FX’s *Alien: Earth* episode 5 acts as an independent Alien film, unveiling the catastrophic final day aboard the USCSS Maginot before its descent onto Earth in the inaugural episode. The episode is replete with unexpected instances and showcases a remarkable performance by Babou Ceesay as Morrow, the resolute investigator and security chief, in a mystery-solving segment reminiscent of Poirot.

“I appreciate the analogy you provided, because that’s precisely how I felt; however, I would lean towards Columbo—I’m more of a Columbo fan,” Ceesay mentioned to Mashable.

In terms of both production style and storyline, the episode is akin to a one-hour film that rightfully belongs in the Alien franchise, introducing a savvy pacing alteration from the series’ chronological plot. Creator/writer/director Noah Hawley guides us through the passageways of the fated Weyland-Yutani vessel, utilizing the design of the Nostromo from Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic for its construction.

Mashable engaged with Hawley, Ceesay, and executive producer David W. Zucker to delve into the episode, which constructs a mystery surrounding the Maginot’s ill-fated team.

“Part of it was the lingering question of what transpired on the ship that led to its crash. We essentially left a cliffhanger at the conclusion of episode 4,” Hawley stated to Mashable. “But much of it is simply, selfishly, I desired to create an Alien movie, and that’s why I chose to direct it.”

“The charm of this moment is that there’s a smooth continuity throughout the season,” Zucker remarked. “There’s a great deal in [episode 5] that really shouldn’t function. You wouldn’t expect to halt the narrative in the manner that [Hawley] does. Yet, in a way, it adds a different type of excitement to the storytelling experience, as you receive so much information that you were exposed to from that initial prologue, and you’d never predict that you’d suddenly plunge entirely into this and encounter a completely new crew.”

This new crew stands out as one of the episode’s key aspects, showcasing characters we believed were merely cameo appearances in their fateful episode 1: Maginot Captain Dinsdale (Tanapol Chuksrida), new Captain Zaveri (Richa Moorjani), science officer Chibuzo (Karen Aldridge), crew members Bronski (Max Rinehart), Clem (Tom Moya), Teng (Andy Yu), Sullivan (Victoria Masoma), and engineers Shmuel (Michael Smiley) and Malachite (Jamie Bisping).

“Look, it’s astonishing to even have the chance to be on the ship for that entire duration,” Ceesay shared with Mashable. “And naturally, a whole new ensemble of characters emerged who are just exceptional.”

Remember, if you’re tuning into *Alien: Earth* episode 5, refrain from eating or drinking.