Resident Alien: The Complete Series

[Michael Scott]

Resident Alien : The Complete Series



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
Well, in direct opposition to Cobra Kai, Resident Alien was a show that I intended to watch, but just never did. I mean, I love Alan Tudyk and heard good things about it, but I constantly kept putting it off and putting it off, until I finally got the press release for the complete series back in February. Figuring that I’d binge watch a good amount of the show on Peacock where it was streaming, I promptly forgot about it till a few weeks ago when I got a massive box set in the mail, and I now had to catch up on all 4 seasons from scratch. And I’m kind of glad that I waited to watch this all at once, as Resident Alien is best watched as a gigantic binge, similar to Fringe (which, ironically, I’m finishing up this week as well….for like the 4th or 5th time).

Based upon a Dark Horse comic of the same name, Resident Alien is a comedic sci-fi drama revolving around an alien crashing landing in northern Colorado, and subsequently having to assume the identity of a local doctor (after accidentally/kinda/halfway killing him). After the local doctor is murdered, Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk) is dragged into the spotlight of humanity, after doing his best to stay OUT of their way after crash landing. Now he’s forced to take over as the town doctor and try to fit in the best he can, in his own alien way. But despite his calm demeanor and awkward exterior, “Harry” is here for a different reason, which was disrupted when his craft crash landed in the snow. You see, “Harry” isn’t exactly a benevolent alien. His race had sent him here with the mission of dropping a weapon of mass destruction on Earth, and wipe out all of humanity in the process. And every day that he’s stuck on this miserable rock is one more day that he can’t wipe us out.

The show adapts and changes over time, with the first seasons acting as an introduction to crazier things to come. Harry sparks up a strange relationship with nurse Asta Twelvetrees (Sara Tomko), gets seen by a 12 year old boy (1 in 1 million people can see through his shape shifting abilities) and has to figure out some deadly murders along the way. But as the seasons progress we get to deal with government spooks, good ole gray skinned aliens, and Harry’s growing desire to find some redeeming qualities in humanity. But really, what holds the show together is the characters. Alan Tudyk is firing on all 4 quirky cylinders of his, adding a sense of awkward charm to Harry that is delightfully hilarious (in a biting sort of way). And he is only equaled by Sara Tomko, who acts as his relational and literal foil in the show. She’s the kind domestic abuse survivor who acts as a grounding agent for Harry, altering his perception of humanity in ways that even he won’t realize till at least season 3.

The series does a great job bouncing between serious topics of murder, divorce, depression, and growing up compared the slapstick elements of the show. The line may be thing and right underneath their feet, but Tudyk and crew do so with agility and an enthusiasm that is simply infectious. Especially in later seasons as Harry’s and Max’s relationship grows (the little kid who can see through his disguises), as well as the introduction of his own alien child Bridget. Personally, this is a series that I wish had never been canceled, even though that is something SyFy is legendary for. Resident Alien just WORKED for some reason, and worked well. But the market was changing, and cable TV is dying day by day for streaming only platforms, and Resident Alien (by all accounts that I could read) was a victim of that paradigm shift.




Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

The video quality starts out a bit bland in the first season, but quickly ramps up with a little more color and spice as the seasons progress and Harry’s adventures on Earth change locals. Fine details and picture stability is exemplary, with strong facial feature detail levels, great skin tones, and a rich “darkness” that engulfs the town’s night life. The series can go from brightly lit and brilliant white snow, to the grim and mahogany coated wooden walls of Harry’s cabin at a moment’s notice. I noticed a little crush in season one and some of season 3, otherwise this is a very stable and accurate looking image.









Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track found on all 4 seasons is a bit nondescript, but more than competently done. The show lives and thrives off of dialog and minor ambient effects for a vast majority of the run time, but there are moments of explosive or intense action where things pick up. Bass throbs with power when Harry’s ship levitation device is discovered in the snowy mountains, and a car crash slams with authority. Dialog is the main centerpiece of the show, and it’s all done quite nicely with strong vocals and rich presence in the center of the room. Surrounds are moderately active, usually involving the hubbub of small town life, but there’s a few bursts of activity that ratchet things up a bit.







Extras:

Season 2:
• Deleted Scenes

Season 3:
• Deleted Scenes

Final Score: ​

Resident Alien is a strange bird. I’ve been very adamant about the fact that post Covid TV and movies have struggled a LOT after the coof, and we’ve had very few actual hits in the TV world post 2020. But for some reason this one managed to hit all of the right notes to succeed, even if it was only for 4 seasons. Luckily for us, Universal’s Blu-ray set is quite nice, with great audio and video, but near nonexistent extras (a few deleted scenes on seasons 2 and 3). But at the end of the day, I’ll take great A/V presentations over extras as that’s what we’re really here to watch, and I still recommend this greatly.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler
Created by: Chris Sheridan
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 HEVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH (French, German for the first season)
Studio: Universal
Rated: NR
Runtime: 1950 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: March 10th 2026

Recommendation: Highly Recommended

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[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I will check it out. Kind of reminds me of "Eureka".