Lambert Freakin' Out (A few theories/character analysis)

[Elmazalman]

Of course, I thought it clear my intention was saying that it always begins with them taking on a "Drone" appearance until the hive reaches a certain number, you certainly do not consider one Alien and numerous hosts an active hive.

The loss of the carapace could be due to age and nothing to do with the hive, or maybe Cameron's creatures were mutants?

The creatures in ALIENS were just as active (or inactive) as the first Alien.

[The Old One]

Look I don't want to repeat myself again, but I was saying the HIVE was active in the sequel- in comparison to the original Alien (1979 Film) with considerably more hosts being infected, resulting in a large Alien population- I was not referring to the behaviour of the Alien population itself. And we know the retaining or losing the carapace isn't because of age, because of Isolation. That's why I suggest it's a number of them lose it when the population reaches a certain number, perhaps it's for camouflage in the biomechanical territory.

[Elmazalman]

I'm trying not to get irritated repeating myself here, but I was saying the HIVE was active- in comparison to the original Alien (1979 Film) meaning Eggs being created, resulting in Aliens- I was not referring to the Alien behaviour of the population itself. And we know the retaining or losing the carapace isn't because of age, because of Isolation.

Eggs were being created in the nest onboard the Nostromo too, but on a much smaller scale than an egg-laying Queen.

How do you know the carapace is retained or lost due to isolation?

[The Old One]

No, that's a deleted scene- so it does not count. Granted, included in a version of the film but a version only really created for marketing and nothing more and even then the scene itself is so obviously out of place, in a version the Director doesn't prefer and arguably contradicts the rest of the Anthology. And I was referring to Alien Isolation, starring Amanda Ripley. The Alien on Sevastopol is nearly a full month older than the ones seen in any part of the Alien Trilogy, and yet the carapace stayed present.

[Elmazalman]

No, that's a deleted scene- so it does not count. Granted, included in a version of the film but a version only really created for marketing and nothing more and even then the scene itself is so obviously out of place, in a version the Director doesn't prefer and arguably contradicts the rest of the Anthology. And I was referring to Alien Isolation, starring Amanda Ripley. Fairly sure the Alien on Sevastopol is older than the ones seen in any part of the Alien Trilogy, and yet the carapace stayed present.

If a decades-later computer game can be considered canon - or certain aspects of it, then a deleted scene that exists in script, novelisation and alternate cut, still has some relevance.

[SM]

It does seem an odd distinction.

We don't really know how old any of the creatures are on Sevastopol.  Could've been weeks like Hadley, could've been a few days like Fiorina (setting aside the actual reason they all have smooth heads).

[Voodoo Magic]

No, that's a deleted scene- so it does not count. Granted, included in a version of the film but a version only really created for marketing and nothing more and even then the scene itself is so obviously out of place, in a version the Director doesn't prefer and arguably contradicts the rest of the Anthology.

Yeah, when we get down to film canon brass tax, I'm definitely in lockstep with this.

[The Old One]

Also I'll say it isn't the version that James Cameron and David Fincher created sequels to, allowing for room for their interpretation of the lifecycle that's now iconic- and I'm not saying it's impossible for Ovomorphing to co-exist with the status quo, but it certainly requires more firm ground in canon in my opinion. My apologies it appears I'm incorrect about my Isolation assessment- judging by the timeline the Sevastopol Alien at the oldest is roughly six days younger than the ones we see in Aliens. Unless Isolation's events concerning Amanda Ripley take place over the course of a week or more.

[razeak]

Maybe the carapace fell off due to malnutrition like when fingernails get brittle from the same thing.


The aliens on LV-426 had exhausted their food and host supply until Ripley and crew showed up. 

The Isolation xenos still had plenty of snacks, and Big Chap was alive for a pretty short period of time too.  Of course, like SM said, this is ignoring the true reasons and just trying to get an in-universe explanation.

[The Old One]

That's an interesting theory I like that I've never seen before.

[SiL]

The aliens on LV-426 had exhausted their food and host supply until Ripley and crew showed up. 

Only just. The marines find a colonist as she bursts, meaning the Aliens were still picking people up within the last day or so. We also don't know if there were more "fresh" colonists elsewhere in the hive.

[The Old One]

Yeah, but say it is the last, it's a possibility the Queen is the priority, so the others must starve and hibernate, judging also by the skeletons.

[razeak]

The aliens on LV-426 had exhausted their food and host supply until Ripley and crew showed up. 

Only just. The marines find a colonist as she bursts, meaning the Aliens were still picking people up within the last day or so. We also don't know if there were more "fresh" colonists elsewhere in the hive.

Right, but for all intents and purposes, they were down to the last few (assuming 1 or 2 more holdouts were hiding somewhere else), and had been using quite a few for host material that they didn't appear to be consuming afterwards(mostly). Whatever calorie needs they have, we're talking about dozens, possibly a hundred xenos. We could also speculate that they recognized the absence of potential hosts and may have been saving food for the queen to keep the egg process going as that would be a better bet for the species survival.

What does a xeno weigh I wonder? 300 lbs? Maybe that even explained their dormancy. Maybe the cowl can grow back with sufficient nutrition. What effect does hive building have on their bodies? What calories would they need to sustain it? What does that do for their ability to problem solve? What does it do for their behavior (explaining the difference between the warriors and Big chap)? Is it possible the Marines ran into a weakened nest (surely early stage breakdown)?

Lol, maybe the even shrink to the same size as stunt suit actors!

[The Old One]

Yes! I can really get behind the idea, especially because if you look at the Alien in Covenant it's so far beyond them, and the one in Alien is toying with it's mostly weaponless prey.

[Elmazalman]

Getting back to Lambert, her reaction to being confronted by the creature was a natural one that fit the character. Freezing the way she did, backed into a corner with no space to move, was a hopeless situation for her.

It's interesting in the way each character reacts to their (final) encounter with the Alien, fits with earlier moments in the film.
Logically (within the film), they behave according to what is revealed about their personalities:

Brett is seen stunned (perhaps frozen) as the infant emerges from Kane, and later, the same response to facing the adult before being attacked. His buddy, Parker - prone to heroics - a reckless character flaw that gets him killed.

The only genuine surprise (characterwise) being Ash, but even here there are clues as to his inhuman nature throughout the film.