How much liberty does Syfy’s adaptation of the Dark Horse comic-book series, Resident Alien, take in comparison to its source material? Originally written by Peter Hogan in conjunction with artist Steve Parkhouse, the Resident Alien comics follows the exploits of Captain Hah re, an alien biologist who crashes in Southwestern United States and is relentlessly hunted by men in black. Utilizing the assumed identity of Harry Vanderspeigle and his innate, empathic abilities to camouflage his extraterrestrial appearance, Hah re passes his time on earth solving murders and mysteries.
The creator of the Syfy adaptation, Chris Sheridan takes the basic premise of the Resident Alien comics and chooses to adopt a more laid-back tone in general. While the premise of solving mysteries remains ever-present among the fringes of the show, the first few episodes of Resident Alien take its time to introduce the audience to Harry’s worldview, and his inability to integrate with modern human society and its fluctuating norms. Often indulging in dark humor, which is interspersed with sincere moments of emotional gravity, Resident Alien is delightfully refreshing to behold, making for a funny, heartfelt watch.
Played by Alan Tudyk, the character of Harry Vanderspeigle is forced to behave in a human-like manner while investigating a murder with the assistance of nurse Asta Twelvetrees (Sara Tomko) and the town Sherrif (Corey Reynolds). As Harry struggles to mimic human emotions and grapples with the repercussions of his assumed identity, the show sets up the premise for his inner motivations and public exploits, which might evolve into full-fledged criminal cases that warrant his involvement and investigation in the upcoming seasons. Here’s how Syfy’s Resident Alien departs from the comics, essentially focusing on dramatic comedy and a meandering pace as opposed to a continuous sense of urgency.
Syfy’s Resident Alien Makes Subtle, Breezy Changes to Harry’s Character
In the Resident Alien comics, Harry’s human appearance is never visible to the readers, as they are only privy to their true, alien appearance. As opposed to this, Harry kills the doctor in order to assume his identity in the Syfy show, which is how the characters around him perceive him to be. Moreover, a comical twist is imbued in Harry’s attempts at mimicking human behavior in order to fit in the town of Patience, especially when he watches TV to learn English, which includes old reruns of the legal drama series, Law and Order. When forced to venture out of his lakeside hideout and investigate the murder of town doctor Sam Hodges, Harry’s assumed role as a doctor is put under the test, which is further exacerbated by the fact that it distracts him from his original mission on earth – mass genocide of the entire human race.
While the comics version of Harry delves into solving crimes out of a deep love for mystery novels and films, Tudyk’s Harry finds himself constantly annoyed at the notion of experiencing human emotions, which is intrinsically alien to his nature. Despite forming a bond with Asta Twelvetrees, Harry has no qualms in attempting to kill Max Hawthrone, a child who is able to see him in his true alien form. It is important to understand that Harry’s actions are meant to be viewed through a comedic, semi-serious lens, as not long after Max’s attempted murder, he is taken to the new town doctor for treatment, Harry himself. This sequence ends in hilarious mutual surprise, with Max screaming at the top of his lungs, and Harry musing, “Yeah, this is some bullsh*t,” in an annoyed manner. This conflict of interest is missing in the comics, as a child named Honey, who can see Harry’s real self, simply presents him with a drawing of his true appearance at the hospital, after which he decides to leave her alone, as he means no harm.
The Town’s Inhabitants Differ in Terms of Character Traits & Motivations
As with any creative adaptation, the tone and overarching character studies are bound to undergo changes, which is also the case with Resident Alien’s comic approach to the subject matter as-a-whole. While the comics are driven by the dramatic seriousness of the myriad cases in Patience, especially the ones explored in The Suicide Blonde and The Sam Hain Mystery. While the show is yet to explore its sleuthing roots in extensive detail, it does introduce recurring comics characters, including the town mayor, Ben Hawthrone (Levi Fiehler), who is portrayed as a much younger character in the show.
Apart from this, while much has not been altered in the portrayal of Asta Twelvetrees, Harry’s partner in solving mysteries and eventual confidant, the show introduces her adoptive father, Dan Twelvetrees, in a markedly different light. In the comics, Dan is a mohawk shaman who, along with Asta, is partially-aware of Harry’s true self, whereas, in the show, he merely posits that he has a “bad feeling” about him. However, Asta is granted a tragic backstory, as she is fresh out of an abusive relationship and ends up giving up her daughter for adoption. This undoubtedly allows Asta’s character to develop with greater conviction and depth, as it allows Resident Alien to introduce elements of the struggles of the “other.” Asta’s native heritage and cultural traditions posit emotional complexities in terms of her individual and collective identity, which will be interesting to witness in relation to her bond with Harry, and her character arc in the show as a whole.
