The amount of tension in this episode is on par with that of the second episode. A suffocating sense of paranoia lingers in every scene. Unfortunately, the “whodunnit” angle does not have a satisfying conclusion. The show chooses to cop out in the worst way possible by using the most cliche conclusion for any “whodunnit”. At best, this episode serves as a mildly unnecessary reveal of Morrow’s motivations. At worst, it feels like a bit of a filler.

Issues aside, this episode serves as a nice change of pace from the Island, where (most of) everything has been set. In contrast to the large and open setting of the island, the tight and claustrophobic ship feels addictingly cozy. There is an undeniable sense of security that the island represents that is completely absent here. 

Episode 6: “The Fly”

This episode deals with the most horrifying subject of all: corporate politics. That’s right, in spite of the previous episode being action-heavy, this episode avoids feeling like filler. In fact, there are plenty of big events that unfold within the span of this one episode. For instance, it expands upon the lore of the major megacorporations on Earth. For as long as the franchise has existed, megacorporations have existed (in particular, Weyland-Yutani) as secondary antagonists alongside the Xenomorph. In fact, Weyland-Yutani has always felt like the overarching villain for the franchise. This feels especially true for the series. Minor spoilers ahead: In one scene, peace talks are being held between two megacorporations. The entire scene feels oddly modern, like any of the recent peace talks constantly being held nowadays. Considering how each of these corporations has actual armies backing them up, the stakes feel believable. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for this episode.

Major character deaths are always a tricky plot device to pull off. While a great way of adding stakes and getting audience members invested, knowing their favorite character could die, it’s also easy for it to feel needless and added in just for shock value. With plenty of deaths early on, Alien: Earth has made it to six episodes without killing any “major” character. The writers must have also caught on and decided to overcompensate. That’s right, two major characters die in the same episode. Within the context of the episode itself, the deaths actually make sense and don’t entirely feel forced. Not to mention the fact that the show has been foreshadowing something like this for the last few episodes. The ending works great in setting up for the last two episodes, which are guaranteed to be chaotic. 

Conclusion

Compared to the first three episodes, the pacing feels better. There’s also a feeling of dread that the show has cultivated, which continues to grow with each episode. Despite episode five’s odd placement, Alien: Earth genuinely feels like it has found its stride and perfectly sets up the last two episodes. Now all the writers have to do is make sure the buildup was worth it.

Watch Alien: Earth on Hulu or Disney+.