Resident Alien: Harry, a Parent

D’arcy: Well, I guess you don't want to eat the best churros in Colorado.
Harry: I am a fan of churros.

Episode description: “After losing the Alien Baby, Harry learns which alien race is on Earth. It's not what he expected.”

Harry and Asta are still stunned by Goliath’s picture, which they interpret as Harry being Goliath and having traveled through time. I appreciated how Resident Alien made Harry incapable of explaining time travel or time portals. This is a relief, because I get tired of the absurdity in most science fiction explanations. Instead, the fact that his race and most other alien races don’t understand it becomes a clue, as it narrows down the alien races that could be taking over the earth. Harry says there are only two: the Alpha Draconians and the Greys.

Harry rules out the Greys as not interested in humans, so that leaves the Alpha Draconians. The nose test to see if someone is an Alpha Draconian is one of the funniest things ever. He tries it on Asta – to whom he can explain – and then later on D’arcy. She freaks out, but just a little, because she doesn't respect boundaries either.

In an effort to recapture her glory days, D’arcy is returning to competitive skiing, but she’s suffering as her knee compensates for the old ankle injury. She’s overmedicating, showing the signs of an addict, and snapping at Elliot. She does finally introduce Elliot to her friends as her “boyfriend” and qualifies in the qualifiers. However, there’s one truth about time (even if it doesn’t hold in this episode); time is hard to reverse. A woman in her late thirties will not be the same athlete she was in her teens, especially not D’arcy, who has spent so many years consuming alcohol and pills.

Given the title, there’s a lot about parenting in this episode, much of it not so good. D’arcy’s parents don’t come to the skiing event (but everyone else does). Asta has a truly horrible interaction with her birth mother. Harry is wondering about his connection to the alien baby, as he has learned that it is not just his responsibility, but is genetically his. His greater concern is for the safety of all the humans on the planet.

We also get Lewis with Sheriff Mike. Surprisingly, we don’t see Ben or Kate with their kid or much Dan with Asta. But the episode emphasizes – with a long speech by Harry, included below – how the responsibilities of parenting can belong to anyone. Elliot tries to help D’arcy. D’arcy comforts Asta. The sweetest example in the episode really belongs to Sheriff Mike. He is understandably frustrated by Deputy Liv’s insistence that she once saw some extraterrestrials, but despite this, he tells her she is not alone (I don't understand why Deputy Liv isn't following up with Max).

I think it’s interesting that Asta takes Harry along in search of her birth mother. OK, maybe it’s just because Asta feels responsible for him, or maybe she doesn’t want to leave him unattended, but she brought him with her during a meeting that was deeply personal for her. Usually her interactions with Harry have been to help Harry or to protect others, but here she’s turning to him for support. Of course, Harry has been there for Asta several times, including when Jimmy got punchy.

At the end we learn – after discovering that crop circles are actually alien emojis – that the Greys, and not the Alpha Draconians – are threatening Earth.

Title musings. “Harry, a Parent” is the title of the episode, and there’s a lot about parents in this episode. Harry now knows he is the genetic parent of the baby alien. But mostly it’s about how we help each other in difficult situations, serving as the comforting parent. Harry manages to comfort Asta in this episode. I also tried to make something out of the similar sounding “Harry apparent” and “Heir apparent” but got nowhere. Still, I like the title.

Bits and pieces

Harry makes an OK doctor, but he is a ghastly therapist.

Resident Alien makes it easy to bribe Harry with food, which is silly, because, thanks to the bag of money, he can certainly afford to purchase the pie, pizzas and churros that he wants. It seems to be instinctual on his part.

George Takei (Lieutenant Sulu from Star Trek) does the voice of the Grey, and says “Oh, my!” several times. That’s his phrase.

With the mention of C3PO, we also have a nod to the Star Wars universe.

A stretch of highway along the 37th Parallel – the episode shows a highway sign of it – is allegedly the site of many UFO sightings. Ben Mezrich wrote a book about them, including the mutilation and exsanguination of many farm animals. Weird. Maybe that explains why Harry is so fascinated with cows?

Quotes

Sheriff Mike: No, I get it. We all got our fantasies. I mean, hell, in another life, I could have been one of those Renaissance Faire guys, right? But I can't be pulling people over wearing no suit of armor on no horse. And I damn sure can't write them no ticket with no jousting stick or turkey leg and a jug of mead in my hand.
Deputy Liv: Well, it's hard to argue with that logic.

Elliot: Well, let's put some snow on it. We'll get the swelling down.
D’arcy: Oh, yeah, good idea. Like, just stop parenting me.

Harry: I do not care about this father-baby stuff.
Asta: Harry, it's human nature to care about your offspring.
Harry: It is human nature, not alien nature.

Asta: Harry, you don't know what you're talking about, do you?
Harry: No, I don't. My people have never figured it out. I guess I went through an existing portal left by another alien race.

Asta: What the hell? Were you just picking my nose?
Harry: Alpha Draconians, their nostrils are pleasure zones, so if you were an Alpha Draconian, then you would've liked that!

Nurse Ellen: I need more thread. I only got enough for "attacked by a cat," not for "bathes a cat."

Lewis: You take away my coffee, I might as well be dead.
Lewis: I'm part of this decision too, and I'm not moving anywhere.
Sheriff Mike: What? You're the main one always complaining about everything you miss about D.C.
Lewis: I enjoy complaining. Keeps my heart rate up. Most important, as hard as you try to hide it, I can tell you're happy here.

Harry: You do not need to worry. I took care of it.
Asta: Wait, what do you mean you took care of it?
Harry: When we stopped earlier, that was on latitude north. It holds a specific energy that amplifies alien signals. I left them a note.
Asta: I thought you were peeing.
Harry: I did that too.

Deputy Liv: I mean, sure, I feel silly just sitting here all alone like some weirdo. But one of these times, they might be back.
Sheriff Mike: Now, see, that's where you're wrong.
Deputy Liv: You don't think they're going to come back?
Sheriff Mike: Oh, no, I don't know nothing about that. I just know that you are not all alone.

Asta: You're trying to make me feel better. My mother doesn't care about me. You know, I always had this hole in my past. It was all a mystery. Who was she? You know, what would she be like? At least now, the hole is filled.
Harry: Filled with garbage. She is garbage. She is a bag of shit.

Harry to self: Before today, I thought parenting meant an older human taking care of a younger one, feeding it, clothing it, making sure it didn't get eaten by wolves. But sometimes it means protecting them emotionally too. This protective instinct isn't unique to the biological child. Humans parent their partners too. They parent their friends when they need to be guided, when they are afraid or in danger. But how do you parent when you're in danger too?

The Grey: You are wrong. It is not the Alpha Draconians here on Earth. And please, stop sending them messages. We don't need those idiots down here.
Harry: You are the Greys. What are you doing here? The Greys have never cared about the Earth.
The Grey: Oh, my, you are so stupid.

Overall rating

Three and half out of four of the best churros in Colorado, but some of the parenting was just too on the nose.

Victoria Grossack loves math, birds, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.