Stanisland Magazine

Noah Hawley’s interpretation of the Xenomorph story lacks faith and diligence

Last updated: 25th August 2025

Spoilers ahead

Need to Know

• The show is plagued by terrible storytelling.
• Once again, the studio has abandoned its signature practical effects.
• There are too many cast members.
• Its creature designs are laughable.

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Season one is here! It’s finally arrived and it’s safe to say we were all excited for this series, hoping it might return it to its former glory. Noah Hawley, the creator of shows such as Legion and Fargo, set the tone and fuelled the hype with an idiosyncratic approach to adaptations. Given the acclaim, I was expecting this to be a masterpiece return to form. So, what is it really like so far?

Episode One: Neverland

Directed by Noah Hawley

Alas, I have some complaints. The first episode began strongly, though it swiftly nose-dived, leaning into a commercially driven, ‘let’s keep short attention spans engaged‘ pacing.

READ MORE: ‘Alien: Earth’ – What You Need To Know About The TV Series

One thing we need to be clear on: the Xenomorph saga has conditions that must be met:

1. Horror must be front and centre.
2. The cast must be sparse to build character.
3. Practical effects are a 90% must.

None of this was adhered to. Hawley tried to balance it for all kinds of audiences, but the exposition is thin at best, and the acting feels forced, rushed, and too Hollywood.

Episode Two: Mr. October

Directed by Dana Gonzales

Here is where we get to the juicy stuff—the Xenomorph is unleashed on an unsuspecting public. Predictably, it was met with a blend of practical, and very obvious artificial effects.

Terrible scenes, like the eyeball with legs —which is fearsome until its trapped under a metal tub — and the poorly rendered cat just made me burst out laughing.

READ MORE: What You Need to Know About New Film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’

It’s a classic case of the studio getting involved, and if not, I’m disappointed in Hawley’s choices of optics. All of this can be overlooked if the story were good, but its screenplay is found wanting.

Despite its flaws, the lighting and framing remain faithful to its universe, although there’s a slight disconnect with the spirit of the franchise. This is also becoming a real problem in the Predator series, an intellectual property that is quickly unfastening from its nucleus.

The Verdict

In the end, Noah Hawley‘s interpretation of the Xenomorph story hits a brick wall, continuing to drill through obnoxiously. Its poor casting choices and lack of adherence to the protocols of its origin were either ignored, missed, or perhaps, once again, Ridley Scott has his fingerprints all over this.

Even when they managed to try and pull off the obligatory hunt-and-slash moment, they somehow ended up looking like a fan-made clip. Honestly, get someone who actually knows what they’re doing on this project.

READ MORE: Really? We’re Being Force-Fed Another Tawdry Alien: Romulus Sequel?

It’s a tame attempt, television pareidolia for a production lifted by a desire to see something good that really isn’t there. Throw in too many cooks in the kitchen and you’ve got a strangled work of science fiction that could have been so much better. We’re back to Alien: Covenant production levels, and despite what we may have heard, it’s clear Hawley was on a leash.

I’m not on my own in my assessment. Social media users have also noticed faults in the show’s presentation. One commenter reacted saying:

“The background CGI of the mountains and CGI in scenes was absolutely terrible at times.” … “the egg scene at the end of episode two looked really bad. Sparks looked awful, looked so fake. Really feels they’re in a budget.”

Other’s noticed plot holes:

“Almost done watching the second episode and I keep thinking, with all these technological advancements, nobody on Earth was able to see a giant spaceship coming?”

Many are perplexed by its positive review:

“I’m shocked by the glowing reviews this show is getting. I was really looking forward to this, and stayed up late to watch both episodes and was really disappointed. The story is so basic, very little happened in the first two episodes. That’s two hours or TV, a decent length for a movie. I feel like the shows need to justify their run time with a detailed narrative, if they are not episodic, but this was not that.”

Not only are we given a wooden bout of a Disney-fied version, but its soundtrack is also inappropriate given its history and origin. We don’t need more Marvel stories; we need Alien back to its best — a gory, roaring, palpitation-inducing master.

They had the audacity to call this a horror/psychological thriller. Is the bar this low, are we this easily pleased?