There’s a better version of Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel film Prometheus; it’s called Alien: Earth, and it’s currently streaming on Hulu. Prometheus was one of the most divisive movies in the Alien franchise. Some people love it and its deep symbolism, while others thought it was overly complicated and barely felt like an Alien movie. Its sequel, Alien: Covenant didn’t fare much better, and Ridley Scott’s prequel trilogy never got finished.
While Ridley Scott may not have had a chance to finish his story of Alien’s origins, Noah Hawley and Alien: Earth do. Alien: Earth season 1 saw Xenomorphs (and other species) brought to Earth for the first time to interact with Alien’s five corporations, particularly Prodigy and Weyland-Yutani. So, there are now two different canon prequel stories for the original Alien, but one is clearly superior.
Alien: Earth Was A Better Version Of Prometheus (For The Most Part)
David in Prometheus
As previously mentioned, Prometheus and Alien: Earth were both prequels to the original Alien. Prometheus focused more on the origins of Xenomorphs and the Engineers, while Alien: Earth told the story of how Weyland-Yutani got obsessed with them in the first place. They’re both origin stories, but Alien: Earth is clearly better than Prometheus was.
Basically every part of Alien: Earth was executed better than Prometheus was. Earth’s characters are more developed, relatable, and less stupid than the scientists of Prometheus. Its exploration of the line between human, machine, and monster was also explored in more depth and in a more accessible way than Prometheus’ philosophical questions of where humanity came from and what it’s like to meet our makers.
Granted, a lot of Alien: Earth’s depth is a result of its format. Earth had eight hour-long episodes to tell its story in, while Prometheus only had two hours. There are also a few areas where Prometheus beat Earth, such as in the sheer scope of its ideas and symbolism. Still, Alien: Earth is simply a more focused, more efficient, and better told origin story than Prometheus was.
Alien: Earth Proved That Androids Are Now The Franchise’s True Protagonists
Sydney Chandler’s Wendy and Jonathan Ajayi’s Smee standing next to each other in the prison cell in Alien: Earth season 1
Alien: Earth also built off something that Prometheus started: shifting the focus of the franchise away from humans and towards synthetics. Androids and synthetics have been part of the fabric of Alien since Ash in the original movie, but they were always side characters meant to complement Ripley’s story. Starting with David in Prometheus, however, they began becoming main characters themselves.
David obviously reappeared in Alien: Covenant as an even more central figure, but Alien: Romulus continued the trend. It not only included the villainous Rook, but also Andy. Andy was even given a direct emotional connection to Rain and presented as one of Romulus’ main characters. Then, Alien: Earth kicked it up a notch by making Wendy and the Lost Boys the main characters period.
The rest of the cast of Alien: Earth, from Boy Kavalier all the way to Hermit, all revolve around the Lost Boys. They’re the main object of Earth’s themes and messages, and they’re just as important and valuable to the other characters as the Xenomorphs are. Alien: Earth is basically the culmination of a change in Alien that started with Prometheus, where synths are treated like main characters instead of plot devices.
To that end, Alien: Earth actually handles its synths as main characters better than Prometheus did. David was diabolical and a treat to watch on screen, but he was hardly the most important person in Prometheus. Throughout the movie, he only acts out Weyland’s will, and it’s not until Covenant that he actually starts doing things for himself. Alien: Earth, by contrast, spent its entire first season giving its synthetics free will.
Alien: Earth Deserved The Proper Ending That Prometheus Never Had
Wendy (Sydney Chandler) petting a Xenomorph with blood on its maw in Alien: Earth season 1, episode 7
There is one key difference between Alien: Earth and Prometheus, however: Earth has a chance to get to its natural conclusion. As previously mentioned, Prometheus was meant to be the first installment in Ridley Scott’s prequel trilogy. The third and final movie after Covenant that would have explained what happened to David and the colonists, however, was never made, and the trilogy never got resolved.
Upcoming Alien Projects
Alien: Romulus Sequel
Alien: Earth season 2
Rumored Ridley Scott Alien movie
Alien: Earth, on the other hand, still has hope for a proper ending. The ending of Alien: Earth season 1 was a cliffhanger, but Alien: Earth season 2 has already been renewed. While the next season likely won’t be the show’s end, it clearly has a good bit of momentum built up. In time, Alien: Earth may even get to an actual conclusion, unlike Prometheus and Covenant.
Additionally, Alien: Earth deserves a proper ending, especially since Prometheus never got one. Alien finally has a more accessible, better received origin story for Weyland-Yutani and the Xenomorphs, and that origin story deserves to be told in full. We’ve already been robbed of one origin via Prometheus and Covenant, and doing it a second time with Alien: Earth would just be cruel.