This episode takes us back 17 days before the Maginot crashed into Earth. Morrow is awakened to grim news: the captain is dead, a facehugger has latched onto the science officer Bronski, and a fire has fried the navigation systems. With Zora Zaveri now in command, the ship faces both a saboteur and dwindling fuel.
Morrow urges repairs while suspicions rise. Surveillance footage reveals Zaveri’s affair with Bronski, casting doubt on her judgment. Soon after, the cryopod containing Bronski fails, unleashing a xenomorph. At the same time, other specimens break loose, including the grotesque eyeball creature Ocellus and the deadly Blood Bugs.
Crew morale crumbles as accidents pile up. An engineer drinks contaminated water and collapses, while a misguided attempt at surgery ends in acid sprays and death. Zaveri struggles to lead, but Morrow grows convinced only he can keep order.
Things spiral when Petrovitch, revealed to be working for Boy Kavalier, attacks Morrow and Clem. In the chaos, Ocellus infects a host, Blood Bugs swarm, and the xenomorph stalks Zaveri across the ship.
Morrow seizes control, sacrifices Zaveri, and ensures the specimens survive. This neatly loops back to the events of episode 1, before Morrow meets Yutani’s CEO and vows to destroy Kavalier.
This episode is packed with tension, body horror, and betrayal, but its placement feels baffling. Because we already know the Maginot crashes and the crew perishes, the suspense is undercut. Watching Zaveri face the xenomorph or Bronski’s infection carries little weight when their fates are already sealed.
That said, I did enjoy learning more about Ocellus, whose chaotic presence adds a fresh element. It doesn’t side with anyone, human or alien, and its intelligence hints at intriguing possibilities down the line.
The reveal that Kavalier had an inside man adds political flavor, though it stretches believability. The idea that a saboteur could operate undetected for decades feels contrived, especially since the crash happens to land exactly in Prodigy City.
Still, the episode delivers atmosphere. The confined corridors, sudden bursts of violence, and Morrow’s growing ruthlessness keep things engaging. By the end, he feels more like the only competent figure aboard, which almost makes his betrayal in earlier episodes understandable.
Episode 5 is effective in isolation, but frustrating in context. It answers questions we already guessed while repeating familiar beats from the original Alien. Atmospheric and gruesome, yes, but also misplaced in the larger story.
