'Resident Alien' Says Goodbye with Lovely Finale, Much-Needed Message

by Julian Spivey

Photo: Syfy/NBCUniversal

“Resident Alien,” a Syfy Channel original, aired its series finale on Friday, August 8, with a lovely episode that wrapped everything up nicely, something that some fans had concerns about when it was announced a few weeks ago, in the middle of the fourth season, that the show would not receive a fifth season.

I was actually a bit surprised by the cancellation of “Resident Alien,” as it seemed like the rare show that picked up viewers as it went on, mostly thanks to fans finding past seasons on Netflix, rather than watching it as it airs, which is what advertisers and cable networks still depend on for success. When NBCUniversal decided to air season four on both Syfy and the more-watched USA Network, I also thought that was a good sign the show might be succeeding. However, most weeks, it seemed that fewer than 500,000 were watching it as it aired, with many viewers watching via DVR or streaming, or simply waiting for it to appear on Netflix later (how many people watch television these days).

The cancellation truly says nothing about the quality of “Resident Alien,” but rather that the old methods of watching television and making a profit from it are over.

I’m thrilled that showrunner Chris Sheridan realized there was the potential that season four could be the final one for “Resident Alien,” and prepared accordingly by giving us a season and finale that worked perfectly as a series ender. It seems that not enough showrunners are willing to provide closure to fans if there is a chance the show might not be renewed, which I believe all showrunners are aware of when their shows are in danger of cancellation.

Season four of “Resident Alien” has seen our titular hero Harry (Alan Tudyk), and his friends in Patience, Colo., a growing number of which have become aware that he is an alien, attempting to find and kill the Mantid, an alien species attempting to end the world – which was once Harry’s goal before he fell in love with humankind and its ways.

By the penultimate episode last week, the entirety of the main cast had learned of Harry’s secret and had banded together with him to save not only Patience but the world. It was a blast seeing Harry and Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) – the show’s two funniest characters - working side-by-side in the abandoned mine of the town last week.

Sheriff Mike is probably the character I’ll actually miss the most from the show, as he was the one that made me laugh the most consistently, and I’d totally watch a spin-off series of just him and Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) solving crimes, if Sheridan were so interested and an audience existed (I don’t think one does).

All the main characters of the show got their nice little sendoff in the finale, “The End Is Here,” penned by Sheridan and directed by Robert Duncan McNeill, with some of the most touching moments, including Harry making amends for planting a fake memory in Sheriff Mike’s head and D’arcy (Alice Wetterlund) giving advice to a young woman from her A.A. meeting who reminds her of her when she was younger.

However, the main focus of the series finale was Harry's readiness to say goodbye to Earth and his best friend, Asta (Sara Tomko), who was also ready to bid farewell to Patience, leading to an hour of many great and emotional goodbyes.

It was touching how a series, which at its beginning featured Harry trying to find so many ways to fulfill his mission and put an end to life on Earth, ended as the perfect found family show, with a theme of how kindness can not only change, but also save lives. It was a message that may have come off to some as corny, but I truly believe it is one we could all use right now.

“Resident Alien” was never a prestige or top-tier television show, but you could always sit down and enjoy and laugh at this group of characters, their uniqueness (this show had some truly weird folks), and just find comfort in it. There’s still a need for that on TV, and in this world.