Observation

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.

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.

This episode doesn't move the story forward as much as the previous ones. Instead, it focuses more on psychology and social relationships. We see some of the core team members getting distracted - for different reasons - which will likely make them the source of problems in future episodes.

What I really appreciated was the explanation of The Five - the five companies that have replaced governments. While it wasn't directly tied to the main plot, it added valuable context to the Alien universe. In general, I like how the series continues to educate us about aspects of the universe we didn't know before, and that educational angle keeps me engaged.

I'm also glad they did something with the other species Prodigy brought to their lab; I had assumed those species would simply be forgotten in favor of focusing solely on our familiar alien character. The ending sets up a new direction that will definitely need a deeper explanation in future episodes - otherwise, it risks feeling confusing.

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.

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.