is not really what you see normally with a show like this. What’s this all about anyway? Here’s the synopsis, as the show takes place two years before the original 1979 film:
“When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, Wendy and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.”
Interestingly, the only real “name” in the cast here is Justified’s Timothy Olyphant, with the rest of the cast being lower-profile. But the name behind it all is Noah Hawley, who has done some of the wildest FX/Hulu shows to date from Legion to Fargo. Now, he’s set his sights on Alien which is now reviewing better than any of them.
This isn’t a binge release, as that’s not usually how Hulu rolls (except The Bear). It has a double episode premiere today, and the rest of the eight episodes will air through the end of September. A second season has not been greenlit yet, but if it performs well, I would expect that to happen. So far as we know, this is not planned as a limited series.
This is going to be a good one. I’ll have my own review in shortly.
Update (8/14): Well, Alien: Earth has aired for everyone now, not just critics, and it appears some in the audience don’t agree!
First, the overall critic score of Alien: Earth has now dropped to a 92%, still super high but below both original Alien movies.
Second, audience scores are in, and they are a much-lower 77%, which is below the audience score for the recent Alien: Romulus at an 85%. I guess I’m not all that shocked, given that Hawley can make some divisive projects and there are aspects of the show that are overly trippy. I think there’s some disconnect with the base “kids in adult robot bodies” concept which can result in some odd dialogue, but in the context of the show, I absolutely think it makes sense.
I watched the first two episodes and loved them. The opening scene alone feels straight out of 1979, and the rest of the show is intriguing and beautifully shot and scored. I cannot wait for more. Despite what these audience scores may say, I will absolutely recommend the show to any Alien or sci-fi fan in general. It’s a really great achievement from what I can see so far, and remember, critics have seen a lot more of the series than audiences so far.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.