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Fans were promised a dark, cerebral extension of the Alien universe in Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth, which would include corporate fraud, xenomorph terror, and challenging philosophical issues about synthetic life.
What was missing from every bingo card? In one of the most depressing sci-fi dramas on television, Sid the Sloth from Ice Age: Continental Drift (which has a less-than-brilliant 38% Rotten Tomatoes rating) makes a guest appearance in the middle of an episode. But the juxtaposition seems ridiculous at first.
However, as shown by his work on Fargo and Legion, Hawley's seemingly unusual decisions always have a more profound meaning. Read on to find out why this reference to the 2012 animated sequel is a narrative pillar!
Alien: Earth has a sloth in the room
When Wendy (Sydney Chandler), a young woman whose mind exists in a synthetic adult body, emits an image of Sid in Alien: Earth Episode 2, the scene is set. She gets a taste of her early years spent with her brother Joe Hermit (Alex Lawther) through her vision.
The two once made fun of Sid's absurdly mispronounced line, "Or face my furry what?" in relation to Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Using the voice of Peter Dinklage's Captain Gutt, the movie's pirate antagonist, Hermit has just pleaded with a robotic corporate clerk to "have a heart."
Hermit realizes his sister might still be alive when Wendy controls the robot to reply with Sid's joke. The image of a googly-eyed sloth disappearing into Alien: Earth (a prestige sci-fi show) is absurd when taken out of its structure.
But in context, it works tragically well.
Ice Age, but make it existential!
Although both Ice Age and Alien are now Disney properties following Fox's acquisition, Hawley isn't merely relishing surrealist humor or cross-franchise references. The echoes of the theme are broad.
Despite being intended for children, the Ice Age movies explore extinction and change. With melting ice, shifting continents, and disappearing species, each entry addresses the inevitable threat of ecological collapse. The saga is an elegy for a dying world beneath the slapstick.
Does that sound familiar? The same fears fuel the Alien franchise.
The desire of humanity to surpass natural law, often at fatal expense, lingers over all of the films, from Ridley Scott's 1979 original to Alien: Earth. According to Hawley, it is even likely to transfer human consciousness into artificial vessels.
But when "humanity" is stripped of biology, mortality, and ties to the natural order, what still exists? Through their shared DNA, Hawley unites two franchises that appear unrelated in Ice Age: Continental Drift --- tales of species clinging to relevance in dying worlds and survival in the face of change.
When you take into consideration Hawley's other references, the Ice Age connection becomes even more apparent. Hawley especially incorporates the theme of Peter Pan's Lost Boys into Alien: Earth.
This 2012 animated movie was centred around a pirate crew under the command of Captain Gutt. Companies like Prodigy and Weyland-Yutani pillage humanity's future, just as Captain Hook's pirates threaten Peter's world.
As MovieWeb points out, the connection tightens with dialogue from Continental Drift. Captain Gutt belts out a sea shanty: “In a world that’s going under, to survive you must learn to plunder.” Replace “sea” with “space,” and it’s practically an Alien tagline!
The timing for this is a bit cheeky. Continental Drift came out at the cinemas in the same season as Prometheus, which is a backstory to Alien, and came out in 2012. Now, Hawley chose to ignore that film in his world. Instead of playing along with Ridley Scott's movie, Alien: Earth winks at a children's cartoon. It nods to a clumsy sloth and a pirate ape who loves to sing!
This was more than just a callback by Alien: Earth
Yes, Disney might indeed be giving itself a nod by referring to elements from two of its acquired series. But, Hawley doesn't just throw in that Sid the Sloth cameo for kicks. It serves to develop characters, expand the universe they're in, and make you think about what it means to be human.
When you see Sid pop up in Alien: Earth, a show about robot-like beings and creepy aliens, it hits different. It's not just a little surprise for fans, but a decisive moment that captures feelings of loss, longing for the past, and the delicate nature of human relationships. It's a masterstroke, really.
Plus, it's a bit eerie to consider that the only thing that might be left of us could be something like a not-so-popular animated follow-up to a classic film.
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Watch Alien: Earth on Hulu.
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