Sometimes being human can feel a little alien.
Season four of SyFy’s “Resident Alien” is adding more of a human touch to its namesake extraterrestrial character. The show follows Harry, an alien crash-landed on Earth, as he navigates our species’s quirks while trying to on and off again destroy and save the planet. In the newest season turns human. That certainly adds a new layer to the fundamental questions posed by the show. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be an alien — whether literally from outer space or an outsider in one’s own home? The cast weighed in at the June 5 premiere at the London Hotel in West Hollywood.
“That was the challenge for this season — playing the character but no longer an alien,” said Alan Tudyk, who plays the titular role. “I had access to a whole lot of different sides of myself because I was no longer this weird thing. I was just a guy. Playing the alien who can feel. Yeah, that’s a trick, and it’s fun. It’s fun to play because something that is trying to wrestle out of this other being.”
Alan Tudyk on @ResidentAlien pic.twitter.com/JmBnxtPILH
— THE KNOCKTURNAL (@_TheKnockturnal) June 9, 2025
Another touch of humanity is that Harry meets his father, played by legendary character actor and series newcomer Stephen Root. “Harry doesn’t have a nice father. Stephen’s great at playing a bad dad,” said Tudyk.
Harry’s figurative human side has been brought out in past seasons, often by his literal human best friend, Asta. “There’s a lot of differences there, but they have an otherness that brings them together,” said Sara Tomko, who plays Asta. “Now he’s having to deal with being more human, and Asta is having to deal with being a bit more lighthearted than she has been this whole time. So there’s been a chance for us to change roles.”
Sara Tomko talks @ResidentAlien @SYFY pic.twitter.com/iWGS9KID6S
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The new season gives Harry an opportunity to step in the shoes of a human. Each cast member I spoke to on the carpet, however, mused on what they would think of Earthlings if they were an alien. It turns out us humans have weird habits.
Tudyk said reality TV is the most alien thing humans do. Tomko said mirrors. After all, we’re the only animals that constantly look in them. Corey Reynolds, who plays Sheriff Mike, said the fact we walk behind our dogs and pick up poop for them. As an alien, he might think our pets were in charge. Meredith Garretson, who plays Kate, said selfies and the sad reality that we are “so unkind” to one another. She pointed out the show is an antidote to unkindness and high and examines how different people get along. “I think the whole point of the show is that so many people feel other-ed,” she said.
Meredith Garretson on @ResidentAlien @SYFY pic.twitter.com/8w38avxyXf
— THE KNOCKTURNAL (@_TheKnockturnal) June 9, 2025
Season 4 premiered on June 6 on SyFy, with new episodes every week.
