Resident Alien
Over five years ago it was announced that Syfy was adapting the Resident Alien comic by Peter Hogan. Me being me, I read the first volume and liked the nostalgic vibe of classic television it exuded. It was part Quincy, part Andy Griffith, part X-Files, I was definitely going to be a viewer. Fast forward to now and this adaptation got it just right for my generation, making it a new Northern Exposure wherein Dr. Joel Fleischman is an alien with a Law and Order/Jerry Orbach obsession played brilliantly by the comic genius that is Alan Tudyk. I also love how self-aware they are even including the most wonderful Easter Egg for lovers of Cicely in the season finale; Iris DeMent's "Our Town." But most important to me is that Alan Tudyk FINALLY has a staring vehicle! I have been literally waiting twenty years for this to happen. Of course he's created so many memorable characters over the years from Steve the Pirate to Wash to Noah Werner to Wray Nerely, the list goes on and on and this doesn't even touch the vastness of his voice work! And yet never a starring role. I mean I love Alan so much that I went to see Spamalot a second time on Broadway when he replaced Hank Azaria. He was better than Hank because he threw himself fully into the role. And that's what he does here with Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle. He's an alien who has assumed Dr. Vanderspeigle's life when he crash-landed on Earth. The childlike behavior and potty mouth of an alien trying to blend in among the townsfolk is something only Tudyk could have pulled off. He is Peter Sellers-esque and deserves just as many awards as that great man. Though it's only due to the genius of the ensemble that makes this the best show of the year. Hands down. They bring the human element that is so foreign to Tudyk's amazing performance. The revelation is Judah Prehn as Max, a young kid who can see Harry for who he is. Their interactions are some of the best comedy on television right now. Thankfully this show was renewed for another season because I don't know what I would have done if it was cancelled. I NEED to know what happens next. For like six seasons and a movie.
Seeing how Vagrant Queen seemed to come and go at lightning speed I view it as my duty to say that this show deserved so much better than being quickly shuffled to a bad time slot and then unceremoniously dumped. The show is fun and colorful and zany and kitschy, like the best 80s science fiction series you could ever hope to encounter with heart and humor. What other show has their battle in the "mandatory science fiction fight club episode" be a karaoke sing-off to the theme from Mannequin!?! Seriously, if there's another show that has done this I need to know to fill the Vagrant Queen sized hole in my life. Perhaps I embraced this show because it reminded me a bit of Killjoys with a dash of Farscape, or perhaps it's because I actually subscribe to comiXology and had targeted ads for the comics so when I got my SyFy newsletter announcing the show I instantly set up a recording for the series on my DVR and was therefore lucky enough to catch the show being one of the few who saw the advertisements in advance. Because seriously, the SyFy Channel just didn't advertise this show enough, as I said before, it deserved better than being just sent out to die. Plus it has something for every science fiction fan! For those who like lots of mythology and a space opera with a crown, there's Elida, the deposed ruler. For those who like their shows full of vengeance, there's Lazaro and his big chip on his shoulder where it comes to Elida. For those who like a funny man with a tragic backstory, there's Isacc, flung into another galaxy, not yours, far from Earth and his wife and child. And for those who like a love story, there's Elida and the gadget wizard Amae. I ship these two so hard. But to top it all off in their episode "No Clue" they do the best send up of the movie Clue only superseded by the Psych episode "100 Clues" because they had most of the cast from the movie in it. And it's Psych.
If you follow my goodreads feed you sometimes glean things that aren't readily apparent here on my blog. You might guess what I'm planning in the coming months, or you might, for example go "how the hell does she like The Magicians when she hated the book so much that she hasn't even bothered to write a scorching review because she probably views it as a waste of time." FYI I do view it as a waste of time. Well, this is one of those rare instances where an adaptation is so much better than the source material that it's best to forget that source exists. Although I will give a tip of the hat to how clever the showrunners are in circling around and sneaking in something from the books when you least expect it. Though they have a way of making it work where Lev Grossman didn't. Because, for those who've read the books, there's no denying that the protagonist Quentin Coldwater with his Fillory obsession is a bit of a wet blanket. He's mopey and just best avoided, hence here comes Elliot and Margo to the rescue. Secondary characters elevated to a bitchy king and queen of Fillory? Oh. My. God. Yes. Please. They not only add levity to the show, they seriously make the show what it is. Watch how much more screentime they get in season two compared to season one and you'll know what I'm talking about. And THAT is what I love most about The Magicians, they see areas where they need to improve and actually improve! This is the "dark/adult Harry Potter" I expected when I picked up the book series. This is what fantasy television is about! 
