Season 1 of Syfy's Resident Alien turned out to be a surprise hit, becoming the most-watched new cable drama in the last year in total viewers. It was also Syfy's highest-rated new drama in more than six years in total viewers and earned the second-biggest time-shifting gain for any cable drama in the last year in the same category. It's why the network had no problem moving forward with a Season 2. Let's break down what you need to know and when it'll premiere.
What Happened In Resident Alien So Far?
The first 10 episodes of the series, based on the Dark Horse comic by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, focused on Alan Tudyk's alien replacing Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle in Patience, Colorado. He shape-shifted into the doctor after crash-landing, killing him so he could assimilate his form, recover missing tech and set off a doomsday device.
The alien hoped this mission would gain him reverence back home as his species, after centuries of helping mankind, now deemed humanity as a threat due to their war-hungry ways. This led to conflict within, though, as Harry developed an affinity for the snowy town.
Who Were The Heroes And Villains In Season 1?
Harry wasn't a hero, though, because as he sought the missing parts to his bomb, he made an enemy in a kid, Max, who saw through his disguise. Max and his young friend, Sahar, tried to expose Harry, but in time, they became friends with him. Sadly, Harry's personal life was more than a little chaotic, as it happens when you take over someone else's body. However, thanks to a crush on his assistant, Asta, he found hope again. Deep down, Harry did like the folks he met, including Asta's wily friend, D'Arcy, and the mayor, Ben. But when Asta rejected him for killing the doc, he set the bomb off.
There were other villains too, such as Sheriff Mike and his deputy, Liz, who were admittedly just trying to do their job and figure out who killed Sam, the doctor that Harry replaced. Others were more wicked, such as Asta's abusive ex, Jimmy, as well as Linda Hamilton's General McCallister. The latter sent two government agents, Lisa and David, to find the alien but unfortunately, Lisa turned out to be sociopathic, almost killing Max's family to get to Harry.
When Will Resident Alien Season 2 Premiere - And What's The New Story?
Season 2 will premiere on Jan. 26 on Syfy at 9 P.M. ET, and from the teasers and featurettes, Harry will try to reconnect with humanity and find his place as one of them. Season 1 did end with him growing a conscience, detonating the device in space, but clearly, he and the stowaway Max have returned home in his ship.
With summer in full swing, they'll be forming a best friend bond, with Sahar also helping Harry woo Asta. Harry has also had romantic run-ins with D'Arcy, as well as an ex-wife who didn't realize he was an impersonator, so Season 2 will see Asta, who now knows his secret, trying to protect the truth from them. She'll need the kids help too, as they all know secrecy is the only way to keep him -- and the town -- safe from the military.
Who Will Be The Heroes And Villains In Season 2?
Season 2 will dissect the diverse stories in Patience even more, with focus on Max's parents (Ben and Kate) rekindling their marriage, D'Arcy coping with moving past Ben and not trusting Asta, as well as Asta trying to bond with Jay after she gave her up for adoption when she was a kid. Nathan Fillion's Octopus will return as Harry's ancestor in a restaurant fish tank, while Alex Borstein's Carlyn, a new face in town, seems to be hitting it off with Harry romantically too.
But there are still folks out there who could endanger the town. Mike and Liz are investigating Sam's poisoning, which could unravel Harry's deception and rob him of redemption, making them unwitting antagonists. But more so, McAllister and Lisa will be coming for revenge after Max tricked them into kidnapping the wrong doctor in Ethan. If he survives, this could turn Ethan against Harry too, but thankfully, David is poised to switch sides and help Harry after Lisa and McAllister failed to kill their pawn soldier to keep the conspiracy under wraps.