DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Resident Alien episode “Family Day” has spoilers. Microwave that day-old pizza, cue up the Law & Order reruns and proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, residents of Patience! We’ve reached the halfway point in Resident Alien‘s second season, and things are on the upswing. The last two episodes weren’t a representation of the show’s best work. While there were amusing moments throughout, it felt like the dreaded “sophomore slump.” Thankfully, “Family Day” chronicles a turning point in the season.
This episode brims with heart and humor, harkening back to the show’s stellar first season. It’s a stark reminder of why we all fell in love with Resident Alien in the first place. Every scene with Harry and Liza is golden, and we need more sitcom-like scenarios wherein Harry must endure and adapt to human rules. Additionally, it’s great to see more of the enigmatic Sheriff Mike’s backstory.
Ready to dig deep into “Family Day”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) in Washington D.C. five years before, chasing a perpetrator with Jesse, his best friend and partner. Jesse pursues the perp on foot. Suddenly, Mike hears a gunshot, so he calls for backup. Unfortunately, Jesse dies from his wounds.
Later, someone finds Mike drinking alone in his apartment after the fatal shooting. This person hands Mike Jesse’s puppy — it’s baby Cletus! The mystery someone believes Jesse would want Mike to take in Cletus.
In this scene, Reynolds delivers a vulnerable, heartstring-tugging performance, a far cry from what we’ve seen from Mike thus far.
After an emotional night, Asta (Sara Tomko) wakes up in Jimmy’s (Ben Cotton) house. Jimmy reassures her that they didn’t do anything; however, Asta flees quickly.
Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) shows Mike what she’s constantly scribbling in her notebook. It’s about the “missing day” in her memory. She doesn’t recall taking her dress to the dry cleaners or the FBI agent urging them to abandon Harry Vanderspeigle as a suspect in the murder case.
Meanwhile, D’Arcy (Alice Wetterlund) avoids a run-in with Asta at the clinic when Ellen (Diana Bang) covers for her. After that disastrous dinner with her parents, an inebriated D’Arcy ran into a tree.
Harry (Alan Tudyk) tells Asta about the phone number from New York that responded to his device. She urges him to call said number. It’s a pizzeria! Maybe the alien in NYC loves pizza as much as Harry? Asta declares they’ll make a break for the Big Apple soon.
Mike calls Harry to the sheriff’s office to pick up a teenage girl — Liza Vanderspeigle (Taylor Blackwell), Human Harry’s daughter. This surprise throws Harry and Asta for a loop. They take Liza to Joe’s Diner for a bite and a chat.
Of course, Liza’s your stereotypical rebellious, hormonal teenager who thinks they’re right about everything. Liza notices that Harry seems different. Harry claims that he’s high. Hey, it’s legal in Colorado.
According to Liza, Human Harry was a sh*tty father who went through the motions. But her mother’s worse; she’s in Italy getting “fingered on a Vespa.”
Ben (Levi Fiehler) and Max (Judah Prehn) find Liv in the local cemetery. Patience’s “Family Day” is nigh, and Ben has big plans, including an original musical about The 59. Meanwhile, Max tries to excavate a grave, which tracks.
Mike has lunch with his father, Lewis (Alvin Sanders), at Joe’s Diner. Lewis eagerly informs his son about the positive results from a recent biopsy. Mike doesn’t recall driving his father to the doctor’s office for said biopsy, serving as a stark side effect of Harry’s memory-erasing abilities.
Later, Harry, a.k.a. Chef BoyarHarry, cooks flavorless, gut-busting pasta for his daughter. He sends her to her room without supper for her insubordination and mouthiness. No tasteless food for you!
D’Arcy confronts Asta after learning that the latter spent the night with Jimmy. Our BFFs proceed to bicker, culminating in a stinging final retort from Asta about D’Arcy’s unlucky dating history.
Sahar (Gracelyn Awad Rinke) and Max find a letter from Harry detailing his kidnapping of the canine Sahar walks. If the little sh*t tickets return Harry’s alien tech ball, then he’ll hand over the pup.
A montage plays out featuring Harry trying to win Liza over by partaking in various father-daughter activities. He paints his toenails, creates a picturesque tea party complete with a canine companion and even graciously offers to demonstrate how to put on a condom with a banana. Once Liza flees in disgust, Harry switches it up with a glazed doughnut. Maybe it’s time for the sex demonstration?
It’s officially Family Day, and Ben is taken aback to find Abigail Hodges (Deborah Finkel) among the town’s attendees. Kate (Meredith Garretson) and Kayla (Sarah Podemski) remind him that Abigail’s innocent. Harry and Liza drive to the Family Day festivities, and the latter asks to get behind the wheel. Harry reluctantly allows this, even though it ends with Liza narrowly avoiding an oncoming car and almost swerving into a ditch.
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Max and Sahar head to Lisa Casper and David Logan’s old camper in the woods to search for the alien tech ball. However, it’s missing, and we see that David (Alex Barima) has it in his possession. He accidentally spills his coffee, but the ball detects the liquid, levitating above the alien tech.
Next, Harry and Liza engage in a water balloon fight at Family Day, which quickly devolves into a watery disaster when they turn on Ben. Harry and Liza are adorable together, and I hope we get more scenes featuring Father Harry in future episodes.
Asta forgives Abigail, asserting the latter’s innocence. Abigail paints a David Bowie lightning bolt on Asta’s face. As a hardcore Bowie fan, I have to call out Resident Alien for incorrectly referring to the lightning bolt makeup as “Ziggy Stardust.” It’s on the Aladdin Sane album!
After their water balloon fight, Harry and Liza finally bond. Asta partakes in the “Trial by Fire” eating contest, which might not end well for anyone. Mike pulls Harry aside and asks him to perform a medical examination. Mike believes something’s wrong with his brain because of his memory loss. So, Harry performs another mind wipe on him under the guise of guiding him through meditation.
Meanwhile, everyone loses the eating competition, save Ellen, who ousts incumbent champion D’Arcy as the new winner.
Later, everyone attends the opening night of Ben’s musical. It leaves some Patience residents in a confused state, especially that audacious closing number about uncles becoming daddies and mommies drinking because they’re miserable. Look, you had to be there. It might not get the best review in The New York Times.
Asta and D’Arcy reconcile, and D’Arcy vows to support her bestie through thick and thin. Asta concedes that going to Jimmy’s wasn’t the best idea, and the pair decide to burn Jimmy’s hoodie, previously taking up space in Asta’s car. Stick it to abusive jerks!
Liza says goodbye to Harry and Asta before hopping on a bus to head home. She embraces her father, and it’s abundantly clear that Alien Harry resolved the lingering issues between Human Harry and Liza. I hope we see her again. Harry decides he’s ready for New York now.
Liv confesses to Mike her belief that an alien erased their memories, and our sheriff laughs it off even though it’s true. He claims to remember what happened that day exactly. We see the event Harry planted in Mike’s head: a fishing trip with Lewis. Mike lamented that he never spent quality time with his father, and now Harry gave him a treasured memory. How sweet!
RELATED: Catch up on all the extraterrestrial antics with our Resident Alien recaps!
Do you think we’ll see more of Lisa Casper and General McCallister at some point? What will Harry find in New York — another alien or an enemy? How many things did Judy shove into her mouth to prep for the eating contest? We might never know the answer to that last question but stick around for more recap action from moi, only on Geek Girl Authority.
Resident Alien airs Wednesdays at 9 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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