This article contains spoilers for Alien: EarthAlien: Earth Episode 5, “In Space, No One…” departs from the feeling of the past three and a half episodes to incredible effect. The episode could stand alone as a film in addition to being the midpoint of the season. In the official podcast, showrunner and director of the episode, Noah Hawley, states that the episode was not initially planned to be a part of the series. However, it is the alien movie that he always dreamed of making. In making his dream a reality, he also created one of the best installments in the Alien franchise.
‘Alien: Earth’ Returns to the Franchise’s Horror Roots
FX
Episode 5 of Alien: Earth takes place entirely on the USCSS Maginot, which, as a jump in time before it crashed into the Prodigy building, returns the show to the same mise-en-scène as the beginning of the first episode. The differences between life on Earth and life on the Maginot are stark, which is shown clearly through the filming. The shots are eerie, and the episode’s pacing is slow, effectively extending the tension. The franchise’s horror roots are evident in the chaotic framing of multiple characters in a shot, giving the audience the cramped feeling of life on a spaceship. And there are plenty of alien monsters wreaking havoc in addition to interpersonal drama. This is the episode that fans of the 1979 Alien wanted early in the season, but only got teased with.
While all the episodes are cinematic in their own way, Episode 5 is on par with Alien and Aliens. The franchise, while remaining popular for over 40 years with crossovers and multiple sequels, has not been able to catch the attention of audiences nearly as much as the original film. Until now. Alien: Earth’s reviews are just as good as the first two films in the franchise.
Episode 5 Reveals That Boy K Is up to No Good
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Toward the end of the episode, some twists were revealed. While most audiences likely anticipated the surprises, there may be a few who were left in the dark initially. Early in the season, Boy Kavalier is painted as a benevolent trillionaire. He makes difficult decisions to benefit humankind, like the technology he has created for hybrid children who were formerly fatally ill.
However, in Episode 5, as Morrow uncovers the mystery of who has sabotaged the ship, he also uncovers that Boy Kavalier was behind the plot all along. The Maginot crew died because of Boy K’s whims. People in the building that it crashed into died because of his whims. How many more will die because he sees his desires as more important than the lives of others? And what, exactly, is his end game with the alien specimens?
A good series or film not only entertains but also challenges an audience to think about the world around them. Alien: Earth is no exception to this, as the running theme is about the five companies ruling the world. In the current real world, there is growing distrust between classes, and especially of the extremely wealthy. Episode 5 of Alien: Earth challenges its audience to consider all the angles of why a rich person would make the decisions they do. What is the endgame? This single question alone makes the episode worth watching.
Episode 5 also gives audiences a deeper look into Morrow. By showing where he came from and why he turns off some of his emotions, audiences are left wondering if he really is a villain in this story. All villains have a backstory, though, and only time will reveal what we need to know about the others. Alien: Earth is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
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