I have just finished binging Resident Alien and I loved it.
The poster is not wrong, this show has a bit of everything but, most of all, it’s fun to watch.
Its comedy is built on character and situation, not on endlessly layered mysteries or simultaneous subplots. You can throw it on and enjoy your dinner without needing a whiteboard to take note of all characters, plot and subplots. This is rare and, for me, perfect.
Alan Tudyk (whom you might remember from Firefly) delivers a phenomenal performance. He plays the main character, Harry, an alien stranded on Earth with the secret goal of killing humanity.
The situation becomes awkward from the very beginning when the local doctor is found dead and Harry is summoned to help the investigation. We see Harry, who’s host is also a doctor, filling in to do the autopsy without having a clue about it.
In the next 43 episodes we see more of the same, but it’s cleverly written. It doesn’t get boring and manage to keep you entertained. It is designed to be “light”.
The whole series is set in a cozy small-town atmosphere, where everyone knows everyone. The city’s mining history is often remembered as 59 miners perished in the 1800s trying to save a man who was stuck in the mine. All the different characters have very specific quirks about them and a very clear dynamic, often working directly in tandem with one another.
The mayor (Ben) and his wife (Kate) have a loving but conflictual relationship. He cherishes the small-town life selling handmade candles on Etsy while she dreams of being a lawyer in NYC. Their life gets freaky at times, but they always rely on and support each other (as a family should).
The Sheriff project charisma and confidence. He insists to be called Big Black but nobody actually does (because yes, he is a black man!). He is a wacko, but his heart is in the right place. His deputy (Liv) is a born detective. He has the most implausible and ridiculous theories, while hers always pan out (and he takes credit for it).
Harry, the alien, is the smartest man on Earth, yet he is constantly bested by an average child. His nemesis. Their rivalry/friendship is exhilarating. Max, the kid, is the only human who can see Harry for who he truly his and obviously nobody believes him.
Lastly, we have an improbable sisterhood between Asta and D’Arcy. Asta is a nurse working at the town’s doctor. She is of Native American descent. D’Arcy is the bartender/owner at the local pub named after the town’s heroes, The 59. She hides her disappointment and loneliness behind humor and reckless behavior.
All these characters play a very clear role. They bounce off each other most of times and when their arcs overlap, they behave in a natural way.
How often we see drama where character A discovers somebody but refrains to tell vital information to character B? No such shallow tactics in this show. The mystery evolves as the story progress and every character does with it, together.
A quick laugh is not all this show left me.
It often hints at more ambitious themes.
What it means to be human?
Harry, despite his advance knowledge, is plagued by failure. Failure to exterminate mankind, failure to go home, failure to be “alien” enough. He struggles every step of the way, discovering something new, but so do all other characters in their life as well. Nobody is perfect and nobody has it all figured out. Everyone makes mistakes.
It’s one of the few shows I can think of that exposes the viewer to Native American culture. Ideas such as ideas about kinship and interconnectedness with all living things are experienced through the eyes of the alien protagonist. The show does a great job treating traditions such as ceremonial dances and communal celebrations with respect, avoiding turning them into exotic spectacle.
Is it worth preserving cultural identity?
We see this particularly in connection to Native Americans, but also about the small-town itself. Nobody wants history, and its heroes, forgotten but some are more willing than other to allow for the town to modernize. As the mayor of city Ben is pushing hard to increase tourism and has a difficult time reconciling with the fact that the change might be a net negative for the town and its small businesses.
What defines us?
Every character is carrying a burden that is slowly dragging them down. Most notably D’Arcy. On top of managing The 59, she is a member of the avalanche control and mountain rescue team. She is constantly dispensing questionable life advice and whiskey, but there is nothing she can’t do. Despite all this, she considers herself a failure, unable to shake off the accident that ended her Olympic career. She pretends everything is fine but is constantly stuck in a losing popularity competition with her old famous self.
It’s all fun and giggles until she thinks about suicide. TL;DR The opinion you have of yourself is the most important. She is a mess, her life is a mess, but she is not a bad person. Nobody think less of her than when she was an Olympic skier. She misses that life and hasn’t been able to fill that void with anything until now.
This is where the show becomes most serious, reminding us to not underestimate our cheerful friends because depression and very dark thoughts often hide behind a laugher. This part of the show deeply resonated with me.
This show reminded me of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Whether you just want to have a laugh or want to be exposed to bigger more difficult themes, you will have a good time. For me this is its greatest strength but perhaps it’s also its greatest weakness. Like other similar shows, Resident Alien was liked by viewers, but it never attracted a large audience. It didn’t perform as badly as Firefly but probably deserved better.
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I recommend Resident Alien to everyone I talk to about shows that they should watch because it does have those underlying themes but it does so with such fun and silliness which is needed at a time like we are experiencing in this nation right now.