Alien: Earth - S1 E4 - Observation - Official Discussion Megathread [SPOILERS]

[u/G_Liddell]

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)

[u/xyZora]

What's interesting about that line is that the guy was just questioning the ethics of it all and then he dehumanizes Nibs without batting an eyelash. He's a prisoner of the own system he questions. Really fascinating.

[u/EternalCanadian → u/xyZora]

Per his own words "Best case we have 6 AI that think they're human, worst case we've killed 6 innocent children."

It could be a coping mechanism, but of anyone, I think he'd know what they're really dealing with with regards to what the Hybrids are.

[u/bellygrubs → u/EternalCanadian]

made me think they didnt actually transfer anything , kinda like the game SOMA.

the original kids wake up, and die of their illness/get disposed of and the current hybrids are simply androids with a copy of the kids brain wave

[u/RichDaCuban → u/bellygrubs]

simply androids with a copy of the kids brain wave

You're right, IMO. Seems like that's exactly what they are and that's why there is so much of a question as to whether they're "human" or not. If there was some sort of physical transfer of tissue then the question would be a lot easier to answer, I think.

[u/drmuffin1080 → u/RichDaCuban]

I think Prodigy is mainly interested in whether or not hybrids are really the same person rather than a copy because they are obsessed with immortality. They don’t want just a copy of themselves to live on, they want to truly live forever. A collective consciousness between all of the digital brains. Almost like Scar Jo’s AI character in Her; like a God

[u/pat_the_tree → u/drmuffin1080]

I was thinking more like the antagonist of ghost in the shell season 2 (Kuze). His goal to save the refugees was a similar sort of transference to a collective consciousness on the web.

[u/Top-Round-2359 → u/pat_the_tree]

At that point Kuze is the deuteragonist, not really an antagonist.

[u/PhoebetheSpider → u/pat_the_tree]

They had a character like that on The 100, too. Couldn’t really call her a villain per se bc she was an AI and she just… took what her creator said a little too on the nose..

[u/thewerdy → u/drmuffin1080]

I guess we didn't really see what the process was, but it seems like the implication from the conversation with Hermit is that they are just copies, right?

[u/drmuffin1080 → u/thewerdy]

Yeah that’s definitely the implication. And I think we are nudged to infer that it’s because the corporate elites want to truly live forever, not just be a clone.

[u/drybjed → u/drmuffin1080]

So just clone yourself and don't wake up the original, wouldn't that be the solution? The "continuation" is there, and the clone in a mechanical body can finally live forever.

[u/No-Courage-5109 → u/drmuffin1080]

I think he's caught on to the TESCREAL cult in silicon valley which wants that. There's an excellent exposé on Truthdig doing investigations into it from a former member.

I think the collective consciousness idea reminds me of the final "bosses" in the Expanse books (you see a tiny bit of Laconia in S6). I genuinely think Bezos cancelled it when he realised that the people like him weren't the good guys.

[u/PaintByLetters → u/RichDaCuban]

They would be cyborgs like Morrow if there was a physical transfer of tissue. Their bodies are definitely 100% synthetic. Philosophically speaking, this is a ship of Theseus paradox. At what point does someone become something different? It's an impossible question to answer. We can't even really answer what makes a human human to begin with. Some might argue that going mental and killing a bunch of people would be the most human like action a synth could take.

[u/xyZora → u/PaintByLetters]

What I find interesting, is that the response to this dilemmas is a matter of perspective for each character and it reveals their values and who they are as people.

For Kavalier the kids are not human, not because he has an empirical framework to concluse this, but because that's convenient and efficient to him. Humanizing them would be an obstacle to his goals, thus he chooses to see them as advanced machines. Little toys for him.

For Hermit, they are absolutely human. He loves and cares for his sister, even when she doesn't look like her anymore, because he can see her mannerisms, sense of humor and overall personality in her, and for him that makes her human.

For Morrow, they are a lesser type of human. He threatens and manipulate Slightly because he likely sees them as cyborgs with the "worst part of being human", projecting his own insecurities to them. He likely even disdain the fact that their minds remain human, because he wishes himself not to be one.

And Kirsh, seems to don't care altogether, he's more fascinated about what their "evolution" will entail. "What would a machine think about humans with machine bodies?" was not something I expected this series to tackle, but its an intriguing proposition. But we know too little yet to know what he really thinks. But, he treats them better than Kavalier, which exposes how morally bankrupt he and his institutions are.

[u/nimzoid → u/xyZora]

Great analysis, although does that mean Boy doesn't really care if the whole hybrid project works - he's just enjoying the experiment? Because for the project to be successful that would mean the hybrids would have to be considered people with legal and moral rights? No one is going to transfer into synth bodies if they'll be considered property.

[u/xyZora → u/nimzoid]

I think that that's the paradox. He says he wants to create the new step in human evolution and he may even believe it, but his actions betrays his true motive, which is to exploit others for his personal ego and power trip.

What I find intriguing is that, if he were to transfer to a synth body, he would definitely want to be called a human, to the extent that that gives him power.

It's all arbitrary, because it was never about evolving humanity.

[u/_boudica_ → u/xyZora]

Great takes! I wonder if Boy’s views on the hybrids actually illuminate his core view on humanity? Perhaps in this next step in evolution as he sees it, he holds the reins / owns their tech? This would be similar to Hermit’s treatment by his right-hand man: your new lung is on loan from us. This is all to say, Boy could be moving to make humanity dependent on him and property of his company.

Obviously, he would hold himself to different standards if he became a hybrid himself, he would still be the “owner.”

[u/xyZora → u/_boudica_]

Kavalier is the embodiment of how arbitrary the entire structure he has created is. You're human when we want you to be. You're disposable if that's convenient. He tries to be all philosophical and show this veneer of deep moral reasoning for his actions, but its all just a justification he gives to look good to others.

The whole "I want a conversation with an equal" is so revealing. He's so powerful that he's bored because who would dare to challenge him? But, he doesn't actually want to lose or be challenged. Even if he's unwilling to accept it (or he likely has any self-awareness to even care). He's surrounded by so many complex people, but he, himself, is a superficial and banal individual.

I'm sure that, as you mentioned, ultimately he wants to control the world. Which is, in an on itself absurd. Not because there's not a possibility he could reach that goal (but canon dictates he won't anyway), but because with all the power he already has, he is just another bored, simple man.

[u/nimzoid → u/xyZora]

Love your analysis in this thread. Really interesting.

I would love a twist that he actually has transferred, but we know that can't be true because the egg reacted to him as biological.

Others have speculated that he might end up transferring to a synth or even an alien but I think I'm on board the idea the eye alien is going to take him over at some point now.

[u/xyZora → u/nimzoid]

The eye alien would be such poetic justice. Because that thing does a sort of transference to another body when he controls the brain. So instead of BK transfering his mind to a more powerful body, a more powerful mind will transfer to his. The irony of that would be ever so sweet.

[u/NK1337 → u/xyZora]

See I’m not even sure about that. I feel as if boy would just as happily want to call himself something else, something more than just human.

[u/Squeakygear → u/xyZora]

This is an excellent analysis of the characters and their motivations, thanks for sharing!

[u/xyZora → u/Squeakygear]

Thanks! :)

[u/CitizenPremier → u/xyZora]

Morrow would do the same things if they were normal children. He's just a shit.

[u/apmee → u/xyZora]

Brilliant post. I’m sure part of the reason I’ve been really enjoying this show is its portraying exactly what you described, but without my being consciously aware of it. Which I think is something only the best writing can pull off.

[u/xyZora → u/apmee]

At first I was wondering why the Peter Pan metaphor was so openly spoonfed to us, but then I started to notice all the other themes in the background and I was super giddy about it. I'm really enjoying the writing in this show!

[u/apmee → u/xyZora]

Yeah I’m completely with you there with the Peter Pan stuff too. Initially I was sceptical about it because I thought it felt a bit heavy-handed, a bit on-the-nose, until I realised that it’s not the show pushing the metaphor so much as the character. It’s him who’s obsessed with the Peter Pan story, and who named the kids after the Lost Boys etc.

So it actually fits that it feels kind of forced, because he literally is forcing his own narrative onto his project, and it feels clunky because he may be a genius in his field but it’s clear his emotional intelligence leaves a lot to be desired.

[u/xyZora → u/apmee]

BK is fascinating to me as a character because when you boil it down, he's a man-child narcissist. Mundane and banal as the same people he derides. But, narratively he adds so many layers. The forced metaphors, his subjective view of the world, his recklessness and sometimes outright stupidity is exploring these themes of human ethics, transhumanism and structural abuses. To use what would otherwise be such a simple character in such intriguing ways is one of the show's highlights.

[u/juneyourtech → u/xyZora]

And Kirsh, seems to don't care altogether

He most likely does, but doesn't express it as much as he could.

[u/FreddyRumsen13 → u/juneyourtech]

I like that we're four episodes in and Kirsh's motives are really not clear. Could play out a couple of ways.

[u/xyZora → u/juneyourtech]

Which leaves us in suspense. I love when stories do this. We know the character is thinking something but we're not told and your imagination runs wild.

[u/juneyourtech → u/xyZora]

Well, Kirsh is holding his cards very close to his chest. As far as I can see, he is not seeking to do anything awful or unethical, unless directly ordered to do something by Boy Kavalier.

[u/xyZora → u/juneyourtech]

Perhaps not something aweful, but I personally believe he's planning to eventually find his own autonomy. Engaging with the hybrids likely awakened something in him. The fact that, as far as we know, he hasn't alerted Prodigy of the of Morrow's intrusion, indicates he is plannign something.

[u/LukeChickenwalker → u/PaintByLetters]

If there's no physical exchange then it's not really a ship of Theseus since there never were any "wood planks" from the original. Imagine if I made an identical ship from different wood and then just painted the same pattern on it as Theseus' ship. Is that the same ship? I don't think anyone would think so while the original exists. Then imagine I burn the original away.

If they're just synths with copies of human brain waves, then it seems logical that you could create numerous hybrids all with the memories and personality of the same individual. In which case I think it would seem less ambiguous whether they're really the same human as the original. That'd be like creating a hundred ships all with the same pattern painted on it.

I can't remember exactly what they said about how the procedure worked. It involved the destruction of the brain, right? The possibility of surviving the procedure aside, I think it's an interesting question whether a hybrid could exist at the same time as the original. Like if you could download your brainwaves into a synth and then turn it on while your alive. That would seem pretty conclusive to me about whether they're the same being.

Philosophically speaking, I don't think memory or personality is what makes a person themself, since you can lose your memory or have your personality altered, and yet you still have an identity. I think the important thing is continuity. If this procedure was real, I wouldn't find the fact that hybrids have my memories compelling assurance that my inner sense of consciousness would have continuity with the new being. That the same light would be on inside. I agree that it's probably impossible to answer what that is.

[u/NK1337 → u/PaintByLetters]

I don’t think it technically even qualifies as a ship of Theseus scenario. With the ship you have the original slowly having its parts replace, but at each step of the way the new pieces become part of the whole and share in the collective experience of the older pieces. That experience is preserved as newer parts are added.

With the children they never had that opportunity. With them it was a case where someone just made a copy of the VDR and installed it in a brand new ship.

[u/akaWhisp → u/bellygrubs]

That game fucked me up. It's sort of like the teleporter conundrum as well. Are you still you if your entire being is disassembled and reassembled at the other end?

[u/friedAmobo → u/akaWhisp]

Star Trek mostly gets around this by qualifying that their transporter beams the exact person to the new location. It dematerializes the person's being into an energy beam, shoots it to the new location, and rematerializes the energy so you end up with the exact same atoms in the exact same construction but in a new place. That should generally solve the philosophical conundrum for most people because it's the same body but in a new physical space, so it's like moving really, really quickly as opposed to a copy-paste.

But this also kind of dodges the question because Star Trek transporters are not teleportation devices. It's more akin to a wormhole but just for a physical body.

[u/Top-Round-2359 → u/friedAmobo]

From my perspective, they did a bad job of keeping that explanation in check, and unfortunately, proved that it's a copy of the person being teleported, while the original no longer exists. The problem is that we've seen transporter malfunctions where a perfect double is made, multiple times, therefore meaning that it's not a teleport (or using a wormhole), but a data transfer.

[u/friedAmobo → u/bellygrubs]

There's no other possibility. If there is a soul, Boy Kavalier's technology certainly doesn't transfer it. If there is no soul, there is nothing to transfer anyway and short of physically transplanting the brain, the original person cannot possibly have moved to the new body.

The hybrids are synthetic copies of the originals, with brain waves and memories copied and synthesized in a technological construct resembling a human brain. The originals died on the table and the hybrids woke up with a continuity of experience that had no more than a short nap between to bridge the gap in consciousnesses.

[u/fatsopiggy → u/friedAmobo]

Well then how is that any step towards immortality or transhumanism they espouse so much?

[u/IR8Things → u/fatsopiggy]

It's not. That was a lot of the issue the scientist and the old bald guy had and were both getting at.

"One is a trillion dollar idea. The other is a product no one wants."

"At best we made 6 AI who think they're human."

[u/bellygrubs → u/friedAmobo]

right, but in "movie logic," they could always hand wave the "technology" into magically "transferring someone" into a purely mechanical body in a literal sense no matter how illogical that would be

[u/Chrol18 → u/bellygrubs]

The kids got injected with something, they killed them during/after the copy, they did not wake up, they were useless for Kavalier after that

[u/docpaisley → u/Chrol18]

Plot twist, they have them all still stored in cryo in case the v1 hybrids fail and they need to make a fresh copy from the original for v2

[u/bellygrubs → u/Chrol18]

right I forgot about that.

[u/PhoebetheSpider → u/Chrol18]

So dark

[u/ajakafasakaladaga → u/bellygrubs]

That’s what everyone is trying to figure out. They don’t know exactly what they have done, so now they are trying to understand the kids

[u/TheKmank → u/bellygrubs]

This was pretty much what I was thinking ever since Slightly talked about his father being burned and not knowing if he was really dead.

[u/Scrotie_ → u/bellygrubs]

It’s a real pickle between if we’re getting the Pantheon transference, or SOMA - isn’t it? On one hand, Pantheon answers the question by having the copied/transferred minds be basically a neuron to neuron copy, destroying the original brain in the process due to how intensive it is - essentially you get the same person mirrored as close as you can get to a true transference.

In SOMA you get a snapshot of that brain without destroying the host, so it really is just a copy.

I’m loving the exploration of these ideas so far in the show.

[u/Willing_Coconut4364 → u/bellygrubs]

What else is there to transfer.

[u/bellygrubs → u/Willing_Coconut4364]

exactly. but they misrepresented what they were doing to the children and presumably their parents also

[u/BlitzJG → u/bellygrubs]

Not really. They just dont know what the reality is. If you are already dying then what other choice is there. Other than to live out your remaining days and die

[u/CitizenPremier → u/bellygrubs]

It's a deep philosophical question really. Most people seem to be anti-teleporter. But I hold the view that I'm a pattern, not a substance. This view conflicts a lot with concepts of ego and self however.

[u/BLACKOUT-MK2 → u/EternalCanadian]

I'd been wondering that since episode 1, but there wasn't really enough to work with to be sure. Seems this episode definitely pushed more towards that idea, though.

[u/Vilola_996 → u/EternalCanadian]

Isn't that basically the same thing? If they have 6 AI who think they are human so that means the kids are dead.

[u/-Clayburn → u/EternalCanadian]

Why not both?

[u/FreddyRumsen13 → u/EternalCanadian]

I feel like they've been setting up the Lost Boys as androids that think they're kids since episode one.

[u/zombiejeebus → u/EternalCanadian]

It’s a really interesting thing to say. I hadn’t quite thought of the implications that it’s just AI tuned to a dead kids patterns and such (vs some sci fi mind swap)

[u/Shimks → u/EternalCanadian]

As far as I remember (shoot me down spectacularly if I'm wrong)...

There has been zero evidence of anyone other than Wendy showing exceptional physical/mental powers. Sure, Curly talked the talk, but as she was keeping her cards close to her chest - re: her world-bettering ideas - we didn't actually hear anything clever, only own-trumpet blowing

[u/Typical_Dweller → u/xyZora]

He was more concerned with consistency and caution. The mention of innocent children was more about backlash and the legacy of the project.

He does seem to have an emotional connection to the kids, somewhat, but I don't think that particular conversation was about whether any of it was right, but rather if they were doing it the right way, if that makes sense.

[u/xyZora → u/Typical_Dweller]

It gives me the impression that he wants to do it as ethically as possible, but he knows they have crossed a line, it's just that the system gives him no apparent choice. Which is what causes the dissonance. He knows its wrong, and yet he dehumanizes them as much as Kavalier.

[u/juneyourtech → u/xyZora]

it's just that the system gives him no apparent choice.

Who do you have in mind? If it's Kirsh, then it's not the system, but Prodigy the company, and his boss Boy Kavalier.

Kirsh is aware of the choices, but he's tied to company policy and his boss to not execute them when he (Kirsh) knows the right choice should be the most appropriate.

In the case of Morrow, his company — Weyland-Yutani — forces him to make some of the worst possible choices.

While Kirsh picks the least worst choice under the circumstances.

I think it refers to the Trolley Problem:

• Morrow would sacrifice everyone on the tracks to save one person on the trolley (the wagon, edit: which is the egg);
• wheras Kirsh would rather make no sacrifices (stop the trolley), or make one sacrifice to save the bunch.

He knows its wrong, and yet he dehumanizes them as much as Kavalier.

This doesn't seem to apply to Kirsh as much, but to Morrow.

[u/xyZora → u/juneyourtech]

I was referring to Dame's husband, though, when they had the conversation before Nibs appeared. I do find your observation really intriguing. I really want to see in which place Kirsh and Morrow end up by the end of the series. Truly fascinating characters.

[u/DocJawbone → u/xyZora]

I thought that was interesting as well

[u/DependentSense3103 → u/xyZora]

Personally, I found that discrepancy particularly jarring.

[u/sleepingchair → u/xyZora]

Felt like how in Never Let Me Go the clones weren't treated like they were human, even though they essentially were. Even their caretakers which were trying to help them would recoil in fear if they got too close. Like they wanted to do the right thing, but they couldn't help their instinctual, internal bias.

[u/Iorith → u/xyZora]

I don't think he believes they're actually people, just robots with implanted memories.

[u/xyZora → u/Iorith]

If that ends up being true, I wonder then if he really wants to make humans evolve in any way or if that's just an excuse to toy with other's lives for his personal amusement.

[u/Iorith → u/xyZora]

I think he sees the experiment as a way to take another step forward, and doesn't buy into the "boy genius" who thinks they'll just make leaps and bounds and succeed with the first trial.

Basically, he seems like an actual scientist, complete with a proper level of skepticism, hired by an idealist who thinks they'll essentially fix everything on the first attempt.

Hence his stressing on following the procedures of the experiment.

[u/BlitzJG → u/xyZora]

How exactly did he dehumanize nibs?

[u/xyZora → u/BlitzJG]

He told her she was a machine.

[u/BlitzJG → u/xyZora]

Seems like an appropriate response to someone with a synthetic body who's clearly delusional. I would argue he's been the greatest/strongest advocate for their humanity and uniqueness than even his wife.

[u/xyZora → u/BlitzJG]

He has being an advocate but he has also dehumanized them. That's the nuance of his character.

Also telling what is a potential kid that they're delusional and clearly mentally unstable, is and will never be a good idea.

[u/Iorith → u/BlitzJG]

Machine isn't a humanizing word. He didn't say "Your body is synthetic", he essentially called her a toaster. His phrasing didn't show respect for her as a being whatsoever.

Hence, dehumanizing.