Observation

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.

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.

A sudden huge spike in quality in Episode 4 on all sides - acting is better, directing is much better... well basically that's it - simply a much better director this time, who knows how to handle the project. Unlike the previous two. Unfortunately the last 2 episodes gonna be directed by god-awful Dana Gonzalez again, so we might get another dose of garbage.