This post has MASSIVE SPOILERS – only read if you have completed the entire first season of “Alien Earth“
YOU WERE WARNED
I thought the finale of Alien Earth was a dismal failure on many, many levels. And I thought it was setup to be awesome… so my disappointment was severe. So I will first summarize my problems with the finale, but since I hate criticism without constructive feedback, I am going to provide an outline for the last episode that could have reached the awesomeness that the show should have done.
The huge glaring problems of the finale episode
- The previous episode left us with a dramatic confrontation at the docks with Wendy deciding if she will engage the alien to attack the armed forces. The finale picks up after this event is fully resolved? Like, seriously? Where was the big battle that was heavily foreshadowed here? Wow, massive letdown.
- Kavalier is said to be a genius, but the entire series he does almost nothing smart. If the point was that he isn’t a genius after all, well, sorry, that is a major letdown. We needed him to do smart stuff to make him more interesting and more of a threat. When he sees the door is open and Wendy could just kill him, he walks in and tries to win with his “personality” – c’mon.
- T. Ocellus (the eyeball alien) did have the best scenes in the finale, but he was vastly and horribly under utilized. So much wasted potential here, it hurts.
- The ending of the show rests on “We rule” and it landed so incredibly flat. The entire show basically showcased how overpowered Wendy is – resulting in lack of drama, bad pacing, and a whimper of an ending to an otherwise great season. Ouch.
- Good battles where the stakes are high and the fights were struggles were hard to find. The battle between Kirsh and Morrow – that was great! We needed that sort of action this whole episode.
- Motives were told, not shown, and many were just missing. When Wendy is captured there is simply no drama whatsoever. Why does she need to break out – we needed something to make this real. And the other hybrids just follow her… without convincing? They even foreshadowed in a previous episode a way to make all of this work! I was mind-blown at the dropped ball here.
- Wendy’s utter control of the robots was too much. This is too overpowered and limits a lot of potential action of fighting between the robots and hybrids. It was a bad choice. It also showcases extremely dumb design decisions by Kavalier.
- We know from Aliens (the 2nd movie) that a group of marines can, and do, kill loads of aliens. But in this show we have an alien killing dozens of military people without even using stealth as a tactic (again, something they -always- do). This was a train wreck. We even see a scene where the alien is shot in the head and just leaves – no acid blood? No harm at all? Like, what? The show made the viewer feel that humans stand no chance, no weapons work, no training, not even teams… wrong direction.
- Season ending should still be a story end. Pure cliffhangers are lame. Each season should have a complete arc while leaving open future development. This ending felt like it was not a finished story at all.
My Fix – The new Outline for the Finale of Alien Earth
Docks Scene
On the docks, we pick up with Wendy screaming “What did you do?” She then signals the alien to attack. The alien bursts from the woods and charges the dock. The soldiers are surprised but pivot and lay a reign of fire down… killing the alien in a dramatic conclusion to the scene. They then capture Wendy and take her towards custody.
- Wendy calling for the attack is ill-advised, but she is 12-years old! She would not have seasoned battle tactics
- The alien would charge if commanded, even if it wouldn’t otherwise
- We get some payoff for humans in the story and 1 threat removed (Aliens vibe! Humans can win)
Hybrid Captivity and Reset Threat
In captivity (and hybrids are in one while Morrow & Hermit are in a different one, different room), Wendy tries to convince the other hybrids to join her, they have their own reasons they don’t want to. Wendy then starts to spy and sees in the lab where Kavalier and Kirsh are talking. Kavalier states that the hybrids have failed and the only solution is to reset them to before the ship crash. Kirsh agrees, but says it will be hard to make that happen since they can only do one at a time. Kavalier says “I have a plan for that.”
Wendy plays that clip back to the other hybrids – showing she can project images into their heads too. Suddenly, all the hybrids know their fate if they don’t escape. All of them become aligned in a desire to escape.
- This is the missing motivation needed for the clash between hybrids and Kavalier
- This is how we get them all aligned and we also now have a way for them to communicate secretly – projecting into each other’s heads (this could play out as one of their core advantages and that they can work as a team, in spite of their inexperience)
- We leave open the mystery – are the hybrids really human consciousness or just an elaborate AI built on dead children brains?
Hybrid and Morrow Break Out
With the hybrids aligned, Wendy says she can open their cage – she does (which also opens Morrow’s cage in the other room) and the hybrids storm out. Morrow heads to the lab. Hermit starts running to find Wendy.
Kavalier, who had left the lab, hears the alarms and quickly retreats to his chambers. He then taps some controls and talks to Atom Eins (the bald guy we didn’t know was a robot) and he says “The hybrids got out, I need containment.” Atom replies “At once. Extreme force authorized?” Kavalier screams angrily: “Hell yes! At all costs.”
Morrow and Kirsh Fight
Keep this scene exactly as it was shot, it was amazing. The end result is Kirsh broken and Morrow re-captured.
Atom vs Hybrids
Atom encounters the hybrids. They warn him to just step aside and they won’t kill him. Atom grabs Slightly and brutally smashes him into the floor, busting some of his face. The other hybrids react in shock, not realizing Atom is a robot. The hybrids then engage and the fight is brutal. Atom has vastly superior battle skills and the hybrids get beat up pretty badly, with Curly dying, smashed into bits. As he attacks Atom calmly states they have no hope, his combat tactics are unstoppable.
Wendy decides to control Atom and attempts. Wendy: STOP! Atom: No. He punches Wendy hard and she flies down the hall. Atom chases after her, looking for a kill shot. Wendy: “Kavalier! He has the robots on a different network!”
- Finally show some smarts from Kavalier
- Show a serious limitation on Wendy’s powers
As things look hopeless, Wendy decides to try to communicate with Atom like she did with the hybrids, she sends him a flood of clips all at once (all from prior scenes in the show). Atom, paralyzed by the input influx, the remaining hybrids escape for now down the hall.
Kavalier and Kirsh
Kavalier hits a button and talks to Kirsh. Kavalier: “Where the fuck are you, we have a hybrid problem!” Kirsh: “In the lab, and not going anywhere.” Kavalier: “FUCK YOU! Move out now!” Kirsh: “You misunderstand, I’m not moving because I can’t.” Kavalier says FUCK! and runs to the lab.
Kavalier enters the lab and closes the door. The hybrids are right behind him and when they get there, Wendy opens the door. Kavalier: “Secure protocol VECTOR” And the door closes again. Wendy: “No! He locked me out of the lab!”
Wendy and the hybrids start attacking the door itself – looking to break it down. Cracks start to appear.
Kavalier looks around at broken Kirsh and his growling lack of options. Atom is incapacitated, Kirsh is wrecked… He then goes over to the sheep with T. Ocellus in it. Kavalier: “I need more options. The question is: do you have to take over dead hosts, or can you partner?” The sheep looks up at him closely. Kavalier, desperate, “CAN YOU PARTNER WITHOUT KILLING ME, POUND THREE TIMES” The sheep slowly pounds it’s hoof three times.
Kavalier Ocellus
Kavalier opens the cage with T. Ocellus and sits down. T. Ocellus crawls out of the sheep’s eye, the sheep collapses, it comes over to Kavalier’s left eye, then digs it out while Kavalier screams and settles in. Kavalier stands up, with T. Ocellus bulging out of his left eye socket. He walks to a panel and starts to peck furiously.
Atom suddenly gets unclouded. Atom: “Restored.” Kavalier voice: “Urgently. Medical bay. Threats.” Atom runs towards the lab.
Kavalier looks at Kirsh. Kavalier: “Urgently. Self repair.” Kirsh starts to do repairs on his torso with amazing speed. He takes parts out of a screaming Morrow.
Wendy stops beating on the door. Wendy: “No! Atom!” She looks at the other hybrids then screams; “RUN!”
They hybrids run furiously, but Atom is closing in fast. Atom grabs Smee, who screams. The other hybrids pause for a second. Hermit, further down the hall: “Wendy! NOW! LET’S GO.” They other hybrids follow Hermit.
Atom pounds on Smee. He screams “I GIVE UP! I GIVE UP!” Kavalier voice: “Cease. Keep asset.” Atom stops fighting. Atom: “Understand. The others?” Kavalier voice: “Regroup. Now.”
Lab Scene
In the lab, Kavalier Ocellus is still hitting the controls with amazing speed. Kirsh is now reformed with a mix of Morrow parts. Morrow is dead on the floor, blood everywhere. Atom is in the room standing with his arms crossed and waiting. Smee is crying against one of the walls. Atom leans to Smee: “Quiet or I’ll remove your mouth.” Smee is quiet.
Close up of Kavalier Ocellus face. “Rule. New. Changes. Many.”
Dock Scene Escape
The hybrids get back to the ship and take it, Hermit is driving. “What do we do now? What do we do!!?” Wendy: “We keep running.” Hermit looks at Wendy, then nods.
– END –
- This ending sets up that an Kavalier’s organization is now being run either by a hybrid alien/human, or simply an alien that killed Kavalier. (My preference is that it would be a mix and that there is an internal battle going on between Kavalier and T. Ocellus).
- With Wendy and the hybrids on the run, they could try solo or end up joining with a different human faction.
- We have a juvenile xenomorph still around, but now Kavalier Ocellus would be incentivized to grab more science vessels and go to war with other human factions.
- Ocellus might want to instigate an incursion of his kind onto Earth.
- Lots of really juicy options remain, the next seasons could be really interesting.