‘Resident Alien’ season 2 episode 2 review: Doomsday preppin’

On tonight’s Resident Alien, Asta wants Harry to branch out and make new friends.

February 2, 2022

Resident Alien, the television series based off of the Dark Horse comic of the same name from Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, returned last week and brought viewers back to the small town of Patience, Colorado. The season two premiere served as an epilogue bringing closure to previous storylines while also being a refresher on some of the loose threads.

The show has been about an outsider coming to our world with nefarious intentions but having a change heart after becoming enamored by its people and ways. In this case, Harry’s feelings for Asta prevented him from destroying Earth. The episode explores the burden she carries knowing she holds the planet’s fate in her hands.

Initially, it’s tame and fun diversions with her encouraging Harry to make new friends so he can grow attached to more people. However, things turn darker near the end when Asta learns that more aliens might be on the way to complete the unfinished mission. There is a tense stand-off between them but it reveals how, though misguided, Harry does care about her. Slowly but surely, he is turning more human and empathetic as he experiences fear and a wanting to protect those close to him.

There are many good personal moments and one of Resident Alien’s best aspects is looking at the other townspeople who round out the ensemble. “The Wire” further develops the different close relationships making the characters more endearing. Asta and D’Arcy have a girl’s day out on the lake where they clear the air about Jay. They agree to not hide anything from each other but how will the former Olympian react if she ever finds out her friend’s other secret; the truth about Harry? It could be a source of friction moving forward.

We also have adorable yet disturbing Max and Sahar scenes while the former manages a “hairy” situation. It sheds some light on the altering properties of the alien technology spheres, which we also see more of at different points later. The sphere is also a means to further the Dennis the Menace/Mr. Wilson dynamic between the mayor’s son and Harry.

Finally, we have the law enforcement duo of the sheriff and deputy while they continue looking into the real Dr. Vanderspeigle’s past. During their investigation, Mike Thompson can still be self-absorbed and condescending but it’s nice to see that Liv can dish back out anything she receives while also making her partner aware when he’s being a jerk.

They uncover some pretty interesting stuff but it does feel the information is too late. At this point, I’ve already moved on from the initial murder that started Resident Alien and am more curious for what’s coming ahead than revisiting the past. It could lead to some closure but it can also up the pressure with even more people close to learning Harry’s secret. That might not be too long since the ending ratchets things up with a WTF moment that will have you scratching your head but eager for next week.

Despite all the good, “The Wire” seems to be doing too much and juggling too many storylines. In addition to everything above, there is the drama between Asta and Jay along with a rivalry between the mayor and a neighboring town. The latter is more for comedic effect, but the former is a defining and important relationship for Asta. It does it a disservice by not dedicating appropriate time to flesh it out. Managing the various subplots can make things disjointed and there could be more cohesion if the episode wasn’t so ambitious and dropped some narratives or pushed them back later.

Tonight’s episode takes some of the bigger narratives teased in the season two premiere and progresses them significantly while further developing the close and endearing relationships between the characters.