RESIDENT ALIEN S3 E6 Review: Relationship Issues

Relationships: can't live with them, can't live without them.

Resident Alien, S3 E6
The series airs on Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. E.S.T. on SYFY and streams next day on Peacock.

This week's episode fleshes out four relationships on the show that are all intense, to varying degrees, and suggests that each relationship will have a bearing on the overall arc of this season.

In last week's episode, Harry (Alan Tudyk), the titular visitor from outer space, fell into a delirious affair with avian alien Heather (Edi Patterson). Now he must deal with a big challenge to his first love.

The relationship between longtime best friends -- and now housemates -- Asta (Sara Tomko) and D'arcy (Alice Wetterlund) is put to the test as Asta welcomes her daughter into their household, which doesn't sit well with D'arcy. The teen's typical messiness unintentionally turns up the heat in long-simmering issues between the two friends.

Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) and Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) get along well because the Sheriff is only too happy to take credit for Liv's ideas. He's been portrayed as a lovable buffoon at times, but this episode highlights his concern for others that he cares about, especially Liv, as he kindly encourages her to tackle her personal fears.

Mayor Ben (Levi Fiehler) and his wife Kate (Meredith Garretson) have grown increasingly distant from each other as they each grapple with memories that they've kept to themselves and never shared: their (separate) abductions by aliens. That has come increasingly to the fore for Kate, as she struggles mightily to figure out why she has such terrifying memories of events she cannot fully recall.

In the lead role as Harry, Alan Tudyk entered the show as the most recognizable face. He fully lives up to his star billing, continually adding layers to his character that are remarkably comic yet touchingly poignant.

The past dozen episodes have created more space for the supporting cast to be showcased, however, and it has been quite enjoyable to watch the relationships between all the characters develop. Harry's experiences inform the spine of the narrative, yet the show's heart continues to be shared among all the leading players.

Episode 6, which is titled "Bye Bye Birdie" for good reason, deepens each character, easing a path to greater investment in their fates, and, oh yes, the fate of the Earth, which remains in peril from the threat posed by the Grey aliens. The episode leaves that in question.

If you don't have SYFY on your cable system, you'll find this streaming on Peacock the next day. Seasons One and Two are available to stream on Peacock and on Netflix.