Resident Alien (2021) (2 Viewers)

[jayembee]

I loved how Liv completely stole Big Black's cover story.

 

[DaveF]

I still love watching Harry and Max argue!

And what was the comment about eating lunch with Asta? “You eat a lot of food. I love foraging off all your plates.”

 

[DaveF]

We had to go hunting for more Season 1 recap. I’d completely forgotten the details of how/why actual-Harry had killed the town doctor (poisoned, reason still unknown) and that the Mayor and Darcy had kissed (she kissed him).

I watch too much TV. I forget the various stories a year later.

 

[NeilO]

She definitely did. In the season premiere, Sahar was a full head taller than Max -- which definitely wasn't the case in the first season.

That's the risk you take when your show features two kids right at the age when girls start maturing a lot faster than boys, and you go into a months-long hiatus. It's especially awkward when the season premiere is supposed to pick up more or less immediately after where the previous season left off.

"Stranger Things", knowing that the kids would grow and mature between seasons, wisely built sizable time jumps into the story.

They could have explained it away if Sahar also had the stolen technology, but probably would not have been as humorous as what they did with Max

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The thing about having "Harry" as our protagonist is that he gets away with things that would be unconscionable from a human protagonist -- murder, basically date raping, etc. -- because a) he's an extraterrestrial still largely ignorant of human morality, and b) he's literally trying to save the world.

Alex Borstein was a great choice for this week's female "Harry". The ability to keep body swapping and rewrite people's minds being a consequence of the additional power from the energy balls is a nice way to solve some short term problems without having a deus ex machina long-term that takes away some of the stakes.

This episode was written by Jenna Lamia, who has recurred as Judy (aka the one who pissed in the plant at the town offices). The gender politics stuff was a bit too on the nose for me at times, but I still had a lot of fun with the episode.

They could have explained it away if Sahar also had the stolen technology, but probably would not have been as humorous as what they did with Max

It doesn't seem like the effects are lasting, though. One time Max has a hairy chest, the next time he grows a beard, then a hairy back, and then a deeper voice and... other feelings. Each is representative of increased testosterone, but each is transitory.

I do think the energy ball Sahar hid will come back into play later this season.

 

[DaveF]

Alex Borstein was, yet again, brilliant. This is my favorite episode this season.

 

[jayembee]

This episode didn't work for me. Certainly not as much as the previous two this season. On the other hand: Weirdest. Date. Ever.

Judy peeing on the plant made sense of the opening titles, which included a card of Harry leaning on a tree and peeing on it, with a giant checkmark on the card, and a second card with Harry leaning against the tree face-out, with pee stains on the crotch of his pants, and a giant "X". Obviously, the right and wrong way of "peeing against a tree".

 

[NeilO]

Judy peeing on the plant made sense of the opening titles, which included a card of Harry leaning on a tree and peeing on it, with a giant checkmark on the card, and a second card with Harry leaning against the tree face-out, with pee stains on the crotch of his pants, and a giant "X". Obviously, the right and wrong way of "peeing against a tree".

Until you mentioned this I had not noticed that the opening title pictures changed each episode. Never paid them much attention.

 

[DaveF]

Gotta watch the opening titles! Each one gives a new lesson on properly living as a Human!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It's strange, but I think I like episodes with lower laugh counts like tonight's even better than the ones that are really funny. This show has a really unique tone to it, a sort of poignant melancholy that doesn't always standout because of the slapstick humor. Its characters -- and not just Harry -- are deeply flawed, but it has so much empathy for them.

I love the visits to the reservation Asta is from, and how the show celebrates indigenous community and values without exoticizing the characters or separating them from the modern world. One of the fun things about Harry is that he is like a very young child, without the maturity that comes with age but also without the prejudices and biases that come with age. The writers do a good job of looking at the world through his eyes without preconceptions. Every time Harry ventures outside Patience, it further develops his understanding of the world and shapes his opinion about humanity's worthiness to be saved.

There was a real specificity to D'Arcy's relationship with her parents. We've seen lots of characters over the years who are disappointments to their parents, but in D'Arcy's case it's something worse -- she's not competing with a favored sibling or her parents' unrealistic expectations. She's competing with the version of herself that she used to be before her injury. And her parents' tone deaf scheming to get her back on a more productive path just shoves back in her face the person she used to be. And reopening that wound explains the self-sabotage not meeting up with her date at the diner.

Asta going back to her abusive ex is another one of those moments that would be easy to judge out of context. Jay knowing the truth and keeping her distance is way more painful than when Jay didn't know and Asta couldn't tell her. And then the delivery, surrounding by family and community and all of the support she didn't have when she gave birth to Jay, just shoves that pain of giving her daughter up for adoption back in her face.

We even got a bit more insight into the sheriff tonight, including the identity of the person whose death he was marking the anniversary of earlier in the season. The implication, at least to me, was that some of his strangeness -- certainly some of his guardedness -- is a result of the trauma that resulted from what went down back east.

Even the Deputy's discomfort with the lost time as a result of Harry's memory modification is a reminder that the way he staggers through people's lives like a wrecking ball has real human consequences.

 

[DaveF]

It's strange, but I think I like episodes with lower laugh counts like tonight's even better than the ones that are really funny. This show has a really unique tone to it, a sort of poignant melancholy that doesn't always standout because of the slapstick humor. Its characters -- and not just Harry -- are deeply flawed, but it has so much empathy for them.

It’s what great comedies do: they’re humane and bring realism and three dimensionality to the characters to be a foundation for the humor. Ted Lasso and The Good Place are other recent exemplars of this.

And this was a great episode. Last week’s I loved because Alex Borstein was so perfectly funny. This week’s was great for the examination of several supporting characters along with real growth with Harry and Asta.

But also, the opening gag of the outside-the-window silent view of Sahar telling Harry what she was going to do to him was superb!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

But also, the opening gag of the outside-the-window silent view of Sahar telling Harry what she was going to do to him was superb!

Seems about right.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Count me in as one of the fans of the mayor's play.

It speaks to the unique logic of this show that the real Harry's daughter would observe that her father is acting "real different, like head injury different" and then just go along with it without any significant suspicions.

I'm guessing that the reason the real Harry ghosted his daughter for the last three years is tied into whatever prompted him to murder the town doctor.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I don't know what was more disturbing: Harry cooking up his octopus friend into a nice calamari dish and eating him with a nice Chianti, or the sheriff's ruminations on the odors that must emanate from a mermaid's orifices.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I don't know what was more disturbing: Harry cooking up his octopus friend into a nice calamari dish and eating him with a nice Chianti, or the sheriff's ruminations on the odors that must emanate from a mermaid's orifices.

First, I’m sad there will be no more octopus. I was enjoying him. Second, didn’t the octopus tell him to eat him with a nice chardonay?

Third, what a hilarious death scene.

 

[DaveF]

I’m constantly surprised by how dark this show gets! Last week’s play was so brilliant! The song was incredible. And it’s something for a show like this to cook up almost as a throwaway musical. And then this week’s, the dog ruthlessly murderizing 42! It was horrific! Sahar’s look of perplexed repulsion was perfect.

I wish I had time to rewatch prior seasons. I’m just getting lost on human-Harry’s conspiracy backstory.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Second, didn’t the octopus tell him to eat him with a nice chardonay?

I deleted my recording, so I can't check, but you are probably correct. Must have been confusing "Harry" with Hannibal Lecter...

I wish I had time to rewatch prior seasons. I’m just getting lost on human-Harry’s conspiracy backstory.

I believe this is the first time the conspiracy's being explored, because we only found out the real Harry was the one who killed Sam Hodges fairly recently.

To the best of my recollection, we know the following about the real Harry:

• Harry Vanderspeigle was began his career as a clinical psychologist.
• At some point, he got his MD and later took over the pathology lab at Rutgers.
• While residing primarily in New Jersey, he would vacation once a year at the lakeside cabin in Patience.
• His first marriage produced a daughter, Liza, and ended in divorce.
• A later marriage, to Isabelle, followed a brief whirlwind marriage.
• At some point, Isabelle sought a divorce and Harry dragged out the process -- either because his was still in love with her, or out of spite, or for some as yet unrevealed reason.
• When he became estranged from Isabelle, he moved full time to the lakeside cabin in Patience.
• At some point, he and Patience's town doctor, Sam Hodges, went to a charity event in New York City. The accepted money for the town clinic that Sam Hodges had assumed was a donation.
• Sam Hodges shows him survelliance photos taken of his wife and of Asta. He tells Sam that he's received similar photos of Isabelle and Liza, but dissuades Sam from going to the police.
• Sam Hodges has been collecting evidence to use against the Galvan/Powell Group, a shady organization based out of New York City. The real Harry insists that they need more evidence, and asks for a couple more months.
• After Sam leaves, the real Harry calls someone, presumably connected to the blackmailers and/or the Galvan/Powell Group, and warns them that Sam is threatening to go to the police. The voice on the other end of the line instructs Harry to kill Sam before he can go public with what he has found.
• The real Harry poisons Sam and frames Sam's wife for his murder. Shortly after, an alien invades his cabin, murders him, and assumes his identity.

When the the real Harry's associate spots him in the pie shop near the Galvan/Powell Group offices. He makes it clear that the real Harry was in Patience on his employer's orders, and is very worried about the medical records that Sam had apparently passed along.

 

[NeilO]

 

[Johnny Angell]

I deleted my recording, so I can't check, but you are probably correct. Must have been confusing "Harry" with Hannibal Lecter...


I believe this is the first time the conspiracy's being explored, because we only found out the real Harry was the one who killed Sam Hodges fairly recently.

To the best of my recollection, we know the following about the real Harry:

• Harry Vanderspeigle was began his career as a clinical psychologist.
• At some point, he got his MD and later took over the pathology lab at Rutgers.
• While residing primarily in New Jersey, he would vacation once a year at the lakeside cabin in Patience.
• His first marriage produced a daughter, Liza, and ended in divorce.
• A later marriage, to Isabelle, followed a brief whirlwind marriage.
• At some point, Isabelle sought a divorce and Harry dragged out the process -- either because his was still in love with her, or out of spite, or for some as yet unrevealed reason.
• When he became estranged from Isabelle, he moved full time to the lakeside cabin in Patience.
• At some point, he and Patience's town doctor, Sam Hodges, went to a charity event in New York City. The accepted money for the town clinic that Sam Hodges had assumed was a donation.
• Sam Hodges shows him survelliance photos taken of his wife and of Asta. He tells Sam that he's received similar photos of Isabelle and Liza, but dissuades Sam from going to the police.
• Sam Hodges has been collecting evidence to use against the Galvan/Powell Group, a shady organization based out of New York City. The real Harry insists that they need more evidence, and asks for a couple more months.
• After Sam leaves, the real Harry calls someone, presumably connected to the blackmailers and/or the Galvan/Powell Group, and warns them that Sam is threatening to go to the police. The voice on the other end of the line instructs Harry to kill Sam before he can go public with what he has found.
• The real Harry poisons Sam and frames Sam's wife for his murder. Shortly after, an alien invades his cabin, murders him, and assumes his identity.

When the the real Harry's associate spots him in the pie shop near the Galvan/Powell Group offices. He makes it clear that the real Harry was in Patience on his employer's orders, and is very worried about the medical records that Sam had apparently passed along.

Yours is the superior recollection.

Jeez, I do not remember all that stuff.

 

[NeilO]

More clues tonight and another great episode.

And I did need to do a quick check - Traveling by train from New York to Denver usually takes around 46 hours and 22 minutes on Amtrak. So, they got that part right.