# 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:** 21
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/401 "2024-02-24T20:01:00Z")
And this is covered multiple times later in the series - the gloss is removed right down to alot of intriguing details. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/402 "2024-02-24T20:54:13Z")
Yeah, this far along I sometimes I have to remind myself how Harry started out. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/403 "2024-02-24T20:59:06Z")
If it helps one to accept that the main character murdered the real Harry Vanderspeigle and assumed his identity, we learn eventually that the real Harry Vanderspeigle is a _very_ bad man. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/404 "2024-02-24T21:29:42Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I just started to watch this and I stopped halfway through the first episode. I couldn’t get past the fact that he just up and murders the guy whose form he stole. They just gloss passed that like it didn’t matter and that bugged me. How can you say they glossed past it when you stopped halfway through a single episode? Does everything need to be addressed immediately for you to feel satisfied? Have some patience. Give it a real chance. Fair enough if you don’t like the show as it goes on, but it really shouldn’t be for plot points not getting resolution within five minutes of an event. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/405 "2024-02-24T21:46:03Z")
Definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/406 "2024-02-26T00:43:05Z")
Asta has a fair amount of knowledge about sitcoms that ended over a decade before she was born ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/407 "2024-02-26T02:38:27Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Asta has a fair amount of knowledge about sitcoms that ended over a decade before she was born . Syndication? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/408 "2024-02-26T02:49:28Z")
Could be. I don’t recall the one particular show being shown often in syndication, but I might have missed it ---
**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 26, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/409 "2024-02-26T03:08:11Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Asta has a fair amount of knowledge about sitcoms that ended over a decade before she was born That’s common on shows. More noticable when it is teens with the ancient pop-culture knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/410 "2024-02-26T11:32:51Z")
Agreed ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/411 "2024-02-26T14:38:32Z")
It’s currently streaming on Pluto and Amazon Prime. Maybe she watched it as part of her alien research when she found out about Harry. Or more likely, Darcy suggested watching it for research. ---
**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 29, 2024, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/412 "2024-02-29T08:18:47Z")
The show continues to suffer from too much time spent on side characters and side plots. This season has only 8 episodes, it annoys me that valuable screen time is being taken up by the personal lives of the police (for instance). On a different note, I saw someone somewhere else say that it was kind of odd that nobody on the show speculates that Harry is “on the spectrum” based on his personality, and now I can’t stop seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/413 "2024-03-03T00:00:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I think Netflix has brought renewed attention to series that either already ended their runs elsewhere or are still running elsewhere but weren’t getting much attention. Googling, this may be called the “Netflix effect” and one site said shows that benefited from this include Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, Breaking Bad and most recently Suits. I’m one of those who got into it because of the “Netflix effect.” I haven’t had anything _but_ streaming platforms for the past year and a half, and I avoided RA before that precisely because the thread title led me to expect that it was a procedural. I binge-watched it over the last ten or so days, and was delighted! Also, I found myself wondering if Mr. Tudyk watched _Galaxy Quest_ several times to develop his sometimes almost Thermian speech patterns, and I _thought_ that Gray (_sp_?) on the trip back from the ski tournament was George Takei. Glad to have it confirmed. ---
**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:** [April 4, 2024, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/414 "2024-04-04T04:56:06Z")
Well, that’s another season done. This one had some quality issues IMHO, but at least it leaves room for (and pretty much demands) a season 4. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/415 "2024-04-05T21:27:30Z")
Yes. I do like that it gives Tudyk the chance to play A Dual Role, which will tend to keep him interested in continuing. Kind of an obvious plot development once they’d mentioned that the alien in question is a shape-shifter, though. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/416 "2024-04-07T11:43:55Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > This one had some quality issues IMHO They unexpectedly had to squeeze a planned 12 episode season into 8 episodes. None of the stories breathed. Hopefully if they get renewed, Netflix will be nicer than SyFy. Not sure exactly which network is responsible for them now. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/417 "2024-04-07T20:30:20Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Hopefully if they get renewed, Netflix will be nicer than SyFy. Netflix is crap- so no. My main issue with SyFy is that is it mainly horror, not Syfy. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/418 "2024-04-07T20:42:56Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > My main issue with SyFy is that is it mainly horror, not Syfy. Agreed. So frustrating! There is so much great Sci fi out there, why aren’t they bringing it to life!?! ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/419 "2024-04-08T01:25:12Z")
Another “found it on Netflix” entry here. My brother and I liked it so much we not only paid for Peacock to see the current season but we replaced my out-of-date television that didn’t have Wi-Fi reception. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719/420 "2024-04-09T22:11:06Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > On a different note, I saw someone somewhere else say that it was kind of odd that nobody on the show speculates that Harry is “on the spectrum” based on his personality, and now I can’t stop seeing it. Ahhh. Now I can’t help seeing it too. Come to think of it, the real-Harry’s wife had an odd affect. I think the side stories tied into the main plot a little better this season. We get to see what made Judy, the Sheriff, and the deputy into what they are, which connects to how they respond to the alien weirdnesses (last season’s skiing subplot with D’arcy left me cold, by contrast). General’s gone to the past to rescue/visit her father, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resident-alien-aka-quincy-e-t/931719.md?page=22)