Episode 5 of Alien: Earth, titled “In Space, No One…”, shifts the series back toward the raw terror that defined the original films. After weeks of political intrigue and shadowy mysteries on Neverland Island, this chapter offers a stark change of pace, revisiting the prologue through a flashback that reveals how a contamination breach unleashed facehuggers and a Xenomorph aboard the ship.
The story unfolds the Maginot’s disastrous crash through the perspective of cyborg security officer Morrow, played by Babou Ceesay. Awakened from cryosleep, he discovers that Captain Dinsdale (Tanapol Chuksrida) and another crew member have fallen victim to facehuggers after deliberate acts of sabotage cripple the ship. The chaos includes arson, the destruction of navigation systems, and the reckless opening of the cargo bay where the alien eggs were stored. A desperate surgical attempt to save the captain ends in tragedy, while the second infected crew member is placed back into cryosleep in hopes of treatment on Earth. Left to contain the crisis, Morrow secures the ship and turns his attention to uncovering the saboteur hidden among them.
The episode’s pivotal twist arrives when Morrow questions the unsettling Mr. Teng (Andy Yu), who hints that not everyone in the non-essential crew has remained in cryosleep as assumed. Digging deeper, Morrow uncovers message logs revealing that Petrovich (Enzo Cilenti) woke ahead of schedule and has been secretly working for Prodigy Corp. CEO Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin). The discovery exposes a larger scheme: Boy has long been aware of the alien specimens recovered by Weyland-Yutani and their immense research potential. His plan was never about discovery but about seizing control of the find, turning the entire mission into a calculated betrayal.
The Maginot’s descent into the Prodigy-controlled city of New Siam is revealed to be no accident but a calculated move by Boy to bypass the corporation’s ruling council and stake his personal claim over the ship and its cargo. By engineering a legal dispute over ownership, he creates just enough time to study the Xenomorphs and secure samples for his own gain.
As the crisis aboard the Maginot escalates, science officer Chibuzo (Karen Aldridge) makes two critical mistakes that tip the balance in the creatures’ favor. First, she fails to fully secure the container holding the parasitic “Ticks,” allowing one to contaminate her water supply with larvae. Though medical officer Rahim (Amir Boutrous) manages to recapture the loose specimen, no one realizes the water has been compromised. Later, when panic spreads after news of a Xenomorph outbreak, Chibuzo flees the lab in haste, forgetting to lock the Eye Octopus’s container, unleashing yet another threat into the chaos.
The lab sequence, followed by the explosive showdown that closes the episode, cements the Eye Octopus as one of Alien: Earth’s most disturbing and intelligent creations. The creature doesn’t just react to its surroundings; it manipulates them with chilling precision. It distracts Chibuzo while a Tick makes its escape, recognizes flaws in its containment system, and even weaponizes its own body by launching the container to the floor. More terrifying still, it waits patiently for the perfect opportunity, seizing engineering officer Shmuel (Michael Smiley) in a grotesque takeover by replacing his eye. Once inside a host, the Eye amplifies Shmuel’s strength, agility, and resilience beyond human limits, turning him into a terrifying opponent capable of battling a Xenomorph drone head-on.
The episode closes with The Smashing Pumpkins’ Cherub Rock from Siamese Dream, a track steeped in grunge-fueled rebellion against conformity. The song mirrors Morrow’s internal struggle, a man who sacrificed everything only to remain tethered to the manipulative power of the mega-corporations. Beneath the thunderous riff that drives the song lies a mix of vulnerability and insecurity in Billy Corgan’s lyrics, echoing Morrow’s own regret.
In the end, episode five of Alien: Earth works both as a gripping standalone story and as a powerful continuation of the larger narrative. On its own, it plays like a tightly wound sci-fi thriller, evoking the claustrophobic terror that has defined the franchise since 1979. Yet its real brilliance lies in how it recontextualizes earlier episodes, adding layers that promise even richer rewards on rewatch.
‘Alien: Earth’ Episode 5 Review: In Space There Is a Flashback Episode
Alien: Earth works both as a gripping standalone story and as a powerful continuation of the larger narrative. On its own, it plays like a tightly wound sci-fi thriller, evoking the claustrophobic terror that has defined the franchise since 1979.
