Summary
Resident Alienseason 4 still isn’t confirmed, but even if the Syfy show isn’t renewed, there’s a strong precedent established for the network ending sagas in creative ways. DespiteResident Alienseason 3’s cliffhanger ending, Syfy has been apprehensive about bringing the show back to continue the tale of Alan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigle. So, while it’s clear thatshowrunner Chris Sheridan has plans forResident Alien’s future, it remains to be seen if the project will be given the chance to reach a natural stopping point. If it doesn’t, then the show may return in a new form.
The fact thatResident Alienseason 3 was reduced to just eight episodesisn’t a great sign for the show’s future, with the previous two seasons combining to total 26 episodes. However, the delay in the announcement ofResident Alienseason 4hasn’t been overly long yet. Modern-day practices sometimes consist of several months of deliberation before an official decision is made, so there’s no reason to believe the show is doomed. Even if theResident Aliencasthas graced the small screen for the last time, the actors may return on a grander scale.
Resident Alien’s 8 Greatest Cameos From Sci-Fi Stars, Ranked
Resident Alien is a quirky and charming sci-fi show that has many connections to the genre as a whole, including some incredible cameo appearances.
Resident Alien Could End With A Movie Like Farscape & Firefly
The Alan Tudyk show needs its story to be finished
Resident Alienis produced by UCP in association with Amblin TV and Dark Horse Entertainment, but distributed by Syfy, a platform that doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to long-running shows. Many of their projects accumulate a cult-like following, but it’s often not enough to justify a show’s longevity. That said,Syfy clearly has a distaste for leaving a production unfinished. The evidence for this comes in the form ofFarscape. The show was canceled before it reached its conclusion, but it had a movie greenlit to tie up any loose ends.Fireflytook a similar route to completion.Resident Aliencould follow this template if it isn’t renewed.
Alan Tudyk also appeared inFirefly, playing Hoban “Wash” Washburne.
Firefly’s lone season came in 2002, with the genre-bending sci-fi/western space opera getting axed before all the episodes had even aired. Three years later, 2005’sSerenitywas released, which served as a sequel and conclusion toFirefly. Unfortunately,Serenityflopped despiteFirefly’s popularity, but at least it provided closure for fans.Farscape’s run on TV began beforeFireflydebutedand ended a year afterFireflywas canceled, airing four seasons between 1999 and 2003. The return of theFarscapecast was also much quicker, with theFarscape: The Peacekeeper Warsminiseries arriving in 2005 to end the saga.
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Warsconsists of two episodes, but has the combined runtime of a feature-length production.
Why A Resident Alien Movie Would Be A Perfect Way For The Show To End
Resident Alien’s current format has a limited shelf life
The threat inResident Alienhas been ever-changing since the show began. Initially, Harry was the biggest danger to Earth, but his redemption has turned him into the planet’s biggest protector. By the end ofResident Alienseason 3, Earth is being attacked from all sides. As such, it’s clear the show only has so much room to expand before a small group of misfits taking on the entire galaxy (and succeeding) becomes a little too unrealistic - even for a show likeResident Alien. A movie could combine these threats and have Harry and his friends take things head-on.
The two biggest loose ends currently in need of tying up are the revelation ofResident Alien’sStar Wars-esque moonship inhabited by the Greys, and the Mantid. While the shapeshifting Mantid would make a greatvillain forResident Alienseason 4, he’d also serve well as a ground-level threat to balance out the intergalactic peril posed by the Greys' power. The movie’s narrative would be dense if it followed this formula, but it would certainly be exciting.
Resident Alien Season 4 Could Still Happen
The Alan Tudyk show could be switching networks
AResident Alienmovie may not even be necessary, as the studio could still commission a fourth season. That being said,Resident Alien’s potential move away from Syfywould mean another company being responsible for its production. This could be great news for the show, asThe Expanseis proof of a Syfy show flourishing after moving to a new network. However,there’s no official word on who would makeResident Alienseason 4if it happened.
Resident Alien Season 4 Already Set Up The Show’s Next Best Sci-Fi Guest Star
Resident Alien has already had several sci-fi stars appear in guest roles, but the show’s next big cameo could come from an unexpected place.
One of the most obvious choices to inheritResident Alienis Netflix. The first two seasons of the show were added to the platform in early 2024, and they quickly ranked first in daily viewings. Currently, only Peacock has all three seasons of the show, as Syfy is owned by NBC Universal. So, NBC may want to retain the rights and produceResident Alienas a Peacock original, but only time will tell.
Apple TV+ (Rent only)
Currently unavailable
Resident Alien
Cast
A television adaptation of the comic book series, Resident Alien is a sci-fi comedy that stars Alan Tudyk as an alien who crashes on Earth with one mission - destroy humanity to save the planet. When Tudyk’s character takes the identity of a doctor, he arrives at a small town and begins to act the role preparing his plan. As time passes, he develops human emotions against his will - but his plans are further complicated when he meets the son of the mayor - who can see his actual appearance.
