A multitude of enigmas exists in Alien: Earth – What’s the tale behind the five corporations that dominate the planet? Why are there abundant references to Peter Pan? How does this series integrate into the Alien franchise timeline? — yet episode 3 has unveiled another one.

Why does Wendy/Marcy (Sydney Chandler) experience distressing sounds when the Xenomorph undergoes surgery, seemingly inflicting physical pain upon her? What is taking place here?

While we may not provide a complete answer to that inquiry, a significant clue has been presented. Let’s delve into it.

What transpires in episode 3?

Back at the Prodigy research island, Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) and the hybrids start analyzing the five alien specimens retrieved from the crashed Weyland-Yutani Maginot spaceship.

Kirsh opens one of the eggs in the laboratory, unveiling the Xenomorph in its “face-hugger” state. Upon cutting into it, he discovers something resembling a tadpole, which aficionados of the Alien franchise will recognize as the inception of the Xenomorph’s ultimate phase.

Meanwhile, Wendy awakens in another location and discerns a faint chittering noise. She traverses the hallways, attempting to pinpoint the sound — but when the Xenomorph is extracted from the egg and placed on the operating table, the noise in Wendy’s consciousness escalates to a level that induces her pain. She arrives at the lab just as Kirsh extracts the tadpole, prompting her to collapse in distress.

Why does the alien surgery impact Wendy/Marcy?

What’s happening here? Does Wendy possess a psychic bond with the Xenomorph allowing her to sense its suffering?

The resolution may reside in a snippet of dialogue from episode 1, following the transfer of Wendy/Marcy’s consciousness into her new synthetic form.

Prior to the hybrids embarking on their quest to locate Wendy’s brother, she participates in an audio assessment in the lab, raising her hand upon hearing a beep. The pivotal line, whispered by a technician just before Wendy spots her brother on a monitor? “She’s beyond our human frequencies. 75,000 hz.”

This moment is nearly missed as Wendy abandons the test, but it could be vital in comprehending why she faints in episode 3. It’s not that Wendy has a psychic link to the Xenomorphs — it’s that they emit sounds at a frequency audible solely to her. The audio test in episode 1 was truncated, likely before the technicians had the chance to modify Wendy’s hearing — meaning she is the only one capable of hearing the aliens.

Alien: Earth episodes are released weekly on Hulu and FX at 8pm E.T. on Tuesdays.