DISCLAIMER: This recap of Resident Alien episode “Love Language” is laden with spoilers. You’ve been warned. Proceed at your own peril.
Welcome back, extraterrestrials! Resident Alien pushed the narrative forward with an action-lite outing. Even though there was less “explosive action” in “Love Language,” strides were made in telling the overall story. Sheriff Mike found a clue via Sam’s toxicology report that proved the latter was poisoned. Asta’s secret about giving up Jay floated to the surface. D’Arcy officially waved the white flag when it came to pursuing Harry. Harry, Max and Sahar formed a truce. Our resident alien dealt with a dilemma of marital proportions. Plus, we got to see how the real Harry Vanderspeigle met his wife.
Ready to delve into “Love Language”? Let’s get to it.
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Now, we open with a flashback. New York City, five years prior. Human Harry (Alan Tudyk) is an esteemed doctor attending an elite art gallery. He meets Isabel (Elvy Yost), the artist of a particularly engaging piece. The pair bond and eventually get married. Well, later. Not at the art gallery.
Present day time! Harry (the alien) is driving his truck. He’s in a mood. It looks as if he deposited the tiny bodies of Max and Sahar, but we see that Max (Judah Prehn) is sleeping in his closet. Mayor Ben (Levi Fiehler) and Kate (Meredith Garretson) find their son inside said closet, much to their delight. They had called Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) and Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) over earlier since they thought their son was missing. Max frantically tells his parents that Harry kidnapped him.
Next, Sahar (Gracelyn Awad Rinke) is questioned by Mike and Liv regarding the events of the previous night. She doesn’t recall touching the levitating apple and falling unconscious from the blast. Her memory must have been wiped.
Meanwhile, Harry is irked to find Isabel is still in his house. She grills him over his whereabouts. He fibs and claims he was buying milk instead of delivering two little humans to their respective homes. Isabel reveals that she’s been trying to get Harry to sign divorce papers, but he hasn’t returned her calls. She presents him with official documents, which he nonchalantly signs. Later that night, while Harry is asleep on the couch, Isabel slinks over and cuddles with him. Initially, he’s not a fan, but she feels like hot ham. Hot ham is nice.
Then, the following day, Harry is irritated that Isabel turned off his alarm clock. Now he doesn’t have time to search the hills for his device. Drats! Time to go be a doctor. At the town diner, we see Mike is having breakfast with his father. His father appears to be ill. He ridicules Mike for not catching Sam’s killer. He’s doing the best he can, pops! D’Arcy (Alice Wetterlund) finds Harry outside the doctor’s office and breaks things off with him. Their kiss the other night was … weird, to say the least. Perhaps a bit too weird. However, she cites that Harry’s massive ego played a primary role in her decision to remain friends. He’s okay with this because he gets to steal the coffee she bought for herself.
Later, Harry runs into Sam’s widow, Abigail (Deborah Finkel). She has a box of Sam’s files in tow should the office require them. Abigail overtly hints that Harry should classify Sam’s death as a murder for, you know, monetary benefits. She’ll even throw in a haircut for him! Harry reveals that he’s still waiting on the official toxicology report from Denver.
Next, Asta (Sara Tomko) waltzes into Harry’s office with a conundrum. She thinks it might be best to fire Jay. However, Isabel steals the show by hurling an accusation of infidelity at Harry. She found Sahar’s hijab in his basement and assumed cheating was at play. Asta didn’t even know he was married. Isabel winds up at D’Arcy’s pub. D’Arcy hooks her up with a strong whiskey and conversation about how unreliable men are, regardless of their species.
Meanwhile, Ben and Kate bring Max into Harry’s office for an apology. Max must apologize to Harry for breaking into his cabin, which is a felony. Harry doesn’t believe the young boy is sincere. He places a slew of photos before Max. He asks the kid to pick the one that looks like Harry. We see a picture of the real Harry Vanderspeigle among a handful of actors. Max selects the wrong image because he can only see Harry’s alien form. Harry tells Kate that Max may suffer from face blindness among a myriad of other things. He suggests they send Max to a special school in Georgia. For his rehabilitation or whatever.
Then, Asta finds Jay (Kaylayla Raine) riffling through Sam’s files. She spots a detailed document regarding Asta and her baby. Jay realizes that Asta is her real mother. She storms out, infuriated that Asta would withhold this information from her. Harry joins Asta outside and attempts to comfort her in his weird, alien way. Jimmy (Ben Cotton), Asta’s toxic, abusive ex-boyfriend, enters the scene. They decide to have lunch together at the diner. Harry sits in the next booth in case Asta needs protection. His friendship with her is adorable. Asta reveals that Jay is their daughter. She’s been working with Asta at the office. Asta knew the whole time but kept Jimmy in the dark about it. Like Jay, he storms out in a rage.
Thankfully, Dan (Gary Farmer) swoops in and reassures Asta that she did the right thing at the time. She was only a kid herself. Now, Jay has two loving parents that would give her the world. Dan is so wholesome. We love him. Harry arrives at home to find a resplendent meal courtesy of Isabel. Apparently, she found the meat in his freezer. Harry, in a panic, ensures that the real Harry Vanderspeigle’s corpse is still concealed. Next, Isabel seduces him with a song, which reels him right in for a smooch. D’Arcy shows up with a bottle of wine in hand, but she eventually leaves after seeing Isabel in Harry’s arms.
Meanwhile, Max overhears Ben and Kate discussing the school in Georgia. Kate is convinced that sending Max away might be in his best interest. Ben pushes back. Max calls Sahar on his walkie-talkie and reveals that he might be leaving. Sahar still believes that Harry’s an alien, she just doesn’t remember the evening they broke into his cabin. This is also a friendship I adore.
Now, Harry and Isabel are getting it on. She’s convinced that he still loves her, especially after spotting her painting that’s mounted on his wall. Signed divorce papers be damned! This is Harry’s first time engaging in human coitus. He’s befuddled by the curious contraption that’s housing Isabel’s bosom, but he manages to work around it. After the intercourse, he’s dismayed to hear that Isabel wants to stay. Forever.
Later, Max and Sahar meet with Harry at the diner. The kids want to forge a truce. Let bygones be bygones. Harry must tell Max’s parents that their son is perfectly normal. In return, Max and Sahar vow to keep Harry’s real identity a secret. Let’s hug it out, folks! We see the trio participating in genuine conversation for the first time. How cute! Jay rebuffs Asta when she spots the latter outside. However, she heartily accepts a free meal from Dan, especially when he notes that family eats for free. We must protect Dan at all costs.
Next, Liv brings in Sam’s toxicology report for Mike’s perusal. We learn that Sam was poisoned. Meaning, he was murdered. Mike is elated. Who doesn’t love solving a murder? That night, Harry sits in bed while Isabel snores. He contemplates killing her. However, once she moves on her side, the snoring abates. He decides she can live for another day. Marriage, am I right?
RELATED: Catch up on all the extraterrestrial shenanigans with our Resident Alien recaps!
“Love Language” is brimming with heart, which, to me, is the crux of Resident Alien. What does it mean to be human, anyway? Harry progresses as a character in this installment, especially by bonding with Max and Sahar. Even in the narration, he explains that he only “despised” Max because he felt exposed. It’s a common human reaction when you’re in a vulnerable state. Asta’s secret may have formed a rift between her and Jay, but it’s nice to see her family rally behind her. I dig Harry’s blossoming bond with Asta as well. I think the human connections he’s cultivated will prevent him from ultimately destroying the planet.
Do you think Harry will stay “married” to Isabel? Will Lisa Casper find him soon? Can Max and Sahar keep Harry’s identity under wraps? Join me next week as I recap Resident Alien, here on Geek Girl Authority.
Resident Alien airs Wednesdays at 10 pm on your Syfy affiliate.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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