The Cult-Favorite Sci-fi Comedy Killing It On Netflix

So what have Netflix viewers been binging while they wait for the fifth season of "Stranger Things" to finally drop? It's both out of this world and pretty down to earth. Anchored by fan-favorite performer and voice actor extraordinaire Alan Tudyk, "Resident Alien" has managed to climb its way into Netflix's Top 10 in the U.S. According to the streaming viewership aggregator FlixPatrol, it was the platform's eighth-most streamed series on February 14th and continued to ascend the charts in the d

ays that followed. "Is there some more?" It went on to secure the number two spot four days later and has been holding steady there ever since, even ahead of much-buzzed-about Netflix originals like "One Day" and "Griselda." No doubt, its rise was partly fueled by those who caught wind of season 3 kicking off last week on Valentine's Day and decided to give the off-kilter sci-fi mystery-comedy a chance. Even as streaming monsters like Netflix have revolutionized the ways we watch television over

the last decade, Syfy has continued to chug along, powered by genre series like "The Expanse," "The Magicians," "Z Nation," and the ongoing "Chucky." "It's contagious, isn't it?" This makes it the perfect home for an oddball show like "Resident Alien," which casts Tudyk as an extraterrestrial who's hell-bent on invading Earth and exterminating humanity, only to crash-land in the podunk town of Patience, Colorado. Assuming the identity of the local doctor Harry Vanderspeigle, the planet's would-

be conqueror struggles to uphold his disguise — which is a bit difficult being that he learned how to behave like a human by watching "Law & Order" reruns. All the while, he grows fonder of the people around him and comes to realize that some of them might just be worth saving. Tudyk himself is no stranger to niche live-action genre shows, having previously starred in "Doom Patrol" and "Firefly". "Oh my god, what can it be? We're all doomed! Who's flying this thing?" Oh, and don't forget his rol

e in the short-lived "Powerless," a workplace sitcom about non-superpowered individuals in the DC Universe who specialize in developing products to protect civilians from being killed in the never-ending battles between superheroes and supervillains. He's joined in the "Resident Alien" cast by Sara Tomko as Asta Twelvetrees, Patience's head nurse and a Native American woman with a pretty tragic backstory, and iconic Indigenous American actor Gary Farmer as Dan Twelvetrees, Asta's adopted father

and a Vietnam War vet who owns the local eatery, Joe's Diner. Developed for television by Chris Sheridan and adapted from the Dark Horse comic books created by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, "Resident Alien" has taken on a life of its own since it premiered in January 2021. SlashFilm's resident, uh, "Resident Alien" aficionado Valerie Ettenhofer wrote: "Like the show, the 'Resident Alien' comics involve some mystery-solving, some shadowy men in black, and characters like Asta and Dan [...] But

the comics feature more standalone mysteries while the series is by now focused mostly on saving the world from total alien domination." For all the flak Netflix gets for bringing newfound attention to notorious big-screen flops or older shows better off forgotten, it's a blade that cuts both ways and can also shine a light on a more deserving subject like "Resident Alien." The series has been praised by critics since its debut, with Brian Tallerico writing in his review for RogerEbert.com: "At

its best, SyFy’s “Resident Alien” reminded me of the folksy charm of “Northern Exposure,” one of my favorite dramedies of all time. The writing isn’t quite of that caliber—it too often goes for easy character beats instead of nuanced storytelling—but this is a consistently likable show at a time when people could use something comfortable and easy." Robert Lloyd also mentioned the "Northern Exposure" vibes in his review for the Los Angeles Times. He then went on to herald season 1 as a roundly

enjoyable addition to the time-honored tradition of comedy series about other-worldly beings chilling on our pale blue dot — which goes all the way back to "My Favorite Martian" and "Mork & Mindy". "One hand clapping! Until next week - nanu, nanu." As "Resident Alien" continues to expand its audience on Netflix, that only improves its chances of surviving long enough to enjoy a fourth season — an increasing rarity for any show in this current era of television. In the meantime, those who are alr

eady caught up can watch season 3 in real-time as it airs new episodes on Wednesdays on Syfy.