Television Show Review: Resident Alien (SYFY Channel)

Synopsis: An alien (Alan Tudyk) crashes on Earth and assumes the identity of a doctor he kills outside a small town in Colorado. He intends to remain secluded until he can find his spacecraft and the doomsday weapon it contains. However, when the town's only other doctor is murdered, he is forced to interact with the residents. Adding to his woes is a young boy who can see through his disguise and knows his secret.

Review: When my wife and I first saw previews for this show, I wasn't really sure what to think about it. It looked somewhat interesting but, at the same time, was one of those shows that might not live up to its potential. We are now three episodes into the series and it has become one of our favorites.

One of the things that got me hooked was the uniqueness of the series. Uniqueness is something that is always going to score points with me and, while this isn't the first series to feature an alien posing as a human, it certainly is the first one I remember with an alien posing as a human who isn't necessarily a good guy. In fact, he already has one murder under his belt.

I like how the show seems to have a steady amount of suspense. His quirky behavior alone should be enough to raise red flags but the fact he is also posing as a doctor means he has an opportunity to be exposed as a fraud whenever he examines anyone. And, that doesn't even include the one person in town (Judah Prehn) who knows what he really is.

While it hasn't been the main focus as of yet, the fact there is also a murderer on the loose adds to this series. I love a good mystery and why someone would murder a popular doctor is a good one. I also look forward to seeing how it ultimately involves the would-be planet conqueror who, despite having no real medical experience, still managed to figure out how the victim died in the first place. Considering his top priority is completing his mission, it'll be interesting to see how he is convinced to help solve it.

Final Opinion: Since it is an unusual premise that relies on a significant amount of deception that will eventually begin to crumble, I don't know if this is a series that is going to get stale after the first couple of seasons. But, for the time being, if you haven't seen the show, I do recommend it.

My Grade: A