Resident Alien: The Fish Out Of Water Show That You Should Watch

“At least I’m killing them for a good reason.”

When an alien crash lands while attempting to destroy all of the humans on Earth, he goes undercover as Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, a doctor who the alien kills in self defense in the SyFy series Resident Alien. As he searches for the device that he needs to finish his mission, he becomes the town doctor in Patience, CO when the original doctor, Sam Hodges, is found dead in his practice. Harry attempts to blend in with the citizens of the sleepy Colorado town by “researching” the show Law & Order. He forms a friendship with Asta Twelvetrees, who worked for Dr. Hodges, and eventually develops relationships, some quite uneasy, with various members of the community. Some of the primary folks that he interacts with are the local sheriff, “Big Black” Mike Thompson, Deputy Liv Baker, Mayor Ben Hawthorne, and Dan Twelvetrees, owner of the local diner and Asta’s adoptive father. Harry also becomes close with Asta’s best friend, D’Arcy Bloom, a former Olympic skier, who falls briefly for Harry.

Harry also comes into conflict with Mayor Hawthorne’s son, Max, who just so happens to be one of the few humans that can see Harry’s true form. The two go after one another with Harry attempting to kill Max on a number of occasions. Max attempts to reveal Harry’s true identity to many people in the town but no one believes him except for his young friend, Sahar, an intelligent girl who, along with Max, manages to outwit Harry on numerous occasions.

As the series’ first season plays out, Harry unintentionally begins to have feelings for the very people that he is supposed to wipe out. He forms a strong bond with Asta. They are both outsiders in their own way and they become close friends as a result. D’Arcy is attracted to Harry but they end up simply being good friends. Max has the biggest influence on Harry. Without giving too much away, the duo end up helping one another in the long run, especially when a secret agency begins looking for Harry and his spaceship. Other relationships explored in the series include the mayor and his wife, Asta and Dan, Sheriff Thompson and Deputy Baker, and Max and Sahar.

The series is full of hilarious moments. Most of the laughs are generated when Harry attempts to interact with people in the town. He gets drunk with Asta and D’Arcy, becomes ecstatic when he performs an autopsy, and is often humbled by the townsfolk when he attempts to show off his intelligence. The biggest laughs come via the interactions between Harry and Max. The pair are brutal to one another. Max makes fun of Harry’s attempts to blend in and Harry calls the young boy a ton of inappropriate names.

This is an excellent series that I discovered late last year on Peacock. Having been out of my home for almost a year due to Hurricane Laura, I missed a ton of programs on television. I played catch up in July and August and Resident Alien was a welcome surprise. It provided a much needed break from the reality of dealing with contractors, the COVID-19 pandemic, and insurance companies. The first season of the series is currently available on Peacock and Hulu. Season Two recently began on SyFy and new episodes arrive on Peacock one day later. I am not sure if Hulu is releasing the second season as of yet.

The series stars the hilarious Alan Tudyk as Harry, Sara Tomko as Asta, and Judah Prehn as Max. It also features Corey Reynolds as the sheriff, Alice Wetterlund as D’Arcy, Levi Fiehler as Mayor Hawthorne, and Elizabteh Bowen as Deputy Baker. Gary Farmer (Dan), Meredith Garretson (Kate Hawthorne, the mayor’s wife and Max’ mom), Jenna Lamia (Judy, D’Arcy’s friend), and Gracelyn Awad Rinke (Sahar) are also featured in the series. Linda Hamilton makes an excellent appearance as the director of a secret group that’s hunting Harry.

I can’t recommend this series enough. It’s funny, heartwarming, and features the perfect amount of drama and action. Tudyk and Tomko shine as does Wetterlund and Prehn. The entire cast is brilliant. Be sure to check out this series if you haven’t had the chance. You won’t regret it!

Thanks for checking out my brief look as Resident Alien. I appreciate all of you!