Entertainment
The Comedy Sci-Fi Series That Took Over Netflix And Wowed Rotten Tomatoes
By Jacob VanGundy
| Published
Resident Alien, starring Alan Tudyk, is a Syfy original comedy that was released in 2021 and didn’t make much of a splash on release. However, with a pristine Rotten Tomatoes score indicating critical approval and a spot in the top shows when it arrived on Netflix, the series found a new lease on life. Real fans of the show have been saying all along that Resident Alien is great, but putting it on Netflix helped grow that audience.
Based on a Dark Horse comic by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, in theory, the show had a pre-existing fanbase to build off of, albeit a small one.
Part comedy, part sci-fi, part procedural, and part mystery thriller, Resident Alien has something for everyone with a straightforward plot that gradually builds on itself. It follows a marooned Alien, who was sent to end all life on Earth but instead crash-landed in rural Colorado forcing him to take on a human disguise and gradually learn about humans.
Most shows about aliens living among humans lean on one joke and hope it holds. Resident Alien doesn’t do that. It uses the joke to get in the door, then quietly builds something smarter and more observant than it has any right to be.
Disguised as Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, a man he knows nothing about, he ends up becoming the small town’s only doctor. Things get weirder for the new Harry from there, throwing him into an increasingly complicated web of social dynamics and mysteries.
Harry doesn’t misunderstand humans in cute ways; he misunderstands them in ways that expose how arbitrary many of our social rules actually are. Watching him struggle with basic concepts like politeness, grief, or compassion is funny because it’s accurate. A lot of human behavior only makes sense if you grew up inside it.
The show thrives on restraint. It resists the urge to constantly reassure the audience. It lets scenes run a little long. It allows discomfort. Sometimes the joke is simply that Harry says the wrong thing and no one laughs. Sometimes the scene ends without a joke at all.
Resident Alien never forgets that its central character is dangerous. This isn’t a cuddly outsider learning to love Earth. Harry is capable of mass murder, and the show keeps that fact in play. His growing attachment to humans creates tension because of what we know he could do to them. .
The series is an ideal showcase for Alyn Tudyk’s comedic talents, giving him a unique character with no understanding of human interaction, creating plenty of opportunities for slapstick comedy and genuine emotion. It’s the kind of role he was born to play.
Resident Alien doesn’t treat the town around Harry as background noise. They aren’t just there to react to his weirdness. They have problems that existed before he arrived and would continue if he left. Because of that, much of Resident Alien’s success also comes from a stellar supporting cast built up by the show, a great mix of established actors and lesser-known names. Those include Sara Tompko, who is often the straight man to Tudyk’s slapstick, Corey Reynolds as a butt of the joke sheriff, and Alice Weterlund as a bartender unknowingly pining for an alien.
Resident Alien flew under the radar on release, creating a dedicated but small fan base on the Syfy channel, hampered by not being available on any of the major streaming services. While it initially failed to reach the popular zeitgeist, it was an immediate critical darling, garnering a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes after the first two seasons.
Now that it’s finally on Netflix it has found a larger audience, briefly making its way onto Netflix’s top ten shows when it first arrived on the platform. The show’s audience was always there; it just needed the right platform to find it.
Resident Alien is worth your time. It trusts the audience and uses science fiction the way it’s supposed to be used, as a tool to look at ordinary life from an uncomfortable angle.
Entertainment
BookCon 2026: Authors Rachel Reid, Stephanie Archer talk hockey romance and how it could change the sport for the better
With the fervor of Heated Rivalry, there’s a fierce desire among book readers for even more hockey. On Sunday, April 19, at BookCon, the “You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance’s Hottest Genres”, authors Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry, Game Changer), Emily Rath (Pucking Around), Ngozi Ukazu (Check Please), Stephanie Archer (The Wild Card), and Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat & Darcy) were joined by moderator and fellow author Bal Khabra (Collide) to discuss the rise and continued success of hockey romance.
Khabra kicked off the panel, asking just how hockey became so popular. Ukazu joked that it was as if the genre “escaped containment,” like when the Omegaverse went mainstream, while Reid described the mystery around hockey, saying, “what [the players] are doing seems impossible.” Archer also added that the sport itself is exceptionally hard on the body, and the celebrity around players, especially in Canada, is fun to play with.
But there’s more to the genre’s success than the tropes. “It has to be said,” Rath argued, “that the cornerstone of why this is so popular in publishing is racism.” She went on to say that straight, white women’s voices dominated the romance genre for so long, pointing out that hockey is also the whitest sport. Among major league sports, the NHL is the most predominantly white. In 2022, ESPN reported that 83.6% of league players and staff were white, compared to the NFL, where 25-27% of players are white, or the NBA, where white players make up 17.5% of the league.
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Zooming into the genre, the authors also spoke about the writing process. They dove into the deeper aspects of their work, even the smut. Rath said, “I think the least sexy thing you can ever do is write a sex scene.” A similar sentiment came up during Reid’s Saturday panel, where she described using the sex scenes to further the emotional arc. When readers ask authors if they can skip the spice, Archer says of her own books, “No, you can’t skip the sex scenes. You’re missing so much character development if you don’t go on the journey with them.”
The panel turned to the future, too. Many of the authors write BIPOC and queer representation into their novels, in a genre that often centers on whiteness and homophobia. “We’re writing the world as we want it to be,” Rath said.
Reid has found that there is progress toward a future that these authors and their readers want to see, saying that the NHL is interested in working with them. “People on the inside, they really want to work toward change and want to make this happen.”
With the hockey fandom at an all-time high, there’s a whole team behind these authors ready to drive change.
Entertainment
Save on gas (and everything else) with a $15 BJ’s membership
TL;DR: Score a one-year BJ’s membership for $15 (reg. $60) and save up to 20¢/gal. on gas through April 30 — just in time for spring shopping and road trips.
Credit: BJ’s Wholesale Club
The warmer weather tends to sneak up fast, and so do those grocery bills and gas receipts. A one-year membership to BJ’s Wholesale Club is one of those simple upgrades that can make everyday shopping feel a little more manageable.
You can currently grab a Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal for just $15 (reg. $60) through April 30, which opens the door to savings across groceries, household essentials, and even your weekend cookout prep.
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Let’s start with the obvious, though. Gas prices. Members already get everyday savings at BJ’s Gas, but during this promo window, you’ll get an extra 15¢ off per gallon stacked on top of the usual 5¢ discount — bringing your total to 20¢ off per gallon through April 30.
Inside the club, it’s all about stretching your dollar further. BJ’s is known for offering competitive pricing on national brands, plus a wide selection of fresh produce, meats, bakery items, and deli favorites. Whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ, stocking up for a party, or just trying to cut down on weekly grocery runs, buying in bulk can help simplify things.
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There’s also something to be said for convenience. Fewer trips to the store, more options in one place, and access to seasonal items that make spring and summer feel extra special.
Get a one-year Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal® for just $15 (reg. $60) and enjoy an extra 15¢ off per gallon at any of the 199 BJ’s gas stations through April 30.
Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through April 19.
Gift with $100+ purchase promo ends April 19, 2026. Exclusions apply. Only one promo code applicable per order. Prices subject to change.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
This $43 bundle quietly upgrades your entire PC experience
TL;DR: This rare Microsoft bundle deal gives you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) through May 17.
$42.97
$418.99
Save $376.02
Looking for an affordable way to make your old PC feel new again? If you don’t have the funds to buy a brand new computer, don’t worry. The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle is the next best thing, offering your computer a total upgrade for only $42.97 through May 17.
Don’t count out your dusty old PC. This Microsoft bundle is here to give it a total facelift for less than $50. It kicks off with a lifetime license to some of the brand’s most popular tools — Microsoft Office, which you’ll pay for once and enjoy without any subscription fees.
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You’ll get permanent access to a suite of eight helpful apps with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. It includes staples that have been around for decades, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. You’ll also get newer favorites like Teams, OneNote, Access, and Publisher.
Once you’ve loaded the apps onto your device, you can upgrade your OS to Windows 11 Pro. It’s an operating system made for modern professionals, with tools that support your workflow. Enjoy a more powerful search experience, improved voice typing, a seamless interface, snap layouts, and much more.
You can rest easy knowing Windows 11 Pro takes your cybersecurity seriously. You’ll have biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses to keep your data secure.
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Show your PC some love with the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro bundle for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) now until May 17.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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