Overview

• The latest installment flashes back to the USCSS Maginot, detailing the chain of breakdowns and human interference that precede the ship’s fall to Earth.
• Beyond the familiar xenomorph threat, the hour spotlights other dangerous lifeforms, broadening the series’ creature lore without revealing key twists.
• Morrow’s background and current alignment are sharpened, establishing his renewed role in the struggle to retrieve the specimens.
• Hawley says he directed the episode to play like a classic, claustrophobic Alien chapter within the season’s larger narrative.
• Episode 5 premiered Sept. 2 on FX and Hulu/Disney+, earning strong notices for tension and craftsmanship as reviewers cautioned about its particularly queasy imagery.