Episode description: "Asta helps Harry learn how to deal with his newfound fear of death."
Harry is so terrified of death that he is making bad decisions. He erased Asta's memory so that he would not need to deal with her guilt about having killed someone – but this was mostly for his convenience, not hers. Alas, as he is the town doctor, he cannot avoid death. There's the dead body he autopsied. There's D'arcy who reminds him of the murder. There's the terminal patient, Gerard. And because death terrifies him, Harry cannot enter the abandoned mine (it's probably dangerous anyway) when he's chasing the alien baby.
Harry's interference with Asta's memory cannot be hidden for long. Interactions with D'arcy and a really disappointing encounter with Jay let her know what must have happened. Asta demands that he replace her memories. Harry doesn't want to, because as soon as she remembers, she becomes all sad again. Also, to give Harry credit, Asta was not motivated to fight past her guilt and regret about killing someone until she learned her access to her memory had been destroyed. She was not dealing with her feelings (of course, not much time had passed). It was Harry's interference which motivates her to deal with them.
Several characters take steps in the direction of maturity in this episode. Ben knows he's got to become better at talking to his wife. He tries Mike's advice about trying to talk to her in a public place, but it doesn't work. But then Ben tries something else, calling her on the phone, and they are able to talk for hours. It's nice that Ben found his own way to Kate, not relying on Mike's approach. Besides, it's not as if Sheriff Mike is an expert on relationships with women.
D'arcy still has difficulties establishing relationships with guys – although she makes progress in this episode, choosing not to sneak out of Elliot's house in the morning, unlike what she did with Dr. Ethan. But she is a fantastic friend to women. She threatens Harry, because she will do anything for Asta. She apologizes again to Kate and they go to the gym together. She's even nice to Judy (I still don't like how they all look down on Judy).
Deputy Liv, however, slips back into insecurity. She feels left out when Mike and Lena are talking. Well, it's true, she is being left out, but a more confident person would realize that Mike and Lena are not trying to shut her out, but they are so attracted to each other they can't not talk mostly to each other. Deputy Liv was disappointing in this episode, although I guess characters with problems make for better stories than characters who are mature and secure.
Sahar, as she so often does, figures things out. She knows the alien baby could take human form, and she does not dismiss the exclamation of Bobby Smallwood's aged sister. She takes the baby to the RV. We are reminded that Max sees aliens as they are, not just Harry, so when he sees the baby he sees the baby alien and not the Bobby Smallwood seen by others.
This episode had less snappy dialogue in it – the exception being the scenes with Sheriff Mike – but Asta's conversations with Harry had greater depth than we have experienced in many episodes of Resident Alien.
And, although Harry tries to eat his way through his feelings about death, at the end he faces up to them by helping Gerard die.
Title musings. "The Ghost of Bobby Smallwood" is the title of the episode. Of course, we don't meet the ghost of Bobby Smallwood but the clone of Bobby Smallwood. However, memories of Bobby Smallwood float throughout the episode. The title's so weird that I like it.
Bits and pieces
The episode reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Tabula Rasa," and how happy Buffy was when she was not weighted down by her terrible memories.
It would be terrible if I forgot how to make coffee.
Bobby's sister recognizes him after 81 years, but her outburst is dismissed as dementia. I wonder how many real things get dismissed as dementia or lies.
I wonder where the Bobby Smallwood clone got clothes? Well, perhaps he took it off the dead body, although I expect that most clothes would disintegrate after 81 years. Alien Harry, when he first took on human form, was naked. Of course, Alan Tudyk is an adult and Kesler Talbot, the kid playing Bobby Smallwood, was not.
Wonder if Gerard knew Bobby Smallwood.
Love how Asta writes Jay a card or letter on every birthday.
I like how D'arcy can drive all sorts of vehicles.
What a great place for kids to meet, an RV in the woods. Even better than the treehouse I used as a kid.
Quotes
D'arcy: It's nice having someone else here with athletic trophies gathering dust on a shelf.
Kate: Mine are in a box, but – need someone to spot you?
D'arcy: Need someone make fun of you when you run?
Kate: Weirdly, that's exactly what I need.
Sheriff Mike: Well, I get it. When it comes to talking to 'em, you gotta treat women like they in the cartel, right? You wanna have a conversation? You take 'em to a public place. That way you don't have to worry about them murdering you.
Ben: So you think Kate wants to murder me?
Sheriff Mike: Based on the fight at the party, I put the odds at, like, I don't know, 35%.
Ben: Seems high.
Sheriff Mike: You got life insurance? 'Cause that'll push it up to, like, 60.
Ben: Hey, what's up?
Kate: Uh, nothing. I'm in the kitchen.
Ben: Cool, cool. What's the... What's the weather like there?
Kate: What are you doing?
Ben: You know, just haven't been able to stop thinking about you ever since I saw you in the living room.
Asta: You can't just go around erasing people's memories.
Harry: You wanted me to do it when the sheriff and the deputy found out what I am.
Asta: The fate of the world depended on that, so I think that one was important.
Harry: I think erasing your memory was important. I do not like it when you are upset. You get loud and blubbery.
Asta: Yes, I was upset, but that was my grief to deal with, not yours.
Asta: What did you do? Did you order all the comfort food on the menu? My dad is afraid your heart is gonna explode.
Harry: I asked them to fry the pie, but they wouldn't do it!
Asta: You know what you're doing here, right? You were shot. You're scared and confused. And now you're using food to make yourself feel better.
Harry: Yes, I am. It works.
Elliot: That was probably the hottest thing I've ever seen.
D'arcy: Well, what can I say, you know? You needed something moved, I think I can work with that.
Bobby Smallwood's sister: Bobby? Bobby, is that you?
Bobby Smallwood's great niece: Grandma, Bobby went missing 80 years ago.
Bobby Smallwood's sister: I know my own brother.
Harry: How are you not afraid? You will be dead soon.
Gerard: Oh, no. The things got better when I found out that I was dying. It reminded me that life isn't forever. I-I began to appreciate every moment.
Harry: Like when there is only one slice of pie left – it tastes better.
Overall rating
Three out of four slices of fried pie. I bet fried pie is similar to doughnuts.
Victoria Grossack loves math, birds, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.
There were a couple of moments in this one that I really liked -- the moment with Gerard when Harry let him go, and the phone conversation between my two least favorite characters, Ben and Kate. There was a man I nearly married more than once, and we always seemed to make strides in our relationship when we were several states apart talking on the phone.
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