‘Resident Alien’ Season 3 Gets Disappointing Update
Resident Alien has been officially renewed for a season 3 by Syfy, meaning the quirky dramedy starring Alan Tudyk as an alien intruder will return. With season 2 ending with many unresolved plot points, anticipation is high for the upcoming season.
Resident Alien first premiered in 2021 and is based on the Dark Horse comic book of the same name by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse. It follows an alien with an unpronounceable birth name who travels to Earth on a mission to destroy the human race. To complete the mission, he impersonates a human doctor named Harry Vanderspeigle (Tudyk). However, while disguised as Vanderspeigle, he begins to learn about the ways of humans and develops empathy for them, leading him to question his mission.
Although the premise sounds fairly dark, Resident Alien is still laugh-out-loud hilarious and surprisingly heartwarming. Tudyk proves his acting talent with this bizarre and awkward role and makes the story of an alien slowly learning the ways of humans much more believable. It has been especially intriguing to see Vanderspeigle embracing his humanity and morphing into more of a heroic figure, with season 3 expected to delve further into this storyline.
Here’s everything we know about Resident Alien season 3 so far.
Resident Alien season 3 is farther away than we hoped
Resident Alien season 3 wrapped filming in May 2023, raising hope that the series might premiere by late 2023. Given that the first two seasons premiered just a year apart, a speedy release date for season 3 was also anticipated. However, news about Resident Alien largely tapered off after filming wrapped, likely due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Meanwhile, TVLine reported that the show isn’t expected to drop until sometime in 2024. A trailer or teaser could still arrive this year, though, especially if the season gets an early 2024 release date.
One thing that has been confirmed about season 3 is that it will have fewer episodes. While season 1 consisted of 10 episodes and season 2 of 16, Syfy has ordered just eight episodes for Resident Alien season 3. Initially, it was renewed for 12 episodes, but the cut was announced in November. The cut was likely due to Resident Alien‘s viewership rates falling slightly in season 2, although it’s still one of Syfy’s most popular series. Shorter episode counts are becoming more common as studios seek to minimize costs and risks. Shows including The Umbrella Academy and Superman & Lois have also received reduced episode orders upon being renewed.
What to expect for Resident Alien season 3
All of Resident Alien’s main cast is expected to return for season 3. Tudyk will, of course, return to lead the series as the impersonation of Vanderspeigle, while Keith Arbuthnot will portray the character in alien form. Sara Tomko will return to co-star in season 3 as Asta Twelvetrees, who serves as Vanderspeigle’s assistant and is one of the earliest characters privy to his true identity. Twelvetrees’s best friend, D’Arcy Bloom, is also expected to return, portrayed by Alice Wetterlund.
The Hawthorne family will also return in Resident Alien season 3. Levi Fiehler portrays Ben Hawthrone, the town’s mayor, while Meredith Garretson portrays his wife, Kate, and Judah Prehn portrays their son, Max, who can see through Vanderspeigle’s disguise to his true alien form. Sheriff Mike Thompson (Corey Reynolds) and Deputy Olivia “Liv” Baker (Elizabeth Bowen) will also return as the town of Patience’s sparse police force. Linda Hamilton is also expected to return in an elevated role as General Eleanor McCallister, who formed an alliance with Vanderspeigle in season 2.
Other cast members expected to return in season 3 are Gary Farmer as Dan Twelvetrees, Kaylayla Raine as Jay, Diana Bang as Nurse Ellen Cho, Gracelyn Awad Rinke as Sahar, and Deborah Finkel as Abigail Hodges. George Takei may also return as the voice of the Greys’ leader.
Resident Alien season 2 ended on quite the cliffhanger, so it’s not difficult to tell where season 3 will go plotwise. In the season 2 finale, in a shockingly selfless and human moment, Vanderspeigle rejected the opportunity to flee Earth given the impending invasion of another alien race, the Greys. He decides to stay behind, tasking himself with stopping the invasion and seeking out General McCallister for help. Not only did the season finale see him embracing his humanity, but also fatherhood, as he sent his future baby, Bridget, to safety. However, showrunner Chris Sheridan has teased Bridget’s return in season 3 to explore Vanderspeigle’s feelings towards parenthood further. The stakes will be higher than ever as Vanderspeigle races to save the humans he has grown to love and as the rest of the town comes to terms with his identity and the impending invasion.
(featured image: Syfy)
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