"Alien: Earth" (Episode 6 Recap)

“Well, they’re living creatures. I mean, technically, they don’t belong to anyone.”

Last week’s episode of Alien: Earth, we learned the details of the USCSS Maginot crash. With episode 6, we return our attention to Neverland, the Prodigy research facility. This post contains spoilers. 

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Wendy is in the lab emulating the sounds of the xenomorph, beckoning the specimen that emerged from Joe’s lung. The facehugger, now with limbs, is growing. Kirsh and Joe observe Wendy.

Atom Eims orders Artur and Dame Sylvia to reset Nibs by erasing her experience at the crash site. Arthur argues that the memory wipe means altering her personality and, potentially, making things worse. When Arthur refuses, Atom Eims fires him and instructs Dame Sylvia to complete the task. Once the task is complete, Nibs awakens to find Wendy by her bedside. When Wendy begins asking her questions regarding her pregnancy claim and the crash site, Nibs starts to doubt why she has no recollection of any of this.

Boy Kavalier and Yutani meet to discuss their settlement, with a moderator, assigned by the Five, present. Yutani argues that the USCSS Maginot is a research vessel owned by Weyland-Yutani, meaning all equipment, personnel, data, and research materials belong to Weyland-Yutani. Boy Kavalier disputes her claim, arguing that the Maginot not only crashed into his building but also killed thousands of people. He also pokes a hole in Yutani’s claim: what if this wasn’t an accident? Perhaps the pilot was drunk, the ship was poorly maintained, or it was simply attacked. That being said, Yutani would be responsible for criminal negligence, while Kavalier is the victim in this scenario. Kavalier also discloses to the moderator that Weyland-Yutani attempted to smuggle alien specimens onto the planet, a direct violation of the law. Yutani agrees to pay an additional 20 trillion dollars for Kavalier’s “pain and suffering” in exchange for the return of the specimens; however, Kavalier, always with a card up his sleeve, agrees to return the specimens once the quarantine ends, which, in this case, is six weeks. Yutani seemingly folds, but Morrow divulges information that they could have possession of the xenomorph, but there’s a chance of failure. He recommends that they “destabilize the facility and exfil in the chaos.” 

On their way back to Neverland, Kirsh calls Isaac, formerly known as Toodles, and instructs him to feed the specimens, collect data, and begin testing the next specimen. One of the hatches that allows food to be transferred appears broken. Toodles unlocks the door to distribute the food. The specimen inside resembles a beehive, and it's positioned in the opposite corner of the door. As Toodles places the food on the ground, the sheep with the T. Ocellus bangs against the adjacent door, causing Toodles to stumble and lock himself inside. Emerging from the hive is a giant fly that spits out acid and terminates Isaac. It’s safe to assume that the synths are not safe from the fly.

Arthur is packing up his belongings when Joe appears and asks him if Wendy is safe. Knowing there are cameras in the room, Arthur signals to Joe to take Wendy and leave the island, providing them with the code for the boat and turning off the trackers on all the synths. Joe leaves, and Arthur is alerted that the tracker on Toodles has been disconnected. He makes his way to the lab, where he finds Slightly. The two go inside and find Toodles. Arthur unlocks the door and tries to get Toodles’ body out, unaware that Slightly is opening the door to the eggs and leaves. Arthur pleads for Slightly to open the door, but a facehugger latches onto his face. Slightly takes his body and escapes through a metal grate. As Kavalier approaches the island, Kirsh watches the scene in the lab unfold, but he neglects to tell Kavalier. 

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“The monsters are here,” Joe tells Siberian and Rashidi, his fellow soldiers. But the bigger question is, who are the monsters? Is he referring to the alien specimens? Or is he alluding to the Prodigy corporation, such as Boy Kavalier and the people that work for him? Or, perhaps, it’s the synths? When we think of monsters, we imagine an animal with an unusual and terrifying shape; however, a monster can also refer to someone who deviates from normal behavior or character. And this episode shows several characters committing monstrous acts. Slightly entraps Arthur for the facehugger to attack him. For Dame Sylvia, she not only betrays her husband by agreeing to erase Nibs’s memory, but also Nibs herself for deciding for her. While Dame Sylvia believes she did what’s best for Nibs, we see Nibs’s reaction to the revelation, suggesting Dame Sylvia’s decision was too rash to make.

It's not clear if Kirsh intended for Toodles to get attacked, but it baffles the mind as to why Kirsh would instruct him, a child inside a synthetic body, to fulfill this perilous task. While giving Toodles instructions about the lab, Kirsh asks him whether Curly is with him. Toodles lies and says no, assuring Kirsh he can handle it. Either Kirsh asked about Curly knowing Toodles may need help, or he wanted Toodles to complete the task alone.

We also witnessed Wendy going through changes: we see Wendy beginning to question the adults around her. At the beginning of the episode, we see her disagree with Joe on the topic of the specimens, and she seems determined to stay on the island. During her conversation with Dame Sylvia, the scene played out like a mother arguing with her adolescent daughter. Throughout the series, Dame Sylvia is seen as very maternal to the synths, particularly Wendy, because she’s the first and “eldest.” But Wendy reveals her distrust towards not only Boy Kavalier and his decision to study and experiment with the specimens, but also Dame Sylvia. “What if you’re what’s wrong?” Wendy asks Dame Sylvia. The only adult Wendy seems to trust is Kirsh. “I don’t want to be people anymore if this is what people are,” explains Wendy. Kirsh planted the idea that the synths should stop pretending to be people, and it seems the idea is growing. This sentiment, however, reveals Wendy pushing away her humanity. With only two more episodes left, I hope to get answers regarding Kirsh’s true motivations.