Alien Earth, Episode 7, this is probably the most intense episode the series has delivered so far this season, things got really messy really fast and also makes me worried about where this franchise is headed even though I thought this specific episode was pretty solid overall. The whole Wendy character development has been the highlight of the show for me since day one and this episode really pushed her relationship with the Xenomorph to some crazy new levels that honestly made me both excited and concerned at the same time, like watching her command that thing was interresting but also a bit scary and inpredictable because you know its probably not going to end well for anyone involved. Episode 7 titled Emergence came up with new threats emerging from every direction, we got Arthur finally having his chest burster moment which was brutal as hell to watch just the same across the franchise with every single victim, Utani forces invading Neverland like some kind of military operation and this new terrestrial Xenomorph variant that looks very if not completely different from anything we have seen in the previous movies with its brownish color instead of the classic black. The pacing felt really good too, not too rushed but never boring either, they managed to pack so much content into this episode without it feeling overwhelming or confusing since some episodes this season have felt a bit slow or draggy in certain parts.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13623632/
- Platform: HULU
Rottentomatoes Rating
Arthur getting killed by the chest burster was probably one of the most heartbreaking moments of the entire series because he was literally the only adult who actually cared about these kids and treated them like real people instead of just experiments or tools to be used, watching him die right after he tried to be understanding with Slightly and Smee just made it feel worse. Arthur basically becomes a martyr, a victim and it felt earned and tragic but not manipulative or cheap, you could see it coming from a mile away but that didnt make it any less impactful when it finally happened because we had grown to care about him so much over the previous episodes. Slightly and Smee carrying his body around was hilarious and very sad since they literally dont know any better, these kids have no idea what they are doing and they are in way over their heads trying to deal with adult problems that no one should have to handle especially not children in synthetic bodies, I only wonder what would Wendy do if she was on the same position, she would probably junt down Morrow. The fact that Slightly still believed Arthur would be okay even after the face hugger attached itself to him just shows how naive and innocent these hybrids still are despite having super computers as brains, they might have adult bodies but they are still just scared kids trying to survive in a world that doesnt want them, seems the same for most synthetics during the franchise, similar to recent movie Alien Romulus.
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Wendy commanding the Xenomorph felt so so unpredictable like it could snap at any moment and attack them, the way she just chitters at it and the creature immediately responds by slamming its head against the glass was incredible but also really unsettling because you realize she isnt just communicating with these things anymore, shes actually controlling them like some kind of Alien queen, she even think she finally understanding and talking back to them, the moment she says its kinda hard to find the right words. Her whole relationship with Joe started falling apart this episode too which was really sad to watch because their sibling bond has been one of the strongest emotional ties during the series but never felt rock solid almost like she felt ok with it once he was next to her, but I can understand why hes getting scared of what she is becoming especially after she unleashed that Xenomorph on all those scientists and guards. The graveyard scene where they found their own graves was probably the most philosophical moment the show so far because thats something Joe has been trying to push for the kids to remember who they were and their names, seeing Joe break down at Marcs tombstone while Wendy insists that Marcy is still alive inside her synthetic body was a strong moment and really made you think about what it means to be human or alive in the first place. Nibs reaction to seeing her own grave and realizing shes not really the same person anymore was equally confusing and very sad like she felt lost, that poor kid has been losing pieces of herself ever since her memory wipe and now she knows for sure that the real Rose Ellis is dead and buried in the ground, I thought Wendy could do something about her memory using her special powers like data dump into Nibs "mind".
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Boy Kavalier continues to be the most frustrating character on the entire show because he just keeps making terrible decisions that put everyone in danger while acting like hes some kind of genius although he is use to take huge risks when making break throughs but this time it seems like he is not meassuring well who is dealing with, both the T Ocelus and the Xenomorph could easily take them down in a sec , so watching him get completely fascinated by the eyeball creature while his entire facility is falling apart around him was the perfect fit for his character, its always like each incident on the lab means nothing for him as he learns more about this Aliens despite the cost. The way he wants to put that thing inside a human host just so he can have a conversation with something smarter than himself shows how selfish and shortsighted he really is, hes willing to sacrifice other peoples lives just to satisfy his own curiosity and need for intellectual stimulation. Kirsh helping Slightly and Smee escape with Arthur body was hilarious af because it confirmed that hes been playing his own game this whole time, Timothy Olyphant has been brilliant during the entire season, Kirsh not just following orders from Boy Kavalier or being a loyal synthetic, hes actively manipulating events to achieve his own goals whatever those might be, because its not so clear what he wants, he might even be an infiltrated or just want to be free?. He was basically using the kids as bait to trap Morrow and capture another Xenomorph was clever but also really cold and calculating, it shows that even the characters we thought we could trust are ultimately just using everyone else as chess pieces in their larger schemes.
The ending with Nibs getting shot, I thought she was dead but she isn't; by Joe and Siberian was very shocking and really well executed, her violent reaction to them throwing Mr Strawberry in the water showed just how mentally broken she had become after losing her memories and sense of identity multiple times throughout the season, then watching her rip that guys jaw clean off remind me to the moment she snap for the first time, that guy could have been Dame, I think at that moment Nibs was just lashing out in pain and confusion like a wounded animal, and when Joe had to stun her to stop the violence it felt like he was putting down a rage dog rather than saving her, this synthetics can run wild out of control. Wendys reaction to Joe hurting Nibs was the final straw that broke their relationship completely at least thats how I felt it, from now on I think it wont be the same for those two, she screamed at him like he had betrayed the entire family which in her mind he probably had because she sees all the hybrids as her responsibility now that shes becoming something more than human. The way the episode ended with Wendy completely isolated from everyone except the Xenomorph hiding in the bushes nearby really sets up what looks like its going to be a pretty dark finale, shes lost her brother, lost Nibs, lost Arthur and now she only has this Alien creature that treats her like its mother which is very creepy but at the same time exciting depending on how you look at it. I'm really curious to see where they take her character in the final episode because she could either become the savior who protects the remaining hybrids or she could become the monster that destroys everyone who stands in her way, the franchise could easily take an entire direction of Wendy been the new Queen who commands the Xenomorphs to the point only Predators could save the Earth, but this is me just letting my imagination run wild.
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