Timothy Olyphant knows how he wants Kirsh’s story to continue in “Alien: Earth” Season 2.
A synthetic scientist working for Prodigy Corporation, Kirsh is among the most important characters in Season 1 of the first-ever “Alien” TV series. After experimenting with extraterrestrial creatures and helping manage the group of hybrid children known as the Lost Boys, Kirsh falls victim to the hybrids’ uprising and ends up severely damaged and locked in a cell in the “Alien: Earth” Season 1 finale.
In an interview with Esquire, Olyphant identified two aspects he wants Kirsh’s Season 2 arc to emphasize more, the first involving more action scenes. “He’s done enough observing. We can’t have him observe for another season, so it’s time to get his hands dirty,” Olyphant said. “We played around a bit on this season, but I’m particularly interested in his emotional range, because technically most people emote, cry, sob, and throw a fit when they’re trying to get something, so a synthetic being shouldn’t be any different, right?”
Timothy Olyphant wants to show more of Kirsh’s complexity
In the “Alien” franchise, synths are known for manipulating others rather than exhibiting genuine human emotions. Even so, an artificial being like Kirsh can still convincingly come across as sentimental at times. In addition to taking on a more action-heavy approach to the character, Timothy Olyphant hopes to explore Kirsh’s emotional depth further in “Alien: Earth” Season 2.
“Sometimes he’s quite moved,” Olyphant told Esquire. “Last night, I watched episode 7, and when Wendy comes in and sees that Isaac’s dead, it feels like she is genuinely caring and thoughtful. It’s hilarious because — God bless Noah Hawley — when she asks Kirsh what happened, Kirsh replies, ‘Science.’ But I recall trying to get that across with as much love and compassion as humanly possible.”
With filming taking place in the summer of 2026, “Alien: Earth” Season 2 is at least a year away from premiering on FX on Hulu, as of this writing. If Olyphant gets his way, Kirsh may have an even more complex role when the show returns.
