Observation

So i was already enjoying this show a lot but it wasn't quite there yet. But this episode made things feel more real and terrifying. All the several threats were very well done, great great job from the actors specially the lady and the redhead girl, and the sheep. Was more scared of this sheep than some xenomorphs from other movies. Hope things keep escalating with the quality this episode showed. Noah Hawley knows what he is doing. Only down side is this show is making me miss Raised By Wolves for some reason.

Ep 4 "Labyrinth" is a vexing slog, squandering its promise in a mire of aimless filler.

Noah Hawley's vision, once brimming with dread, stalls as Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and her "Lost Boys" meander through a derelict facility, xenomorphs reduced to mere shadows.

The vaunted Neverland set, though grimly splendid, hosts naught but repetitive traipsing, with nary a thrill to stir the blood. Chandler's emotive grit strives to salvage the torpor, and Samuel Blenkin's Boy Kavalier injects a flicker of corporate malice, but Timothy Olyphant's Kirsh languishes in obscurity. The "Lost Boys" grate with juvenile prattle, their purpose muddled.

Only the final three minutes, teasing a belated escalation, offer a glimmer of hope, sparing this episode from utter ruin. Expository drivel and lethargic pacing betray the Alien legacy, leaving one teetering on abandonment.

A dire misstep, barely redeemed by its closing spark.

Directed by Ugla Hauksdóttir, written by Noah Hawley & Bobak Esfarjani, episode four, "Observation," pushes Alien: Earth further into questions of faith, biology, and human identity rather than focusing directly on the Xenomorph threat. The idea of synthetic adult bodies inhabited by the minds of children is unsettling, and the drama around reproduction and religion is well played-particularly by Lily Newmark as Nibs and Essie Davis as Dame Sylvia-though at times it feels more like a stage for ideas than an organic story. Nibs' "level three event" mirrors Blade Runner, echoing the maker-master issue with the Replicants, adding simmering tensions. Sydney Chandler's Wendy continues to intrigue with her alien connection, though her thread here drifts into functional, plodding setup with meandering interactions with Alex Lawther's Hermit. Toodles gets more to do with Kirsh and name changes; however, Smee and Curly are underused throughout.

The highlight comes from Babou Ceesay's Morrow manipulating Adarsh Gourav's Slightly/Arrush, coercing him into betrayal and, in their second exchange, threats of loss. It's a raw, gripping exchange. Later, Slightly's tension with Timothy Olyphant's Kirsh deepens the unease. Olyphant is outstanding as ever, his composed presence laced with menace. Adrian Edmondson also impresses as Atom Eins, hinting at corporate control that recalls RoboCop's OCP-a subtle but powerful thread about ownership of bodies and lives. Eins' manipulation of Hermit mirrors Morrow's with Slightly, and in turn Samuel Blenkin's Boy Kavalair (his name an obvious Android (1982) twist yet to come, perhaps?) influences Wendy.

Technically, the episode impresses with its set design, effects, and creature work. The sheep experiment and the chestburster birth are chilling and well realised, keeping the horror tangible. However, the fades and overlapping transitions are overused, becoming a heavy-handed stylistic bugbear that hampers the show. The Lost Boys/Peter Pan framing, meanwhile, wears thin, and the pop-rock track over the end credits is jarringly on the nose.

"Observation" is filled with ideas, strong performances, and unsettling imagery. But despite its strengths, it often feels stretched away from the Alien core, as though the show wants to be about everything except the creatures themselves. The result is ambitious and intelligent, yet uneven-a thoughtful hour that leaves you wondering if a more focused Alien story might have been the stronger path.

In this episode, the pace finally starts to pick up a bit more and several of the characters are getting more fleshed out.

The only worrying thing is that almost all the characters are more interesting than the main characters, Wendy and Joe. Joe atleast got some good scenes in this episode but I still feel clueless about what's going on in Wendy's head.

Hopefully Joe and Wendy will become more interesting characters in the coming episodes.

Actually, this episode has less nonsensical parts than the previous episodes (which are full of them), but there are still some issues.

A 13-year old girl feels she's gonna have a baby. Really? And when being reminded of how babies are actually conceived she mentions Jesus. Yeah...

Apparently, Xenomorphs have chosen Wendy (Marcy) to be their medium. Why her? It's the first encounter of Eathlings with Xenomorphs.

How come that she of all the hybrids has more abilities? And why does Boy Kavalier think that she is a challenge to his genius? She's the first prototype, wouldn't it be more logical that the later models are more sophisticated and advanced?

Oh, and that "genius" Boy Kavalier does not show any signs of being a genius. Ever. He looks more like a spoiled rich man's kid.