After a long hiatus, Resident Alien is back — and it wastes no time throwing viewers straight into cosmic chaos. The SYFY series opens Season 4 with a wild ride of identity swaps, alien invasions, missing heads, and plenty of quirky humor. Episode 1, titled “PRISONERS”, marks a dramatic shift as Harry (Alan Tudyk) finds himself literally imprisoned on the Moon while an alien known as the Mantid takes his place in Patience. What follows is a bizarre and hilarious chain of events that only Resident Alien could pull off.
ESCAPE PLAN GONE WRONG
The episode opens with Harry and Bridget attempting a rescue mission to find Asta (Sara Tomko) and D’arcy (Alice Wetterlund). Instead, Harry discovers an unexpected prisoner on the Greys’ Moon base: Pizza Joe, his delivery guy. But this isn’t just a guy with garlic knots — Pizza Joe is the Mantid, a shape-shifting alien with a sinister plan. Fooled by the act, Harry releases the Mantid, who promptly switches places with him. While Harry lands behind bars, the Mantid makes himself comfortable in Harry’s cabin on Earth.
Back on the Moon, Harry grows a beard and teaches fellow prisoner Robert (Paul Piaskowski) to draw portraits of his friends back in Patience. Meanwhile, the Mantid (voiced with delightful menace by Clancy Brown) is embracing Earth life with some serious swagger — cigarettes, slicked-back hair, and snarky sarcasm.
PATIENCE GETS A LITTLE STRANGER
In Patience, no one suspects that the Harry they’re greeting is a deadly alien imposter. Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds), Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen), and even Mayor Ben (Levi Fiehler) and his wife Kate (Meredith Garretson) are all fooled. When “Harry” lights a newspaper dispenser on fire during a casual chat, the townsfolk chalk it up to Harry just being, well, Harry.
Asta and D’arcy, however, start to feel that something’s off. Asta, fresh off a night with the half-alien Joseph (Enver Gjokaj), is suspicious of “Harry’s” odd behavior. Meanwhile, D’arcy is busy raising Ben and Kate’s baby (whom she’s affectionately named Daisy) and trying not to get too attached. But with the Greys still after the child, keeping her hidden is priority number one.
MAX, SAHAR, AND THE MANTID MISSION
Max (Judah Prehn) and Sahar (Gracelyn Awad Rinke) are back in alien-hunting mode. Having narrowly escaped the Mantid before, they now spy on him and Asta, convinced she’s turned to the dark side. Sahar, always the planner, has even created a Mantid-repelling spray she calls “Manticide.”
While the kids prepare to launch an assault on the cabin, things are heating up at the clinic, where “Harry” makes an awkward attempt to seduce Asta. His creepy behavior and talk of mating — not to mention the lighting of two cigarettes at once — sends her fleeing.
ESCAPE FROM THE MOON BASE
Back on the Moon, Harry teams up with fellow inmates Robert and Bridget to orchestrate an escape. They convince Bruce, a Grey with a fascination for Earth, to help them. Since the base’s guards are on strike (of course), Bruce agrees, excited for the chance to visit Earth. The trio escapes and heads home, hoping to stop the Mantid before more damage is done.
Meanwhile, Liv brings Peter (Terry O’Quinn), now legless and hiding in a cave, his favorite fried chicken — which he can’t eat anymore. Despite this tragicomic moment, Liv presses him for answers about who shot him and turned him into a Terminator, but Peter refuses to put her in danger.
THERAPY, TENSION, AND A RETURN TO DUTY
At the town diner, Ben and Mike discuss therapy sessions, insurance limits, and Liv’s suspiciously oversized uniform. Mike remains on leave from the sheriff’s department, disillusioned after what he believes was an alien hallucination. Liv, however, is still convinced what he saw was real.
In one particularly strange therapy session, the Mantid sits across from Mike, contemplating whether to eat him and grill his head with fennel. Meanwhile, D’arcy continues hiding Daisy and spying on Ben and Kate with hidden cameras.
SHOWDOWN AT THE CABIN
The climax comes when Asta visits “Harry” with pizza. The Mantid assumes it’s a mating ritual and makes a disturbing advance. Asta flees, only to run into Max and Sahar outside. When the Mantid reveals himself and invites them inside — preparing to “season” them for dinner — all seems lost.
Then, real Harry bursts in, having returned from the Moon. Asta and Sahar are relieved, but Max doesn’t recognize him, having only seen Harry in his alien form. Harry tries to transform but fails — his alien powers seem gone. In a last-ditch effort, Sahar uses her alien zapper to knock the Mantid unconscious. The team escapes, piling into Asta’s car and speeding off.
BACK TO WORK AND BIGGER THREATS
Mike returns to his office, ready to get back on the job. He gifts Liv a uniform that actually fits — a small but sweet gesture that shows he’s ready to believe again.
Later, Kate is interrogated by glowing green alien spheres asking about her missing daughter. D’arcy, instead of spying, decides to hand Daisy over to Kayla (Sarah Podemski) for safekeeping. That decision might not be reversible.
Robert, on the other hand, takes Bruce to Las Vegas for his long-dreamed-of Earth visit. Meanwhile, D’arcy clutches Daisy’s baby blanket, mourning the separation.
In the final moments, Harry ponders the loss of his alien form and what that means for the fight ahead. The car speeds through the forest, with Asta at the wheel, and the team reunited — but with many more battles ahead.
Resident Alien Season 4 has officially blasted off — and it’s weirder, darker, and funnier than ever. With Harry possibly human, a dangerous alien still lurking, and the baby’s fate uncertain, Patience might not be patient much longer.
Catch all-new episodes of Resident Alien every Friday at 11 PM ET on SYFY and USA Network.
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