Alien: Earth’s Eyeball Parasite May Be the Series’ Biggest Threat — It Targets Intelligence

Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth continues to introduce new creatures and new dangers. In episode 4, “Observation,” the small, floating creature officially named trypanohyncha ocellus (also called Species 64) appears in a Prodigy lab and interacts with several characters on screen.

• Species name: trypanohyncha ocellus (Species 64).
• Key moments: first seen on the USCSS Maginot in episode 1; appears again in episode 4 inside a Prodigy lab.
• Maginot researchers noted the creature shows “remarkable problem-solving skills at near-human measure.”
• Show details: eight-episode debut season premiered on FX and Hulu on Aug 12; episodes release Tuesdays through Sept. 9.

What the show shows

In episode 1, the creature is shown floating in a containment unit aboard the USCSS Maginot. Later, it escapes containment and is depicted burrowing into the skull of a dead cat, replacing the cat’s eyeball and affecting the animal’s nervous system.

Then, in episode 4, the same creature is shown entering a lab at Prodigy and performing a similar action with a sheep. That episode also includes a tense moment between the creature and Boy Kavalier, played by Samuel Blenkin. Meanwhile, Timothy Olyphant’s character Kirsh and a group referred to as The Lost Boys are involved in the creature’s containment and study sequences.

Notes from the Maginot scientists

Documents and notes attributed to Maginot researchers shown on the series describe the creature’s behavior. Those notes state the creature displays “remarkable problem-solving skills at near-human measure,” and they record observations made prior to the ship’s crash.

Synthetics, Xenomorphs, and laboratory scenes

Earlier episodes depict interactions between synthetics and classic franchise creatures. For example, episode 3 includes an encounter between a Xenomorph and Wendy, played by Sydney Chandler. After that episode, Kirsh designates a lab that houses Xenomorph eggs as a synth-only zone.

Additionally, in episode 4 Kirsh handles one of the Xenomorph eggs and the scene shows the egg not responding to his touch. By the end of episode 3, Wendy is shown in a scene handling a chestburster.

Cast and release schedule

The eight-episode first season of Alien: Earth premiered on FX and Hulu on Aug 12. New episodes continue to release on Tuesdays through Sept. 9. Key cast members mentioned in these episodes include Timothy Olyphant (Kirsh), Lily Newmark (Nibs), Samuel Blenkin (Boy Kavalier), Sydney Chandler (Wendy), and Kit Young (Tootles/Isaac).