Episode description: “It's a surprise party as everyone gathers to celebrate Harry, but some dangerous guests cause havoc.” Actually, most of those causing havoc were not invited guests, but the episode description is correct in that havoc does happen.
Alien Dinner Party is a bottle episode. Possibly Resident Alien, after shooting expensive scenes in New York City (or a New York City lookalike; I don’t know where it was filmed) needed to balance the budget by using sets they already had. Yet, with everyone sticking around – for hours and hours! – the episode also had the vibe of a screwball comedy, with people going in and out of rooms (particularly bathroom and basement) and hiding things (alien babies, children and pregnancy tests).
Harry and Asta are not happy with the surprise party. Harry doesn't see the point – it’s true that it is a sort of participation trophy, but often showing up makes a big difference – but of course it’s the birthday of the human he killed, not his own. The greater issue is that he’s got an alien egg in the basement, and he does not know when it will hatch. Alien babies are hungry and this will want to eat anything and anyone.
But there's a reason for the surprise party. Mayor Ben needs a new town doctor, and he thinks this is a way to woo Harry into the role. So the invitees make sense: Kate, Mike, Dan (catering), Liv and Liv’s partner, John. D’arcy, who was not invited, manages to show up too.
Ben’s not inviting D’arcy to the party makes sense, as he is trying to keep her apart from Kate. But Kate and D’arcy are bonding, and D’arcy gets Kate to finally use the pregnancy test. Of course, Kate is pregnant. She has all the symptoms and her not being pregnant would not be interesting for future episodes.
This is an episode where I like D’arcy more than previous episodes. She comes to the party even though she was not invited, and she punishes Ben (just a little) by refusing to let him have more of Liv’s special devilled eggs.
It's weird to have so many people stay so long at Harry’s, but I guess the people in Patience don’t have anything better to do. In the meantime, in the screwball nature of this show, the alien baby breaks out of its shell. It tries out the punch, eats a piece of steak, and an unlucky racoon. A lot of information breaks out as well, such as the possibility of Patience getting a resort. We also get a great fight between Kate and Ben, when everything comes out: how D’arcy kissed Ben, how they smoked weed together, and how Kate is now pregnant. What I think is best is how disappointed Kate is – but not in Ben, but in D’arcy. Is Kate taking Ben for granted? Or is it that Kate has been desperate for a female friend in Patience and felt as if she finally had one, and so is extra upset? It appears to be the latter. And Ben, for all his faults, goes immediately to Kate to apologize.
Most of the episode is comic, but a couple of moments go deeper. Jay invites Asta to have lunch with her on her birthday, a request so precious to Asta that she needs to hide in the bathroom to cry. As Jay says, Asta was there too. Also, Mike talks about his best but dead friend Jesse, remembering him in a good way instead of just being stuck on the grief. D’arcy, in a conversation with Asta, acknowledges the truth of what Kate said, and Asta helps her to re-connect with Elliot.
Just at the end Harry is shot by a human from New York City. That human believes Harry shot the people who were pursuing human Harry. Of course, the New Yorker is wrong, but he still shoots alien Harry. The assailant is shot dead by Asta, who has been out with a rifle allegedly in search of a rabid racoon but in reality looking for the alien hatchling. Asta, deeply committed to preserving life – after all, she’s a nurse – is shocked by the fact she has killed another human being. D’arcy then shows up on the scene, which means she is probably going to learn some things she does not yet know. It's a wonderful cliffhanger to make us want the next episode.
Title musings. “Alien Dinner Party” is the title of the episode, and it suits, both with there being two aliens at the dinner party and the alienating nature of the festivity.
Bits and pieces
Harry’s bathroom sure sees a lot of action in this episode!
Gonna have to remember Harry’s method to get someone to go away: tell them they have a spider in their hair.
Poor Liv! Asta would be more sympathetic about the UFO stuff if she weren’t helping to hide an alien. But Liv never gets positive feedback.
It’s true that nature shows sometimes make you nod off. Ellen not quite fooled though and tells the kids to get back before their parents come home.
Liked how Harry pays Dan for the food. Dan doesn’t object, probably because Harry has stolen so much pie from him.
The key to my special devilled eggs is the curry that I add to the mashed yolks and mayo.
A pity for Dr Ethan that the concern Sahar shows is for Harry the actual alien and not for Dr Ethan the human who was captured by the Men in Black. Poor Dr. Ethan!
Quotes
D’arcy: Okay, I'll text him! I'll text him. What do I even say?
Asta: Uh, how about "Hi?"
D’arcy: That's kind of brilliant.
Asta: Yeah.
Harry: I do not like having people at my house uninvited.
Asta: Well, now you know how Earth felt when you got here.
Harry in order to get rid of Kate: Do you have a pet spider? Because it's in your hair.
Sheriff Mike: So when you gonna ask Dr. V to be the town doctor, Ben?
Ben: I don't know what you're talking about.
Mike: Come on, man. This is what this is all about. You're wooing him. Look. Word of advice: get him drunk before you ask him. It'll help smooth the woo.
Sahar: Is your brain in your butt?
Max: I hope not.
Sahar: Don't you realize what happened? The Men in Black took Dr. Ethan.
D’arcy: Come on. Let's go pee on a stick.
Ellen: Hey! Where are you going?
Sahar: Bike ride?
Max: Taking out the garbage!
Ellen: Just come home before your parents get back. No drugs!
Harry: I will talk to Dan because he has food. And that is not weird. Hi, Dan. Here is some money for my meal, and I'll also take a side of fries at the table.
Asta: The alien baby hatched. It's loose!
Dan: that a bad thing?
Asta: It's not a good thing. Keep everyone together, and don't let anyone outside, okay?
Asta: You know, about it maybe eating us thing -- you got bullets for those guns?
Harry: They're all loaded. The real me was redneck-y.
Note: all the loaded guns might have to do with the fact that the partners in New York are murderously inclined.
Ben: You like to tinker?
Harry: Yes. Sometimes it makes me shiver because of the warm urine leaving my body.
Ben: Oh no, that's, uh...
Sheriff Mike: You know 100% of people who have rabies go insane, but only % of insane people have rabies? That's a Internet fact.
D’arcy: I look great. I quit drinking for -- four hours...
Kate: You lied to me. You know what? No. I deserved it, because I have been lying for years. You wanna know the truth? I hate it here. I hate Patience. I hate my life, and I hate that I really thought you were my friend, and I'm glad that I pissed on your hand when I took that pregnancy test!
Ben: What?
Overall rating
Despite its quirks, I really enjoyed this episode. Three out of four devilled eggs - but mine, not Liv's, as mine don't trouble tummies.
Victoria Grossack loves math, birds, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.
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