Review: Resident Alien Series Premiere “Pilot.” – Aliens, Whiskey, and a Murder.

Review: Resident Alien Series Premiere “Pilot.” – Aliens, Whiskey, and a Murder.

Resident Alien, Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”

Air Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 10:00 – 11:00 PM ET/PT on Syfy

Reviewer Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★★

“Nobody in their right mind would live in place like this, unless they have something to hide.” – Harry Vanderspeigle

Sometimes, a new show comes along and truly piques my interests. With a keen interest in programs about aliens, UFOs, and space exploration, Syfy’s Resident Alien certainly fits the bill. Add Alan Tudyk as the main character and you had me at “alien.” I first heard about the show back in 2019. I had no expectations before watching the series premiere, “Pilot,” but by the end, I was excited and wanting more! Tudyk turns in a brilliant performance, as usual. His nuanced delivery of an alien adapting and pretending to be human is truly resplendent.

After crash landing in the small remote town of Patience, Colorado, the alien, now known as reclusive pathologist Harry Vanderspeigle, must unwillingly insert himself in the town’s affairs when the murder of the local doctor, Dr. Sam Hodges (Jan Bos) leaves the townsfolk without an MD to care for them. While most of the humans in Patience, CO can’t see Harry’s true form, one “runny-nosed kid” named Max (Judah Prehn) can; that’s going to be a problem.

Throughout the one-hour premiere (more like 45min), we see some back and forth scenes from four months ago when Harry (the alien) crashed while on a secret mission to present day. We get glimpses of Harry trying to learn how to speak by watching old episodes of Law & Order (the famous ‘dun dun’) but it’s unclear how he retained the knowledge of being a doctor of pathology. There’s already so much packed into the premiere that it may be presumed by the alien’s “superior” intelligence that he’s simply adapting. Regardless, Resident Alien is entertaining, darkly comedic, and full of sarcasm. Did I mention he’s completely naked when he takes human form? Yeah. Tudyk is definitely keeping in shape.

While doing the autopsy, Harry is assisted by the late Dr. Hodge’s nurse, Asta (Sara Tomko), who doesn’t immediately warm to Harry’s unusually quirky behavior. It seems Harry (the alien) has a keen sense of smell. He’s also quite curious and seems to enjoy playing with human organs. If you have a weak stomach, this may not be a great scene to watch. With the blood being suctioned into large vats and realistic looking organs being dangled like a ball on a rubber-band; it might be a bit off-putting.

The cast is wonderful. From Tomko’s mysterious and defensive attitude as Sara to Corey Reynolds’ outstanding and over-the-top performance as beat-boxing local Sheriff Mike Thompson aka “Big Black” and happens to be black. He also prefers to be called the latter but the white guy who happens to be Mayor, Ben Hawthorne (Levi Fiehler), has a hard time with that name choice. Then Alice Wetterlund lends her sauciness as local bartender D’arcy Bloom who adds that right amount of thirsty raunchiness I’m sure Harry isn’t accustomed to on his planet or wherever he comes from.

The comedy throughout “Pilot” is funny, sarcastic, deprecating, and a little edgy. The inner monologues of Harry while he’s out searching for his crashed ship really lend some insight into why he’s on earth. By the end of the episode, you will know what Harry’s mission is, which isn’t looking great for humanity.

The scene with Deputy Liv Baker (Elizabeth Bowen) and Sheriff Thompson in the patrol car put me in stitches. I’m hearing “Amazing Grace” in a whole new way now. And Harry (the alien) discovering whiskey and having his body become a dancing machine to Nikki Minaj’s “Starships” had me laughing out loud. Again, Tudyk’s performance is absolutely fantastic. From looking up “douche bag” and “taint” on the internet, to experiencing hangovers, Harry is definitely learning a lot more about humans. It seems ‘liquid courage’ isn’t just reserved for humans. Whiskey and “smart rational decisions” don’t pair well.

I’m curious to see if Harry’s human emotions will evolve further. I think this is one aspect of the series that troubles me. I would love to see an alien be more alien, for lack of a better term, instead of mimicking humanity. Yes, Harry needs to blend in so he can continue looking for his ship before the snow melts; however, where is the alien gumption we saw when he first encountered the real human Harry? Is that aggressiveness his true nature? Why is the alien so quick to have a heart, so to speak? He’s been isolated alone for four months in a remote cabin by the lake. Yet, when Asta is being threatened and hurt by her ex-husband, Harry (the alien) comes back to help her. Why? Is it because he’s beginning to form attachments or has becoming a human forced his “molecular reconstruction” to evolve and he’s empathizing?

Despite that minor issue, I’m excited to see how the show and Harry evolve. Are humans safe from Harry? We’ll soon find out. Oh, and Dr. Hodges was murdered…“kun kun” as Harry says it. Now the plot thickens.

RESIDENT ALIEN – “Pilot” Photos

Tune in to Resident Alien, Wednesdays at 10PM E/P on Syfy.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.

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