‘Resident Alien’ season 2 episode 10 review: The inner turmoil of the characters

On this week’s Resident Alien, Asta’s good vibes quickly turn when she finds out what Harry did.

August 17, 2022

While the midseason return of Resident Alien looked to establish the narrative threads moving forward, tonight’s episode looks to dive into the various character relationships and the resulting effects of some of their actions.

Looking back at the events of the previous episode, it is pretty cringey that Harry removed Asta’s memories without her consent. In “The Ghost of Bobby Smallwood,” there are also inconsistencies in what exactly she forgot. Obviously, she can’t recall killing a man or Jay inviting her to her birthday, but she talks about attending the party? Maybe I’m off with timing but I would think that she wouldn’t remember all of that night’s happenings.

However, the conflict between the two friends reveals much about their respective characters. Although she doesn’t hide her emotions, Asta is a strong individual and can more than manage the hardships she’s experienced. She actually embraces it to make her feel alive. But there are some feelings she keeps to herself such as her sorrow and regret for giving Jay up. Hearing her thoughts about her daughter is bittersweet considering the pride she speaks of her but never actually telling Jay her true feelings.

Resident Alien makes meaningful observations about being human through its main protagonist and Harry’s current situation isn’t an exception. He’s wrestling with the thoughts of his own mortality and the fear that causes. Luckily, he has the support system in his friends to be there and help him cope.

resident alien 2.10.2 — Photo: James Dittiger/SYFY

Seeing Asta’s influence over Harry makes you more optimistic for the baby alien. It’s funny to see that the little guy has the same cravings for fresh milk. The bigger development is that Sahar has found him. She’s a sharp one since she can piece together he took on the appearance of the episode’s titular boy. The baby alien has a more impressionable mind and under the tutelage of someone who has her life more together than even the adults on the show, the new “Bobby Smallwood” could be a better representative to bridge the gap between the two species.

One of the bigger highlights is the development of D’arcy. She is a loyal friend who knows Harry did something sketchy to Asta, but she’s also taking care of herself. The former Olympian is at a happy point in her life with her new boyfriend. A big step for her personally is being able to enjoy what she has rather than fleeing the next morning before he wakes up. You want to root for her and hope she doesn’t digress to a hot mess again.

As much as we’ve seen D’arcy progress on Resident Alien, the relationship between Liv and Mike has devolved. After spending so much time on Mike overcoming his partner’s loss and being able to open up and accept Liv, it’s a curious choice to have the sheriff return to mistreating and dismissing his coworker. Not only that, but the series reduces Elizabeth Bowen’s character to comedy relief in the worst way. She’s a talented actress who has stood out in many of her scenes, but she’s becoming a punching bag where the jokes are at her expense.

At least hopefully we’ve seen the last of the mayor’s marital problems. He does concede that many of his choices for the city are due to a desire to earn a win somewhere in his life. It’s a sad state considering the aggravating decisions he’s making. It is nice to see him own up to the person he should be able to be completely honest with and they share a sweet intimate moment harkening back to their early days.

“The Ghost of Bobby Smallwood” focuses on the inner turmoil within their characters with mixed results.