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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Snarf Zagyg" data-source="post: 9728884" data-attributes="member: 7023840">Here's my tentative thought on this- in the second episode, there is a conversation (with Boy Genius) where they refer to the fact that they have given her a supercomputer (he wants someone he can talk to, yada yada). It's not stated directly, but given what appears to be her defining and advanced abilities, I would say that-a. She has more processing power (aka, a supercomputer? of some kind) than the others.b. Based on the other scene, there are also guards in place that they lifted for her and haven't for the others (which is why she can go through security footage- but because she is so advanced, she already learned to hack the system).Now, with that out of the way... my review!Let me start with my overall review- I like it. I want to love it, but I haven't gotten there yet (full explanation below). But I definitely recommend it. Based on what I've seen, I think I might love it, but the first two episodes are very much "laying the groundwork" and setting the scene, and limited in scope (it's basically three areas- the Maginot, Neverland, and the Apartment Complex/Maginot). I assume it will be greatly expanded. If the whole series is just "aliens in an apartment complex," (which I assume is not the case) then I will be greatly disappointed.I love Noah Hawley. I think that Legion is one of the inventive and underappreciated shows of the Prestige TV era. I think that Fargo is amazing, because it isn't a riff are a reboot of Fargo- it's really a riff on the Coen Brothers, and while different seasons have different strengths and weaknesses, I love them all. As soon as I heard he was doing A:E, I was all in.So here's my very tentative thoughts, based just on the premiere (first two episodes).I love the premise. I love the quick subversion of expectations (you start with the Maginot and the whole cast of characters which is so reminiscent of you know what, and ... welp, hope you didn't get attached to them). I love the expansion of Alien lore that feels absolutely true to everything we've learned about this world... while also significantly broadening it. Too often, when lore is broadened it can feel like it's just retcons and things that don't make sense. Not here- it genuinely feels like we are learning more about corporate control, and Weyland Yutani, and the role of synths, while making the world feel so much bigger (five corporations, synths, cyborgs, and ... the new hybrids, etc.). The glimpses of future earth feel real and gritty, without grasping at tired urban noir Bladerunner tropes (but see below). The single alien feels incredibly dangerous, as it should be (and as repeatedly shown ... is). And the new aliens feel genuinely alien and frightening without overshadowing THE ALIEN. Next, based on his work in Fargo and what I've seen here, I'd argue that Hawley isn't just riffing on Alien (although he obviously is!). He's riffing on Ridley Scott. Sure, he's using all of our Alien knowledge to engage us (and, of course, to subvert those expectations... again, love the Maginot setup). But you'd have to be dead, dumb, and blind to not notice that he's also riffing on that other Ridley Scott movie. From the opening crawl (Corporations are battling for control through ... Synths (non-humans), Cyborgs (humans with machine supplements), and Hybrids (synths with a human consciousness) to ... well, what, um Timothy Synthyphant (great hair!) is literally telling us (humans are food, bruh), this series looks like it's really going to be examining the themes of the other Ridley Scott movie in the Alien universe.Which I am totally down for. In other words .... the conversation between Dr. Mom and Boy Genius- I think that is really a preview of the thematic weight of the series. Or, put another way, even if Wendy has all the memories of the Medic's sister, is she really his sister? Or maybe not. Maybe it will just be more aliens chomping on stuff.The biggest drawback? I'd have to say that while I think the visuals and editing have been perfectly fine, and sometimes excellent, nothing in the first two episodes strikes me as having that true flair that I associate with the projects of Noah Hawley. The closest was probably the Peter Pan visual for the transfer. My high expectations keep me from loving it, and I don't know if it can deliver on what it's laying down - it's going to be hard to continue striking a balance between horror, action, and exploration of consciousness and role of humanity - but I am optimistic and enjoyed the first two episodes.</blockquote>

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