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When going through Netflix's recommendations I came across this absolute gem of a series with one of the most underrated stars in Hollywood, Alan Tudyk. The Syfy Series Resident Alien is a goofy and entertaining watch that approaches the Alien trope in a style that is uniquely its own.
If you want to watch a funny sci-fi series that is also mushy in part with a good cast and great acting then you can try watching this.
Plot
An alien with an important mission crashlands on Earth and gets sidetracked from his task leading him to blend in with humans in the small fictional town of Patience in Colorado. The Alien while trying to get its mission back on track, gets to know all the good townsfolk of Patience really well and forms a bond with humanity.
But several challenges stand between the Alien and success, not the least of which is taking on human emotion and characteristics when taking on human form. There are also complex societal and social structures and norms that the Alien has to learn well enough to not draw any attention to himself.
In due course of time, the Alien not only gets to learn what being a human is all about but also teaches the people it knows how to be a better human.
The showrunners have given the Alien unique characteristics, that while interesting, don't take themselves too seriously. Alan Tudyk in his Alien form is even funnier, giving his voice a slight snarl when he talks, along with his pointy teeth that ensure that the comedy isn't completely toothless!
Tudyk's being mean to the kids he meets in the town is in direct contradiction with how much he seems to care for them subconsciously. It reminds me a bit about the awesome movie Forbidden Planet where Aliens never accounted for their sub-conscious psychology. Here the Alien is exposed to human psychology as he takes on their physical form.
The Cast of the Syfy Series Resident Alien
A big reason why any series does well is a good cast that shares great chemistry and this is definitely the case when it comes to Resident Alien.
Alan Tudyk is undoubtedly the star of this show and it probably wouldn't be the same or even be worth watching without him. The Syfy series Resident Alien is Alan Tudyk's Deadpool in the sense that it is a role that is MADE for him. His very behavior and the way he carries himself outside of his roles make him a great match for the role of an actual alien.
In my mind, Alan Tudyk always has this look that he is out of place ( since I've seen him in Transformers: Dark of the Moon as Dutch ). It's like he is the ultimate awkward friend whom you'd find in a clique that clears the weirdness quota in spades.
That's why you find in some great roles such as K2SO in Rogue One and Sonny in I, Robot. Alan Tudyk is basically to awkward movie characters what Andy Serkis is to motion capture roles in Hollywood.
This makes Tudyk's role in Resident Alien a perfect fit for him as the literal Alien among us. It starts as something formulaic but evolves into something silly that can make you laugh while still being intelligent enough to make sense
Tudyk's eyes rolling up to the top of his head while he thinks up things completely different from what he is saying is completely hilarious. This perfectly sums up his vibe in most of the roles he plays.
Sara Tomko plays Asta Twelvetrees, a native American living in Patience and working as a nurse. While this is the first time I have seen her in anything, she does an amazing job of playing the nurse with a heart of gold who gets involved in an interplanetary doomsday mission.
The chemistry between Asta and Harry Vanderspeigle is refreshingly fun and comes across well on screen. While Asta helps Harry cope with his human self, Harry gives her a new perspective on life and how to handle things.
Alice Wetterlund of Silicon Valley series fame plays Asta's best friend D'arcy Bloom in this series to perfection as the dysfunctional yet fun friend who is a bit messed up. Apart from Tomko and Tudyk, she has the highest screen time in this series which is not always utilized well, with her character stagnating at times and serving only as exposition.
Meredith Garretson as Kate Hawthorne doesn't do a great job acting in the first season with her scenes making it seem like a soap opera in the worst way possible.
The second season sees her improve significantly ( I don't know how ) but either she took acting lessons or the intense things that her character goes through made her acting better.
Levi Fiehler plays Ben Hawthorne, the Mayor of Patience and Kate's husband who is a pathological introvert. Levi does share great chemistry with Meredith which makes their coupling bearable.
Judah Prehn plays Max, Ben's son, and is a delight to watch along with his friend Sahar played by Gracelyn Awad Rinke. The kids in the show are basically human retriever pups in the sense that they are really adorable. They are also great actors with perfect comedic timing making the series a lot more fun to watch.
Corey Reynolds plays Mike Thompson, a cartoonish version of a Sheriff ( hard to pull off with Tudyk in the mix ) who matures with the episodes and thankfully somewhat of a layered character.
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Elizabeth Bowen plays Deputy Sheriff Liv Baker who I haven't seen in any movie or series which surprises me as she is an amazing actor. Her character development is shown well through the seasons becoming a more well-rounded personality with time.
Jenna Lamia does a great job portraying Judy Cooper, a lost soul looking for love in all the wrong places. Lamia is a friend of Asta and D'arcy and doesn't have too much of a bearing on the story, even though she is an interesting character.
Diana Bang of Kim's Convenience plays Asta's colleague Ellen Cho who loves to lightly torment Harry the Alien about petty stuff.
Background Score, Cinematography, and Symbolism
The soundtrack is folksy and reflects the remote part of the world that the alien resides in temporarily. Also, the graphics in the intro reminds me of the graphics on the back of seats on commercial flights which is in line with the story of the alien crash landing his truck.
Also, the background music is soft and mushy but the subject matter is often deep and profound. The score reflects its themes of belonging, finding yourself, finding love, discovering your humanity and so much more.
Symbolism
There is plenty of symbolism here with children being able to see through the veil of deceit that grown-up people put up. Max Hawthorne is able to see the Alien's true physical form despite his ability to morph into a human which might sound like magic but as Arthur C Clarke said "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
While Max can see without tech and naturally through his ability, the explanation behind this ability is probably analogous to complex concepts we already understand.
A scene with a Bison while camping also has a great deal of symbolism showing man as an animal in harmony with nature and a few other messages and metaphors that you "feel" more than you think about.
The very name of the fictional town is Patience, which indicates one of mankind's better qualities. It also is a common thread throughout the series considering the leisurely pace at which the story unfolds and also how people in the town deal with their problems in life.
Ben Hanbury of Huge Designs in London came up with the intro and admits to airplane manuals being a big inspiration for the intro design. He also goes on to say that it is supposed to emulate an Ikea guide to put furniture together but for alien species to deal with humans.
Cinematography
The series captures the beauty of the fictional town of Patience with rustic countrysides, snow-covered mountains, lakes, and breathtaking scenery among which the town is built.
The special effects are not especially mind-blowing and average at best, but the thing is it's not required here as the plot is substantial with great storytelling.
Narrative device
Alan Tudyk's soulful narration throughout the series is a really nice touch and done quite well. Although almost every episode ends with a musical montage that might put some people off this series and everyone definitely off binge-watching. The montage feels a bit too touchy-feely and maybe monotonous at times if you watch more than one episode at a time.
They do touch upon actual mental health issues subtly in this series, but not necessarily in a linear manner with back-to-back episodes. Mental health issues are explored through substantial character development for some of the key cast members.
Season Summaries
I'm sure, most people into sci-fi series will find Resident Alien highly watchable just after a few episodes into the first season. So here is a brief spoiler-free plot summary of the three seasons out now with S1E1 airing on 27th Jan 2021 and the latest, S3E8 airing on 3rd April 2024.
Season 1
After the Alien begins to interact with the townsfolk, it forms symbiotic relationships with them enriching their lives without knowing it. There are a few odd things about the town that surface when he is there, for example, everyone views him as a human after he transforms except a child who can see him in his alien form despite the transformation.
Also, the fact that some of the key residents of the town have mental health issues ties into his current situation. With time the Alien begins to untangle people's issues as the town doctor while facing his own problems on various levels.
Season 2
Now that the Alien has become a part of the people's lives he finds it extremely difficult to stay under the radar, causing further harm to his original mission. Tudyk's Alien discovers that there might be a possibility of other species of Alien on Earth as well.
Dr. Harry V dives deeper into the well of human emotions that are brought on by his human form, making him funnier and more profound at the same time. There is government involvement, advanced alien technology, and more reasons to stay and leave Earth.
Season 3
With the stakes being as high as they can be, Alan Tudyk's Dr. Harry or the Alien finds that Earth faces greater dangers than his own species, bent on ominous plans for Earth. Harry ends up falling in love with something of a childhood crush and tries to hold on to his family.
There are themes of loyalty and sacrifice in this season with Harry trying to save the world any way he can, with the help of his newfound allies and family.
Should You Watch It? Yes!
This is a great watch for anyone looking for a fresh take on a fun sci-fi series that deals with the concept of aliens on Earth differently. It has a lot of laughs, some tears, great action sequences, and good acting.