Warning: Spoilers ahead forResident Alienseason 4, episode 4, “Truth Hurts.“Resident Alienhas come back just as strong in its fourth season, which is made even more impressive by a notable behind-the-scenes change. After theend ofResident Alienseason 3, it was unclear whether we’d seen the last ofAlan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigleand company. Although the most recent finale left several tantalizing loose ends, the show’s renewal seemed uncertain. Thankfully, a network change saved the day, but at a price.
TheResident Aliencastwas granted at least one more run of episodes by USA Network after the show was cut by Syfy. The most recent batch of episodes was immediately praised for its continuation of the story and earned a sought-after 100% score onRotten Tomatoes. Showrunner Chris Sheridan has done very well to keep his sci-fi dramedy operating at such an impressive standard, given the difficult circumstances.
Resident Alien Season 4 Has A Lower Budget Compared To Previous Seasons
The extraterrestrial saga has taken a financial blow after its renewal
Despite being two episodes longer than season 3,Resident Alienseason 4 has less money to play with. Although it has a cult following, it’s not an especially high-profile show. As such, it’s kept afloat, at least in part, by the passionate desire of its fans to see more. So, whileshows likeResident Alientypically become more expensive the longer they’re on the air, season 4 deviates from that trend.
Thankfully,Resident Alienis and always has been a very character-driven show. While it has made use of CGI and expensive-looking sets,Resident Alienoften does its best work during its more grounded moments. Because of this, season 4 has managed to adapt and survive, focusing on certain elements of its formula more than others. The budget reduction has undoubtedly resulted in numerous obstacles, but they’ve been creatively overcome.
I’m Convinced Resident Alien’s Reduced Cast For Season 4 Is A Result of The Budget Cut
There are several Resident Alien characters who have been ignored or received reduced roles in season 4
Resident Alien’s core cast has remained largely the same since the show began, but it has also slowly expanded throughout the first three seasons. Season 4 felt as though it was set up to continue this trend, but certain key figures have been relegated to reduced roles or else completely cut. The most salient theory for this phenomenon is that USA Network’s revised budget for the show just can’t cover everyone’s wages.
For instance, Kaylaya Raine’s Jay has featured very little so far, andJoseph Rainer (Enver Gjokaj) was written out confusingly quickly, despite him appearing to be a vital new ally in the fight againstResident Alien’s Grey Aliens. Similarly, the return of Heather (Edi Patterson) was surprisingly brief, as wasthe tenure of the Mantid (Clancy Brown) as the story’s new main antagonist. Perhaps most notably,Gary Farmer’s Dan Twelvetrees still hasn’t appearedat all by the end ofResident Alienseason 4, episode 4, “Truth Hurts,” despite many scenes being set in his diner.
Resident Alien Season 4’s Budget Cut Is Noticeable, But It Doesn’t Hurt The Show Much
Chris Sheridan has done well to keep things rolling as well as he has
AlthoughResident Alienhas transitioned into a cheaper era for the show, it has done so pretty tastefully. Rather than trying to continue to rely on the same number of CGI shots, they’ve been utilized very sparingly and only when strictly necessary. The reduced usage of VFX is only really noticeable once it’s been pointed out, which I think is a sign of how well Chris Sheridan and company have adapted.
Harry’s current storyline of being transformed into a full-blooded human certainly feels like a workaround when it comes to the show’s budgetary adjustments.
That said, Harry’s current storyline of being transformed into a full-blooded human certainly feels like a workaround when it comes to the show’s budgetary adjustments.Tudyk’s transformation into Alien Harryis a time-consuming and therefore expensive process that has so far been avoided. Sheridan has directly addressed this in an interview withPolygon, confirming it takes “time and money animating"Harry whenever Tudyk’s character passes a mirror or anything reflective.
Whileit opens up an interesting way to explore Tudyk’s character, it also makes it pretty clear that the twist has emerged mostly out of financial necessity rather than voluntary creative decisions. Regardless, the show still feels very much likeResident Alien, which is a testament to the behind-the-scenes efforts that are keeping the show alive in the face of what would be the downfall of other projects.
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