# Resident Alien, aka Quincy, E.T **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 28, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719 "2021-01-28T22:00:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/1 "2021-01-28T22:00:47Z")
Enjoyed the first episode. Has a bit of a _Northern Exposure_/_iZombie_ vibe to it. > **[Resident Alien](https://www.syfy.com/resident-alien)** > > An alien crash lands on Earth and must pass himself off as small-town human doctor Harry Vanderspeigle. Arriving with a secret mission to kill all humans, Harry starts off living a simple life… but things get a bit rocky when he’s roped into solving... (Discourse complaint #1,000,001–why lop off periods at the end of topics?) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/2 "2021-01-28T22:20:13Z")
I have to remember to set this up to record. What day of the week does it air? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/3 "2021-01-28T22:22:13Z")
First one was last night. So probably continue to be Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/4 "2021-01-28T22:26:13Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/5 "2021-01-28T22:31:47Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > First one was last night. So probably continue to be Wednesday. First episode is also on today and tomorrow at 7 pm Pacific. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/6 "2021-01-29T01:08:00Z")
I really liked it. I love Tudyk, I love an offbeat quirky show. I love a funny murder. I have an uncomfortable relationship with that network’s shows as they can go off the rails or get canceled, but maybe this one will stay good and stay on. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/7 "2021-01-29T16:10:53Z")
It was a decent combination of humor and sci-fi and mystery. Tudyk is always fun to watch. Had the usual clunkiness of first episodes, but very promising. ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_Elliot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jane_elliot/32/6166_2.png) [@Jane\_Elliot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_Elliot)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/8 "2021-01-30T20:18:37Z")
It made me laugh out loud, which is rare, so I’ll continue to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/9 "2021-02-01T16:51:09Z")
I liked it. Told my husband (who didn’t watch it) a little about it and how the alien was not at all a nice alien and he said, and I quote, “He’ll learn to love us humans, especially those close to him, and not want to kill anymore.” So yeah, formulaic but I’ll still watch it again. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/10 "2021-02-01T16:53:22Z")
Liked it a lot, looking forward to the next one. “He learns to value humans” is definitely formulaic, but I suspect the “constantly foiled at killing that kid who sees him!” will be a running gag that might subvert that formula. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/11 "2021-02-01T16:55:14Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > So yeah, formulaic but I’ll still watch it again. Everything is a trope. > **[Humanity Is Infectious - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HumanityIsInfectious)** > > An undervalued human trait is empathy. We can empathize with just about anything (even a toaster!) given the right (or the wrong) conditions. What aliens should know before coming to invade is that it works in reverse too. Humanity Is Infectious … ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/12 "2021-02-01T17:48:09Z")
The first episode, at least for the moment, is available for free on the SyFy website and app, so I was able to watch it. I quite enjoyed it. I thought Alan Tudyk was very good, as usual, and the rest of the cast was ok. The first episode, at least, was _definitely_ pointing _heavily_ towards the “Humanity Is Infectious” trope. _If_ they keep that and his true mission on a low simmer in the background, while the foreground is mystery-of-the-week in a small rural town with Alan Tudyk being endearingly weird, I think it will have some legs. It doesn’t seem like a set-up that would be sustainable for more than a season or so, though. Alas, I don’t have cable, so I probably won’t be able to see the rest of the season for some time. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/13 "2021-02-01T18:18:52Z")
I tuned into the SYFY app at 7pm PST to watch it as instructed… and it wasn’t there. We were able to finally watch it the next night. We liked it. Sure, it’s predictable, but so is everything else on TV these days. It definitely has potential. However, with SYFY’s past history, I fear they’ll screw around and kill it. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/14 "2021-02-01T18:46:31Z")
There can be a whole thread on SYFY shows I kinda liked and then, POOF!, they are gone. I always hold out hope that the show will come back until my husband points out an actor who plays integral character on the show I liked on a different show on network TV. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/15 "2021-02-01T19:44:03Z")
I wonder how much of the series will take place in the bar? > **[REVIEW - "The Guy with the Eyes" by Spider Robinson](https://cnvarbiter.livejournal.com/18106.html)** > > I have a confession to make: I lived nearly forty-seven years, calling myself a science fiction fan, and Id never read Spider Robinson. Correction: Ive read Variable Star , which Spider wrote based on an outline for a novel left behind by the Grand... ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2021, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/16 "2021-02-04T18:34:32Z")
I didn’t think episode 2 had quite as many laughs as episode 1, but I still liked it (and it turns out plot arc points are moving along swiftly). Episode 3 is already available for streaming, BTW. (I haven’t watched it yet.) > **[Secrets](https://www.syfy.com/resident-alien/season-1/episode-3/secrets)** > > Harry races to keep his secret safe as Asta is forced to face her own past. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/17 "2021-02-07T12:03:06Z")
The pelvic exam was a laugh-out-loud moment. “I see what your problem is: you sat on an earring.” “It’s supposed to be there!” ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/18 "2021-02-07T20:09:53Z")
I’ve just tried the comic this was based on. It is played very straight, like an episode of CSI. No humor at all, very dull, very dry, very generic. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/19 "2021-02-08T00:22:53Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I’ve just tried the comic this was based on. It is played very straight, like an episode of CSI. No humor at all, very dull, very dry, very generic. . Interesting. Maybe the show’s creators decided that paying the comic’s copyright-holder for the basic idea was worth doing to avoid lawsuits–without having any intention of actually translating the comic to the screen. I’m liking the show. As others have said, Alan Tudyk is always good. Odd that he hasn’t had his own hit show before this. Obviously he works all the time and has built up a fan base, but it’s mainly been in ensemble casts, or in supporting roles in various projects. (Maybe he just didn’t want to be tied down.) ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/20 "2021-02-08T00:27:03Z")
My husband and I watched the first 2 shows and a “behind the scenes” bit on YouTube this afternoon. We both enjoyed it and hope that more episodes will show up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719.md?page=2)