Metamorphosis
- Episode aired Aug 20, 2025
- TV-MA
- 54m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
9.9K
YOUR RATING
The team returns home with unexpected cargo. An unsettling experiment occurs, and a new talent is discovered.The team returns home with unexpected cargo. An unsettling experiment occurs, and a new talent is discovered.The team returns home with unexpected cargo. An unsettling experiment occurs, and a new talent is discovered.
Featured reviews
Written by Noah Hawley with Bob DeLaurentis and directed by Dana Gonzales, "Metamorphosis" dazzles visually but falters in execution. Blade Runner vibes are ingrained throughout. The production values and FX are consistently first-rate, offering grotesque body horror and striking new creature work that deepen the mythology.
Sydney Chandler continues to bring layered intensity, while Babou Ceesay grounds the synth subplots with conviction. But it's Timothy Olyphant who stands out as the series' saving grace, his steady, humanizing presence anchoring an episode that often feels uneven.
New arrivals Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) and Smee (Jonathan Ajayi) add levity, but their jovial banter sometimes jars against the darker atmosphere, tipping tension into tonal whiplash. And once again, the editing proves a major stumbling block - jarring cuts and awkward transitions fracture immersion, while the misplaced score, musical cues undercut moments that should build suspense.
Still, beneath the flaws lies a compelling chapter: Chandler's hybrid transformation escalates, corporate intrigue deepens, and the alien threat continues to mutate in unexpected, terrifying ways. High-caliber visuals and creature design keep the world alive, even when the mechanics stumble.
"Metamorphosis" is messy, unsettling, and ambitious - a flawed but fascinating piece of the unfolding Alien tapestry.
Sydney Chandler continues to bring layered intensity, while Babou Ceesay grounds the synth subplots with conviction. But it's Timothy Olyphant who stands out as the series' saving grace, his steady, humanizing presence anchoring an episode that often feels uneven.
New arrivals Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) and Smee (Jonathan Ajayi) add levity, but their jovial banter sometimes jars against the darker atmosphere, tipping tension into tonal whiplash. And once again, the editing proves a major stumbling block - jarring cuts and awkward transitions fracture immersion, while the misplaced score, musical cues undercut moments that should build suspense.
Still, beneath the flaws lies a compelling chapter: Chandler's hybrid transformation escalates, corporate intrigue deepens, and the alien threat continues to mutate in unexpected, terrifying ways. High-caliber visuals and creature design keep the world alive, even when the mechanics stumble.
"Metamorphosis" is messy, unsettling, and ambitious - a flawed but fascinating piece of the unfolding Alien tapestry.
No kid themes in Alien. Ever. This series could have been so good, but Disney had to be Disney. You ruined Star Wars, now you're putting Peter Pan in Alien and turning the main character into a child who looks like an adult. How do you think people who have Alien forever, respond to this? It's garbage.
Metamorphosis, the third chapter of Alien: Earth, stumbles slightly but then picks itself up melding visceral horror with cerebral ambition.
Noah Hawley crafts a gripping resolution to Ep 2's cliffhanger, with Wendy (Sydney Chandler), a synthetic-human prodigy, battling a xenomorph in a sequence drenched in the franchise's primal terror. The Neverland set, a decayed dystopian marvel, enchants, while Chandler's nuanced performance lends heart to the once-muddled AI themes. Timothy Olyphant's Kirsh, with roguish menace, teases darker depths, and Samuel Blenkin's Boy Kavalier drips corporate venom.
The "Lost Boys" - Curly's guile, Nibs' angst - intrigue, but their childlike dialogue often grates, feeling contrived.
A facehugger dissection scene, both ghastly and cerebral, ties AI to horror with finesse. Yet, expository tangents and uneven pacing bog down the momentum, and the hybrid concept still wobbles, not fully coalescing.
Ep 3 elevates the series with its bloody brilliance and growing clarity, but minor missteps keep it from greatness. A promising, if imperfect, evolution.
Rating: 7.5/10.
Noah Hawley crafts a gripping resolution to Ep 2's cliffhanger, with Wendy (Sydney Chandler), a synthetic-human prodigy, battling a xenomorph in a sequence drenched in the franchise's primal terror. The Neverland set, a decayed dystopian marvel, enchants, while Chandler's nuanced performance lends heart to the once-muddled AI themes. Timothy Olyphant's Kirsh, with roguish menace, teases darker depths, and Samuel Blenkin's Boy Kavalier drips corporate venom.
The "Lost Boys" - Curly's guile, Nibs' angst - intrigue, but their childlike dialogue often grates, feeling contrived.
A facehugger dissection scene, both ghastly and cerebral, ties AI to horror with finesse. Yet, expository tangents and uneven pacing bog down the momentum, and the hybrid concept still wobbles, not fully coalescing.
Ep 3 elevates the series with its bloody brilliance and growing clarity, but minor missteps keep it from greatness. A promising, if imperfect, evolution.
Rating: 7.5/10.
Metamorphosis is a strong episode that moves the plot from the crash site and lays the foundations for what might come in a promising way.
The filmmakers ended Mr October with a cliffhanger, and the follow-up xenomorph-related horror sequence must be accepted for you to move on. Some contrived aspects may not land well with fans who remember a single xenomorph wreaking so much havoc in previous movies. Still, you must remind yourself that certain characters are not human and be open to their abilities. Additionally, there is a degree of plot armour that might be difficult for some to swallow, but it depends on how seriously you take certain action spectacle.
A highlight for me is the sci-fi aspect that explores more of the mythology associated with the titular creature. In the original movies, there was always a fear associated with them reaching Earth and being in the clutches of Weyland-Yutani, so what is portrayed in the science labs is intriguing.
I also like the interactions between various characters. All conversations have an edge of threat thanks to the tension created by the actors' delivery, the unknown aspects of their histories and the dystopian setting. The writers have kept consistency with the depiction of children in adult bodies so far. Themes about the nature of humanity and artificial life forms continue to be good. Let's hope it leads to some memorable and eventful franchise moments.
It is nice to see Adrian Edmondson had more to do in this episode. Being a British child of the 80s (and teen of the 90s) this is naturally another highlight for me.
The visuals and creature designs are excellent. I have a reasonable level of anticipation around the other alien creatures and hope when we see their potential unleashed it will be worth the build up.
The filmmakers ended Mr October with a cliffhanger, and the follow-up xenomorph-related horror sequence must be accepted for you to move on. Some contrived aspects may not land well with fans who remember a single xenomorph wreaking so much havoc in previous movies. Still, you must remind yourself that certain characters are not human and be open to their abilities. Additionally, there is a degree of plot armour that might be difficult for some to swallow, but it depends on how seriously you take certain action spectacle.
A highlight for me is the sci-fi aspect that explores more of the mythology associated with the titular creature. In the original movies, there was always a fear associated with them reaching Earth and being in the clutches of Weyland-Yutani, so what is portrayed in the science labs is intriguing.
I also like the interactions between various characters. All conversations have an edge of threat thanks to the tension created by the actors' delivery, the unknown aspects of their histories and the dystopian setting. The writers have kept consistency with the depiction of children in adult bodies so far. Themes about the nature of humanity and artificial life forms continue to be good. Let's hope it leads to some memorable and eventful franchise moments.
It is nice to see Adrian Edmondson had more to do in this episode. Being a British child of the 80s (and teen of the 90s) this is naturally another highlight for me.
The visuals and creature designs are excellent. I have a reasonable level of anticipation around the other alien creatures and hope when we see their potential unleashed it will be worth the build up.
This episode was honestly painful to watch. Adults trying to act like brainless children, it's just unbearable. Not every kid has to be clueless or annoying; there are clever, resourceful kids in reality, but here every one of them comes across as utterly annoying.
And please, give us back the real xeno. There's absolutely no way a 11 yr old child in a synt body should be able to behead an indestructible xeno with a paper slicer blade in minutes. That's not just unrealistic, it's insulting to the entire mythos. The mighty xenomorph, reduced to a joke, killed instantly in the most absurd way? It kills all the whole franchise standing on!
The dialogue doesn't help either, there's no cleverness. There is no suspense at all either, just one ridiculous scene after another. Alien has always thrived on atmosphere, dread, and intelligence. Here, it's nothing but shallow spectacle and sloppy writing.
Where is the suspense? Where is the intelligence? This isn't Alien, it's a parody of it. Three stars for the visuals, but the rest is pure garbage.
And please, give us back the real xeno. There's absolutely no way a 11 yr old child in a synt body should be able to behead an indestructible xeno with a paper slicer blade in minutes. That's not just unrealistic, it's insulting to the entire mythos. The mighty xenomorph, reduced to a joke, killed instantly in the most absurd way? It kills all the whole franchise standing on!
The dialogue doesn't help either, there's no cleverness. There is no suspense at all either, just one ridiculous scene after another. Alien has always thrived on atmosphere, dread, and intelligence. Here, it's nothing but shallow spectacle and sloppy writing.
Where is the suspense? Where is the intelligence? This isn't Alien, it's a parody of it. Three stars for the visuals, but the rest is pure garbage.
Did you know
- TriviaThe science officer's report on the alien plant: "A carnivorous plant not dissimilar to the Terran genus Drosera. Science officer has given tentative taxonomic classification of D. Plumbicare due to the use of mucilage to lure unsuspecting prey, a stamen to sense prey, and a pattern of "leaves" which form a mouth. Though generally confined to carnivory, D. Plumbicare has been seen eating nearby flora in dire situations. Animals given to D. Plumbicare have expired in one of three ways: asphyxiation, dissolved, or exhaustion. Enzymatic breakdown begins upon death, stamen also acts as a gauge of atmospheric pressure and temperature. When conditions become inhospitable or a threat to survival, D. Plumbicare closes completely. When attempting to open a closed D. Plumiocare, many kilograms of pressure were applied to no avail. Once back on Earth, further testing needed to confirm strength of leaves."
In real life Drosera is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species, and are a member of the family Droseraceae, which contains plants like the Venus Fly Trap. Members of Drosera lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surfaces. The insects are used to supplement the poor mineral nutrition of the soil in which the plants grow. Plants in the Drosera genus are commonly called sundews, some well known species are the cape sundew and tropical sundew. They have a central stalk that acts much like a tentacle, and are able to move their tentacles in response to contact with edible prey. The tentacle is covered in small stalks covered with mucilage, a thick sweet smelling substance that is very sticky that acts as both bait and digestive fluid, the stalks are very sensitive to movement. The mucilage attracts an insect, then when the movement of an insect is detected, the tentacles will bend toward the center of the leaf and bring the insect into contact with as many stalks as possible, which then being dissolving the insect and absorbing its nutrients.
- GoofsDespite claiming to be the smartest and wisest person he knows, Kavalier approaches the uncontained egg of a known hostile alien species without any personal protective equipment. He does not even react when the egg begins to open and visibly react to his presence, and has to be saved by Kirsh.
- ConnectionsFeatures Epic: La bataille du royaume secret (2013)
- SoundtracksWherever I May Roam
Performed by Metallica
Details
- Runtime
- 54m
- Color
- Sound mix
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