A geeky Guy's guide to Episode 5 of Alien:Earth
I do not normally do guides to single episodes of television shows but Aline:Earth is special. More specifically, Episode 5 "In space, no one..." is one of the most special episodes of television I have ever seen.
All I needed to see was the title of the episode and I knew I was in for a treat. Not only does it use ellipses... which I LOVE, but it is also a very clever reference to the original 1979 movie Alien. If you are too young to remember, the tag line of Alien was "In space no one can hear you scream."
A few months ago I raved that Alien: Romulus was the closest thing to an Alien movie I had seen since Aliens way back in 1986. Well that is no longer true. Episode 5 of Alien: Earth is now officially the best Alien content since Aliens.
I honestly cannot believe what I saw. At just over one hour of run time, the episode truly felt more like a mini movie than a television episode. It had the same suspense and terror of the first Alien (well as close as you can come to it). And it is not like they just rehashed the original movie... although there were some great similarities. The special effects were as good as anything I have seen on the big screen recently and they were far better than the original Alien. Even though this modern version had the special effects crutch to lean on, it did not. It still built suspense the old fashioned way with great writing, excellent cinematography and sensational music. I have never been so terrified by a water bottle in my entire life (trust me, you will be too).
This episode felt like a great combination of Alien and The Thing. It involves a mystery as well as sci-fi horror. What made this episode even better was the fact that it could 100% stand on its own. The episode is actually a prequel to the first episode of the season and has a very solid first, middle and third act. It was incredible! Perhaps my favorite part about it was that this episode did not just relay on the big bad Xenomorph. It includes other fleshed out (no pun intended) Aliens who might be equally terrifying. Even though the main method of terror is suspense and the anticipation of something terrible happening, there is also a ton of great action in this episode.
Although it is clearly intended to be told in this non-linear way, if you are on the fence about whether or not to watch Alien:Earth, start with this episode. if you are a sci-fi or horror fan, I guarantee you that you will immediately want to watch the rest.
Honestly, it's a very striking episode title that grabs viewers with just that. Alien Earth created something that I've already reviewed before, so I imagine a double guide to a series that makes it very special and exciting to watch.
I like that you focused on how the horror is built on writing, cinematography, and music, not just special effects. It’s clear this episode is really special and could actually be a reason for anyone to start the series from here.
It must be an incredible chapter, my friend, and well, there's nothing left to do but watch it, but with your recommendation, I think it's enough to understand that we're looking at a very good science fiction series with a lot of that old-fashioned touch of the original Alien but with new technologies that make it look even cooler.
You’ve really sold me on Episode 5. It sounds like the perfect balance of suspense and nostalgia for Alien fans!
Reading your blog today, I realized that Episode 5 was really special. I especially liked your description of it as a mini movie and your explanation of the feeling of suspense and terror. Reading your writing, I realized one thing: you really enjoyed this episode. Thank you for sharing such an important topic with us.
I probably need to get around and watch the first couple of movies at some point before I dig into this series too deeply. What channel is it on again?
They definitely hold up. Aliens is the best sci-fi action movie ever made. I'd watch them just to treat yourself to that.
I was watching part of it just a bit ago. Edited for television though...
might wanna check the order to watch them in, I think there's only 2 before the series in terms of their universes order which is not the same as order they were released.
Thanks for the heads up!
Actually this is a prequel to the 1979 Alien movie. It takes place shortly before Alien. And by shortly, I think both of the space missions are happening concurrently. The one in this show just made it back first.
You really summed it up beautifully. Reading your article made me feel like I was watching that episode myself. The references to the original Alien films and the fresh take on the modern adaptation really intrigued me. The way they managed to convey the tension so well is especially impressive. After reading your article, my desire to watch Alien: Earth has doubled. Thank you. @hanshotfirst
I totally agree with this review. Episode 5 was really intense and kept me on the edge of my seat. The mix of suspense, horror, and visuals was amazing, and honestly it felt close to the classic Alien movies. Definitely one of the best episodes so far.
Earth is flat and movies are hollywood brainwasking BULLSHIT!!!
Each of your reviews gives us a lot of knowledge and the way you have said that this episode has been quite interesting after the Alien movie, now we have to watch this entire serial. The suspense has set in and until we watch it now, things will not be known anymore