Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “Observation”, Season 1, and Episode 4 of “Alien: Earth.”
After Wendy (Sidney Chandler) fights the Xenomorph and undergoes serious internal damage in the previous episode, episode 4 of “Alien: Earth” is awakened to the sounds of newly collected alien specimens from USCSS Maginot and is being experimented with. As Wendy begins his investigation at Neverland Research Island, as Episode 3 ends, a grotesque sound becomes stronger in his mind, crumbling due to the high frequencies.
Because Wendy has the unique ability to directly contact alien specimens, Prodigy Corporation CEO Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) runs tests to bring the audio processor back online with the help of Arthur Sylvia (David Rhysdahl). As a loyal follower of Kavalier and the company’s chief engineer, Arthur begins to pay attention to the inhumane treatment of the hybrid as the episode progresses, raising doubts. Are hybrid bodies used for scientific purposes?
Left to right: Alex Lawser, Sidney Chandler, David Lisdahl
Patrick Brown/FX
Rysdahl spoke with diversity about the growing love of his character for the Lost Boys, the obvious debate between Arthur and his wife Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis), and how his university chemistry professor inspired Arthur’s 70s outfit.
“Observation” follows Wendy, who is soon to hear the first alien specimen. Arthur is forced to stay in the room as the boy Cavalier lets Wendy recreate the alien sounds through her system. Was this the moment when Arthur began to question his loyalty to Prodigy Corporation?
I thought of Arthur as if he was on the Manhattan Project. And this idea was that there was a scientist behind the Manhattan Project, who loved science and loved being a part of it. This was definitely a whole circle that was all a changing episode as Prodigy Corporation created this code of ethics with very clear guidance. Arthur trusts the process behind making a hybrid with his wife, and suddenly, he begins to feel that he is part of the problem.
Arthur faces his worries about Wendy communicating directly with the aliens, and his worries about the rest of the Lost Boy being close to an unknown specimen. She tells him that their work is for the good of science and humanity, but Arthur disagrees with that statement. Why do you think Arthur has become more concerned about the kids, despite technically his experiments?
It surprises him. He continues to say at the beginning of the show that these kids are hybrids, and emotionally tries to keep them away. He continues to get emotional about these kids, and so is her. For Essie and me, our characters are pseudo-dads and mothers, and we get a bit about growing up for them. As a father, you start to see your children do what surprises you, and you start to care in ways you didn’t think of you (there is a fear of what you think you have. For me, the paternalistic phor is part of his journey and an unknown arc. They are scientists, but their love and care for these children, and therefore their accomplices of hurting them, begin to unconsciously annoy him.
Rysdahl and Essie Davis
Patrick Brown/FX
After this conversation, does Arthur see the main parents of the lost boys and himself after he submits himself?
Arthur has many cognitive dissonances. He is similar to where I am now with AI and transhumanism, and his ideas for the future show that download someone’s mind and put it in a robot and you don’t know how it will happen. We can have ethics and ideals, but the reality of what happens then overwhelms him. Conscientiously, Arthur would say no, but unconsciously, he would say yes to their parents’ appearance.
As Wendy is being experimented with, Joe (Alex Rother) and Arthur are on the same page about their changing feelings towards Prodigy Corporation as workers. The boy continues the Wendy hearing test to Arthur and how Joe is being treated after surgery between the looks they give each other in the lab, as Gear slowly turns his head.
Arthur sees how much Joe loves his sister and reminds him that this is the real person. This is a real brother, and despite the fact that scientists are talking about in science (hybrid term), it still affects real people. Because Joe’s presence is there, it causes a change in Arthur. He sees how much he loves her and how much he has been influenced. Arthur starts to see this and realizes, of course, that’s how Joe feels about Wendy. Arthur begins to realize that the company is heartless, and he starts to see Joe and takes a lot of things and changes the internal state.
Everyone at Prodigy Corporation has unique styles, from Boy Kavalier’s loose pajama-style outfit to Arthur’s retro aesthetic. How did getting into Arthur’s wardrobe help bring his character back to life?
Costume designer Suttirat (Larlab), and I was going back and forth over Arthur’s appearance. The inspiration was a hippie who loved all of that science. I was actually a university chemistry major and I had a professor of biology with a huge whisker. He was the kind of guy who came to class and grabbed an insect on the way, “Man, look at this cool bug! We’ll show him under the microscope!” and he loved it so much. It’s like who Arthur is. He loves this work, which allows you (as an actor) to blind you to all the greater ethics.
This interview was compiled and condensed.
