Alien: Earth (FX / Hulu Series)

It had some interesting stuff going on but the ending was outright dumb. Kirsh and the other synths don't happen to notice Wendy entering the top-secret lab and loudly collapsing? I'm not even sure what narrative purpose them missing that would serve.

Whoever this Morrow cat is, he's a manipulative shit. He's using the fact that Slightly is a kid who wants friends against him. Okay, groomer.

I like Kirsh clarifying to him the ship isn't a location, but an object, one that landed in their backyard, so it's theirs. Doesn't sound like that argument has any MORAL weight, but it sounds legally viable.

Speaking of shits, Boy Kavalier isn't just the worst boss you could imagine working for. He's one of the last people who should EVER be handed power. But it's handed to this sociopath because that's how it works, and I guess people are so broken they've just accepted that. That moral feels very familiar for that reason.

It had some cool concepts but the ending was ass. 3 stars.

Wendy taming the Xenomorph is a big moment.

Nibs' behavior is alarming.

Morrow is a total bastard. Kirsh knows what's going on with Slightly. Why isn't he doing anything?

Speaking of total bastards, Boy Kavalier continues to prove he's a sociopath. Both him and Morrow are absolutely cruel in their manipulations.

The part where Joe says that Democracy didn't work and the corporations took over and fixed everything is why I really fucking hate people. They'll believe anything.

The conditions Eins made to Joe were cruel, but I'm a little surprised Joe didn't see them coming. I'm gonna go against the Noah Hawley grain there and say it's either bad writing or proof that people are totally fucking stupid. 50/50 on either.

Boy is right about something. It's kind of hard to feel bad about mistreating the Xenomorphs considering how fucking lethal they are to every single human they encounter. Let's keep some perspective here, PETA.

Solid. 4 stars.

Smart to do an episode-long flashback about what happened to Morrow's crew. They can essentially do an hour-long Alien film by doing that. Which is refreshing because they can't normally do that on a weekly basis with the fixed cast.

What do I think? I'm appalled. Our first glimpse at Mother and I was a little shocked at what a shoddy operation it was. Boy Kavalier is also reckless with Prodigy, but the difference is he hired specialists who are geniuses and the best in their field. With the exception of Morrow himself, every other person on that ship is either corrupt, or more likely, completely incompetent. The ship literally has a scientist so dumb he doesn't know that when he signed up for a biological survey it's not to do with the study of rocks. Or how about the lady idiot scientist who leaves her open drinking water container out while she's sloppily and carelessly studying a group of creatures that spawn in human beings like a virus?

I also now understand WHY Morrow let the Captain die in the Pilot. Truly, his survival depended on not HAVING to depend on somebody that weak and foolish. I blame Morrow for plenty (he's a monster) but I no longer blame him for that specific thing. I totally get it now.

During the Ripley era, none of the crew members were geniuses, but they all were competent at their jobs at least. This episode changed the franchise from "scary horror" to "catharsis horror" pretty quickly and unambiguously. I wasn't rooting for the Xenomorph, but I also didn't feel bad for a single person who was killed either.

Is this the future's best and brightest? There's an appalling real-world moral there, I know it. 3 1/2 stars.