Plot: Harry and his baby Bridget stuck in prison on the Grey Moonbase, while a shape-shifting Alien called a Mantid has taken over his body on Earth passing himself off as the real Harry Vanderspeigle. Harry manages to escape the Greys and arrives back on Earth for a showdown with the Mantid Alien but soon finds he may not have what he needs to finish the job. Asta and D’arcy struggle to keep a secret from Ben and Kate, who are both desperate to find answers to what has been happening to them. Sheriff Mike and Deputy Liv attempt to solve some mysterious deaths in Patience that Sheriff Mike is beginning to think aren’t caused by anything human.
Season 4 of Resident Alien was kind of a mess but good at the same time.
Pros: It paid off the Kate & ben storyline getting their baby back from the greys. And a fitting farewell to Linda Hamilton’s character. I like the greys add more develop time throughout this season & The finale ending was bittersweet.
Cons: The kids Sahar & Max didn’t get used that much. It failed to deliver on any alien invasion it promises. Some of the dialogue didn’t make no sense. There encounter with the mantis did feel forgetful & it’s been cancelled way too soon.
Genre: Comedy-drama, Mystery, Science fiction
Created by Chris Sheridan
Based on Resident Alien by Peter Hogan, Steve Parkhouse
Starring: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, Judah Prehn & Meredith Garretson.
Music by “Bilgewater” by Brown Bird
Executive producers: Chris Sheridan, Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, David Dobkin, Robert Duncan McNeill
Producer: Alan Tudyk
Production locations: Delta, British Columbia, Canada
Production companies: Jocko Productions, Amblin Television, Dark Horse Entertainment, Universal Content Productions
Network: Syfy
Casts & Characters:
- Alan Tudyk as “Harry Vanderspeigle”, the titular alien with an unpronounceable birth name who has crash-landed in Patience, Colorado, killed the real Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, and assumed his identity. He has been sent to Earth to destroy the human race, believing that this would benefit the planet, but he begins to question the morality of his mission after involuntarily forming human emotions. He is fascinated by humans and has learned how to speak English, as well as how to masquerade as a medical examiner from watching reruns of Law & Order. Although he attempts to blend in with people, he consistently stands out because of his misunderstanding of social cues and awkward speech and behavior. As the series progresses, he learns more about human emotions, behavior, and interactions, often closing episodes with a narration about what he has learned. He possesses superhuman strength, durability, and agility as well as advanced intelligence, shapeshifting abilities, and the power to alter or remove human memories. In the second-season finale, Harry is implied to be millions of years old, as he recalls seeing live dinosaurs.
- Stuntman Keith Arbuthnot portrays the alien in his true form: an androgynous, humanoid Octopodiform-like being
- Sara Tomko as Asta Twelvetrees, the assistant to the town doctor at the Patience health clinic and a member of the Ute Native American tribe. In high school, she had an abusive relationship with classmate Jimmy and placed their daughter Jay for adoption. She is the first person after Max to discover Harry’s true identity.
- Corey Reynolds as Sheriff Mike Thompson, the town’s sheriff, who refers to himself by the nickname “Big Black”. He masks his insecurities by trying to control every situation. His career as a police officer in Washington, D.C., ended as a result of the death of his partner, leading him to eventually move to Patience. He also looks after Cletus, his former partner’s pet and the town’s police dog.
- Alice Wetterlund as D’arcy Bloom, owner of the town pub, a local mountaineering expert, and Asta’s best friend. After a skiing accident at the Olympics, she returned to her hometown and now spends her days tending bar and making questionable life choices. She discovers Harry’s true identity after learning that the real Harry killed Sam Hodges.
- Olga Petsa (guest season 4) portray young D’arcy in flashbacks
- Levi Fiehler as Ben Hawthorne, the town’s young mayor. While he is charming and people-pleasing, his wife Kate tends to dominate their relationship. He previously dated D’arcy in junior high and high school, although they still seem interested in each other. He is a hobbyist candlemaker, but his work goes unappreciated. Since childhood, he has been regularly abducted by Grey aliens.
- Lukas Goas (guest seasons 2, 4) and Jude Wylie (guest season 3) portray young Ben in flashbacks
- Judah Prehn as Max Hawthorne, Ben and Kate’s son, the only resident of Patience who can see through Harry’s human disguise. Max is also able to see the “green glow” that is emitted by Harry’s alien technology. Harry at first repeatedly threatens to kill Max, then plots to get him to move away; eventually, they reach a truce but continue trading insults.
- Elizabeth Bowen as Deputy Olivia “Liv” Baker (seasons 2–4; recurring season 1), the town’s only deputy, who works with Sheriff Mike. She is underappreciated and ignored by the sheriff, although he gradually learns to appreciate her over time. After she briefly quits the force, Sheriff Mike, with some help, comes to recognize her skills, and the two begin to work together more in harmony. She has been fascinated by the possibility of extraterrestrials existing since she was a child, when she witnessed what appeared to be a UFO.
- Camme Clarke (guest season 4) portray young Liv in flashbacks
- Meredith Garretson as Kate Hawthorne (season 4; recurring seasons 1–3), Ben’s wife and Max’s mother, who works as a schoolteacher
Recurring
- Ben Cotton as Jimmy (season 1; guest seasons 2, 4), Asta’s abusive ex-husband and Jay’s father
- Kaylayla Raine as Jay, Asta’s teenage daughter who works part-time at the Patience health clinic
- Gary Farmer as Dan Twelvetrees, Asta’s adoptive father and a Vietnam veteran, who owns the town’s diner, Joe’s Diner, which he has named in honor of a friend and fellow soldier he lost in the war
- Alex Barima as Lieutenant David Logan (seasons 1–3; guest season 4), an officer in the U.S. Air Force. After piecing together clues about Harry’s crash landing, McCallister recruits him to find the alien and partners him with Agent Casper.
- Jenna Lamia as Judy Cooper, Asta and D’arcy’s childhood friend who works at the local bowling alley. She is sexually adventurous and often trades barbs with D’arcy.
- Gwenna Cooper (guest season 4) portray young Judy in flashbacks
- Sarah Podemski as Kayla, Asta’s cousin who is a mother and a lawyer
- Diana Bang as Ellen Cho, a nurse at the Patience health clinic who is disrespectful to almost everyone she encounters
- Gracelyn Awad Rinke as Sahar Karimi, Max’s adventurous classmate and close friend. She believes him regarding Harry’s alien identity, and is the more mature and responsible of the two.
- Linda Hamilton as General Eleanor McCallister (née Wright) (seasons 1–3; guest season 4), a high-ranking U.S. military officer who secretly works for an unknown organization dedicated to hunting extraterrestrials, having spent her life seeking proof that aliens exist
- Ava Anton (guest season 4) portray young Eleanor in flashbacks
- Michael Cassidy as Dr. Ethan Stone (season 1; guest seasons 2, 4), who replaces Harry as the new town doctor
- Alvin Sanders as Lewis Thompson (season 2; guest seasons 1, 4), Mike’s elderly father who moved with him to Patience due to his worsening condition
- Trevor Carroll as John Baker (seasons 2, 4; guest seasons 1, 3), Liv’s husband and an avalanche-control team member
- Terry O’Quinn[d] as Peter Bach (seasons 2–4; guest season 1), an “alien experiencer” who hosts the popular podcast Alien Tracker. Like Max, he can also see Harry’s true form.
- Paul Piaskowski as Robert Hutchins (seasons 2, 4; guest season 3), Peter Bach’s son, who was abducted by the Greys from his pregnant mother’s womb and raised by the aliens
- Enver Gjokaj as “Joseph Rainier” (seasons 2–3; guest season 4), a Grey alien-human hybrid working for the Greys, and later, with Harry for General McCallister
- Nicola Correia-Damude as Detective Lena Torres (seasons 2–4), a detective based in Jessup, the neighboring town to Patience, who becomes romantically interested in Mike
- Kesler Talbot (season 2) and Andrea Geones (seasons 3–4) as the voice of the “Humalien” / Bridget, the human-alien offspring of “Goliath”, Harry’s future self. He initially disguises himself as Bobby Smallwood, a boy who went missing decades prior.
Edi Patterson as Heather (season 3; guest season 4), a Blue Avian alien from the Galactic Federation, who becomes romantically involved with Harry
- Clancy Brown as the voice of the Mantid alien (season 4; guest season 3), a dangerous alien fugitive who escapes from captivity and takes Harry’s place in Patience
- Jewel Staite as Jules Gardner (season 4), an FBI agent who grew up in Patience and begins investigating a series of strange murders in the town
Guest
- Michael Adamthwaite as Howard Wright, Eleanor McCallister’s father, whose obsession to prove that aliens exist drove him insane. He only appears in flashbacks.
- Grace Dove as Sunny (seasons 2, 4), a member of Asta’s extended family who is heavily pregnant
- Taylor Blackwell as Liza Vanderspeigle (seasons 2–4), the estranged teenage daughter of the real Harry. In the third and fourth seasons, Harry’s son Bridget uses her physical appearance as a disguise.
- Karina Logue as Mary-Ellen Taylor (seasons 2–3), Asta’s biological mother who abandoned her when she was an infant
- Rachel Colwell as Lieutenant Hill (seasons 2–4), an officer in the U.S. Air Force who works for General McCallister
- Hwaa Hawk as Leo (seasons 3–4), a member of Max’s alien club
- Grace Sunar as Mari (seasons 3–4), another member of Max’s alien club
- Linden Porco as Dale (seasons 3–4), an alien technician who specializes in fixing portals
- Jinkx Monsoon as the voice of Bruce (season 4), a Grey alien prison ward who is fascinated by Earth
- Casey Camp-Horinek as Lona (season 4), a Ute elder who befriends Harry at a powwow
- Jed Rees as Sedrick (season 4), an alien attorney who represents the Grey aliens during Harry’s trial
- David Nykl as Gary (season 4), the alien leader of the Galactic Housing Council, who acts as a judge during Harry’s trial
- Stephen Root as Ed (season 4), Harry’s ruthless and overbearing father
I recommend watching this season on NOW TV.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident TV reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe