Take Three: Resident Alien

Resident Alien: Season 1, Episode 3 “Secrets” (B+)

The threat of Harry being found out for who he is continues to become more severe, but everyone in town seems willing to look past such obvious peculiarities that he actually seems to be safe. Hiding the body of the real Harry under packs of bison meat which Mike assumed was the reason that the dog was going so crazy made the issue of finding the body a non-starter, though I’m sure he’ll still find ways to make himself seem suspicious. You’d think that D’Arcy might have found something when she went snooping around his house, but she’s trying too hard to work through her feelings about him to notice anything unusual. I love that Max is finding creative ways to get under Harry’s skin, taunting him for the things he doesn’t understand about humans, and that he has a new friend who, even though she doesn’t see Harry’s true form, still believes that Max isn’t lying. Asta and D’Arcy ending up at a high school party was an unfortunate mistake, and it’s informative to see the friendship between those two, which involves a different level of comfort than Asta shows when she’s at work trying to digest Harry’s latest faux-pas. Mike’s worldview continues to be entertaining, decrying political correctness and celebrating the discovery of a serial killer rather than a mere murderer. The cowboy whose hat Harry stole when he first landed met a violent end after he tried to share his stories with allegedly likeminded hikers, and I’m curious if those are human operatives trying to suppress knowledge of the existence of aliens or members of Harry’s species intent on keeping a lid on their presence.

What I’m Watching: Wilfred (Season Finale)

Wilfred: Season 2, Episode 13 “Secrets” (B+)

This episode was crucial because it was practically that, all signs to the contrary, Wilfred wasn’t nefariously plotting Ryan’s demise. That drawing done by Ryan when he was young is extremely important evidence that Wilfred’s relevance in Ryan’s life goes far beyond the current moment. Ryan running to grab the magnifying glass to examine the photo on the fridge at the end of the episode was a fantastic moment on which to end, proving to him that, for once, Wilfred wasn’t making something up just to mess with Ryan’s head. I’m saddened somewhat by the fact that Amanda had to turn out to be crazy, but it seems a necessary sacrifice for the good of the episode and Ryan’s arc. Telling someone else that he talked to Wilfred has huge enough, and to have her acknowledge that she too heard him speak was monumental. It was all downhill for her after that, of course, as she revealed that she was the one who had stolen company money and put it in an offshore account in Ryan’s name, and then dug herself deeper by putting words in Wilfred’s mouth and assigning him a French accent. That led to the most magnificent part of this whole episode, in which Ryan realized that, objectively speaking, Amanda wasn’t any crazier for him for imagining a different talking Wilfred, she just got caught doing the illegal things she claimed he told her to do. With all these self-realizations going on, the wedding still went off pretty much without a hitch, and it was a sentimental, thought-provoking finale. The show has yet to be renewed for a third season, but I’d love to see more of this truly unique series, especially after this unexpectedly depressing and dark season.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Allison Mack as Amanda

What I’m Watching: New Girl

New Girl: Season 1, Episode 19 “Secrets” (B+)

So the cat’s out of the bag, and Schmidt and Cece’s relationship is no longer a secret. The reactions from everyone were highly entertaining, starting with Nick’s back sweat and Jess’ entirely negative response. Opening the episode with Schmidt hidden in the couch was fun, and I had such secrecy might persist for a while. This is perfectly fine, of course, and I like how Jess realized that Cece didn’t tell her because she actually likes Schmidt. Though Schmidt claims that they’re just having fun, I imagine that he too has sincere feelings for Cece too, which he’ll soon realize after much bickering, teasing, and wild sex. Nick’s efforts to become more like Schmidt after sleeping with so many twenty-one-year-old girls were predictably ridiculous, and I enjoyed having both girls come in and fight over the scarf. His performance during the charity run in which he was able to convince two roommates that he had actually cared about them and had valid excuses for not calling them back was extremely unexpected and impressive. Leave it to Winston to make the peace by flipping out because it was Saturday morning, and he did a good job calling out each person on their faults. Jess donning a ski mask because she found out that her male roommates had all thought about her while self-pleasuring was rather hilarious, and I still think that this show has established one of the most fantastic dynamics among its core characters. They’re entirely funny, likeable, and endearing.

What I’m Watching: The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 6 “Secrets” (B+)

For a man who’s not too good with keeping secrets, Glenn seems to have found himself with a double whammy, burdened with the knowledge both of the zombies in the barn and of Lori’s pregnancy. Fortunately, he chose to confide in Hershel, who confronted both parties about their clandestine acts but did so privately and gracefully. Hershel’s outlook on the zombies is particularly interesting and groundbreaking, perceiving them as sick people who shouldn’t simply be put down due to their current state. Maggie shared that same view before coming face-to-face with a rather unkillable zombie in the drugstore, which rattled her enough to give Lori a peace of her mind and freak out at Glenn. It’s nice that her insulting of Glenn actually comes wrapped in a compliment, and it’s true that he’s incredibly helpful in a tight spot and one of the most dependable of the group. Now that he’s conscious, Carl seems ready to get back to growing up, desiring to shoot a gun and all. Rick discovering Lori’s pregnancy and abortion attempt got him quite upset, but he didn’t seem to mind all that much finding out about her affair with Shane, revealing that he knew all along. The most chilling event of the hour was Dale’s third intense confrontation, this time with Shane, telling him that he knows what he is. Shane’s response was unsettling at best, telling him that if he was willing to shoot his best friend, imagine what he’d do to some guy he didn’t even like. That kind of talk can’t lead to anything good.