Alien: Earth marks Alien’s first expedition into long-form episodic storytelling. The upcoming show is also noteworthy for being the first Alien project that takes place primarily on planet Earth, following events that happened two years before the events of 1979’s original movie. Alien: Earth features an excellent cast including Timothy Olyphant, Sydney Chandler, and Alex Lawther in the lead roles.
While it’s very exciting that the Alien franchise is making the long-awaited plunge to an Earth-bound story, the decision opens up some major possibilities for plot holes and inconsistencies. Long-time fans of the franchise are understandably concerned that Noah Hawley’s series will retroactively change the timeline and raise tricky questions about the Xenomorph’s existence and how much humanity knows about the extraterrestrial species. Alien: Earth is a hugely anticipated project, but it’s also one with immense pressure riding on its shoulders.