With two prequels, three sequels, and a bonafide midquel, you would think the strangest mysteries of 1979’s Alien would be clearer than ever. And yet, with the release of the provocative Alien: Romulus, some of the most elusive questions of the entire franchise remain either vague, confusing, or utterly unanswered. In most ways, Romulus side-steps the continuity of Ridley Scott’s divisive prequels Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), but it's also paradoxically very reliant on that same canon. And so, because Romulus is more about vibes than lore, it’s accidentally brought back several questions those prequels seemed poised to answer but never did.
