Regardless of Boy Kavalier’s (Samuel Blenkin) irritating overconfidence, his hybrid project in Alien: Earth has not been progressing well.

The current situation involves Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) being coerced into stealing from aliens by Morrow (Babou Ceesay), who communicates directly with Slightly’s mind after employing cyborg technology on him during their meeting on the downed Maginot spacecraft.

The question remains, why isn’t Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant), who appears to have some knowledge of what’s unfolding with Slightly, taking action? Let’s investigate.

What transpires with Slightly in episode 4?

Slightly, perched alone on a rock, engages in a troubling discussion with Morrow, who attempts to convince him to pilfer a Xenomorph egg.

“If that egg is mine and someone takes it, how can it be wrong to reclaim it?” Morrow growls.

“They repaired me here, you know,” Slightly replies. “Just like Boy Kavalier. This is my home…”

“Now you’re bringing up loyalty. That’s an entirely different concept. Individuals commit all sorts of horrific acts in the name of loyalty. No, if you wish to do the moral thing, you’ll assist me in reclaiming what you’ve taken.”

Later, Morrow escalates the pressure by threatening Slightly’s family if he doesn’t comply. But why doesn’t Kirsh — who seems somewhat aware of Morrow’s intentions — step in?

Why does Kirsh not intervene?

We know Kirsh is conscious that something is amiss because he views footage of Slightly’s encounter with Morrow, in which Morrow uses his robotic arm to implant something into Slightly’s neck. Rather than helping Slightly, Kirsh engages in a cryptic dialogue about the “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” monkey statues in Slightly’s room.

“If I committed an evil act, would you report me?” Kirsh inquires. “If I caused harm or led others to suffer, would you take action to stop me or would you turn a blind eye?”

Slightly ultimately states he would defend his friends, to which Kirsh responds, “Good.”

But what does this exchange signify?

It appears Kirsh — notwithstanding the knowledge that Slightly might be under Morrow’s sway — wishes to keep his awareness concealed. He doesn’t want Morrow to realize that he is aware, yet he wants to ascertain where Slightly’s allegiances lie. His inquiry about the monkeys serves as a test to determine how inclined Slightly might be to oppose Prodigy after all they have done for him.

Our best speculation? Kirsh will persist in observing Slightly and utilize his insights against Morrow when the moment is appropriate.

Alien: Earth episodes are released every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX.