By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
The Netflix Effect is when a series experiences a sudden surge in popularity after its been added to the streaming service. Breaking Bad, added before Season 4 premiered, exploded in popularity now that the first three seasons were easily accessible, and more recently, the sci-fi series Manifest proved to be so popular on streaming, it defied cancellation. Resident Alien, a cable sci-fi comedy, is the most recent series to benefit from the Netflix Effect, making it one of the most popular shows airing today seemingly overnight.
Resident Alien Gets Weird
Starring Alan Tudyk as an alien sent to destroy the human race, Resident Alien wastes no time in complicating his mission and getting Netflix viewers hooked when he stumbles into the role of town doctor for the rural community of Patience, Colorado. Considered bizarre, but oddly endearing by most of the locals, the alien takes on the guise of Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, and settles in, having finally found his place in the universe. Of course, the show can’t be that simple, and not only does Harry get his hands back on his doomsday device, but there’s a telepathic octopus, amnesia, time travel, the military, and a shadowy cabal well aware of the existence of aliens.
Resident Alien has fun on Netflix by tossing every single sci-fi alien trope into a blender and seeing what comes out. Thankfully, alongside Tudyk, the cast playing the quirky residents of Patience are all on the same wavelength, including his medical assistant, Asta (Sara Tomko), her son, Max, who can see Harry’s true alien form, D’arcy, the local bar owner who tries, unsuccessfully of course, to woo Harry, and befitting the modern Westing stylings of Patience, the town Sheriff, Mike, who wanted a quiet job after working as a cop in D.C.
There are even other sci-fi stars who stop by Resident Alien, including Terry O’Quinn (Lost) as a podcaster trying to expose aliens on Earth, Ben Cotton (Stargate Atlantis) as Asta’s ex-husband, Tudyk’s fellow Dollhouse co-star, Enver Gjokai as Joseph, a town resident with nothing to hide, and of course, Nathan Fillion, as the voice of 42, the telepathic octopus, because where Tudyk goes, his BFF follows, and vice-versa.
Alan Tudyk Gets A Win
Thanks to the quality writing, legit laughs, and the sheer charm of Alan Tudyk unleashed as a real leading man for the first time, Resident Alien is a favorite of everyone who watches it, and thanks to Netflix, it’s more people than ever. The problem, at first, was it was a SyFy original and a victim of the ever-decreasing number of households that have cable. With the first three seasons available to stream on the largest platform, millions more are getting their first taste of life in Patience.
Social media is also boosting Resident Alien thanks to its newfound reach on Netflix, with clips of Harry being, well, Harry. Turns out, trying to learn how to behave properly as a human, and becoming incredibly confused over the contradictions of living in a society is very relatable to a lot of people. That and Alan Tudyk did go to Juilliard, and after decades of being the best part of countless shows and movies, he deserved a chance to be a star, and it just happens to be in the new most popular show airing today.
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