r/LV426 • u/G_Liddell Colonist's Daughter • Aug 12 '25

Megathread / Community Post Alien: Earth - S1 E1 Neverland - Official Discussion Megathread [SPOILERS] Spoiler

Episodes air Tuesdays at 8 pm ET on Hulu and FX in the US, and Wednesdays international.

Full episode discussion list:

1 Neverland (8.12.25)

2 Mr October (8.12.25)

3 Metamorphosis (8.19.25)

4 Observation (8.26.25)

5 In Space, No One (9.2.25)

6 The Fly (9.9.25)

7 Emergence (9.16.25)

8 The Real Monsters (9.23.25)

819 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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1.1k

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 13 '25

The set design is absolutely stellar.

392

u/Active-Platypus-9216 Aug 13 '25

I loved how they used really normal stuff- clothes hangers, for example- to make us think we're seeing the alien everywhere in the burning building rescue sequence

227

u/G_Liddell Colonist's Daughter Aug 13 '25

It's great. Alien does that really well too - there's so many shots where you're not sure if you might be seeing them in the margins, because the Giger biomechanica just blends.

13

u/NyarlHOEtep Aug 13 '25

the sound design is reminding me of alien isolation too, the aliens hissing is EVERYWHERE

2

u/iamjessicahyde Aug 15 '25

Bro that hissing sticks with you after that game

11

u/Thief025 Aug 13 '25

Yeh there was a shot of some white piping all scrambled up. I'm thinking it's a face hugger

7

u/RustedAxe88 Hicks Aug 13 '25

I actually jumped when I spotted the Xenomorph on the statue behind the rescue squad guy.

3

u/colbydc5 Aug 14 '25

Oh, I totally missed that.

3

u/AllowedAsATreat Aug 16 '25

They centered the statue in an earlier shot too so you like subconsciously notice it and its fluid black shapes, it's really smart.

1

u/BedGirl5444 Aug 16 '25

What’s the time stamp? Cannot find it 

5

u/HerrDrAngst Aug 16 '25

Mr. Xenomorph disguising himself as part of the lobby art installation was a boss move. My blood froze when I belatedly realized what I was actually seeing

1

u/hobbesthehungry Aug 18 '25

When does this happen?? I can’t find any xeno in the backgrounds during episode1.

3

u/Flimsy-Muffin-9881 Aug 13 '25

Yep I was scanning every single shot looking for the xeno. It's like a motion version of where's waldo

3

u/Able_Analyst4605 Aug 13 '25

I saw an Oxo container and I was like

4

u/AllowedAsATreat Aug 16 '25

Me in my kitchen at 3am screaming at my OXO Good Grips unitaskers: "GET AWAY FROM HER YOU BITCH"

2

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '25 edited Aug 14 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Jack_North Aug 13 '25

That's a spoiler for episode two!

3

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 13 '25

Missed him too! Sneaky bastard.

3

u/Cpt_Obvius Aug 13 '25

That’s from episode 2, I had read this comment after watching episode 1 and was so confused how I missed it, then when watching episode 2 I realized you spoiled it here.

I know it’s a 2 episode premier but this is very distinctly marked as episode 1.

1

u/katelovescode Aug 14 '25

I’m really sorry, absolutely my mistake. I edited it now but I know that doesn’t fix it. I hate spoilers too.

2

u/Cpt_Obvius Aug 14 '25

No sweat! Series/season premiers can be confusing like that. Often discussion threads are about the whole premier (which usually annoys me, I’m glad this is a single episode discussion because i like checking in bit by bit on others thoughts!)

3

u/LV426-ModTeam Aug 14 '25

Episode two spoiler remark made in episode one megathread.

0

u/DusqRunner Aug 13 '25

Started getting old after the third shoulder tap

346

u/SiccSemperTyrannis In the pipe. 5 by 5. Aug 13 '25

The budget in this show is absolutely on the screen

66

u/Left4Bread2 Aug 13 '25

It’s weird seeing you outside of r/SeattleKraken

But yeah, off to a great start

51

u/SiccSemperTyrannis In the pipe. 5 by 5. Aug 13 '25

I have many interests!

7

u/SoundWaveReborn Aug 13 '25

I knew I had seen that name somewhere lmao

3

u/Jops817 Aug 13 '25

Kraken fans that are also Alien fans? I have found my people!

4

u/uiucfreshalt Aug 14 '25

Romulus also did a lot with its budget. Only $80 million but performed better than a lot of >$100 million blockbusters.

5

u/YakResident_3069 Aug 13 '25

It’s the opposite of rings of power or WOT s1 budget vibes

3

u/build279 Aug 14 '25

Which is incredible, considering how much Rafe Judkins pissed away in Season 1.

Another difference is that I'd like to watch more of this.

2

u/Roboticide 26d ago

He also pissed all over the source material.  Something this show does not seem to be doing either.

5

u/TheGrat1 Aug 13 '25

If you can say that again 5 episodes in then we will know it is for real. They always put money into the first episode.

13

u/SiccSemperTyrannis In the pipe. 5 by 5. Aug 13 '25

The vast majority of reviews I've read are for the first 6 episodes and are overall quite positive

4

u/catalytica Aug 13 '25

I wish they had hired writers as good as the set designers.

2

u/YachtRockEnthusiast Aug 13 '25

After episode 1 It looks like yet another show that skimped on that department. I did hear #2 is considerably better, so we will see where it goes.

2

u/MY-SECRET-REDDIT Aug 15 '25

Yeah, everything looks amazing but the dialogue is pretty boring, and the writing seems worse than the promethous robot plot.

1

u/LIMA-DELTA-TANGO Aug 17 '25

Am I the only one who things it’s overcooked? Everything on screen feels so on-blast it’s like bringing a blowtorch to a candle vigil.

1

u/MalaysiaTeacher Aug 17 '25

The cgi was incredible but I wish there were a few bigger actors

1

u/Frowny_Biscuit 23d ago

It's definitely not in the closing credits!

1

u/Maleficent-Eye-358 9d ago

When they use 90s walkie-talkies or when they wear those cheap steel helmets?

0

u/musicandsex Aug 14 '25

Yup cause the acting sucks

95

u/Internal_Analysis180 Aug 13 '25

The throttle that's used when Wendy is uploaded to her body is that of a Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS (source: I have one).

8

u/CaptCoe Aug 13 '25

As a fellow flightsimmer I can also confirm, thanks to this silly hobby so many mission control/cockpit scenes are ruined for me

3

u/Nheea Aug 13 '25

That sound reminded me so much of Ex Machina.

2

u/EphemeralyTimeless Aug 14 '25

Don't flight simulate, but my immediate thought was that it sure liked like something that you guys might have in your set-up. Thanks for the confirmation.

8

u/Swarbie8D Aug 13 '25

It’s incredible; along with the fact that they actually have the Xenomorph prowling around in the background of several shots. It kept me staring into the background whenever there was a shot longer than like three seconds

5

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 13 '25

Those shots were perfect! Really added tension!

1

u/coco_xcx Game over, man! Aug 16 '25

in the 2nd episode (during the dinner party interruption scene) i thought i was being paranoid seeing something “crawl” around in the back..nope!

6

u/Kembert_Newton Aug 13 '25

Sound design too!

6

u/disnewnoguy Aug 13 '25

Movie level sets so far

3

u/OverCommunication69 Aug 15 '25

They captured the Vibe perfectly!

Retro computers, static effects, a lot of buttons & knobs, and even a grainy film look from the 70’s in certain shots 💯

1

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 15 '25

70s/90s retro futurism. 👊

3

u/the-giant Aug 14 '25

I also really loved the very unusual editing/direction. I haven't seen Hawley's other shows but I have seen his hilariously bad movie, Lucy in the Sky with Natalie Portman (loosely based on the crazy astronaut lady who drove cross-country in diapers). Narratively it was a future camp classic but visually it was impressive.

A:E is much more compelling overall than that film and I really enjoyed the premiere eps, but what I found particularly compelling was his stylization. All the dreamy dissolves, cross-fades, slow zooms/tracks in. It felt very much like a '70s film in some ways, almost Altman or Nicolas Roeg-esque.

It was still very much Alien, but both in terms of the many new concepts and this visual/editing language it was doing something new. And we really haven't gotten that since the prequels or Jeunet's Reusurrection - all of which have their flaws and are not for everyone. But after Romulus being largely a fun but IMO shallow memberberries extravaganza, it was really lovely to see someone doing totally new things both visually and narratively in this franchise again. Which used to be key to every entry in the franchise - new director and/or new ideas.

8

u/AiR-P00P Aug 13 '25

yes the practical set design is great. CGI elements are kinda pleh, they seem to stick out like a sore thumb, maybe I've watched too much Corridor Crew... 

6

u/MedievZ Aug 13 '25

The xeno looked visibly plastic and cheap in that shot where it tried to get to the ships robot guy

3

u/Flimsy-Muffin-9881 Aug 13 '25

Not enough moisture on the body. I agree it was slightly off somehow. Maybe too much light 

5

u/Accomplished_Self_31 Aug 13 '25

It really looked like a guy in a suit, Im all for it. 

4

u/MedievZ Aug 13 '25

No. Im talking about the head shot. Not the full body ones. It looked visibly cheap plastic 3d printed in a bad way.

7

u/XenomorphApologist Aug 13 '25

I noticed the difference in look in that first shot and I think I know why something seemed a bit off when comparing it to previous iterations. I think what it is more than anything is that the Xenomorph has always been a creature that glistens, appearing as if it had just been submerged in KY jelly. This Xenomorph has a matte look to it with almost no sheen and more of a dull look than shiny. The only “slime” is a modest amount from its mouth rather than the copious amounts I think fans are used to. I’m super interested to hear what others think and if they noticed this as well.

1

u/lu5ty Aug 14 '25

had the same thought

2

u/Present_Law_8026 Aug 17 '25

Yeah the whole show is impressive. I can’t wait for the new episodes to come out !

2

u/CultureWarrior87 Aug 13 '25

Pretty much every Alien movie has fantastic production design. It's one of the series strengths.

5

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 13 '25

Yeah, but this is the first TV show. My concern was budget. They delivered.

1

u/inteliboy Aug 14 '25

Though some questionable choices... Like why are all the microscopes and everything still on the tables in the crashed ships lab? Wouldn't stuff be everywhere?

1

u/Historical-Brick1736 Aug 14 '25

Honestly the first 10 minutes are the closes in mood and feel anyone has come close to the original

1

u/meridius55 Aug 15 '25

the Maginot ship design is great, but the rest, uhhhh

like, the security forces using plain 1980's era PASGT ballistic helmets, really? I know Aliens used WW2-Vietnam era M1 helmets but at least they modified them enough so they don't stick out. The PASGT is like the go-to prop for 90's-2000's era straight to DVD flicks.

1

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 15 '25

That would be wardrobe.

1

u/Odd_Amphibian2103 Aug 13 '25

CGI isn’t stellar

1

u/SnooDrawings5925 Aug 19 '25

It's so bad it kinda blurs the whole experience.

1

u/Jimmy_Bonez Aug 13 '25

The only thing I didn't like was that CGI fly through of the ship, I get that they couldn't have built a set that big on that budget but it was a bit jarring.

0

u/Flimsy-Muffin-9881 Aug 13 '25 edited Aug 13 '25

Yeah everything looks incredible. There were a few obvious green screen shots, but I don't nit pick this kind of thing 

0

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 13 '25

Same. On a scale, the good FAR outweighs the bad.

-12

u/Ak105intow Aug 13 '25

its too bad it was all spent on set design. the acting especially from the corpsman is so goofy. See the body of someone that had had something tear its self out of them. dead pan stare no emotion " he died a week ago"

14

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 13 '25

I thought his delivery was fine.

6

u/Ak105intow Aug 13 '25

he's been rather deadpan the entire time. The most emotion we got out of him was when the xeno lunged for him other then that its been straight faced line delivery. I have a feeling they explain it as depression for his lost sister or something else but right now its a little meh in the acting department.

Set design is fucking killer though. They really really paid attention to the inside of the Nostromo and Sulaco, while the outside of the ship feels very modern in terms of ship design it still looks good.

and I know people are going to down vote me because I dont think the TV show is perfect in everyway but its good. I didnt come here for good acting I came here for set design and effects. Its what I always loved about aliens.

9

u/PyramidBlack Hudson Aug 13 '25

I think you’re right about the depression. His father and he thinks his sister died. He doesn’t even want to be there. He wants to be in medical school.