The Comedy Sci-Fi Series Taking Over Netflix And Wowing Rotten Tomatoes

Part comedy, part sci-fi, part procedural, and part mystery thriller, Resident Alien has something for everyone with a straightforward plot that gradually builds on itself. It follows a marooned Alien, who was sent to end all life on Earth but instead crash-landed in rural Colorado forcing him to take on a human disguise and gradually learn about humans. This disguise leads him to become the small town’s hospital while disguised as Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, a man he knows nothing about, throwing him into an increasingly complicated web of social dynamics and mysteries. 

Much of Resident Alien’s success comes from the stellar cast that has been built up by the show, a great mix of established actors and less-known names. In many ways the show is a showcase for Alyn Tudyk’s comedic talents, giving him a unique character with no understanding of human interaction creating plenty of opportunities for slapstick comedy. The supporting cast includes Sara Tompko who is often the straight man to Tudyk’s slapstick, Corey Reynolds as a butt of the joke sheriff, and Alice Weterlund as a bartender unknowingly pinning for an alien.

Of course, the cast isn’t the only thing Resident Alien has going for it. While fans of Firefly might check out an episode or two just to see Alan Tudyk in a new sci-fi show it’s the clever humor and sharp writing that’s going to keep those audiences. Another factor is that the show comes with a built-in fandom, being based on a Dark Horse comic by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse giving the show a pre-existing fan base to build off of. 

Resident Alien flew under the radar on release, creating a dedicated but small fan base on the Syfy channel, hampered by not being available on any of the major streaming services. While it initially failed to reach the popular zeitgeist, it was an immediate critical darling, garnering a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes after the first two seasons. Now that it’s finally on Netflix it has started to find a larger audience, making its way onto Netflix’s top ten shows, indicating that the audience for the show was there, it just needed the right platform for that audience to find it. 

While the streaming age is full of plenty of pitfalls and foibles, there’s no denying that it can give underrated shows like Resident Alien a second shot at finding an audience. With a unique premise, incredible acting, and sharp writing it’s the kind of show that could become a huge success, and gaining an audience on Netflix is a step towards that. Hopefully, Resident Alien’s newfound success continues as the third season premiering on February 21.