Resident Alien Season 4, Episode 1 Review: I Am Thrilled That Alan Tudyk's Sci-Fi Series Returned With Such A Strong Season Premiere

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Resident Alien Season 4, Episode 1. Harry Vanderspeigle is back in a brand-new season of Resident Alien, and season 4 starts off with a bang. At the end of season 3, Harry and his friends confronted the terrifying Grey aliens on their secret base on the moon. However, after successfully messing with the Grey’s plans, some unforeseen complications left Harry in prison while a monstrous Mantid took his place on Earth.

Harry remains trapped on the Grey alien base, while the Mantid has taken over his life, and despite some clear changes in Harry’s behavior, the people of Patience don’t seem to take any notice. However, this episode also sees central characters like Mayor Ben, his wife Kate, and town sheriff Mike all reeling from their recent conflict with aliens. The humor of the series is back, and the stakes have never been higher for Harry to reclaim his life on Earth and protect his friends.

Alan Tudyk Proves Why He Is The Perfect Casting For Harry The Alien

Alan Tudyk is well-known for his comedy and character roles. Throughout his career, he has played a wide range of characters, but in Resident Alien‘s season 4 premiere, Tudyk pulls double duty as he portrays both the trapped Harry and the alien invader Mantid. Both parts are distinctly different, while the Mantid also makes a small effort to emulate Harry’s quirks and mannerisms, which adds a layer of complexity to the role, and Tudyk absolutely nails it.

There is a lot going on, but despite that, the episode is well-paced, and it sets the stage for more to come.

For much of the episode, the citizens of Patience acknowledge that Harry is a little odder than normal, but no red flags are raised, even for his closest friend Asta. However, Asta and the others appear to be busy handling their own struggles. With so much happening and plots being set up in the premiere episode, it feels like the season will be full of character development for every central characters. And in all honesty, it’s great to see the supporting cast step into a more prominent role.

And with Resident Alien being a comedy sci-fi series, there are plenty of fun moments and fun developments that amp up the humor. Despite this, it does feel like things have shifted this season to take on a slightly more serious tone. Especially with plots surrounding D’Arcy having taken Kate and Ben’s baby, and those outside Harry’s inner circle trying to investigate the truth about aliens in Patience. There is a lot going on, but regardless of the tonal shift, the episode is well-paced, and it sets the stage for more to come.

Resident Alien Has Evolved Over The Last 4 Seasons

Harry stands at the head of the table with a birthday cake, along with Asta, D'Arcy, Mike, Liv, John, and Jay,

Resident Alien has been charming from the start — a fun concept that worked well with Tudyk’s comedy style. And as is the case with any good show, the series has evolved and adapted over time. The initial tension of the series came from Harry’s desire to wipe out human life from the face of the Earth, but now that Harry has made a home on Earth, the threat has shifted to other aliens.

The humor may be slightly quirky, but it works in the context of the show, and the drama adds an urgency to the series overall.

The changes are very apparent in season 4’s premiere episode, with a story that involves several aliens of different species while splitting its time between a space station and Patience. This progression feels natural, and despite the lighter tone taking more of a backseat, it still has all the charm and bravado that made it endearing to begin with. The humor may be slightly quirky, but it works in the context of the show, and the drama adds an urgency to the series overall.

Additionally, the episode’s cliffhanger, with Harry being unable to return to his alien form, stands out as a central thread for this season. But with the rest of the cast having their own stories, there is a lot more at stake than just Harry’s problem. Resident Alien season 4, episode 1 is packed, but not overstuffed, and it teases what’s to come without withholding exciting new developments, making this season premiere one of the show’s best.

Resident Alien season 4 airs weekly every Friday on Syfy and USA Network.