Month: August 2025

Who’s tuning in for this suspenseful new series? 
We’re seeing a viewership profile that’s heavily skewed toward men (59%) and those aged 35+ (85%). That’s roughly in line with horror-tinged sci-fi thriller series like 3 Body Problem, but significantly older and more gender-balanced than the theatrical audience who bought tickets for 2024’s Alien: Romulus (71% men / 46% aged 35+).

Why are viewers adding Alien: Earth to their queue? 
For its slow-burn tension and escalating dread. Rather than building toward one climactic showdown like the films, the series stretches horror across multiple episodes, layering Scary Situations (128), Psychological Turmoil (123), and life-or-death High Stakes (119) into a rolling drip-feed of fear, fueled by the intense horror sequences that have become synonymous with the film franchise. The trailer offers a tantalizing glimpse at the alien Dark Secrets (125) harbored within the crash-landed research vessel. Viewers are leaning into this episodic structure of Rage (123), Fear (118), Terror (115), and Surprise (115) to keep their hearts pounding and their curiosity stoked.

What’s making the show so addictingly bingeworthy? 
Futurism. Alien: Earth continues to expand on its franchise’s Distinctly Realized World (111), fleshing out the bleak situation on Earth in the 22nd century (IP Extension, 114). During the time Ripley is on the Nostromo, all of Earth is run by five all-powerful, out-of-control megacorporations pursuing avant-garde technologies and revolutionary Science (118) no matter the cost–including the first human-synthetic hybrid: a child’s consciousness in an android’s adult body. It’s these corporations’ rabid greed that ultimately unleashes the universe’s most dangerous organisms (Alien Lifeforms, 138)–including everyone’s favorite face-huggers–on an unsuspecting populace, with only a small team of armed androids (Military Operation, 116) sent to contain them. Audiences will want to keep watching to see how these futuristic storylines play out.

How does the show’s social buzz look? 
Out of this world. The early June trailer drop caused a sudden five-day spike in online activity around the series, maxing out our meter at (160). A second trailer in mid-July rekindled chatter, which jumped into the “outstanding” range, impressively hitting the top of our measuring stick (at 160) a full week before its premiere, where it has remained ever since. Online conversation is centered not only on the show’s nail-biting suspense but also on how it cleverly serializes the iconic Alien terror for a TV format.

What will help propel Alien: Earth into a second season? The clash between alien threats and human survival. Season one spotlights Earth’s terrifying first contact with deadly species and humanity’s struggle under megacorporate control. But TV horror thrives on escalation, and future seasons can raise the dread with new revelations, reversals, and fragile alliances. Themes of Survival Skills (120), Vengeance (118), and Idealism (113) give the series strong engines for longevity and sustained viewer engagement.

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Who’s been tuning in for this exciting new period saga? 
We’re seeing an audience that tips only slightly toward men (53%) and heavily toward those aged 35+ (82%)–a much more gender-balanced profile than similar male-led, action-heavy epics. Previous shows like Vikings, Vikings: Valhalla, Rome, The Last Kingdom, Spartacus, Shōgun, and Frontier have tended to skew much more markedly toward men (56-68% on streaming) because of their violence and scenes of war. Chief of War may be bringing in more women thanks to its focus on tightknit community bonds within the Hawai‘ian kingdoms and a number of strong female secondary characters.

Why are viewers checking out this show? 
For its intensity and suspense. Chief of War follows reluctant warrior chief Kaʻiana (Jason Momoa) as he forges a brutal campaign to unite the warring kingdoms of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu against an onslaught of invading white European colonizers. Though at heart a man of peace, Kaʻiana nevertheless steps up in his people’s time of need (Heroism, 118), putting his own Life in Danger (134) over and over to save the many, even as he longs to return to his tranquil family life (Lifestyle Change, 128). To accomplish his aims, the hero must carefully navigate rival factions, bloody power struggles, complicated inter-kingdom politics, life-or-death Scary Situations (160), and plenty of spears-vs-muskets Battle Action (141), all of which amp up the show’s excitement and stakes.

What’s keeping audiences hooked? 
Kaʻiana’s own Journey of Self Discovery (130). Early in Chief of War, Kaʻiana travels far from the Hawai‘ian Islands, accompanying a group of European sailors across the seas, visiting global trading posts, and learning English; when he discovers that his people are in danger from similar invaders, he finds himself uniquely suited to lead their defense. As he weighs stepping into an important position of Leadership (132), kicking off a major Power Struggle (122), and being forced to take stock of his allies (Trust & Loyalty, 128), the warrior must decide what role he will ultimately play in the struggle for the Islands’ future. The fact that Kaʻiana’s story is very authentically Based on Historical Events (125)–Kaʻiana was indeed a real person, and scenes with his people even use the Ōlelo Hawai‘i native language–makes his journey that much more compelling, and a crucial driver of bingeability.

What type of emotional experience is the show promising? 
A visceral one. A host of intense negative emotions are helping to drive ratings, as they perfectly capture the edge-of-your-seat tension that’s initially pulling viewers into the show: Aggressiveness (128), Anger (128), Fear (124), Surprise (120), Terror (117). Bingeability, on the other hand, is accompanied by a more mixed emotional response, as audiences react to the highs and lows of Kaʻiana’s story: Loathing (128) at the bloodthirsty colonizers, Awe (116) at his heroism, and a sense of acceptance and Submission (126) before the rising winds of great change that cannot be stopped.

How is the show’s social buzz? 
Very strong. The mid-July trailer drop caused an “outstanding”-level spike in online activity (peaking at 143) and early anticipation for the pilot started to build a week later, with our social buzz meter climbing steadily from “average” to “promising” to “outstanding” in advance of the show’s premiere. Apple’s release of the first two episodes on August 1 cemented its buzzworthiness, maxing out our meter (at 160) and remaining there ever since. Viewers are posting and tweeting about the show’s authentic portrayal of the Hawai‘ian people (A Subculture Up Close, 118), their traditions, and their communities (Family Legacy, 116) as well as about chief Kaʻiana’s own story and struggles.