Drama
Alien: Earth
FX’s ‘Alien: Earth’ is just the latest graphically violent entry in the already graphically violent ‘Alien’ franchise.
Abigail Bianchi used to be a great lawyer. That is, until she showed up to court hungover and puked on her client. Of course, she probably wouldn’t have gone to a bar the night before a big case if she hadn’t just discovered that her husband was having an affair. But really, it was just a matter of time since Abigail had a drinking problem long before her marital problems began.
Now, after a three-month suspension from practicing law and a $3,500 fine, Abigail has no choice but to work alongside her estranged father, Harry, at his family law firm: Svensson & Associates. No other firm will take her on. So, Harry is Abigail’s last hope of getting her foot back into the courtroom.
Of course, working for a man she hasn’t spoken to in 30 years is easier said than done. And Harry has his own set of rules he expects Abigail to follow if she ever wants to practice law again.
Officially a junior associate at the firm, Abigail must also work alongside her half siblings: the self-centered Daniel, who wishes to be promoted to partner; and Stanford-educated psychologist Lucy. And all the while, Abigail is still trying to overcome her issues at home, reconnecting with her kids and seeking help for her alcohol addiction.
A courtroom is filled with drama and evidence. And based on the evidence gathered here, Family Law is guilty of content that most families will want to avoid witnessing.
With any family, there will be some hardships and struggles. But this family of lawyers has plenty of drama to bring to court. Abigail is an alcoholic and seeking rehab—and she continues to struggle with this addiction throughout the series. Her husband, Frank, had an affair (and secretly continues it), though he insists that his and Abigail’s relationship had problems long before that. They eventually divorce. Harry has had three different wives himself. He left his first wife (Abigail’s mom) when Abigail was just nine years old. And both Daniel and Lucy bring their own share of romantic entanglements to the table, too. We never see anything more than kissing occur onscreen. That said, some characters do remove clothing (there’s no nudity) while kissing as a prelude to something more.
One of Abigail’s colleagues is transgender (and portrayed by a transgender performer). Lucy is gay and married to a woman, though she later has an extramarital affair. And several other LGBT themes and storylines play out throughout the series.
Some mild language occasionally crops up. And because Svensson & Associates specializes in family issues, there are a lot of cases that deal with tough family topics. Some of those issues include questions of paternity, custody over children, inheritances and wills, divorce and more.
If Family Law were put on trial, we’d rule that it is best for parents to cut this show out of their family watchlist.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Three months after showing up to court drunk and vomiting all over her client, Abigail Bianchi secures a job with the only law firm that will take her on: her estranged dad’s office. She sets out to find a client’s father, who is unaware that he even has a child.
There are many new requirements and changes for Abigail: She must regularly attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings (with proof of attendance) and submit to random breathalyzer and waste sample tests. She struggles to connect with her father (whom she has spoken to in almost 30 years) and her two half-siblings, Lucy and Daniel.
Abigail finds it especially difficult being away from her family. Her daughter refuses to talk to her, and her husband won’t let her return home until she shows an effort to fix her alcohol addiction. We witness the incident where Abigail vomits on her client. That moment is recorded and posted online, resulting in several replays onscreen.
A transgender character is portrayed by a transgender performer. Lucy is gay. We hear about characters who cheated on their spouses. A woman wears revealing shirts.
God’s name is misused eleven times. “B–ch” is said three times, and “d–n” is said once.
Lucy and her wife want to try for a child. Daniel is threatening to quit. Abigail is about to move back in with her two kids and husband. And all three siblings fight with their dad about his new girlfriend, since she is against same-sex marriages.
An ancestry test reveals that a man is not the biological father of his daughter. He explains to Abigail that he and his now-deceased wife used in vitro fertilization (IVF) in order to conceive. We later learn that the head doctor of the clinic the parents went to, without the knowledge or consent of his clients, used his own sperm for artificial insemination.
Lucy (who is gay) and her wife seek out a fertility clinic so they can have a baby of their own. While we do not see any explicit content, we hear that multiple characters have had affairs behind their spouses’ backs. There is a transgender character played by a transgender performer. Abigail and her siblings dislike their dad’s new girlfriend, because she does not support LGBT marriages.
The English profanity “bloody” is used twice. “H—” is used once. A woman says her ex’s friend is “stoned 24/7.”
Abigail’s daughter, Sofia, writes an essay focused on her mom’s past alcohol abuse, upsetting Abigail. Lucy’s ex-girlfriend, Kelly, refuses to move out of her apartment. Daniel, who has just made partner at the firm, deals with new clauses in his promotional contract.
To help her cope with the struggles she’s having with Sofia, Abigail takes on a case to help an older woman named Mrs. Cozy. Mrs. Cozy wants to change her will so that all her assets—including her successful business—go to her two children, Sawyer and Daisy. However, the Sawyer and Daisy that Mrs. Cozy wants to inherit her business are actually hired actors from an organization called “Rent-A-Family.” She wants to keep up the appearance of a loving family, since her real children want nothing to do with her. However, her real son and daughter show up and fight the inheritance change in court.
A transgender character gives details about the psychological changes that occurred when they transitioned. There are a few characters who are gay. Daniel meets a girl at a bar, and they go to her place where we see them kiss and remove their shirts (it’s implied that they go on to have sex). Abigail and her boyfriend, Ben, kiss a few times.
We hear a lot about alcohol abuse throughout the episode. Daniel drinks in a bar. Abigail recalls a moment when she almost broke her sobriety. Daniel falls down some stairs while sneaking out after a one-night stand, and he ends up needing stitches for a cut on his forehead. A character wears a shirt with the yin-yang symbol. Harry calls his ex-wife a “she-devil.”
“D–n” and “h—” are each used once.
Natalie Dean is Plugged In’s 2025 Summer Intern. A native from South Dakota, she recently graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in Journalism and in the fall will be pursuing a master’s at Liberty University. Growing up in the Black Hills, Natalie enjoys spending her time outside, whether that be riding bikes or kayaking with her sisters, walking the dogs or going on long hikes. Her love for movie soundtracks stems from her sister asking, “what movie is this from” and “name the movie scene.” She has a passion for writing and hopes to one day be a published author.
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