EARTH Turned Xenomorphs Into Trained Pets

In the decades since the Alien franchise began, we’ve never seen the Xenomorphs as anything but pure killing machines. It was the shark in Jaws, only more terrifying-looking. And much like the shark in Jaws, it only wanted to kill and breed. But now, Alien: Earth has shown us that there might be more to the Xenomorph than previously thought. By the end of the season finale, we see that Wendy/Marcy, the prototype hybrid with a synthetic body and a human consciousness, actually controls a newborn Xeno. Almost as a kind of pet. Not only can she talk to it, but it does her bidding. It doesn’t have a cute name though…yet.

In earlier episodes of the season, we saw as Wendy (Sydney Chandler) was able to “talk” to the newborn Xenomorph, which was held in a holding cell at Prodigy’s Neverland Research Facility. In the penultimate episode, we saw that Wendy can do a lot more than just communicate with the aliens. She can also ask them to do things for her. She asks the Xeno if it can protect her and her friends from a military attack, and it rips into the soldiers like they were tissue paper. By making the right sounds at the frequency the Xenos use, she can effectively talk to them. It definitely seems to like her and it obeys her commands.

In the season finale, “The Real Monsters,” we see the Xenomorph obeying Wendy’s commands was not just a one-time thing. The alien follows Wendy and her fellow Lost Boys around like a loyal pet. Actually, perhaps the proper term is loyal attack dog. By the season finale, we see that the Xeno totally obeys Wendy’s orders. And it even walks around her like a loyal puppy. If that loyal puppy had acid for blood and could tear your throat out, that is. The Xeno attacks and kills several soldiers trying to get to it. All Wendy has to do is point it in the right direction, and it goes to town.

By episode’s end, Wendy and her fellow hybrid children have Boy Kavalier and the Prodigy scientists in a cell. Circling the cell is the Xenomorph, climbing the walls like a cat ready to pounce. We know just how deadly a killing machine the alien is, after multiple films showing us. But this is the first time it’s ever seem to have any affinity to another lifeform. Is it because the hybrids are technically not alive, and therefore not potential incubators or food? Maybe the Xenos were just always waiting for someone to come along and just talk to them, like Wendy/Marcy now has. If only someone had told Ellen Ripley, you just have to treat it like she did her cat, Jones.

The Alien films, which take place after this series, don’t ever suggest the Xenomorphs can do anything but breed and kill. But the one on this series sure seemed to take a liking to Wendy. Is it an anomaly? Is she somehow a humanoid Xenomorph Queen? Certainly, the other films go way ahead in time and never suggest the creatures are sentient, much less obedient to anyone or anything, other than the Queen. We’ll have to wait to see how this new wrinkle in the Xenomorph/hybrid relationship plays out in future seasons, should we get them. Our fingers are crossed.

The entire first season of FX’s Alien: Earth is now available to stream on Hulu.