Movies News Talk
Setting his prequel series on Earth, Noah Hawley, the producer of the forthcoming FX series Alien: Earth, has taken a daring action. Though it seems to deviate from the accepted Alien canon, this choice generates several inconsistencies with Ridley Scott's Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. There is great possibility for another significant retcon, which begs questions regarding the effect on the established legacy of the franchise.
The current Alien lore holds that the lethal extraterrestrial species known as Xenomorphs—which define the franchise—should not exist on Earth during the course of Alien: Earth. Though divisive, Ridley Scott's prequels established David, the Android played by Michael Fassbender, as engineering the Xenomorphs from Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. But Alien: Earth is chronologically next to Prometheus, set around thirty years before the first Alien movie.
This temporal overlap is rather problematic. Should the Xenomorphs—as we know them—not yet exist, their presence on Earth in Alien: Earth becomes a significant plot inconsistency. It also undercuts one of the main Alien franchise themes—that of the terrible solitude and fear of the unknown connected with deep space exploration. Lost when the setting moves to Earth, the classic tagline, "in space, no-one can hear you scream," captures this central idea.
The narrative of Alien: Earth is supposed to center the Weyland-yutani Corporation, Sandra Yi Sencindiver already cast as a high-ranking staff member. But the retcons included in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant already tangle this company's past. These prequels suggest that Weyland-Yutani became aware of the Xenomorphs sometime between Covenant and the first Alien film, so guiding Nostromo's arrival on Acheron with purpose.
Should the Xenomorphs already be on Earth, as Alien: Earth suggests, Weyland-Yutani's active search for a specimen seems illogical. Furthermore, at this junctural point in the chronology Weyland-Yutani shouldn't even exist as a coherent entity. Prometheus shows the corporation as still a separate entity. This discrepancy emphasizes even more the possibility for another retcon, even if Hawley has said Prometheus and Alien: Covenant will have no bearing on his series.
Although Ridley Scott's prequels might not be popular everywhere, it is depressing to see the established knowledge of the franchise constantly rewritten. The Alien universe is difficult to view as a coherent whole given the continuous retcons. The franchise has suffered from this before, and it forebodes dark for Alien: Earth's narrative.
It's hard to see Alien: Earth devoid of some kind of the recognizable Xenomorphs. Whether Hawley plans to totally ignore Scott's world-building or try to match his series with the current canon, there is great chance for further complicating an already convoluted canon. Hawley's attempts to rationalize Alien: Earth run the danger of causing excessive exposition, which might lower the general caliber of the show.
FX has a solid history of generating excellent television notwithstanding these issues. With his praised work on Fargo, Hawley also offers great talent for the project. He assures supporters that Alien: Earth will be "something special" and that he is rather happy with the production.
Alien: Earth is promoted as an homage to the first Alien movie. But its Earth environment essentially calls off this assertion. Although Alien vs. Predator already looked at the idea of Xenomorphs on Earth, the original Alien's horror came from the solitude and uncertainty of the deep space. The destiny of the Nostromo acts as a sobering warning regarding the Xenomorphs' destructive power. If the Xenomorphs have already arrived on Earth—as Alien: Earth suggests—this warning is moot.
For decades viewers have been enthralled with the Alien franchise, which combines science fiction and horror. Still, the continual retcons and contradictions threaten to split the accepted knowledge. Alien: Earth could aggravate this already precarious basis even more. The ability of the show to create a gripping narrative while negotiating the convoluted and sometimes conflicting aspects of the Alien canon will determine its success.