Resident Alien: The Doctor is Out

From time to time, a new series comes along that has the right combination of an amazing cast, great writers and an intriguing plot.  Resident Alien is one of those shows.  Based on the Dark Horse Comics series of the same name by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse.  Resident Alien stars Alan Tudyk, as Captain Hah Re, a.k.a. Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, whose spaceship is struck by lightning and crash lands near Patience Colorado.  Having taken over the identity of a vacationing doctor who owned a seasonal cabin on the lake of the small Colorado town,  Harry is pulled into a murder of the towns only doctor and is convinced to temporarily take over the Doctors duties.  Harry (Hah Re) needs to help solve the murder, hide his identity, learn how to act like a human, be the towns doctor and find the device that will allow him to finish his mission (it was lost in the crash).  While in human form he begins to feel human emotions, which lead to complications.  In addition, there seems to be a mysterious organization chasing after Harry and willing to kill to get to him.

This is the first series in a long time that had me laughing out loud in several spots.  A key element to the humor is being able to hear Harry’s inner monologue.  The audience is privy to what the alien is thinking when in certain situations.  As well as being a sci-fi comedy, Resident Alien is a mystery as well.  Combining two of my favorite genre’s into one very well done series

Alan Tudyk is amazing as this “stranger in a strange land” character.  Having the perfect balance of subtle tender reactions and over the top farcical physicality.  His chameleon like facial expressions relay the full range emotions.  He is one of those actors that can say more with his face than any amount of dialogue can.  His comic timing is impeccable and there is no doubt why he is such a fan favorite.  It is a joy watching Harry try to be more human, think he is succeeding, but watching him fail miserably in the most comical of ways.  He believes his race to be superior to the humans, yet we see him enter into an infantile war with a 10-year-old boy who has the genetic anomaly that allows him to see Harry as he truly is.

The supporting cast is also well chosen.  Sara Tomko as Asta Twelvetrees, the doctor’s assistant, is wonderful as the “straight man” to Alan’s comic deliveries.   Elizabeth Bowen as deputy Liv is a sweet quirky woman who seems to have a crush on the overtly masculine conservative Sheriff, Big Black (Corey Reynolds).

The production, as a whole, is very well done.  The special affects feel real, the makeup and alien affects are top notch, the writing has just the right balance of comedy, drama and mystery.  The storyline flows well, is full of adventure and excitement and as mentioned above, the cast is stellar.