Resident Alien: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: Cozy Sci-Fi

After four seasons and 44 episodes, Syfy’s recent hit series is now collected in this new Blu-ray box set. The show follows the comical misadventures of an alien marooned on Earth as he tries to fit in with the oddball residents of a small Colorado wilderness town. Part Northern Exposure, part Eureka, part E.T., the show stars Alan Tudyk as the shipwrecked alien trying to complete his mission and return home. Unfortunately for the Earthlings, his mission is the total annihilation of the human race.

Based on a Dark Horse comic book series, the show dampens its deadly premise by making the alien a bumbling fool who quickly loses sight of his mission in favor of Earth’s wonders. Mostly those wonders include large quantities of milk, pie, and pizza, but he also soon integrates into the daily workings of society by shapeshifting into the form of a human doctor he killed upon landing. As he secretly works on finding and reassembling the pieces of his crashed vehicle and doomsday device, he also grows closer to the residents, including the lovely and kind Asta (Sara Tomko). No, it’s not a love story, primarily because Tudyk’s Harry character is such a weirdo, but the two become fast friends and confidants.

Season One details Harry’s plans to complete his mission, but of course he learns to love his new home along the way, setting up new motivation to save the planet from both his people and other alien races in the following seasons. He also finds himself with an alien baby to raise, an alien girlfriend of a different species, and a burgeoning medical practice as the town’s doctor. The stakes are decidedly low, with more attention paid to the town’s interpersonal relationships than the galactic danger, making this another in Syfy’s legacy stable of cozy sci-fi series alongside Eureka and Warehouse 13. It also keeps the fx budget low, with Harry in human form most of the time and limited visual pyrotechnics.

Oddly, Tudyk becomes more bizarre as the seasons progress, hamming it up to the point that it’s inconceivable that any locals would still think Harry is a normal human. As such, enjoyment of the series is largely down to viewer tolerance for Tudyk’s unhinged mugging, as the rest of the supporting cast are stuck with mundane storylines about their daily lives and occasional romances. Guest stars include sci-fi royalty such as Linda Hamilton, Nathan Fillion, and George Takei, as well as The Righteous Gemstones standout Edi Patterson, adding fun occasional boosts to the mix. There’s plenty of comedy, and the tone is always light, making this a show where it’s just kind of nice to stop in and hang out for a while, as long as Tudyk doesn’t irritate your sensibilities.

The Blu-ray box set collects the previously released single-season sets into a slipcase, retaining the individual cases for each season. The only bonus feature is deleted scenes, adding a bit more comedy to the package. As a recently produced show, image and sound quality are impeccable, with the industry standard DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 format providing ample ambient range for the frequent “Colorado” exteriors shot around scenic British Columbia.