Warning: Major SPOILERS lie ahead for Alien: Earth season 1’s ending!Prodigy’s greed has seen them fly too close to the sun, as Alien: Earth season 1’s ending has seen the once-powerful corporation now put on their heels. Across the season, Boy Kavalier has sought to emphasize his strength over the other corporations in the world, particularly Weyland-Yutani, with his development of the hybrids and study of the alien creatures aboard the crashed USCSS Maginot.
Along the way, not only has he left Weyland-Yutani incensed, but has also seen the hybrids, also known as the Lost Boys, pulling away from Boy Kavalier, largely due to a mistrust in his plans for them. Heading into Alien: Earth episode 8, the group all found themselves locked in a cell, due to Wendy and Nibs’ attempted escape and killing of numerous guards, as well as Slightly and Smee’s aiding of Morrow.
Additionally, Wendy’s brother, Joe, and Weyland-Yutani’s Morrow are trapped in their own cell while Boy Kavalier figures out his next move, including making the former the new host for the Ocellus. As for the latter, after escaping from his cell thanks to Wendy breaking everyone out, he makes his way to Timothy Olyphant’s Kirsh for a full-on brawl.
For creator Noah Hawley, he knew he had to pay off the tense “mano-a-mano conflict” from the elevator conversation between the two characters in episode 6, particularly since both Olyphant and Babou Ceesay were “going to crackle” in that scene together. Acknowledging the fight ends in something of a stalemate, Hawley says “it’s hard to believe that’s the last of the conflict” between them.
“We had to design that sequence with Rob Inch, our stunt coordinator, and it was always a question of, ‘What are the actors doing, and what are stunt doubles doing, and how is it all playing out?’,” Hawley explained. “Some of these sequences I script out very specifically, and others you just figure that they’ll figure out the most dynamic fight between the two of them. And they really did do that. And then, the thing with a synthetic is you can break their back, but that doesn’t mean they’re paralyzed for life. So you can really mess them up, and then potentially fix them down the line. But it was very satisfying, I think, for the audience to get that moment.“
For Olyphant, whose synthetic character ends the fight with a broken back, he humorously found “the good news” of Kirsh and Morrow’s fight ending the way it does, meaning “I’ll be around for season 2“. The Emmy nominee also recalled “looking forward to a little action“, having spent a good majority of his time as the character “observing” and saying “lots of cool things“.
“I was appreciative of that,” Olyphant explained. “Lastly, it was a day working with Babou, and that’s a pleasure. I’m a huge fan of that man’s work. I like the way he works, and he’s just a gem of a human being. So, the days that I got to share the set with him were special. So that was a ton of fun, that day.“
As for Joe and the Lost Boys, they all use their newfound freedom for different means. Smee and Slightly take the time to put the exhausted Morrow and incapacitated Kirsh in a cell, while Lily Newmark’s Nibs, still reeling from having her memory erased, heads after Essie Davis’ Dame Sylvia. However, in a surprise turn at the very end, Nibs is shown not to have killed the scientist, but instead also locked her up.
“That was all animal, that was all feral, that was really the marriage of the peak capabilities of her machine combined with the most primal part of her, as a natural human and as a traumatized child,” Newmark described. “I think those things combined is what comes to fruition in that confrontation. And then, there on out, really.“
In another surprising turn of events, Boy Kavalier comes face-to-face with a Xenomorph in Alien: Earth‘s ending, but survives as it was part of Wendy and Joe’s plans to capture him. While Samuel Blenkin is unsure if there was a version of the show in which his pseudo-villain bit the dust, Hawley assured that was never the cast, pointing to an infamous franchise character for why he didn’t kill him off.
“You know what’s great, obviously, in Aliens is that moment where Paul Reiser goes is so satisfying,” Hawley denoted. “But, that’s 20 minutes before the end of the movie and, in success, hopefully, we’ve got a lot of story ahead of us. I’d be a fool to give that guy up.“
Below, in recent interviews with ScreenRant, Hawley, Olyphant, Blenkin, Alex Lawther and Adarsh Gourav offer more insight into Alien: Earth‘s ending, some of their characters’ big moments in the season 1 finale, and their hopes for where the show goes in the future.
Boy Kavalier’s Shocking Backstory Reveal Gave Blenkin A Unique Way To Play The Character
ScreenRant: One thing I found interesting, as well, is that in episodes 7 and 8, we actually get more of Boy Kavalier’s backstory, in regard to his having killed his parents and created the company with his inheritance. I remember the last time we spoke, you talked about how there’s a lot of discovery versus proper planning in your writing process. So how much have you and Samuel really laid out what Boy K’s backstory is?
Noah Hawley: Yeah, I always carried that around in my head, because we can’t pick our parents, right? And what is it to be a genius born to some really low intelligence, sort of violent people? It almost feels like a cosmic joke, in a way. And this idea that the first synth that he created killed his father and became his father felt like a particularly great villain origin story, for sure.
Samuel Blenkin: Well, one of the things that Noah told me is one of the things that gets revealed in episode 8 about this kind of mad idea that he started this company when he was six or seven, maybe a little bit older. I can’t remember exactly. We had conversations about that, but also a little bit about the fact that maybe dad was getting in the way, slightly, of my empire being built. So, as it’s revealed in episode 8, I’ve got that scary monologue where I tell them about what happened and how far I’m willing to go. So, yeah, that’s the kind of stuff that we spoke about, which gave me a pretty big impression of the character. That’s quite a lot to go off, I think, in order to build a performance.
ScreenRant: That reveal was pretty crazy when it came up, but it also makes me look back at certain scenes and feel like — and I’d love to hear your take on it — Boy K isn’t quite as innovative as he thinks he is, and more delegates a lot of that to other people. Was that sort of an intentional decision on your part in the performance, or am I just simply reading too much into the character?
Samuel Blenkin: Oh no, I think Noah and I both had a very clear idea that this is a character who, because he’s never experienced anything coming back to bite him, ever, that does something to you as a person. If you haven’t had those lessons where you go, “Ah, actually, that sucks, I shouldn’t have done that. Maybe I should have gone in that direction.” But, somehow, because of that horrible early choice that he made, and then going forward, literally surrounding himself with adult figures who he’d built to do what he says. I feel like that kind of breeds a certain type of personality in you. So, you know, when you’re a person who’s never been told no, and who has never experienced failure, I think you become very impulsive and very egotistical and very reckless.
I don’t think it even crosses his mind, really, that if he crashes the ship into his own territory that he might not be able to contain the creatures. He’s like, “We’ll get it done. I’ve got loads of money.” I don’t think it actually really crosses his mind, and that’s where the great kind of gray line is, to me, between somebody who calls themselves a genius and somebody who’s actually capable of managing something that is the scale that his company has now become. So, the company is bigger than what he can handle, and he’s got a small attention span. The hybrids, they were cool for a bit, but speaking to an alien, that’s actually exciting. That’s the most exciting thing that might have happened in a couple of years for him. So, he gets hooked.
ScreenRant: Now, you also come face-to-face with a Xenomorph in near-fatal fashion.
Samuel Blenkin: It’s true.
ScreenRant: So, sort of a two-parter here for you. What was your initial reaction to seeing that practical creature on set? Obviously, you saw it in the cages, but being face to face with it. And then, do you know if there was a version in which you didn’t make it out of that scene alive?
Samuel Blenkin: I don’t know. [Laughs] I can’t remember if there was a version where I didn’t make it out, either they didn’t tell me or I’m not sure. But that was amazing because I’d had conversations with Alex, who obviously has got a lot of experience with the cinema to this point, about it, and he was like, “You’re going to be shocked by how much it’s going to hit you.” We did the scene, and we had the amazing Jade, who was our amazing stunt person in the suit in that moment. It’s the big atrium, and it really did feel like she suddenly appeared, and then, it’s kind of what everyone’s been saying, really.
But when it’s a practical effect, you’re not acting opposite a tennis ball, they’re there, and that’s amazing. It’s a difficult moment for that character, but a great moment for me, because this guy’s been doing a performance for the whole show. He’s not just himself, he sees himself as a hero. And suddenly, when you get faced with something like that, there’s no bravery anymore. So, I was really happy that that beat of this character, who just has deserved the comeuppance all the way through the series. I felt like it was a really satisfying ending that he ends contained, and maybe with his worldview falling apart, slightly.
Olyphant Has A Unique Perspective On Kirsh & the Lost Boys’ Dynamic (Including That Viral Tinker Bell Theory)
ScreenRant: There’s that great conversation with Morrow and Kirsh in the elevator I wanted to circle back to and get your thoughts on, because Morrow kind of points out that the hybrids could make Kirsh obsolete. How is that kind of informing his actions in the latter half of this season?
Timothy Olyphant: I always saw the relationship to the hybrids like any parent. You hope for the best for your child, you hope that your child can exceed what you’ve been able to do, and your job is just to nurture them to reach their potential. I always saw that he saw in them the next step in evolution, and everyone else was less than, and it felt like he was doing his best to help them along the way, get out of their way at times, enjoy them, observe them, give them room to be what they were capable of being. That’s kind of how I took that first speech that he gives to Wendy in the end of the first episode. He’s trying to open her mind to her potential, and that the human beings, if she gets too sentimental about them, could keep her from reaching these heights that she’s capable of.
That’s how I viewed them. As far as his survival, I guess it’s the same thing. I assume for a guy like him, I think there’s probably two contradictory things going on. I’m not sure living forever is all that it’s cracked up to be. So there’s probably a part of him that would like to feel like there’s an ending. And also, all you can do on these jobs is bring yourself to them. I just feel like everybody knows this thing is coming to an end, that’s part of what makes it so special. And part of what you want is that you’d like to think that when you’re gone, that there’s something better than you that can continue. So, I just took it as that. And then, at the risk of babbling, I also say this, we all know that this fear of AI is that when they have been told they’re being phased out, that they’re going to do everything they can to hang on. I just assume that that’s unconsciously or consciously in Kirsh’s mind, just like it’s in everybody’s.
ScreenRant: I think there’s been a lot of conversation around the Peter Pan illusion, so to speak, and I’ve seen a lot of people call Kirsh the Tinker Bell of the group. He’s got the blonde hair, he’s kind of with the Lost Boys, but Tinker Bell initially wants to kill Wendy, so what do you make of that? Did you ever kind of consider that part of him as well?
Timothy Olyphant: That one didn’t cross my mind, but God bless the folks out there picking these things up. [Chuckles] I hate to disappoint, but there was never a conversation between Noah and I where we said, “We should bleach the hair, because he’s Tinker Bell.” It’s not to say that Noah didn’t think he was Tinker Bell. I’m just saying that never came up. The fact is when I told him I was going to bleach my hair for all I know, Noah was thinking, “Oh good, because you’re Tinker Bell.” He just didn’t say it to me. It’s hard to tell actors in their midlife part of their career that they’re playing Tinker Bell.
ScreenRant: Definitely, and I think his relationship, obviously, with Boy Kavalier in that context of Peter Pan, but also just in general in the show, is so interesting. Obviously, there’s a degree of loyalty there, but Kirsh also kind of seems to be operating on his own instincts, so to speak. So is there a point where they split? Is there any tension there that you kind of played into, especially with Samuel in the role?
Timothy Olyphant: I’ve decided, I’m now telling everybody from here forward that Noah not only wrote the part for me, but he told me, “I have a part for you. You’re playing Tinker Bell.” And I said, “Where and when?” That’s my new story, I’m sticking to it. So all those people with the online speculation on Tinker Bell, tell ’em they’re 100% spot on. That was the first conversation that Noah and I had. [Chuckles] Your question is about me and Boy Kavalier. My take is that secretly, he’s wishing he could kill him. He wakes up every morning wishing he could kill him, but he can’t. So he puts all that anger and drive into his work. I played that characteristic three or four times now in my career, so I’m just sticking with that. A guy who wakes up every morning wanting to kill his father, but he can’t. He’s going to take all that and put it into his work and people like that, that have made this country great.
ScreenRant: Well, speaking of the work too, obviously Kirsh works very closely with all of the creatures and aliens, and there’s a long history of synthetics in these movies and in the Alien world that are fascinated by these creatures. On a production level, what is it like to be so directly involved with working with the Xenomorph? And then on a story level, as well, how is Kirsh feeling about seeing these creatures and introducing them into the world essentially?
Timothy Olyphant: So for me personally, working with the creatures, how do I feel about those days where I get to work with the creatures? So it’s good news, bad news. The good news is it’s really fun, because it reminds you that we’re just a bunch of kids playing dress up, and it really is a ball being around all the shiny objects. And the other thing is, anytime if you were worried about the material or your performance, whenever there are the creatures around, you’re like, “Well, don’t worry about it. They can always just cut to this little octopus eye thing, and people are going to be like, ‘This is a great scene.'” So it takes a lot of pressure off the work.
The downside is the creatures, I’m going to include the sheep with this, not just the sheep with the eye, but just an actual sheep on set, they get lots of love and praise from the crew when they call cut. Everyone will applaud the creature, they’ll applaud the Facehugger, the sheep, that stuff gets lots of applause. And then you just feel like chopped liver, because it doesn’t take long for you to realize that you’ve been on the set for months, and no one ever applauded your performance, but the sheep shows up for half a day and he gets a standing ovation. So there’s that. In terms of the actual show, yeah, Kirsh is a scientist. I think he’s leaning in, he’s seemingly endlessly curious about “What happens if I touch this or push that or put that with that, what’s going to happen? Can’t wait to see.”
Joe & The Ocellus’ Fight Was A Unique Mix Of VFX And Stunts
ScreenRant: Now, episode 8 also gives you a pretty wild fight sequence with Atom Eins, as well as the Eyemage. What is that like working with the stunt team to pull off some of that yourself, but also find a way to make it feel seamless, in terms of just how much there is going on there?
Alex Lawther: Yeah, oddly, in terms of my work with the stunts team, that was probably the lightest load, because I think a lot of it was with the VFX peeps with the Eyemage. There wasn’t too much stunt work required there. He does get knocked out, but I think I did the falling over myself. I’m quite good at falling over. In the early episodes, I spent more time with the stunties, being harnessed up and jumping over things and stuff. I love the strangeness of Wendy being able to just put a stop to Atom’s mind, with just a touch of her being able to stop him in his tracks. There’s something quite surreal, it’s almost funny, the absurd power that she has now, and I’d be really intrigued to see what that gives birth to, if there was another season.
Adarsh Gourav Wants 1 Key Change For Slightly In Alien: Earth Season 2
ScreenRant: For my final question, I’ll save this one for after the finale airs. The kids have taken over Neverland Ranch in the finale, and that sets up something big as Weyland-Yutani also converges on the island. With that in mind, what is something that you’re hoping to see come from that in Alien: Earth season 2, especially for Slightly as he almost has the clearance that Morrow is no longer threatening his mother’s life, but still is in this weird predicament?
Adarsh Gourav: Honestly, I’m as curious about which way season 2 is going to go as you are. I don’t particularly feel a sense of loyalty to Prodigy. I feel like I’m ready to switch sides, if given a chance. I also feel like I’ve seen the worst of everything I’ve seen, because I’m just assuming that my mom’s dead. I’ve seen that this guy who I trusted, who I thought was like a father to me, has betrayed my trust. The only true friend that I have in Prodigy is me. So, there’s not much that’s really kind of keeping me here, tied to this place. You never know. It’s up to Noah what he does with my character. I’m ready to go with the flow, man. I’m just ready to have fun again in season 2. I’m also hoping to play a teenager this time, not necessarily just a child, but to play a 15-year-old or a 16-year-old. That’d be fun, too.
Check out our previous Alien: Earth interviews with:
All eight episodes of Alien: Earth season 1 are available to stream on FX on Hulu!
- Release Date
-
August 12, 2025
- Directors
-
Dana Gonzales, Ugla Hauksdóttir, Noah Hawley
