TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Sydney Chandler

THE PERFORMER | Sydney Chandler

THE SHOW | FX's Alien: Earth

THE EPISODE | "Observation" (Aug. 26, 2025)

THE PERFORMANCE | As cybernetic hybrid Wendy on FX's sci-fi series, Chandler gets to play the part of bionic action hero, even going toe-to-toe with a bloodthirsty xenomorph and coming out on top. But Wendy still has the mind of a child, and Chandler reminded us of that this week as Wendy tried to process her newfound connection with the aliens — and her confusing new relationship with her brother Joe.

As the episode opened, Wendy was still recovering from hearing the aliens' high-pitched screeches, but she didn't want to cut off that communication: "They're talking to me. I want to hear them." Wendy also pushed back against Joe when he suggested she take a break, with Chandler summoning an inner fire as Wendy told Joe, "I can speak for myself." Soon after, though, they reconnected, and Chandler was heartbreakingly vulnerable as Wendy questioned why Joe didn't come see her in the hospital when she was sick. She also did some fun verbal sparring with Boy Kavalier, challenging him on his decision to experiment on the alien specimens: "How would you feel if they cut you open?" But then Chandler gave us a flash of raw emotion, her eyes glistening and her voice quaking as Wendy begged him to let her brother stay. (It's in scenes like this that Chandler lets us see the young girl behind Wendy's eyes.)

In the lab, Wendy faced off with a slithering baby xenomorph that escaped from its cage, but she wasn't scared, and Chandler's wide eyes and curious expression spoke volumes about Wendy's odd bond with the aliens. Chandler had huge shoes to fill, stepping into a franchise with an iconic female star like Sigourney Weaver, and she has precious few credits on her résumé. But she's met every expectation we had for her and surged past them, even, crafting a fascinating new character and making the series a very worthy new entry in the Alien canon.  

Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week...

Economos begrudgingly spying on Chris Smith threatened to be a bit of a wet blanket on Peacemaker Season 2 — until Tim Meadows' ARGUS agent Langston Fleury entered the surveillance van. Then, all bets were off. Working off of a James Gunn script laced with hilariously random opinions and asides, if Meadows made you laugh once at the "Ginger Cool" moniker he forced on Economos, he made you laugh every... single... time. (Ditto Fleury's commitment to using the wildly inappropriate code names he assigned to his ARGUS attack team!) It was a blast to get Fleury's first impressions of both Adrian ("looks like he caught all the Pokémen") and Leota (kinda unprintable), and then to get schooled on "bird blindness" — especially when that unfortunate condition compromised Fleury during a protective Eagly's reign of terror. Meadows' line deliveries repeatedly hit the target, giving Fleury this highly entertaining mix of (unearned?) coolness and over-the-top bravado.

Uma Thurman's Charley is a vibe in the penultimate episode of Dexter: Resurrection, but don't let her fool you. She is not one to mess with. After surprising Harrison with a grilling at the hotel, Thurman served up icy, cold stares and steady diction that was both threatening and calculated. After the actress reveled in her character's power, we saw the predator become prey when Dexter surprised her with a wire to the throat in the backseat of her car. As he confronted her about her military background and mother's illness, Thurman's eyes watered and her fear filled the frame. Bringing those heavy feelings to the surface, the actress showed us just how much Charley loved her mother and was scared of Leon Prater. Though we wish Thurman had gotten to flex more of her talent this season, Episode 9 finally gave her some big emotions to play with, a task she was more than ready to take on. — Nick Caruso

Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!