MY SAY In spite of that famous source material (xenomorphs!) and pedigree (Hawley), "Alien" fans may want to temper their expectations here. Foremost, "Alien: Earth" is not the movie or even a movie, but a series full of character exposition and backstory. With eight hours to fill, the pacing can be unhurried too.

The Alien (or Xenomorph) is the least impressive aspect of FX's ambitious science-fiction series about a near-future where corporations run the world, and their founders' pursuit of immortality may end up killing us all.

"Alien: Earth" on FX taps into themes of corporate arrogance and artificial intelligence. And, yes, it is terrifying.