Firefly’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Compared To Alan Tudyk’s 97% Sci-Fi Is A Reality Check For The Canceled 2000s Show

Despite Firefly‘s lone season still being held in such high regard over two decades after it ended, the 97% Rotten Tomatoes score for a more recent Alan Tudyk show puts Firefly‘s rating on the same website to shame. Joss Whedon’s 2002 sci-fi/Western space opera was canceled even before all the episodes had a chance to hit the airwaves. Despite the show’s low ratings, a sequel movie was released in 2005 called Serenity. However, even Firefly‘s cult following couldn’t stop Serenity from flopping at the box office.

Failures aside, members of the Firefly cast used the show as a platform on which to build a career – and Alan Tudyk was among the fortunate few. Tudyk has an impressive number of projects that are highly rated on Rotten Tomatoes, but one show in particular has a score that’s a somewhat surprisingly high 97%. What’s perhaps the most interesting is how Alan Tudyk’s best movies and TV shows measure up to Firefly – one of his most revered properties among fans.

Resident Alien Is One Of Alan Tudyk’s Highest Rated Projects on Rotten Tomatoes (Firefly Doesn’t Break The Top 10)

Resident Alien’s Harry Vanderspeigle is a rare live-action role for Alan Tudyk

Alan Tudyk’s role as the eccentric Harry Vanderspeigle in Syfy’s Resident Alien has contributed to the show receiving an impressive rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. By comparison, Firefly‘s Rotten Tomatoes rating of 77% doesn’t even make it into the actor’s top ten projects. In terms of cultural impact, Firefly far outweighs Resident Alien, with the latter being relatively obscure when compared to 2002’s genre-defying effort from Joss Whedon. Tudyk leads the Resident Alien cast as the titular extraterrestrial, with the show already boasting three times as many seasons as Firefly.

So, even with Resident Alien‘s rockier patches, its Rotten Tomatoes rating still beats Firefly‘s by a long way. Some of the other Alan Tudyk projects that beat Firefly‘s Rotten Tomatoes rating include the TV shows: Harley Quinn, Devil May Care, and Doom Patrol. All three of these examples match or improve upon Resident Alien‘s 97% rating, showing how much competition Firefly has for a top ten spot in Tudyk’s working history.

It’s not a huge surprise that Resident Alien surpasses Firefly‘s Rotten Tomatoes score. The first episode of each show aired 19 years apart, and the television industry has come a long way since then – especially in science-fiction. As such, Resident Alien‘s serialized dramedy format appeals to a much broader audience than Firefly‘s niche following. Each show has its own formula, but Resident Alien staying away from episodic storytelling is a big part of why the overall narrative is so much more compelling than Firefly‘s.

Resident Alien’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Supports The “Firefly Is Overrated” Argument

Firefly’s rapid cancelation may have contributed to its legend

The high score awarded to Resident Alien is evidence that perhaps Firefly was never quite as good as fans claim. There’s no doubt that Firefly‘s blend of sci-fi and Western elements resulted in a thoroughly innovative TV show. However, when compared with a more cohesive project like Resident Alien, Firefly just doesn’t measure up. Instead of being the paragon of quality that Firefly is viewed as by many of its fans, it’s more likely that the 2000s phenomenon has been sensationalized and romanticized due to it being canceled so soon after its debut.

On the other hand, Resident Alien has been renewed more than once and has continued to tell a compelling story since it premiered in 2021. Resident Alien exists in a very different branch of sci-fi to Firefly, so it’s hard to compare the two shows fairly. That being said, the gulf in their respective Rotten Tomatoes scores speaks volumes of how much more respect Resident Alien receives than Firefly, despite the latter being elevated to almost legendary status by its dedicated following.

Resident Alien Proves Alan Tudyk Is Better In More Prominent (And Eccentric Roles)

Playing Harry Vanderspeigle makes full use of Tudyk’s strengths

Alan Tudyk played Hoban “Wash” Washburne as part of Firefly‘s ensemble cast that was led by Nathan Fillion as Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds. Resident Alien highlights Tudyk’s strengths much better than his Firefly role ever did. As Harry Vanderspeigle, Tudyk takes center stage and is afforded the opportunity to showcase his unique brand of eccentricity, even when he isn’t sharing a scene with one of his Resident Alien castmates.

Inversely, Alan Tudyk’s role as Wash in Firefly called for the actor to take on more of a supporting role rather than being involved in many of the show’s main storylines. Wash had some great moments in Firefly, but Tudyk’s role in Resident Alien allows him much more freedom during his performances as the Syfy show’s leading man. Resident Alien is built on the shoulders of Alan Tudyk’s charisma, whereas in Firefly, the actor’s presence feels more like an afterthought than anything else.