Syfy's newest scripted series Resident Alien borrows from an array of genres to keep audiences enthralled. So far, the sci-fi mystery and comedy has impressed audiences and viewers alike, almost all across the board.
The show revolves around an alien after he crashed on Earth while trying to execute his mission. He must then blend in by taking on the identity of the only doctor left in town (played by Alan Tudyk). But his 'quiet' existence doesn't come easy as he still must cover up the whereabouts of the original doctor's dead body.
Those wary of adding yet another show to their growing queue of TV must-watches will need some nudging, but Resident Alien's collection of laughs, twists and turns, and heartwarming experiences are more than enough when considering watching.
The Alien Mission
One of the show's stipulations is audience initially believes the main character's mission is simple; he crashes on Earth and must find the remnants of his ship before it's too late. But it proves to be so much more. He needs to look for a special device, which in turn, reveals his true purpose.
He was meant to detonate the device and destroy the entire human race. The character is alarmingly aloof over it despite living amongst people and learning all about them.
The Small Twists
The show is an easy watch but has some small yet appealing twists here and there. They're delivered nicely in a way that makes fans gasp or chuckle as they occur out of the blue or so nonchalantly. Like the sudden introduction of the alien accidentally killing the human he's posing as.
There's even the reveal of learning how he plans to destroy every human as if it's a simple household chore. Or how the foot of the human he murdered suddenly appeared after being caught by a local fisherman. These small twists in the storyline make for an unpredictable viewing experience.
Based On A Comic
Whenever a show is based on a comic book, there are some expectations. The original series was created by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse and published by Dark Horse Comics. The miniseries has since been a favorite amongst fans and readers. Many have even praised the creators for their ability to draw facial expressions.
The show follows a similar format to the comics; an alien lands on Earth with a secret mission while posing as a doctor. But what's different is him being involved in murder mysteries while possibly being pursued by a secret organization. There were quite a few tweaks made from the source material.
The Murder Mystery Element
So far the show has introduced one main murder, besides that of the doctor, the main character is posing as. Seeing as he's the only doctor left in town, he's asked by the mayor to help solve the possible murder of their only town doctor. At first, he believes it's suicide due to the circumstances of the wounds.
But soon realizes he was trying to give himself a tracheostomy in order to breathe; he later deduces he was likely poisoned. Oddly enough, the case doesn't go much further. It then shifts to police finding the severed foot of the alien's doctor in the lake and pursuing an investigation. Seeing as the comics' storyline is about solving murders, fans can only hope for more of this in the show.
The Town Cops
The show plays upon a lot of fun dynamics of a small town; one of them being the local cops. With there being so little law enforcement, Resident Alien focuses more on the sheriff and his deputy. The sheriff isn't the sharpest when it comes to his skills in police work, but seeing as they live in such a small town, he actually hopes for some riveting action.
So when a severed foot is found in the lake, Sheriff Thompson goes all in in searching the lake for days from morning until night. There to counteract his character is his deputy, who may seem naïve and sweet but has the chops of being a great detective. She's the one who deduces that the rest of the body likely floated ashore due to its weight and shift in the tide. This proves true, but the sheriff doesn't believe her.
The Kid Twist
It's bad luck that an alien lands in the one town that has the 1% of humans that can see past their disguise. The main character is able to change his body and appearance into another human he chooses. To any other person, he looks human. But audiences are soon introduced to the one person in town who can see his alien form.
It just so happens to be the son of the mayor. The alien explains it almost never happens seeing as it's a slim percentage. This leads to the kid trying to out him as an alien while his parents and the town start to think he's lying. It leads to comical inner thoughts by the alien wanting to keep him quiet by any means necessary.
Interpersonal Lives
Seeing as the show takes place in a small town, the personal lives of the character are bound to come to light; it adds a nice touch of humanity. It slowly takes an impact on the alien character as he befriends the original town doctor's former assistant.
Audiences learn Asta was in an abusive relationship with her high school boyfriend, became pregnant at a young age, and finally had to give up the baby. There is also the sheriff's father who disapproves of him and blames him for his son's death. Audiences even see the struggles of parenting with the mayor and his wife.
Character Evolution
The show just started its run, but there's already a decent amount of character evolution. Captain Hah Re (Alan Tudyk) has no choice but to adapt to life on Earth because he's posing as Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle. At first, he could care less about humans and understands why his kind thinks humans are useless.
But over time, he starts to realize why humans do what they do like sitting in diners and gathering with family. He sees humans have an innate need to feel loved and wanted. Hah Re starts to warm up to certain ideas of what being human means, but at the same time, he reverts to his crass and dry way of thinking.
Witty & Straight Foward Humor
The main character is an alien, so his empathy towards humans isn't exactly there just yet. Hence why the show is so comical. He has no filter and often makes witty or offensive remarks. When learning of the dead town doctor, he actually says it's awesome and is completely unaware of the feelings of the others.
He even says it's like Law & Order and mimics the "cun cun" sound from the theme song. In one episode, he even tries to convince parents to circumcise their baby by asking them if they want their newborn to get an STD. His favorite catchphrase is also "This is some bullsh*t." He's an odd character who will make audiences laugh.
Alan Tudyk In The Lead Role
Casting Alan Tudyk in the lead role was a good choice. Tudyk rose to fame as Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the hit series Firefly. What makes the actor so well suited for the role is his depiction of the character on screen. It might be his somewhat unique stare or his tight-lipped smile; it almost feels alien-like.
Beyond that, Tudyk's delivery of his lines in this show works perfectly in tune with an alien character trying to pose as a human. His tone is slightly devoid of emotion or normal human compassion, and he is able to convince audiences of a character who's still learning, but at the same time, couldn't care less.