Resident Alien Review: Welcome Aliens (Season 1 Episode 9)

The premise of Resident Alien Season 1 Episode 9, “Welcome Aliens,” sounds like a very bad joke about an alien at a UFO convention, but it’s that type of expectation that makes this episode comedy gold. 

Before we get into the UFO convention, let’s talk a little bit about that opening scene. “Welcome Aliens” starts off by introducing us to expectant parents in New York, who encounter aliens on a bus ride home. This scene has all the makings of the old abduction scenes from The X-Files.

This scenario serves to deepen the world that’s been built by General McCallister’s experience, and the horrifying loss felt by these parents gives us something to get invested in.

After a minute, we return to Harry and Asta, who are back in Harry’s cabin after the events of Resident Alien Season 1 Episode 8, “End of the World as We Know It.”  Asta accepting the truth about Harry, whose leg is growing back after being chopped off. Her reaction to an octopus leg growing where Harry’s cut-off leg used to be is as normal and you’d expect, and a great way to start off the new phase of their relationship. 

The fact that they end up at a UFO convention where Harry’s first reaction is priceless. It’s exactly the kind of humor and social commentary that Resident Alien delivers so well. 

HARRY: Is that supposed to be me? My people are not a costume!
ASTA: Welcome to my life. 

The montage of events at UFO Con is another great way to introduce us to the network of aliens that we may have heard about in our day-to-day lives. We hear Harry talk about other races and what they’re known for. He quips about the Mayan Day Planner. He even says that little green men are cute, “…but they so know it.” This doesn’t just serve as a way to further endear Harry to us, but also to expand the alien world we have yet to really explore. 

Harry’s knowledge of all these different races sets him up to be an asset to Lisa, David, and General McCallister, but it also means that he may not be able to use his device for a while. 

His confrontation with the Alien Tracker is also telling. Harry comments about how that was the Greys that took his baby, and how they got wouldn’t be coming back for him. This makes us wonder what else Harry knows, and more importantly who else might be out there.

The UFO Con also serves to implant a notion in Asta that Harry may not be telling the truth. After she takes the stage at an alien experience panel someone approaches her on the con floor. His comment that “her alien” might be a “Christopher Columbus of the sky,” is an interesting way to sew doubt. The audience knows that Harry is here to deliver an extinction event, but it’s not something that Asta seems to want to consider. 

Meanwhile, back in Patience, Sheriff Mike has cracked the case. Of course, he only does so with a little help from Deputy Liv’s murder board.

When he arrests the doctor’s wife for his murder, it should be more surprising, but it isn’t. Honestly, it feels like Sam’s murder is a footnote this season, so it’s probably good that it was tied up. 

This revelation leads to Sheriff Mike realizing that he needs Liv as his deputy, and that leads us to what is probably the cutest apology that could happen on television. When Sheriff Mike gets on stage and starts singing a duet with Liv to “Wind Beneath My Wings,” it’s a heartwarming moment. It feels appropriate that their reconciliation would take place in such a public arena given how Liv quit. 

This is a moment that we’ve been waiting for all season and we’re very happy to see Sheriff Mike appreciate his partner more. Frankly, it’s probably good that this happened right before things are likely to go pear-shaped.

The mayor and his wife are also entertaining guests. They’re hosting Lisa and David over to dinner who are dying to get information on Max and Harry. The dynamic between these two is fun to watch, but in the coming weeks, more needs to be revealed about exactly what they are doing and why General McCallister has such a vested interest in aliens. (Yes, this does mean we need to unpack her encounter as a child and that polaroid.)

Overall, “Welcome Aliens” is a very successful episode. It has some great guest stars, an intriguing plot that delivers some pop culture jokes, and generally gives the series enough to push it into the final stretch of Season 1. 

If they keep laying out the mystery and slowly unfurling the greater mythology, then this show can finish its freshmen season strong. 

Stray Thoughts:

• Max and Harry’s comments about the “men in black” are a nice touch.
• Well, now that D’Arcy has found the body in the freezer I am starting to think all the secrets are out. 
• It’s kind of nice to know that aliens also appreciate a two-for-one sale even it is on two-foot-long croutons.
• Speaking of food references, the way that Harry gravitates towards flower-shaped fruit just confirms for me that the shape of the fruit always makes it taste better.  Also, Harry may not be wrong about honeydew melon. Of course, he could have also had a bad honeydew melon. 

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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