Observation

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.

I've been so surprised with the direction of Alien: Earth! We're seeing so many new interpretations of the Alien universe and it's refreshing!! This show is not just about the aliens/species themselves. One thing I noticed during this episode is that I can't truly tell who the 'good guys' are. In fact, I'm noticing the flaws in Kavalier's ideas of perfection. I think he's lost sight of what's important based on decisions made from greed and impulsiveness. Not to mention, his holier-than-thou attitude has him thinking he's too smart - too smart for his own good. Kirsh is more observant at face value, but there is something lurking in that synthetic mind of his.

The idea of seeing corporate greed absorb people and cause them to respond in a rash manner to it shows how humans are easily led. But it's the hybrids who seem to be more human...and more flawed.

I cannot wait to see the development of the characters and the story. Something big is about to happen and I want to see it!

The scenes involving Wendy are the most interesting, particularly concerning her recently discovered ability. I find this quite compelling, and hope it leads somewhere that fits with events depicted in the classic movies. Bringing Joe back into the fold works well and adds more tension to the dynamic between the hybrids and Prodigy.

This episode offers more exposition on the social/political order of Earth. The exposition comes in a fairly unsubtle information dump, but scenes, such as the dialogue between Joe and Atom Eins, demonstrate more about the type of world Earth has become. You cannot help but hope the Ocellus scene foreshadows a gruesome demise for the character Boy Kavalier.

The other plot thread of note involves Morrow, who, along with the aliens, is the most sinister lifeform depicted on Alien Earth. You feel a sense of dread for Slightly and family, but you want to see Weyland-Yutani doing terrible things to obtain a xenomorph, as so much of Alien and Aliens is underpinned by this.

Is the pace too slow? Arguably, it feels so currently, but if it is laying foundations that make future events good, I will not complain. At this point, though, the jury is out for me. The next episode needs a major event or significant plot movement.

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.

For a show that has seemed to have covered a lot, when I take a step back and try to take stock of what I've seen, I'm not sure where we are?

The action sequences are top notch; it's so hard to do Alien without just a rehash of what we've seen in the movies, and in general it's been well done. The introduction of the new species (especially the eyeball alien) has been a needed freshness the franchise has been looking for.

The characters are a bit all over the place. Marrow is the strongest and most interesting, followed by Kitch. But after that, it's a bit of a drop off - Marcy/wendy is ok, but she and the entire "kid" cast are hampered by exactly who they are - children in robotic bodies. The thing that makes characters interesting is the baggage they bring with them, and the children just don't have that baggage to make them relatable to the viewer. Kid cavalier is a bit too stereotyped in the show and the character so far lacks any depth or true examples of narassism that may make him more interesting.

Which leaves the last and most important part of this review - the story. What is this story, exactly? Is it the rushed technology of the hybrids? Is it the invasion of alien lifeforms on earth? Is it the relationship of the 5 corporations (which we meet only 2 and even their interaction seems strange)? It's hard to know where this is going ... and maybe that is the point? To quote a famous line from a silly movie "and we are all dumber for having listened to that."

That's how I feel- not any smarter about what this show is half way in.

Still, the ride so far has been mostly a fun one. I'm not nearly as frustrated with alien earth as I have felt with other shows (for example, house of the dragon). I'm excited to see how the second half of this season goes... but like most viewers, patience wears thin unless I really like characters, and alien earth hasn't done enough with its characters to make me want to hang out with them doing nothing for another 4 hours.