Resident Alien is a hilarious sci-fi dramedy, and Alan Tudyk is a massively underappreciated actor.
Science fiction, drama, and comedy. Three genres that most people might not think to mix.
Perhaps that’s why Resident Alien works so well. It takes those three genres that aren’t commonly used together and blends them in a perfect harmony.
It’s easy to take any two of the aforementioned genres and put them together, but a sci-fi dramedy series is so uncommon that I’m hard-pressed to think of one off the top of my head. The closest I can come is The Orville, and even then that series is more dominated by the sci-fi and drama elements, with the comedy being an undertone. Resident Alien pays equal attention to the sci-fi, drama, and comedic elements.
The series presents a fairly unique take on a generic concept. An alien (played by Alan Tudyk) is sent to destroy the Earth but crash lands after a lightning storm takes down his ship. The alien is forced to take on a human identity, Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, and live amongst humans while trying to repair his ship and recover the bomb so he can carry out his mission. Most of the humor in the series comes from Harry’s awkward attempts to adapt to life as a human and assimilate with the residents of Patience, Colorado.
As I said, this isn’t a unique concept, the “fish out of water” trope has been done a million times. What makes Resident Alien stand out above other similar shows is not only the perfect balance between the three genres that I mentioned before, but also the casting. Alan Tudyk as Dr. Vanderspeigle might be one of my favorite alien performances of all time in any media. Tudyk’s delivery and mannerisms as Harry are so intentionally awkward that they give the character a level of realism that’s both believable and hilarious. I understand that the series is based off of a comic book, but it really feels like the character of Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle was written specifically for Alan Tudyk. I just can’t see anyone else in the role, and his performance makes me want to see Tudyk in more leading roles.
Tudyk’s performance could probably carry the series on its own if needed, but the rest of the cast work well together, and their dynamic creates a believable community of realistic people. A lot of shows will either make their characters overly-flawed or too perfect, but Resident Alien again finds a perfect balance, with supporting characters that have realistic strengths and weaknesses. They feel like real people, not cookie cutter characters with cookie cutter problems. Throughout the series, all of these characters deal with recurring problems (Asta struggling to connect with her daughter, D’Arcy trying to find love, Liv trying to get Sheriff Mike to take her seriously) and they grow as people.
There’s even a guest appearance by Giorgio Tsoukalos, the Ancient Aliens guy with the crazy hair. I’m not a fan of Ancient Aliens by any stretch, I think the presentation is too crass and sensationalistic and it constantly tries to present theory as fact while distorting established facts. But I have respect for Tsoukalos as a person, because rather than get angry that he’s the butt of so much ridicule he not only laughs it off but also leans into it. Giorgio seems like he’s just having fun and not taking himself too seriously, compared to many other people in the field of Ufology on both sides of the debate. His cameos in Resident Alien highlight his good attitude and lighthearted nature, you wouldn’t see people like Erich von Däniken or Mick West doing fun cameos like this.
Other guest appearances include George Takei as a Grey alien (yes, he says “the thing”) and Terry O’Quinn as Peter Bach, an alien hunter with a tragic backstory. Anytime you have Sulu and John Locke appearing in the same show, you know you’re in for a good time. Takei’s character is more of a one-off appearance, but Terry O’Quinn appears multiple times, culminating in his insane role in season 3 (which I won’t spoil, but it’s off the rails).
The sci-fi element of the show is just as well done as the comedy and the drama, and draws heavily from established alien lore. As someone who’s been into the subject of aliens, UFOs, and the unexplained since I was 5 years old, I sincerely appreciate the amount of research the writers put into developing the sci-fi aspect of the show. These people definitely did their homework on the subject. Common themes of alien abduction are all there, such as missing time, implants, seeing owls, and disappearing pregnancies. Then there’s the alien races. The Greys have been depicted about a billion times, and the Reptilians almost as much (though not always as Alpha Draconians), but Resident Alien digs just a little bit deeper into the subject and includes Blue Avians (bird people) and Mantids (giant praying mantises). The Blue Avians and the Mantids don’t get a lot of attention in sci-fi, so it’s good to see them getting some mainstream recognition and serving as pivotal characters that drive the plot.
You don’t need to be as into the subject material as I am to enjoy Resident Alien, the average person will still enjoy this show. Humor is often interjected into the alien element, usually in the form of Harry disparaging the other alien races. For example, Harry describes the Greys as having an ass fetish. In another episode he calls the Alpha Draconians “egotistical chicken dicks” and leaves them a message in the form of crop circles with an obscene translation. Harry doesn’t hate everybody though, he has a thing for Blue Avians, leading to a hilarious aerial sex scene between Harry and Heather, a Blue Avian sent to serve Harry a court order from a “Galactic Federation”.
Aside from the jokes and the personal drama, Resident Alien has a serious overarching plot that builds up in the background and eventually drags in most of the characters. I can’t stress enough just how well-balanced the show is. The show pays equal attention to the personal drama and the cataclysm that’s secretly building up in the background, Asta trying to build a connection with the daughter she originally put up for adoption is treated with the same level of importance and seriousness as the Greys’ plans involving Yellowstone, and you’ll find yourself becoming invested in the outcome of both situations.
As of this writing, Resident Alien has recently wrapped up its third season, and its future remains uncertain. Syfy has apparently dropped the series and the creators are shopping around for a new home. Hopefully they find one soon, because I’d hate to see this show not get a proper ending.
Overall, I give Resident Alien an 8/10. This is a show that could probably go on almost as long as Supernatural if it wanted to, not only is there an endless well of alien lore to draw from, but the cast works great together. At the very least I think it deserves one or two more seasons.
If you want a nice science fiction romp, give Resident Alien a watch, then make sure to pray to the TV gods that it gets picked up for more seasons.