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Longtime Alien fans are buzzing over a surprise reveal that the Xenomorph has a tadpole stage in FX and Hulu's Alien: Earth.
Yes, the already scary life cycle of science fiction's most easily identifiable monster is even more creepy. The unexpected twist in Episode 3 may be one of the significant additions to the franchise's history in quite some time.
This series, which is set in 2120 (two years before Ridley Scott's original Alien and long after Alien: Covenant), has proven itself in the chronology.
Plus, it's the first Alien story to take place only on Earth, which is groundbreaking. Part prequel, part standalone, Noah Hawley's lengthy sci-fi horror rests almost entirely on building the mythology of this creature. Alien: Earth Episode 3 reflects this concept with an exciting and unnerving autopsy scene.
The tadpole is Alien's new missing link
The scene plays out in typical Alien fashion: Timothy Olyphant's eerily calm synthetic character, Kirsh, opens a Facehugger in a sterile lab on Boy Kavalier's (Samuel Blenkin) mysterious island. The Xenomorph tadpole, a small amphibian-like creature, wriggles out instead of having a creepy anatomy.
Think of pure nightmare fuel topped off with frog spawn!
Fans have always presumed that a Facehugger implanted an embryo that "became" a chestburster, and the revelation is shocking. But this gives that process a whole new level of detail. The tadpole shows how the parasite grows inside a host before turning into the typical creature floating in a containment tank before tunneling into a simulated lung.
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It's disturbing enough to amp up the franchise's horror once more and logical enough to feel believable. As we now know, the Xenomorph was meant to be the ideal predator and was efficient from the very start of its life.
Where does Alien: Earth fit in the Alien timeline?
Don't worry; you don't need to watch all eight Alien films chronologically to get the franchise. Longtime fans will enjoy the deeper references, but Alien: Earth is a fantastic jumping-on point. The series is a prequel without being too complex, falling between Alien: Covenant (2014) and the OG Alien (1979).
One of the show's central themes (humanity's obsession with understanding and using this ideal organism as a weapon) is also linked to the tadpole. This life stage is an obvious next step for the series and the creature's mythology due to Hawley's focus on body horror and scientific exploration.
ALSO READ: Alien: Earth adds three artificial human types
The tadpole proves the Xenomorph's position as the ultimate survivor, per lore nerds. Each stage serves its purpose, from its basic egg form (ovomorph) to the Facehugger, Chestburster, Drone, and Queen. Turns out, the monster's adaptation starts earlier than we once knew, thanks to Alien: Earth!
The FX/Hulu series is growing into a fitting continuation to one of the greatest sci-fi franchises, and Episode 3 shows that it isn't afraid to push past limits. Timothy Olyphant and Sydney Chandler are leading this story.
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Watch Alien: Earth on Hulu.
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