Even Starfish Aliens love their subterranean girlfriends.
- The end of the book, where at the end of their long voyage the Yma and the humans leave Darwin IV, pristine and untouched, exactly as they left it. Except for a monolith in tribute of the Expedition, and surveillance drones to protect the planet from any poachers who may dare harm its environment.
- The male Sac-back greeting his buried subterranean mate, by rubbing snouts and clasping facial tentacles as if holding hands.Barlowe: Here was a rare moment of tenderness in a world where fierceness seemed the rule.
- In the documentary adaptation, the probes Ike and Leo are adorable. With expressive big-eyed faces resembling WALL-E and personalities like human children, it's hard not to get attached to them. While both probes are destroyed by the end of Alien Planet. The mission is still considered a great success, thanks to Ike and Leo's efforts in collecting so much data on Darwin IV's native lifeforms.
- To their credit, the Eosapians may look frightening. But they did initially approach the probes with seemingly non-hostile intent. And were responding positively to the visual stimuli Ike showed them. Indicating that while they are skittish (destroying the probes due to a misunderstanding), eventually peaceful contact may still be a strong possibility.