In space, no one can hear you scream, but they can sure hear you scratching your head as you try to make sense of the sprawling “Alien” universe.

Earth” streaming now, this fresh chapter in the franchise grabbed me from the start and secured its place as one of my favorite shows ever.

Nine movies in, assumptions start to pile up like a precarious Jenga tower that every ounce of originality’s been squeezed out of the lucrative “Alien” franchise Ridley Scott erected. Just burn that thought down.