Alien: Earth's Morrow (Babou Ceesay) survived an encounter with the Xenomorph in the show's second episode, raising questions about why the bloodthirsty creature spared his life. Morrow is introduced as the Chief Security Officer on the doomed USCSS Maginot, who is dedicated to completing the mission. Morrow ends up skirting death multiple times in Alien: Earth's first premiere episodes, but there may be more than meets the eye regarding the officer's relationship with the Xenomorph.
Morrow begins the series as staunchly loyal to Weyland-Yutani, reminding his crewmates on the Maginot that the survival of the specimens is their mission. This receives backlash from his colleagues, who brush Morrow off because he is a cyborg (one of three key android types in Alien: Earth). This has repercussions later when the alien specimens on the ship mysteriously get loose, and Morrow bars himself in the computer room, refusing to offer any of his shipmates safety as he reports to the company that they are dead.
When the Xenomorph breaks into Morrow's hiding spot, the officer calmly secures himself in the impact chamber, shielding himself from the alien creature and the ship's impending crash landing on Earth.
After landing, Morrow's mission is to regain the specimens that are now loose upon the downed ship. The Maginot has crashed in a Prodigy-controlled city, and the corporation's soldiers are now swarming the area. Morrow encounters the Xenomorph while it is preparing to kill Hermit (Alex Lawther). He saves him by subduing it with a taser and capturing the alien in a net of artificial webbing.
Before Morrow can get away with the Xenomorph he is stopped by a group of Prodigy soldiers who become suspicious of his moving bag. Morrow tries to warn them to "stay calm... they can sense fear." But the Xenomorph erupts from the netting and quickly kills the soldiers.
It then turns its focus to the unarmed Morrow, but it hesitates. Morrow looses a blade from within his arm, preparing to defend himself against the Xenomorph, but before it can strike, the sound of soldiers from behind draws it away, leaving Morrow shaking but alive.
Alien: Earth premiered on FX and Hulu on August 12, with new episodes releasing weekly on Tuesdays. The first Alien TV series was created by Noah Hawley and stars Sydney Chandler, Essie Davis, Timothy Olyphant, and Alex Lawther.
Why Did the Xenomorph Hesitate to Kill Morrow?
The Xenomorph has proven it can kill many humans in quick succession, so why did it spare Morrow? The creature had ample time to strike the Weyland-Yutani officer, but it hesitated and then abandoned its prey altogether. There are several plausible theories that will only be confirmed or denied as future episodes of Alien: Earth are released.
One theory is that the Xenomorph intended to kill Morrow but was distracted by the sounds of the loud and fearful soldiers who arrived at the same time, potentially sensing a larger and more satisfying group to kill.
Another is that Morrow's knowledge of the alien allowed him to hide from it. As Morrow warned the soldiers, this Xenomorph can sense fear, and during the scene, Morrow remained still and quiet, barely showing any emotion (potentially aided by his cyborg enhancements). This may have made him appear less of a threat to the alien, which could be why it didn't outright attack him.
A different theory suggests that the Xenomorph and Morrow have more history that is yet to be unveiled in the show. Alien: Earth's premiere episode never shows precisely how the specimens on the Maginot escape containment, instead cutting to the Xenomorph having just killed all the crew. However, the series includes some quick flashes of scenes that hint at what happened during this time.
One of the scenes in these flashback snippets shows Morrow seemingly defending the Xenomorph as he stands pointing a gun at someone while the creature is behind him. The context for this scene is unclear, but it could indicate that Morrow was protecting the Xenomorph from one of his crewmates who intended to kill it.
Morrow's priority is to ensure the specimens make it to Earth alive, and he proved he was willing to sacrifice his colleagues in order to do that. It's unclear what level of intelligence this particular Xenomorph possesses, but it's possible it recognised this action and then chose to repay it by sparing Morrow's life later, potentially seeing him as an ally.
The events that took place on the USCSS Maginot are yet to be explored, but the flashbacks indicate that future episodes of Alien: Earth may reveal exactly what went down and that might be when more answers about Morrow and the Xenomorph come to light.
