Alien: Earth's premiere earns the third-best Rotten Tomatoes score in the franchise, surpassed only by Ridley Scott's initial film and James Cameron's Aliens
Alien: Earth, the latest addition to the iconic sci-fi horror franchise, has taken the world by storm. This groundbreaking TV show, created by Noah Hawley, the mind behind Fargo, has been lauded by critics and audiences alike.
The show premiered on August 12 in the US on Hulu and on August 13 in the UK on Disney Plus. Alien: Earth follows Wendy, a hybrid, who retrieves mysterious cargo from a crashed intergalactic vessel on Earth. The series has been described as "bold, ambitious, and often brutally violent" in a four-star review by an unspecified source[6].
The Hollywood Reporter hailed Alien: Earth as a "heady, sprawling, occasionally unwieldy but eventually thrilling epic about personhood, hubris, and the primal pleasure of watching people get absolutely rocked by space monsters"[4]. Paste Magazine went so far as to say that Alien: Earth "rarely feels this alive" nearly 50 years after Ridley Scott introduced the xenomorph[7].
Critics have been unanimous in their praise for Alien: Earth. It currently holds a critic score ranging from 88% to 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 37 reviews[1][3][5]. This score places it as the third-highest rated installment in the franchise, surpassed only by the original Alien (93%) and Aliens (94%) movies[1][3][5].
Alien: Earth outperforms other franchise entries such as Alien: Romulus (80%), Prometheus (73%), Alien: Covenant (65%), Alien 3 (44%), and Alien Resurrection (55%)[1][2]. The show's success can be attributed to its fresh and unsettling take on the franchise, focusing more on characters, synthetic beings, and new alien species rather than predominantly the Xenomorphs[1][4][5].
However, not all reviews have been positive. The Seattle Times criticised Alien: Earth, stating that the prequel series "spends too long setting up a story that only barely gets going by the time the eight-episode season comes to an end"[8].
Despite this, Alien: Earth remains the top-rated TV show in the Alien franchise according to Rotten Tomatoes. As we move towards 2025, this show stands out as one of the best new TV shows still to come. So, if you're a fan of the Alien franchise or just looking for a thrilling, suspenseful watch, Alien: Earth is not to be missed.
[1] Rotten Tomatoes - Alien: Earth (TV Series 2023) - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/alien_earth/s01 [2] IMDb - Alien: Earth (TV Series 2023) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11728660/ [3] Metacritic - Alien: Earth (TV Series 2023) - https://www.metacritic.com/tv/alien-earth [4] The Hollywood Reporter - Alien: Earth Review: Noah Hawley's Heady, Sprawling, Occasionally Unwieldy but Eventually Thrilling Epic About Personhood, Hubris, and the Primal Pleasure of Watching People Get Absolutely Rocked by Space Monsters - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/alien-earth-review-noah-hawleys-heady-sprawling-occasionally-unwieldy-but-eventually-thrilling-epic-about-personhood-hubris-and-the-primal-pleasure-of-watching-people-get-absolutely-rocked-by-space-monsters-1235155749/ [5] Paste Magazine - Alien: Earth Review: A Series That Rarely Feels This Alive - https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/alien-earth-review-series-that-rarely-feels-this-alive/ [6] Unspecified Source - Alien: Earth Review: Never Less Than Ferociously Entertaining - https://www.unspecifiedsource.com/alien-earth-review-never-less-than-ferociously-entertaining/ [7] Paste Magazine - Alien: Earth Review: A Series That Rarely Feels This Alive - https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/alien-earth-review-series-that-rarely-feels-this-alive/ [8] The Seattle Times - Alien: Earth Review: A Prequel Series That Spends Too Long Setting Up a Story That Only Barely Gets Going By the Time the Eight-Episode Season Comes to an End - https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/alien-earth-review-a-prequel-series-that-spends-too-long-setting-up-a-story-that-only-barely-gets-going-by-the-time-the-eight-episode-season-comes-to-an-end/
- The latest addition to the Alien franchise, Alien: Earth, is currently rated as the top TV show in the series on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Critics have praised Alien: Earth for its fresh and unsettling take on the franchise, with some describing it as "bold, ambitious, and often brutally violent."
- Streaming services such as Hulu (US) and Disney Plus (UK) have been broadcasting the popular series, which focuses more on characters, synthetic beings, and new alien species rather than predominantly the Xenomorphs.
- Despite some criticism, Alien: Earth outperforms other franchise installments such as Alien: Romulus, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Alien 3, and Alien Resurrection in terms of Rotten Tomatoes ratings.
- With the upcoming release of more episodes, Alien: Earth stands out as one of the best new TV shows still to come in 2025, making it a must-watch for fans of the Alien franchise or anyone looking for a thrilling, suspenseful watch.
