DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Resident Alien episode “Best of Enemies” 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 penultimate territory with this week’s episode of Resident Alien. “Best of Enemies” is, hands down, one of the show’s best outings to date. I take back everything I said last week. It’s a beautiful blend of pulsating, white-knuckled action and heartwarming “comfort food” moments. The writers undoubtedly hit that sweet spot. Additionally, they tie some loose ends while leaving a few narrative threads for exploration in the season finale.
Ready to delve into “Best of Enemies”? Let’s get to it.
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Alien Talking and Sleepwalking
We open with a flashback featuring young Peter Bach and his wife two years after aliens abducted their baby. They celebrate their son’s would-be second birthday, complete with an ornate cake. Suddenly, Peter’s wife disappears, reappearing seconds later, looking disheveled and out of sorts. She tearfully claims she saw their son, who’s now among the extraterrestrials who stole him.
Now, we’re in the present, wherein Kate (Meredith Garretson) finds Ben (Levi Fiehler) on the doorstep of their home after a night of sleepwalking. Ben explains that he sleepwalked a few times as a child and would always have the same dream while doing so. His family looms above him while he lies in bed with a broken leg. Ben tries to ask for help, but no sound comes out of his mouth. Scary.
Meanwhile, D’Arcy (Alice Wetterlund) whips up some breakfast for Dan (Gary Farmer) and Asta (Sara Tomko) as a “thank you” for letting her stay with them. Asta forgoes delicious blueberry pancakes in favor of coffee. We learn that D’Arcy underwent detox from prescription pills while staying with the Twelvetrees family and now attends group meetings to assist her in her recovery. I’m glad she got help!
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After D’Arcy departs momentarily, Asta urges Dan to kindly give D’Arcy the boot, asserting her BFF will only grow if she experiences the real world, i.e., return to work. D’Arcy seems hesitant to go back to The 59, and understandably so. Asta feels if D’Arcy continues staying with them, they’re enabling her.
Harry Has a Hostage
Next, Harry (Alan Tudyk) goes about his day while holding Peter Bach (Terry O’Quinn) captive in his bunker. We see the trapped alien tracker on Harry’s baby monitor. Hey, at least Peter survived! I can admit when I offer a misinformed RIP.
Asta barges into Harry’s cabin, informing him that it’s safe to return to the clinic. According to Liv, Peter skipped town. Harry attempts to conceal the truth from his best friend, but, unfortunately, his lying skills are in dire need of refining. A bewildered and shocked Asta finds Peter in Harry’s bunker. Peter reveals how Harry extracted the tracking chip from his neck. Over 20-some years, Peter and his wife could visit their son periodically. Now that Peter’s chip is gone, he can’t see his kid.
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Of course, Asta empathizes with Peter, so she unties his restraints, much to Harry’s dismay. Asta believes they should work together. Peter vows not to kill Harry if the latter refrains from killing him.
Sleeping Ben and Hatching a Plan
Meanwhile, Mike (Corey Reynolds) finds Ben asleep at his desk. Ben reveals his sleeping troubles to the sheriff, who tries to guide the mayor. Harry makes food for himself and Peter. Our resident alien rubs his eyes after cutting onions. This brief moment between Harry and Peter cracked me up. Peter learns about Harry’s alien child, who the government kidnapped. Peter mentions McCallister and her organization and how they’re not a federally sanctioned org. It’s all hush-hush.
The alien tracker also tells Harry about McCallister’s people rejecting him when he tried to contact her. Harry muses that if Peter brought something of value to the base, i.e., him, perhaps McCallister will grant Peter access to the facility. It’s team-up time, folks! Now, Harry can learn everything he needs to know about The Greys and rescue his alien son. Not that he cares about AB (Alien Baby).
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Later, Asta finds a note in the wake of Harry and Peter’s hasty departure for McCallister’s base, revealing if they fail this mission, everyone will die. But it’s okay because she can watch stuff on Harry’s TV! Just know that it’s most likely all Law & Order.
Meanwhile, Mike details the pros and cons of dating Lena Torres to Liv (Elizabeth Bowen), who’s mentally preoccupied at the moment. She’s worried about Peter, who hasn’t updated his site recently. Perhaps the alien he was tracking kidnapped him and is holding him hostage! Phew, if only you knew how right you are, Liv.
Video Game Party
Asta arrives home to find D’Arcy and Dan playing video games, which is the opposite of “kindly asking D’Arcy to leave.” Asta shows her dad Harry’s letter. They can’t do anything about it now, so Dan returns to his gaming party with D’Arcy. Judy (Jenna Lamia) bursts into the house with snacks aplenty, much to D’Arcy and Dan’s delight. This looks like a good time to me.
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Next, Peter and Harry pull into the front gate of McCallister’s secret facility. The general (Linda Hamilton) peeks at Peter’s bargaining chip. We see Harry in a cage, shrieking and rattling its bars in his alien form. McCallister grants Peter 20 minutes to make his case while her soldiers take Harry to a cell.
Then, Harry breaks free of his cell, wreaking havoc on the military base. Peter handcuffs McCallister to a table, and he scrolls through her organization’s database, hoping for info on The Greys, Harry’s child and his son. Meanwhile, Kayla (Sarah Podemski) and Kate toast to their temporary restraining order against the resort getting approved. Liv hangs with them at the pub while waiting for her husband John to arrive. Liv discloses the severity of Ben’s sleepwalking as a child, initially unbeknownst to Kate.
Harry Leads the Horde
Later, while storming the facility, Harry finds the team of soldiers he took on last time laying unconscious on beds. He wakes them by touching one of their ankles, forming a singular connection between them with his alien powers. When they all encounter McCallister’s guards in one darkened corridor, Harry unleashes his newly obtained, formerly unconscious forces on them.
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Meanwhile, Harry encounters Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, who McCallister also captured. Small world! Harry reintroduces himself to Tsoukalos, reminding the latter that they met at that alien convention. Harry releases Tsoukalos from his cell. This scene is one of my favorites in the episode. Having the Ancient Aliens guy, famous alone in meme form, cameo on this show twice is a stroke of genius.
Next, Harry finds AB sitting in a child’s playroom. Alien Baby, happy to see his papa, hops onto Harry’s head and reconnects him with the message he gave to himself after traveling in time from the future. Harry feels inexplicable love for the adorable extraterrestrial, a burgeoning attachment to something he didn’t care about before. A montage plays out featuring Harry loving on his kind. It’s 50 shades of cute.
Dan Gives Asta the Boot
Then, Ben nods off behind the wheel, and we see his vehicle swerve off the road. Uh-oh. Asta pulls Dan aside for a heart-to-heart, hoping he’ll finally talk to D’Arcy about moving out. However, Dan turns the tables on his daughter, ordering her to leave. After all, she’s an adult. Dan coming in with the unexpected move!
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Peter learns his son, Robert (Paul Piaskowski), is among those imprisoned on McCallister’s base and leaves in search of him. He finds Robert among the melee. The pair lock eyes, with Peter calling out for his son.
Asta and D’Arcy lie in bed together while in reminiscing mode. D’Arcy compares her life to the staticky, blurry images on her grandma’s TV, while Asta vows to always hold D’Arcy’s antenna. It’s a metaphor, folks. The besties decide to move in together. Their friendship is so wholesome and sweet.
Murder and Mayhem
Meanwhile, Joseph (Enver Gjokaj) spots Robert, ordering him to turn away from his father. While it hasn’t been explicitly stated, I still believe Joseph is of the Alpha Draconian species.
Anyway, Robert refuses to listen to Joseph, reuniting with his father. Joseph brandishes his gun and fires on Robert, but Peter takes the bullet instead. Then, Harry angrily chokes Joseph, holding him high in the air. This is for Peter, you Draconian douchebag! Harry drops Joseph, and we see Harry’s newly minted followers descend upon the alien.
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Next, Harry, AB and Robert encircle Peter while he dies. Peter makes Harry promise to save Robert. That sucks; Peter only spent a few minutes with his son before perishing. RIP, Alien Tracker Man.
After Peter’s untimely death, Harry, AB and Robert run into McCallister, who trains her weapon on them. Harry, apparently in a choking mood, lifts McCallister off the floor by the throat before dropping her.
Life Flashes
Meanwhile, we see Ellen (Diana Bang) taking care of Ben after his accident. Kate frantically arrives on the scene, relieved at the sight of her living, breathing husband. Kate believes something’s gotta give, so she vows to step away from the resort business and wholeheartedly support Ben. But Ben wants Kate to follow her heart. His life flashed before his eyes during his accident, and all of his most treasured memories took place in Patience. Ben decides to abandon the resort thing. Yay!
Liv checks out camera footage for evidence of Peter’s disappearance. She spots him in a black van with a mysterious someone. We only see the arm, but the plaid sleeve is undoubtedly Harry’s. Speaking of which, Harry drives AB and Robert away from the facility. Aw, I love that he’s honoring Peter’s last wish by caring for his son.
Then, the whole town shows up to support Ben at the clinic. Ben, who didn’t believe anyone truly cared about him save his wife, received an onslaught of visitors, with D’Arcy, Asta, Dan, Judy, Kayla, Mike, Liv and more checking in on their mayor. How sweet!
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“Best of Enemies” might showcase Harry in his alien form for half the episode, but we see more of his humanity than his extraterrestrial eccentricities. He bonds with his former enemy, seeks vengeance when Joseph kills Peter and vows to ensure the safety of Peter’s son. In addition, Harry rescues his own child, forming a parental attachment to cute lil AB.
This season, we’ve watched Harry forge connections with humans outside of Asta, and “Best of Enemies” yields the fruit of his endeavors. He’s becoming more human! Even the talented costume department has made Alien Harry appear more expressive and human-like.
Will McCallister retaliate against Harry? Will Liv discover Harry’s secret since she saw his arm in that footage? Can we please get another montage of Harry being a parent? Please, and thank you.
The Resident Alien season finale debuts on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at 10/9c on your Syfy affiliate.
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