Alien: Earth Episode 4 Reminds Us Of The Weirdest Movie In The Franchise

Part of what makes the "Alien" franchise unique is how different each installment is from the others. Until "Alien: Romulus" came out, no two "Alien" movies were the same, a rarity not just in big horror franchises but in Hollywood franchises regardless of genre. "Aliens" was vastly different from "Alien" due to the shift from horror to action, while "Alien: Covenant" was a thought-provoking "Frankenstein" story.

Then there's "Alien: Resurrection," without a doubt the absolutely weirdest movie of the franchise (and that's even counting the "Alien vs. Predator" crossovers). It's a psychosexual feverdream that could only have been made by a true French sicko like Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Though it has been reclaimed by some fans now, this sequel was maligned for the longest time for being just too weird, too French, too cynical. And yet, it's made enough of an impact that "Resurrection" feels like a very clear inspiration for the most interesting aspect of the new show "Alien: Earth."

Created by Noah Hawley, the show has created a rift in the /Film newsroom, with many agreeing with our own Chris Evangelista's description of the show as "a lifeless slog that's a chore to sit through," while others (correctly) appreciate Hawley trying something new. The franchise's first foray into television, "Alien: Earth" follows a group of children whose consciousnesses have been transferred to synthetic bodies as they get involved in a mega corporation's very stupid plans to capitalize on the crash of a space vessel carrying deadly alien beings. The series offers new takes on themes and ideas essential to the 46-year-old movie franchise like the evils of capitalism. (Here, the world is quite literally ruled by five corporations).

And yet the show also finds time to be a little freaky sometimes, most recently in episode 4, when Wendy (Sydney Chandler) comes face to face with a newborn chestburster and ... caresses it. It's a moment that echoes a similar display from Ripley 8 (Sigourney Weaver) in "Alien: Resurrection."

Ever since her first encounter with a Xenomorph (that ended with her killing one), Wendy has been able to hear the unique frequency in the Xenomorph's vocalizations (one shared not only by the adult Xenomorph but even the tadpole-like being inside the facehugger). She is able to put together the data from what she's observed and heard to produce an approximation of the language of the alien apex predator. It is already quite eerie to hear Wendy speak in the terrifying sounds of the killing machine, but it gets worse at the end of the episode.

That's because Wendy sees the lung that was taken from her brother burst, a chestburster emerging. When it comes face to face with Wendy, she manages to make it stop in its tracks and tilt its head like a curious puppy. The implication that Wendy essentially spoke to the creature, and it listened to her, is huge for the show and the franchise at large. For one, it would pay off an idea first introduced in a cut line from the original "Alien" by having Wendy being able to communicate with and perhaps even control the Xenomorphs (at least enough prevent them from killing someone she loves). That is definitely what Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) will conclude, and he will absolutely try to use Wendy to "raise" Xenomorphs as weapons, like the raptor squad in "Jurassic World." It might be interesting for "Alien: Earth" to raise that question: If one could communicate with a Xenomorph and have them think you are one of them, would they listen to you? It's not so big a reveal as to break canon, since Wendy is not only able to hear the Xenomorph language, but she also has a synthetic body that the apex predator does not perceive as a threat or prey.

Most importantly, however, is the way the sequence is shot. There is a tenderness to the first encounter between Wendy and the chestburster, almost like a mother and her newborn child. The Xenomorph chestburster seemingly perceives Wendy as someone worth listening to, which brings to mind the weirdest part of an already weird "Alien: Resurrection."

In "Alien: Resurrection," Sigourney Weaver's Ripley 8 (a clone of Ripley) is used to give birth to an Alien Queen, which in turn gives birth to a Xenomorph/human mutant hybrid monstrosity that's without a doubt the most grotesque creature in the entire franchise. Almost immediately after being born, the creature (referred to in the novelization as "the Newborn") turns on its Queen and tears off its head, apparently considering Ripley to be its mother. Ripley 8, who has a blend of human and Xeno DNA in her, had a psychic link with the Xenomorphs, particularly the Newborn, and could understand them on a primordial and emotional level.

This resulted in the only time audiences have felt sad for a Xenomorph, as Ripley is forced to kill what is essentially her newborn child by sucking it into space piece-by-piece through a small opening in a spaceship hull. Making matters worse was the expression on Newborn's face: one of absolute bewilderment, innocence, and sadness. It was the first time we could see a Xenomorph with "feelings," in no small part due to Ripley understanding them. Now, "Alien: Earth" has a chance to carry on that idea and do the funniest thing by giving us another sad Xenomorph story.

Indeed, Wendy's arc seems to be an extension of the concept of Ripley 8 — a person who was not exactly human, but also not an alien. Wendy's disconnect with humanity thanks to the Prodigy Corporation people reminding her and her siblings that they are not really human, in addition to her ability to communicate with the Xenomorphs, may end up making her empathize with the alien creatures more than the humans around her. What choice will she make when the Xenomorphs try to kill all the Prodigy people and Wendy has the ability to either stop it or let it happen?