What I’m Watching: Resident Alien

Resident Alien: Season 1, Episode 4 “Birds of a Feather” (B+)

As Harry learns more about how humans operate, he’s letting his guard down in a big way, allowing his number one nemesis, Max, to outsmart him. He and Sahar make a great team, and she managed to get Harry’s keys copies while Max kept him distracted playing nice during the dinner party his parents forced him to be at with Harry. They didn’t do so well sneaking into Harry’s home without him finding out or discovering them asleep, and now he’s going to have to decide what to do with them since their disappearance will likely garner more attention, not that he’s going to think that through given his tendency to make impulsive decisions. Opening up to Asta after he blurted out the secret that Jay was her daughter about how he had a wife who died was a surprise, though it seems that the real Harry has a wife who’s very much alive and is likely to realize that the man in her husband’s body is definitely not her husband. Harry shooting a perfect basket without trying but then showing a fundamental lack of understanding of the rules of the sport was entertaining, and D’Arcy obviously doesn’t have very high standards since him essentially licking her cheek wasn’t even the worst kiss she’s ever had. Noticing the excitement he was feeling and then conveying it to the clueless hunter was fun too, and my favorite moment of the episode was Mike pulling Max and Sahar over for failing to use hand signals but then endorsing the fact that they were getting time outside. I have a feeling that Liv is going to be the first to figure out what’s going on since she seems determined to follow the evidence and not let Mike dismiss everything she says outright.

Round Two: Counterpart

Counterpart: Season 1, Episode 2 “Birds of a Feather” (B+)

In episode two, this show continues to be interesting, not entirely clear on where it’s headed but definitely covering worthwhile territory on the way there. Introducing Baldwin’s counterpart in our world showed a completely different character, a talented musician who leads a lonely but far less violent life. Baldwin is resilient and thinks fast, calling in a hostage situation so that she could gain the upper hand and take her other self hostage. She decided quickly to reveal her face, which of course made the other Baldwin think that she was hallucinating and not experiencing a real but inexplicable situation. The authorization to take the shot which killed the wrong Baldwin was an unfortunate call, and now it’s just going to encourage Baldwin to go after both Howards with more resolve. It’s intriguing to see how Howard operates on his side, nearly brought in and then executed by operatives sent by his ex-wife, who wasn’t trying to kill him but harbors no positive feelings for the man. Stephen Rea’s Pope is an interesting addition, sharing wisdom about churches representing religion once upon a time and pulling lots of strings from his position. It’s good to see our Howard developing some personality and realizing how he can contribute to the world, and the highlight of the interactions between the two Howards in this episode was the finding of the tie that the other Howard lost decades ago and that our Howard hadn’t worn in decades. It’s those small moments that makes this show extremely compelling and watchable.