Category: Directed by Brennan Shroff

Resident Alien (2021) s02e14 – Cat and Mouse

“Resident Alien”’s been leaning on the soundtrack a lot this half-season. Usually, it’s too much country country rock, but this episode’s got some great songs, used to excellent effect. It’s like someone didn’t like how they were doing it and fixed it.

Thank goodness.

There are only a couple more episodes this season, so it would seem this episode is moving the chess pieces into position for the season finale. The episode starts teasing Linda Hamilton’s latest discovery, along with an unexpected character reveal; it’s unexpected enough the show might be able to wrap her arc this season.

But she’s only in it for the opening. The rest of the episode is the regular cast about their business, with Alice Wetterlund’s painkiller addiction the main character development plot. The A plot is Alan Tudyk dealing with returning guest star Terry O’Quinn, come to town at sheriff’s deputy Elizabeth Bowen’s request. O’Quinn’s an alien hunter who can see real aliens, just like little kid Judah Prehn, which O’Quinn soon realizes and sets about turning Prehn against Tudyk.

Both those arcs—Wetterlund’s and Tudyk’s—go a lot darker than expected. When “Alien” started, it was a far cry from the Capraesque comic series, but it’s mellowed since the start. This episode removes the mellow.

The subplots include mayor Levi Fiehler and wife Meredith Garretson fighting over the planned resort; Fiehler supports it, Garretson does not. Garretson’s helping Sarah Podemski with her injunction against construction; the show says Podemski’s character’s name about sixty-four times in a three-minute scene, so it’s like they knew no one else could remember it either. It’s Kayla, incidentally.

Podemski plays a little support in Sara Tomko’s subplot later on; Tomko’s reeling from meeting her real mom last episode, which gives her and her friends (save Tudyk) all sorts of feelings. Well, not Wetterlund either, because she’s self-destructing, particularly with boyfriend Justin Rain. But there’s a little movement on Tomko’s plot, enough they’ll be able to do something with it before the end of the season.

Then Corey Reynolds has his awkward romance arc with Nicola Correia-Danube still going while conspiring with Fiehler against Garretson and those danged environmentalists.

Another packed episode, especially since the show’s making sure to give Jenna Lamia at least one great comedic scene an episode. She actually might get two here.

Lovely little moments from Gary Farmer, too, as he tries to help adopted daughter Tomko navigate her latest emotional trauma.

They’re in good shape; can’t wait to see where they close up this season.

Resident Alien (2021) s02e13 – Harry, a Parent

If “Resident Alien” keeps bringing Sarah Podemski back as a regular recurring, she needs to have some kind of name credit. Podemski plays Kayla, one of Sara Tommy’s cousins (or not); regardless, they’re both Native and interested in historical and cultural preservation, which is why Podemski’s important to Meredith Garretson’s new subplot. She and husband Levi Fiehler are at odds over the new resort, and he’s putting his foot down in a macho display, impressing no one.

Podemski figures in late in the episode, after the action moves to Alice Wetterlund’s skiing qualifier. She’s been getting antsy since last episode, taking too many painkillers, and being crappy to new boyfriend Justin Rain. She’s running low on painkillers and wants Alan Tudyk to give her injections at the race. Tudyk doesn’t want to help her, but she threatens not to give him churros, so he agrees.

But before Tudyk can juice Wetterlund before a competition, he and Sara Tomko have to go track down her mother, whose address appears in a first act deus ex machina for that very back-burnered subplot.

Then Elizabeth Bowen’s trying to get Corey Reynolds to stay in small mountain town Colorado and not move back to Washington D.C., even though he hasn’t asked dad Alvin Sanders for permission.

The main plot is Wetterlund’s competition, with Tomko’s parenting arc the main subplot. It ties into Tudyk’s newly revealed backstory subplot, which the episode otherwise ignores—intentionally, Tudyk’s not interested in it, not when he still doesn’t know the identity of the invading aliens. Garretson’s continuing problems with Fiehler (who’s more amusing when he’s unsympathetic, which I’d forgotten) and Reynolds’s moving plans pack the rest of the episode. It’s very full. There are at least two subplots the show’s ignoring this episode.

There’s also a big-name guest star in the opening titles. If you miss the credit, it’s a fantastic surprise; the scene’s set up on at least two layers, to be a surprise, so foreshadowing with the credit’s too bad. But even if you see the credit and are waiting for someone to arrive… it’s still awesome.

Some great acting from Tudyk, Reynolds, and Tomko. Gary Farmer’s got a devastating moment or two. Wetterlund does okay; it’s not an easy part this episode because she’s being self-destructive. Garretson’s better when Fiehler’s being a twerp too.

It’s not what I was expecting—“Alien” introduced a bombshell at the end of the last episode, didn’t do anything with it, and dropped another one here. They’ve got three episodes left, which might be enough to resolve some things, but they’ll have to get moving.

Thank goodness they’ve got the third season renewal already.