No character actor does as awkwardly as Alan Tudyk, the man who gave ‘Firefly’ his stupid soul and stole ‘Rogue One’ among almost everyone in the cast, though he never appeared on screen in his own flesh.
Syfy’s “Resident Alien”, based on a comic book series, divides the difference by throwing Tudyk as an alien stranded on our planet after his malicious mission goes wrong. Here, Tudyk is a creature who bears the extremely unusual name Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle’s name and the citizens of Patience, Colorado, compel to live up to the city’s name in virtually every interaction with him.
The remote location and the need for a new city doctor force them quite a bit after their longtime doctor dies. In the case of all out-of-the-way places where the odds are good and the goods are strange, Harry’s strangeness and flat influence seem harmless. The man whose life he whipped up happens to be a wealthy part-time resident, and that also helps tremendously, since no one really knew him.
In general, the audience sees his character as most residents see him, as another human being who is not comfortable in his own skin, does not master the subtleties of body language or who with his face and with negligible interpersonal skills .
A few people see the ‘doctor’ for the essence of amphibious animals with a big eye that he really is, and that scares him and them, until fear gives way to curiosity and curiosity develops into something like caring.
It’s the story that “Resident Alien” tries to tell from the perspective of Tudyk’s bizarre yet charming character, and when it does, it’s a sweet series that exemplifies the actor’s natural ability to surprise us in new ways in each episode.
Judging by the dual meaning of the title – the term “resident alien” is used to describe an immigrant who has legal resident status in the United States, you can expect the show to use Harry’s situation to obstacles that newcomers to a country that seems welcome but actually is not.
Presenting Tudyk’s character as the alien in a foreign land and as the role of the different kinds of species, the show enables one to approach this worn-out concept in an unusual way. He is an outsider who is visible hiding and learning English and earthly customs by watching ‘Law & Order’, but he is also a member of a race that is completely convinced of his own superiority.
Harry explains in one of the many examples of storytelling that if the universe had a scale for intelligence, ‘humans would just end up under lizards’. Colliding on our planet forces him to communicate with the low life forms he believes we are, and he is slowly beginning to realize how many people misunderstand and underestimate man.
Nevertheless, he refuses to abandon his original guideline, even though it is increasingly at odds with his budding emotions and developing ties with the people around him such as Asta Twelvetrees (Sara Tomko), the medical assistant who works with him in the medical clinic in the city.
Harry and Asta are a wonderful platonic couple because they both feel like outsiders, and the people who are most interesting to follow also fit this description, even if they do not say it specifically out loud. And they each feed relationships that are solid enough to create interesting storylines.
Asta’s best friend D’Arcy (Alice Wetterlund) is a heavy drinking bartender with dollar signs in her eyes who throws her at Harry, and her efforts to overlook his total lack of charisma make Wetterlund shine through her antics.
But a boring kid named Max (Judah Prehn) can see his disguise, and it worries Harry more than a horny whiskey slinger could ever do. The stranger quickly makes it a priority to eliminate this small threat, but Max becomes predictably a worthy opponent.
Viewing the world through Harry’s calculated, emotionally chilled perspective, the show can circumvent potential discomfort by at least initially addressing realistic issues of race and culture. Small moments give recognition to the existence of ordinary human prejudices in this world, especially when a subplot comes up with Max’s smarter friend, a classmate wearing a hijab.
All that is said, however, is that patience is a friendly and diverse kind of town that releases the usual depictions of tension in small towns in ways that can be a tassel. Corey Reynolds, for example, plays the sheriff of the city, Mike Thompson, as a combination of Boss Hogg and Rosco P. Coltrane, and if we do not pick up the tribute, he loudly gives his designer Cletus.
He’s also the only black man you see in the streets of this mountain town, which can be a clue he’s left over from in his efforts to fit into the culture. Or maybe it’s a completely unnecessary boom.
By detecting the ridiculousness of his characters, it gives the show a slight “Northern Exposure” scent. To build on this is the thoughtful exploration of Tomko’s character through the lens of her personal life, and also highlights Asta’s Native American heritage in ways that feel genuine and casual, and the fact that I have to point it out. , tells you how unusual it still is TV.
Where ‘Resident Alien’ doesn’t quite work out, it’s his desire to be on a lot of shows, at the same time as he’s trying to figure out what stories he wants to tell in the end. The alien-as-metaphor for immigrants or outsiders is a well-trodden path in TV, seen in series that treat it with solemnity (‘Alien Nation’ and ‘Roswell’ come to mind) and with an abundance of humor (‘ALF’s). ‘, “3rd Rock from the Sun” and “Mork & Mindy” which, like this show, takes place in Colorado).
“Resident Alien” takes what we know of the programs and gestures to modernize its paradigm to connect 2021 audiences with a semblance of depth by this alien who is equally genius and ignorant.
If his wrong adventures and Asta’s emotional journey were the main events of the season, it would be more than enough to sustain the first season successfully. Instead, the writers decide that each character needs several instances to keep them busy. Just because a show is blessed with a capable ensemble cast, does not mean that every character needs a riddle to pursue in order to tap into our interest, but if that’s the approach, they better have something vital to do. do for the main character or something absolutely fascinating. This is not the case here.
Indeed, I have not even mentioned the government agency that haunts Harry through these episodes, because the representatives of the agency are not even interesting enough to name. You can cut most scenes with this D-plot and have a slimmer, more meaningful story.
When ‘Resident Alien’ resists the urge to squirm and joins Harry’s various revelations about the human need to belong and longs to forge bonds with others, it puts together the potential to be a show that just as intimate and thoughtful as it is dark and funny. These strengths are lost during his initial journey, but with Tudyk serving as a beacon, it may not matter. He will continue to steal our attention until the rest of the program finds out where it needs to go.
“Resident Alien” premieres on Syfy on Wednesday 27 January at 22:00.