Resident Alien (2021) (1 Viewer)

[Johnny Angell]

I liked this show enough to keep going with it. I’m not going to pick it apart, logic-wise. I think the show has potential to get much better.

 

[DaveF]

It's got Alan Tudyk bringing a Tudyk-y performance. That's enough to keep me for at least three episodes. I'll see how it shapes up.

I think S1 one will be good. It faces the (well known) challenge of starting with a bad guy that has to become a good guy, and what to do with that in S2.

 

[NeilO]

I enjoyed the pilot episode. Alan Tudyk was just amazing in his performance. I have the comics, but had not read them yet. I have now read the first series. Great casting for the nurse. She looks really close to her character in the comic.

Now, I don't know whether the comic changes Harry's motivations after the first series or not, but in the first issue the writer Peter Hogan says in the back "when Steve [Parkhouse - the artist] told me that he wanted to do something involving aliens, I went away and thought about it for a long time. Since the vast majority of stories about aliens have depicted them as bad buys (invaders and/or predators), I thought it might make a nice change to feature an alien as Our Hero. Someone who's basically a nice guy, who doesn't want to invade, probe, or eat anybody. He mainly just wants to go home again. But since he's stuck here on Earth for a while, our alien might very well want something interesting to occupy his mind, and what's more interesting than a mystery? Especially a murder mystery ..."

So, I was quite surprised by some of his actions in this first episode and why he was on Earth. Of course, changing his motivations may be part of his narrative arc in the show. Or maybe later comic series show his original reason for being there to be closer to what we have in the show also.

 

[CRW]

Since the Alien has no medical experience, how is he managing to pass as a doctor?

In the series of graphic novels, via flashbacks, we learn Captain Hah Re is sent to Earth as an observer to report on the planet and its people. He's shot down but manages to send out a distress signal. Since he doesn't know when help will arrive he uses his training to blend into the population. (It's established his race knows quite a bit about Earth.). He self teaches himself to read and write, learning through medical books enough to become a doctor or rather call himself a doctor. (He didn't attend med school as he needs keep a low profile since about one in million people can see through his telepathic disguise.). He also developed a love of mystery fiction like Raymond Chandler and he likes movies that are thrillers. As for his Doctor Vanderspeigle persona so far it hasn't been revealed how he came to settle on it. There are substantial differences between the books and the series but I don't want to travel into spoiler territory.

 

[CRW]

I enjoyed the pilot episode. Alan Tudyk was just amazing in his performance. I have the comics, but had not read them yet. I have now read the first series. Great casting for the nurse. She looks really close to her character in the comic.

Now, I don't know whether the comic changes Harry's motivations after the first series or not, but in the first issue the writer Peter Hogan says in the back "when Steve [Parkhouse - the artist] told me that he wanted to do something involving aliens, I went away and thought about it for a long time. Since the vast majority of stories about aliens have depicted them as bad buys (invaders and/or predators), I thought it might make a nice change to feature an alien as Our Hero. Someone who's basically a nice guy, who doesn't want to invade, probe, or eat anybody. He mainly just wants to go home again. But since he's stuck here on Earth for a while, our alien might very well want something interesting to occupy his mind, and what's more interesting than a mystery? Especially a murder mystery ..."

So, I was quite surprised by some of his actions in this first episode and why he was on Earth. Of course, changing his motivations may be part of his narrative arc in the show. Or maybe later comic series show his original reason for being there to be closer to what we have in the show also.

Hogan says in the intro to the *Resident Alien* omnibus that he approves of the changes to his work, the idea is Harry goes from an amoral character to a more compassionate one.

 

[NeilO]

Hogan says in the intro to the *Resident Alien* omnibus that he approves of the changes to his work, the idea is Harry goes from an amoral character to a more compassionate one.

Sounds like a good narrative arc for the TV show.

 

[cadavra]

I enjoyed it. It got a little queasy at times--notably the subplot with the abused wife, which seems out of place in a show like this--but overall it's fun and certainly it's a role Tudyk was born to play.

 

[TonyD]

After watching show 2 on Comcast ep 3 popped up as an on demand option to watch.

This is a really good show.
Tudyk is great as usual but so is the rest of the cast.

 

[AlexF]

Yeah, the same thing happened here in Canada. I wasn't sure if the episode 3 early online release was an accident or not.

I haven't had a chance to watch the third episode, but the second had some really fun moments, and some very memorable lines.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Watched S1E01 the other day and enjoyed the 'fish out of water' aspect of the series quite a bit and the overall comic sensibility of the first episode. Curious to see how it develops. Seems like a role that Tudyk was born to play.

Oh yeah.... "Taint"

- Walter.

 

[jayembee]

Yeah, the same thing happened here in Canada. I wasn't sure if the episode 3 early online release was an accident or not.

I haven't had a chance to watch the third episode, but the second had some really fun moments, and some very memorable lines.

I've seen that happen on occasion with other shows.

I suspect they are a case where the Powers That Be are concerned that you might decide not to watch the next week, but if it's available right now, you'll watch it. Also consider that Comcast (which Tony mentioned as doing this here in the States) is the owner of Universal and Syfy, so they have a vested interest in making sure viewers are hooked.

Haven't watched episode 2 (or 3) yet.

 

[DaveF]

I should not be able to feel emotions that are inside of other people.

 

[AlexF]

I should not be able to feel emotions that are inside of other people.

I discovered that the woman does not have cancer. I also learned that tit is not the preferred term for breast.

 

[DaveF]

The alien’s arch-nemesis is an eight year old kid. Who he’s trying to kill in classic noir-movie style by cutting his brake lines...of his kid bike! Resident Alien is an odd juxtaposition of cold-hearted alien murderer and off-the-rocker silliness.

 

[ChristopherG]

agree with what folks have said so far on this - I'm really enjoying this show. Tudyk is gold in this. Love it when he is trying to laugh at something

 

[Malcolm R]

That was quite a pelvic exam *click* *flash*

I'm also glad that the kid arch-nemesis has decided to move beyond simply screaming and running. That should provide some good Looney Tunes-like moments to come, like Bugs Bunny vs. Wile E. Coyote.

"Stamps are like 30 bucks. Everyone knows that, you moron!"

"Do you like Christmas? Celebrate it before June."

 

[sleroi]

Humans are so stupid. They think the number one cause of death is heart disease. Its actually almond milk.

 

[TJPC]

I have watched the first two episodes and haven’t made up my mind yet. I PVR everything and after episode 1 was going to stop watching. I forgot to cancel the recording and ended up watching episode 2. Now I am going to give it a chance.

 

[Jeff Brooks]

I am not sure how/why we were able to watch tonight's episode on Hulu last night, but this show just makes me laugh out loud.
This role is made for Tudyk.

 

[TonyD]

I mentioned a few posts back that Comcast offered the third ep immediately after I finished watching episode 2 so that’s probably why it was also on Hulu.