Resident Alien Review: Homesick (Season 1 Episode 2)

Dr. Harry Vanderspiegle is not having a great time in Patience, Colorado. In fact, on Resident Alien Season 1 Episode 2, “Homesick,” he’s well…homesick.

At this point, Harry is still the stranger in town, but instead of being a guest, he has a job to do. It’s ironic that this second episode opens with Harry talking about how stupid humans are when for most of the episode he shows little to no emotional intelligence. 

Although the bit in his voice over about the the druids being absolutely no help when they were building Stonehenge is sick burn.

On his first day, when he’s treating patients, he comes at them all with a gruff attitude that could be likened to The Big Bang Theory‘s Sheldon Cooper, if he were more awkward. Tudyk plays this caricature really well, and the montage of Harry attempting to get his new body to work really illustrates why this character is so stiff at times. 

Harry’s attempts to pass as a human doctor are also laughable. His brief stint as a gynecologist is one example where it shouldn’t be funny, but it is because it’s a self-proclaimed “smart” alien who is just as clueless about technology as most humans.

It’s the same when he goes bowling or flat out tells Darcy that the last time he drank the whiskey she gave him he almost killed someone. It’s not something humans say out in the open, but Alan Tudyk’s deadpan delivery makes it come off as a joke. 

“Homesick” sets up a bit more tension between Harry and Max as well. It feels like there’s nowhere for this plot to go through. Max’s ability to see Harry’s true form is a threat, but considering that no one in town seems to believe Max (so far) and that no one else has the genetic mutation this plot is going to run out of steam fast. 

However, outside of how Harry is relatng to the town, there’s a larger issue concerning the weird physical properties of his ship. You know, considering there’s a decomposed hiker hanging in midair above a giant alien space disk at the end of this episode.

This bookended tidbit is a great way to raise the stakes, but at this point, I am much more invested in the town, and Harry’s relationships with the people there. Especially, if he’s going to eventually have a change of heart and not deploy his device. (Come on, we all know this can’t end with Harry causing the extinction event, right?)

We start to see a small twinge of that change on “Homesick,” when Harry recognizes the feeling he gets finding a piece of his device. It’s similar to what others describe regarding home and that emotion is foreign to him. It will be interesting to see how Resident Alien investigates both human emotions and the idea of home as the season progresses.  

While Harry is the vehicle for us to see the town of Patience, it’s Asta who gives it heart. Surrounded by characters that feel like caricatures, Sara Tomko shines in her empathic role as she tries to navigate life without her one real confidant. 

Asta’s story feels shrouded in questions. We met her ex, we know her father isn’t realy her father, and we know she feels like she doesn’t belong. She’s an alien in her own right, but the audience doesn’t have the luxury of her voiceover to fill things in, just Harry’s observations of her. 

The moment when Harry offers to play cards with Asta, and when she reliniquishes Sam’s office signals a shift in their relationship. They can be friends; in whatever awkward way it works for them. 

The way that Harry is slowly starting to relate to people; and I mean absolute babysteps, is delightful to watch. If Resident Alien can continue to walk that line between escapist entertainment while slowly delivering insightful observations about human behavior, this series will improve in quality. 

Stray Thoughts:

• Did anyone else get a chuckle when Max asked Harry to tell him the price of stamps? This is probably the most useless piece of information he could possibly have asked for. I would have loved to see him ask a few other characters just to prove how useless it is. 
• Would really love for Harry to elaborate on how almond milk is the leading cause of death. I just don’t see how that’s possible. 

What did you think of this episode of Resident Alien? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Resident Alien airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on SYFY.

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