Down ‘to Earth’: Ejiofor-led sci-fi series wraps premiere season

Human beings are constantly seeking answers. Whether ontological, theoretical, practical or, most recently, viral, one of the only things that we know for sure is that, as a society, we know very little. The new Showtime series “The Man Who Fell to Earth” has been capitalizing on that feeling of curiosity and helplessness since its April 24 premiere, though the crux of its story is far from new. Tune in for its first-season finale when it is released Sunday, July 3, on Showtime and Paramount+.

The series, based on Walter Tevis’s 1963 science-fiction novel of the same name, stars Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor

(“12 Years a Slave,” 2013) as K. Faraday, an alien who leaves his own planet, Anthea, behind in search of answers. Soon after he crash-lands in the oil fields of New Mexico, viewers learn that Faraday’s own planet is on the brink of total destruction, and the only way he can save it is by reaching out to the one woman on Earth who can save his species. Enter Justin

Falls (Naomie Harris, “Moonlight,” 2016).

Justin, described by Showtime as “a brilliant scientist and engineer,” is the woman whom Faraday seeks for help. Clearly a caring soul, Justin has her own issues that need to be faced before she can come to grips with her new role as the savior of another world. As she and Faraday team up, they soon realize that neither of them can move forward with saving his planet until they have saved Earth.

Now, the concept of an alien falling to Earth and signalling a dark destiny is hardly uncharted territory. Similar plots can be seen in everything from “The War of the Worlds” (originally by author H.G. Wells, circa 1897) to the Superman stories and more, but what makes “The Man Who Fell to Earth” unique is the humanity — humanity not just found among Earthlings (for lack of a better term), but also within the main character himself, who viewers know is not human in the biological sense.

As the leading characters settle into each other’s company, Justin soon realizes that, while she may want to help, she might not be equipped to handle the gravity of this unusual situation.