Wendy finds her voice and makes a move as a bad situation gets worse in a masterful, mysterious, masochistic new episode of ALIEN: EARTH.
“I can speak for myself.”
It’s never a good idea to try to get ahead of a Noah Hawley series and each Alien: Earth episode has been a terrifying, contemplative experience. Four episodes in, Alien: Earth’s first season has reached its half-way point and it’s still as inscrutable as it is exciting. The series has already proven itself to be a satisfying Alien show.
However, it’s also a bizarrely-apt modern retelling of Peter Pan that’s a sci-fi-laden coming-of-age story that shares as much with Steven Spielberg’s A.I. as it does with Ridley Scott’s horror classic. This narrative mash-up is such a natural fit that it’s easy to see why Peter Pan is a story that’s so prone to being retold and remixed. Alien: Earth is just a rare case where evil corporations, murderous aliens, and skeptical androids are also part of the equation. “Observation” is the best application of the show’s growing Peter Pan obsession yet, but it’s also the series’ most thought-provoking installment and a fascinating meditation on communication.
Wendy’s humanity and its potential salvation or corruption have clearly been priorities to Alien: Earth right from the jump. It’s been fascinating to watch Wendy evolve throughout these episodes, much like the Xenomorphs that have infiltrated her life. Wendy’s growth might not be as flashy as the Xenomorphs’, but it’s been just as fruitful. “Observation” is an especially rewarding episode when it comes to the most important relationships in Wendy’s life, whether it’s her bond with her brother, Hermit, or her surrogate parental figures, Kirsh and Kavalier. The latter of these relationships has been one of Alien: Earth’s most rewarding dynamics. The push-and-pull between Kirsh and Kavalier has been amicable up until this point. “Observation” leans into the growing tension that’s continually developed. Alien: Earth presents Kavalier and Kirsh like divorced parents who are caught in a custody battle over what’s best for Wendy. In many ways, that is what is going on here, just on an infinitely more grandiose scale.
It’s heartbreaking that Kavalier understands that Wendy and Hermit are simultaneously each other’s strength and weakness. Kavalier manipulates the siblings and uses their love for each other as a liability that can be exploited. It’s deeply uncomfortable, especially since Kavalier’s experiment works so well. There’s hopefully a very special brand of painful destruction that’s waiting for Kavalier if and when he’s eliminated. Alien: Earth’s handling of Kavalier has been a tense experience. Kavalier is the most compelling that he’s ever been in “Observation” and he finally comes out of his shell a little more. He’s someone who seems plainly wicked and that he prioritizes the company over the individual, but it’s fascinating to see how he communicates and activates Wendy. He seemingly understands Wendy better than Kirsh and is able to bridge this gap, just like Wendy can do with the Xenomorphs.
Kavalier’s growth also feeds into a burgeoning rift between Wendy and Curly. This development is still in its infancy, but it’s not hard to picture a scenario in which Curly teams up with Kirsh in order to hurt Kavalier and Wendy. There’s also something for Alien: Earth’s husband-and-wife scientist team, Arthur (David Rhysdahl) and Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis), to do in “Observation.” They begin to feel guilty and question what they’re doing, which is encouraging, but not enough to actually set them down the right path. If nothing else, these two are beginning to feel like actual characters and not just appendages to Alien: Earth’s headier science experiments. These relationships also allow Alien: Earth to explore how companies literally own their employees and turn them into commodities. This is a fate that befalls Hermit and Wendy, albeit in completely different ways that are equally harrowing.
Alien: Earth’s continued conversations on identity and humanity remain fascinating. However, the most interesting material to come out of “Observation” involves the revelation that Wendy, as a hybrid, is able to hear the Xenomorph’s alien language and communicate with it. This connection doesn’t frighten Wendy, but rather, it excites her. She wants to hear and respond. She wants a voice; truly and finally. This power makes Wendy feel like she’s uniquely important to bridge this gap and help humanity evolve. On a grander scale, this is an incredible idea to explore and there are serious ramifications regarding why human consciousness in a robotic body would now somehow be able to communicate with an extraterrestrial creature. This becomes the crux of “Observation,” but also potentially Alien: Earth as a whole. This link might even be the whole point of this extra chapter in the Alien saga.
Wendy’s communication with the Xenomorph is genuinely beautiful. It’s a sequence that feels like it’s been ripped right out of Prometheus or even Arrival. It’s also worth pointing out that this is a concept that, on some level, was explored to some degree in Shane Black’s The Predator. Rest assured, Alien: Earth handles it infinitely better. There’s a powerful confidence in this material and how it’s handled. That being said, the show’s compulsion to equate Wendy’s skill with Peter Pan’s “ticking crocodile” and the portent of doom that it represents for Captain Hook is a little glib and too satisfied with itself. It’s a connection that works, even if it’s unnecessary.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, “Observation” showcases another tour de force body horror sequence with its sheep infection, infiltration, and revival. It’s genuinely creepy on a visceral level that the Xenomorph fails to reach, but what follows is even more unnerving. Alien: Earth has been so good with these one-two punch elements where it delivers a familiar horror and then takes it somewhere completely original. To make all this even more compelling, Kirsh and Kavalier’s contrasting reactions to this discovery are just as exciting. All this fear and tension comes from a freaking sheep, which is proof alone that Alien: Earth is cooking with gas and has crafted the perfect tone for this universe.
“Observation” also begins to dislodge a scab that it’s been picking at since its start regarding restitution when there’s an increasingly fluid definition of identity. The idea of repaying a debt becomes considerably more complex when individuals can potentially live forever. This becomes even more interesting when it’s paired together with how society reappropriates legends and iconography, like the “Three Wise Monkeys” and applies them to new, modern ideals. Parables can also exist for an eternity, but their meaning can just as easily become a warped funhouse mirror distortion of its original message. “When is a machine not a machine,” is a question that hangs over the heads of several characters in “Observation.”
“Observation” sticks its landing and its final revelatory moments are simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. Wendy’s genuine excitement over being able to communicate with this otherworldly creature – and perhaps even help it – gives her a rare chance to become a parental figure of her own. Wendy may not have sinister intentions, but it’s hard to picture any of this going well. Alien: Earth may turn Xenomorphs into a nature versus nurture situation and make them not inherently vicious. This would certainly be a controversial decision, so it will be interesting to see where this is all headed. Much like how Kirsh watches on from the distance, the audience is mystified and curious about what’s next. It’s an experience that must be similar to what Wendy Darling felt when she saw Neverland for the first time.
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