Plot
Episode 3 continues the series’ frustrating pattern: fascinating lore mixed with baffling logic. Wendy rescues Joe, and together they manage to kill the Xenomorph — predictably offscreen — before both collapse from their wounds. The choice to spare Joe earlier now looks even stranger, as if the Xenomorph intentionally lured Wendy in. It’s a “cool” moment with no grounding in established Alien logic. Since when do Xenomorphs play 4D chess?
Meanwhile, Morrow meets with Slightly and Smee, leading to one of the best exchanges of the series when Kirsh arrives. The dialogue between Morrow and Kirsh is razor-sharp, finally delivering the tension and intelligence the writing usually fumbles. Unfortunately, the specimens are shipped back to Neverland, a facility clearly not designed for parasitic alien containment. With billion-dollar hybrid experiments already running there, the decision makes zero sense.
Kavalier nearly gets facehugged while behaving like an idiot, only to be saved by Kirsh — again. For someone painted as a genius, his repeated dumb choices undercut his credibility. Better handled is his later conversation with Curly, which deepens the Hybrid dynamics: Curly’s jealousy of Wendy feels earned, and Nibs’ fragile mental state adds another layer of tension. Nibs’ questioning of their Peter Pan-inspired names was also a nice touch of self-awareness.
Morrow, ever scheming, bugs Slightly and manipulates him into becoming an unwitting ally. Back on Neverland, Joe undergoes surgery while Wendy is repaired, but Kirsh, Tootles, and Curly secretly dissect a facehugger and implant its larva into Joe’s removed lung tissue. Wendy, meanwhile, begins to sense vibrations from the Xenomorph eggs, collapsing from the connection.
On paper, it’s loaded with compelling ideas — new Xenomorph lore, Hybrid jealousy, and corporate espionage — but the clumsy writing keeps tripping over itself.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Production
The production side once again outshines the script. The facehugger dissection is easily one of the season’s best moments, offering fans a deeper dive into the Xenomorph life cycle. Seeing the larva and the grotesque egg designs feels like proper Alien-world lore building. The meat hook fight, even if oddly staged, was gritty and raw.
New Siam continues to look impressive, though Neverland is beginning to feel oddly misused as a setting — too sterile, too vague for what the plot demands. Still, creature design and practical effects remain strong, keeping the atmosphere tense even when logic falters.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Performances
The cast continues to carry the show. Wendy remains compelling, especially as her abilities begin to expand, even if the script keeps sidelining her best moments with offscreen resolutions. Curly’s actress shines this week, channeling envy and bitterness in a way that makes her far more interesting than Joe. Nibs, too, stands out — her twitchy, unstable performance injects much-needed unpredictability into the Hybrid group.
Joe, once again, drags things down. The writing protects him endlessly, but the performance doesn’t sell him as anything other than a plot device. Morrow and Kirsh continue to dominate every scene they share, and Kavalier’s actor is doing what he can, but the writing makes him oscillate between genius visionary and clueless moron.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Verdict
In the end, Alien: Earth Episode 3 at its most frustrating: brilliant ideas and lore expansion mixed with nonsensical decisions and offscreen shortcuts. The Xenomorph dissection, Hybrid drama, and Morrow/Kirsh dialogue are standouts, but the series keeps undercutting itself with weak writing, contrived logic, and Joe’s invincible dullness. At this point, it’s clear the show has all the right ingredients for greatness — it just doesn’t know how to cook them. Alien: Earth Episode 3 gets 3 out of 5.
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