Episode description: “Harry and Asta's trip is interrupted by an uninvited relative as the town celebrates family.” This episode does a lot to address issues that have been bugging me since the end of season one.
First, let me say that I love the idea of celebrating family, and so I commend whoever in Patience came up with the idea (also, the writers). Family comes in all sorts, and Resident Alien shows many variants.
We get backstory on some bits that I had not even thought to wonder about. We knew Sheriff Mike lost his partner when they worked together in DC, but we learn how it led to Sheriff Mike and his bond with the dog Cletus. We also get his dissatisfaction regarding his relationship with his father (which is not fair to his father).
Harry is wondering about his own family. He hasn't yet called the number in New York, but as it came to his alien receiver in his alien language, he expects it must be another alien. His delay in this matter is the episode's weak point. On the other hand, his conversations with his cousin the octopus are as amusing as ever.
We see Asta and her variants of family. She wakes up at Jimmy's (which she regrets); she does things to impress Jay (the hot pepper eating contest), and she quarrels with and makes up with D'arcy.
Much of the episode revolved around the plot twist of human Harry's daughter showing up. Harry has not been fond of kids before this, so it's fun watching him in that role. Daughter Liza notices big differences, and wonders if he is high or if he suffered from a blow to the head.
Asta insists that Harry should stay and take care of the girl. I understand why she thinks it's important but if the whole human race is about to be obliterated, it seems the wrong order of priorities. Probably that's why I'm having trouble with having any real urgency to the possibility of the human race being destroyed: too many in the show are not treating it with urgency. At least Harry notices she is being flip-floppy.
Still, this episode of Resident Alien garnered a lot of respect from me, especially in its treatment of D'arcy. Jimmy didn't rat out D'arcy (and Jay) to the police, but he did tell her she might have killed someone when she released the parking brake on his truck, something that I have waited to hear someone say ever since she did that. Also, at the beginning of the episode, D'arcy is being treated for a hangover with an IV. I liked Nurse Ellen's response to it: as a medical professional, against getting so drunk, while showing understanding for the frustrations of living in Patience.
Also, we get the satisfaction of Asta and D'arcy finally confessing some of their problems to each other. D'arcy admits she is no longer 15 and should not have gone on such a bender after having dinner with her parents. Asta says she should not have turned to Jimmy when she was having bad feelings about babies. Of course, Asta is still keeping the biggest secret from D'arcy: the fact that Harry is an alien, but that secret is huge, not completely hers, and D'arcy is not discreet.
Deputy Liv – who is competing with Sahar for the smartest human in Patience, although Liv has much less confidence – thinks her missing day is due to alien interference. I'd look into other things, too, like medical problems, but maybe she tried this off camera. Besides, Liv has other indications that aliens are real. Anyway, when Sheriff Mike realizes he has also forgotten a day – the same day – he decides to consult a doctor. Unfortunately for him the doctor he consults is Harry, who protects his hide by giving Sheriff Mike beautiful memories for the missing day. This is hard on Deputy Liv, who has to endure being told again that she is wrong when she is right.
I understand the lack of enthusiasm by most of the audience at the play about the mining accident. The subject is unpleasant and the play is lousy. But it's also an enactment of what really happened, and as long as Patience is glorifying that part of its history, maybe it's time to look at it. And, even though the play is so bad that it's painful to watch, it's not more gory than what one sees on screens – even kids' screens. I think it's intriguing that Max really liked it, and I can imagine that many kids would.
Title musings. “Family Day” is the title of the episode. There are many examples of family in this episode. It works.
Bits and pieces
Maybe Jimmy was awful off camera, but in most of what we have seen he has been pretty reasonable. Well, domestic abuse is so terrible I can understand that few shows would want to film it.
I really like the idea of a Family Day and I am glad Patience celebrates it. I think individuals and families should choose to celebrate days that are special to them. I mark Pi day, Star Wars day and the solstices.
Interesting how Jimmy and D'arcy fight over Asta's affection. D'arcy may be heterosexual, but the person she loves most is Asta.
I approve of how Sheriff Mike has many socks of the same color. I don't do that so much with my socks as I do with my earrings.
I love how Sahar has a dog-walking business. Sahar is one of my favorite characters.
Human Harry had a daughter, and we learn he also had an ex-wife. Plot potential if the writers need something!
Quotes
Harry: (to self) 1,900 miles. That's how close I am to New York City, to one of my people. 1,900 miles from standing in front of a being who knows what I know – who has stood in the ice wind desert as a child. I am different now. Asta knows this version of me, but I am 1,900 miles from being with someone who knows the alien part of me – the real me. So why can I not dial this number? (My best guess: the writers wanted to stay in Patience for another episode.)
Bill: Mike. Come on, man, I know you're in there. (Holds out puppy.)
Sheriff Mike: Bill, I can't do that, man.
Bill: Mike, you're the only one he would have trusted with him. (Hands over puppy.) You take care of yourself, okay?
Sheriff Mike: Thanks. Thanks, man. I miss him, too, Cletus. (Dog whimpers.) Welcome to your new home.
Ellen: Almost as close as you were to getting your eye poked out by a tree.
D'arcy: In my defense, I had just had dinner with my parents. Also, that tree was waving pretty wildly.
Ellen: Listen, as a medical professional, I suggest you drink a little less. But as a single bitch living in this dead-ass town, I suggest you invite me out next time.
Octopus: What do you mean you got a phone number from an alien? Why didn't you tell me sooner? What did they say?
Harry: Well, I did not call. It might be a trap.
Octopus: It's not a trap.
Harry: If you worried more about traps, then you would still be in the ocean instead of in a box of water in the mountains.
Asta: You can't just let her leave.
Harry: She wants to go.
Asta: She wants her father. We have to help her.
Harry: An hour ago, you wanted to go to New York to save the rest of the humans. You are flip-floppy.
Asta: She happens to be one of those humans. You killed her father, so we are staying here until we get her safely home.
D'arcy: Glad to see you got a new truck. It was the, uh, problem with the emergency brake on the last one, right?
Jimmy: Oh, you're real funny. You could have killed someone.
Sheriff Mike: Is this – is this what we have now? Is this us? We just gonna fight all the time? I got friends. They got dads. They go to games. They go fishing and shit. We ain't done nothing like that since I was a kid. Instead, all I got is you sitting across from me telling me all the things you think are wrong with me.
Lewis: You're a young man. It's not normal to forget stuff like that.
Liza: This is stupid.
Harry: It is not stupid. This is Patience Family Day. We are a family in Patience, and this is what families in Patience do on this day. (To self: If she were home with me for one more second, I would kill her and feed her to my hungry octopus.)
Liza: Can I at least drive?
Harry: Will you stop complaining?
Liza: Yes.
Harry: Okay.
Liza: Yes!
Sheriff Mike: Now, I haven't told Deputy Liv anything about me forgetting that day 'cause I don't want her to freak out, but she's got gaps in her memory for that exact same day, too. You think if I came by office, you could check me out?
Harry: (To self) This is bad. If he starts investigating this, he might remember that I'm a murderer and possibly a werewolf.) Yes. I will do what I can to help with your memory.
Sheriff Mike: I appreciate it. You know, my dad – he tells me it's emotional, right? That it's in my head. I lost a friend a few years back, and... truth is, I don't think I've had a good day since. Does that make sense?
D'arcy: You were right. My parents took me out to dinner, and my response was to go get blackout drunk.
Asta: Your parents are assholes. I mean, I love them, but come on.
D'arcy: I should be better at dealing with them by now. I'm not fifteen. I'm a mess.
Deputy Liv: Sheriff, can I tell you something?
Sheriff Mike: All right, go ahead. Lay it on me.
Deputy Liv: You know that day the FBI guy came, the day that neither of us can remember? I think an alien erased our memory. There, I said it.
Overall rating
I'm impressed by how Resident Alien dealt with some of the issues that have been bothering me. The lack of urgency is weird though. Three and a half out of four fake boulders.
Victoria Grossack loves math, birds, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.
Loved this episode for all the reasons you mentioned, Victoria. I particularly liked that hugely depressing stage play. It was so horrifying that it was ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI'm very fond of Sheriff Mike and Deputy Liz, and it was great to finally find out what happened to him and where Cletus came from.