DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Resident Alien episode “The Weight” has spoilers. Microwave that day-old pizza, cue up the Law & Order reruns and proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, residents of Patience! This week’s Resident Alien outing kicks the narrative into high gear, presenting the season’s most propulsive installment yet. It feels like we’re heading somewhere now. “The Weight” represents more than merely the emotional burden on Asta’s shoulders — it bursts open the dam regarding McCallister’s endgame, brings Ethan Stone back into the fold and teases the new, formidable alien in town.
Oh, and Mike and Liv are one step closer to solving a handful of connected cases. Oh, oh, and McCallister arrives in Patience to find the genuine extraterrestrial article who happens to sit only a few feet from her in the local pub. Essentially, a lot of sh*t goes down.
Ready to delve into “The Weight”? Let’s get to it.
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Who’s the Real Alien?
We open with David Logan (Alex Barima) and General McCallister (Linda Hamilton) overseeing their extraterrestrial, top-secret governmental organization from afar. McCallister’s hellbent on pinpointing the mole. We see a series of beds with unconscious humans supervised by watchful attendants, Ethan Stone (Michael Cassidy) sitting forlornly in his cell and none other than the mysterious man, a.k.a. Joseph, played by Enver Gjokaj, who happens to work there.
Next, the man Joseph locks up remembers the former’s an alien and claims he’s merely human. Joseph roughs him up, explaining that the man shouldn’t recall anything about what transpired between them. David points out the peculiar incident on camera, but McCallister shrugs it off, claiming the man shouldn’t be touching the guards. Fun fact: Gjokaj and Alan Tudyk were both on Dollhouse, and this setup emits major Dollhouse vibes.
Later, Harry (Tudyk) tries to connect with Asta (Sara Tomko) at work, but she gives him the cold shoulder. He withholds that he killed Gerard, which might rear its head later down the road. Meanwhile, Ben (Levi Fiehler) offers Kate (Meredith Garretson) coffee, forgetting that, as a pregnant woman, coffee is a no-no. Max (Judah Prehn) expresses his desire to play drums in the school band, and a kit will arrive shortly.
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Of course, loud drumming isn’t conducive to a relaxed atmosphere for, you know, babies. Kate urges Ben to refrain from spilling the beans until the baby cooks a bit more. That’s how it works biologically, right?
AB Is MIA
Then, Harry wanders into the collapsed mine in search of the alien baby. He finds evidence of AB’s shapeshifting into a human. Speaking of aliens masquerading as humans, Sahar (Gracelyn Awad Rinke) teaches AB (Kesler Talbot), who inhabited the long-dead body of Bobby Smallwood, to relieve himself behind a tree instead of in his pants. No such luck, though.
Meanwhile, Asta and D’Arcy (Alice Wetterlund) chat at the diner. Asta is struggling to make things right with Jay while the weight of killing someone threatens to crush her. D’Arcy admits inviting Elliott into her life poses a new set of problems. Now she must keep the secret of her contribution to the murder. D’Arcy wonders if her “haunted house” energy will royally fork up Elliott.
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As much as I love how supportive these two are, this moment felt insensitive on D’Arcy’s part. I feel Asta needed support, and she’s expressed how much she’s struggling. Instead, D’Arcy addresses a personal issue that doesn’t quite match, “I killed someone, and the daughter I gave up for adoption who I’m trying to reconnect with hates me.” It’s a “read the room” moment that doesn’t land. I say this as someone who adores D’Arcy.
Later, Dan (Gary Farmer) asks Asta if she can urge Harry to pay his tab. Asta reveals she’s trying to distance herself from Harry. She doesn’t need the added stress.
Questioning Asta
Then, Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds), Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) and Detective Lena (Nicola Correia-Damude) ask Asta some questions at the health clinic. They procure a photo of the man she shot, asking if she might know him as one of Sam Hodges’ patients since Sam’s medical documents ended up in the dead man’s trunk. Asta fibs, claiming she’s never seen him before. Lena believes Asta’s lying, though.
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Next, Harry enlists Max’s aid in locating AB. Max orders Harry to buy the drumset he wants and give him money. However, Max promises to earn said money by doing chores for Harry. That seems like a fair deal.
Lena shows Mike and Liv the wallet that was once in AB’s tiny stomach. Hence why, in the immortal words of Sheriff Mike Thompson, it smells like an “ass factory.” Liv believes the other missing men from New Jersey could be hiding on the trail. Lena suggests they send a team to search.
Keeping Up With the Vanderspeigle/Hawthornes
Later, we see Max performing various tasks for Harry around the house, including pouring milk for him and acting as a footrest while Harry watches Ancient Aliens. I love these two together. Season 2 lacks some good Harry/Max content, so this feels like a return to form. Their dynamic is so fun.
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Meanwhile, David and McCallister wonder if Ethan Stone is an alien. David has doubts, but McCallister’s not ready to give up on the doc. David rattles off a list of peculiar incidents taking place in Patience. He believes the alien still resides there.
Kate finds Max banging on a new drumset, much to her dismay. She learns about Max getting a job working for Harry. So, she confronts Harry at the clinic. Our fave extraterrestrial (Sorry, AB) constructs a simple lie — Max claimed Kate wanted him to pay for his drumkit. Oh, and he loathes her purple zip-up hoodie. Tudyk with the lollipop in this scene cracks me up. The man knows how to utilize his props.
Highway to the Ski Zone
D’Arcy heads to her old stomping grounds, a.k.a. Patience’s ski zone. She reunites with her coach and snaps a selfie with a few ardent D’Arcy Bloom fans. Then, her coach suggests she submit herself for an upcoming competition. Get back on the horse (or skis), as it were. D’Arcy considers this.
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Then, Max inadvertently lets slip that the new alien in town is a boy. Uh-oh. Sahar won’t be happy about that. Meanwhile, McCallister takes Ethan to a steep cliffside, removes his cuffs and places the alien ball in his hands. She informs him it’s otherworldly technology. Ethan brandishes the ball, ordering McCallister to stay back because it’s an alien laser. She laughs, realizing he’s human. McCallister shoves the real alien ball in his hands and pushes him off the cliff.
McCallister finds Ethan splayed out on the ground below, alive but badly injured after his fall. The alien ball protected him from seemingly inevitable death. McCallister snatches the ball out of his hand.
Search for Answers
Liv asks Asta to help her question Sam’s former patients to assess why the dead man had his medical records. Asta acquiesces because, duh, it’s Liv.
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Mike and Lena take a team and search dogs onto the trails to sniff out some clues. Even Cletus joins the fray. The pair get flirtatious in their playful back-and-forth, and we learn that Mike earned a fun moniker back in DC — “The Merman of DC.” Well, more like the “Mer-Mike.”
Meanwhile, Liv and Asta question the relatives of Sam’s former patients, including Judy (Jenna Lamia), who’s strangely attached to her hairless cat. The dynamic duo deduces hazardous water at Hawthorne Creek was poisoning the masses, culminating in a massive coverup.
Distracting the Opposition
Then, Max takes Harry to the RV in the woods. They almost collide with the police, so Harry initiates an alien-like call to thwart the dogs among them. Unfortunately, a flock of birds descends upon them because of it.
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Once they arrive at the RV, they see Sahar with AB looking the picture of disappointment. Harry claims AB is dangerous, so he needs to stay with his kind, a.k.a. Harry. AB flees the scene amid the confusion, with Harry hot on his heels. Suddenly, D’Arcy hits AB with her Jeep. However, the extraterrestrial child runs away before she can check on him.
Max expresses his pain from hurting Sahar, wondering if she’ll ever be his friend again. After all, they are besties. Sahar reveals she would never unfriend him, and she forgives him. Harry muses if Asta despises him, hence why she won’t talk to him anymore.
Liv reveals her and Asta’s findings to Mike and Lena. Now, they must figure out how the parties in question are involved. Lena and Mike compliment Liv on her ingenuity. Finally! Give my girl some credit, please.
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Sharing the Burden
Later, Asta finally confesses the murder to Dan, who insists she was protecting Harry. Asta saved Harry’s life. Dan comforts his daughter, offering to take up a share of her burden so that she feels lighter. This scene tugs at my heartstrings. What a beautiful love that emanates between this father-daughter duo.
Next, McCallister confirms David’s worst fears — Ethan isn’t an alien. David informs McCallister that he hasn’t found the mole yet. We learn what McCallister did with Ethan after his little tumble. She had her goons deposit him in an alley in New Mexico with illicit drugs in his lap.
Guess Who’s in Town?
Meanwhile, Kate relays some news at the bar: she’s not pregnant. Ben feigns disappointment, but that becomes a celebratory mood when D’Arcy plies the pair with copious alcohol. Harry tells Asta the truth about the new alien race on Earth. He doesn’t know where they are or who they are, only that they plan to destroy Earth. Then, Harry starts crying and apologizes (in his way) for being a bad friend. Asta accepts him back into the fold with open arms. She reassures Harry that they’ll figure out this new threat together. Aw, I love these two.
Then, McCallister rolls into The 59 and asks D’Arcy for a drink. She scans the bar for an extraterrestrial presence. Little does she know Harry’s sitting a few feet in front of her. Dun, dun, DUN!
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“The Weight” deftly balances the show’s humorous heart center and the action, making space for narrative progress. It doesn’t feel bogged down by any of the above. In addition, the show appears to have a renewed sense of overall focus, honing in on the most critical aspect of Resident Alien — the alien who’s a resident.
That’s not to say I don’t enjoy the supporting cast. This series boasts one of the strongest supporting casts on TV. However, I feel somewhere along the line in Season 2; the show lost sight of its focal point. It’s such a delicate tightrope to walk, fleshing out characters and letting the story breathe at times while simultaneously pushing the plot forward. For the most part, the show does this well despite the occasional hiccup.
I love Harry with Max and Sahar. Something about kids hurling insults and getting a leg up on an advanced alien being makes me giggle. More of this trio, please. And more of Asta and Dan together. They make my heart swell with love.
Resident Alien drops new episodes every Wednesday at 10/9c on your Syfy affiliate.
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