This article contains spoilers for the Resident Alien series finale.
Hopes forResident Alien’s resurrection may not be dead after all, according to series creator Chris Sheridan. It was announced in late July thatResident Alienwould be ending after four seasons on the USA Network and Syfy, essentially canceling the fan-favorite comic book adaptation, with the August 8 episode serving as the series finale.
Series lead Alan Tudyk reacted to the news on social media, along with others intheResident Aliencast, and shared warm sentiments about his time as Harry Vanderspeigle. But even though the final episode functions as a fitting farewell to the sci-fi dramedy, that may not be the end of the story.
In an interview withScreenRantfor theResident Alienseries finale, Sheridan shared that there may be a continuation in the future. In the quote below, Sheridan specifically mentions the chances of a follow-up movie or a six-episode limited series that would tell a full narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. He also previews that Harry hasn’t completely learned to be human just yet:
So, I’d like to think there’s a future for these stories. I do think that doing a movie at some point is certainly possible, if not probable. I would certainly be open someday if someone came and said, “Hey, let’s just do a movie, or let’s do a six-episode limited series of, ‘Where are they now, what’s going on in their lives?'” That would be a very fun arc where you could do a story, beginning, middle and end, and tell another season worth of a story there. It’s all built in, there’s more stories to tell. This one story that we just told finished about Harry gaining his humanity, enough so we understand why he’s leaving. But he’s still Harry. He still calls Max a d—head. He’s still funny and ridiculous. And look, I’m in my 50s, I haven’t figured out what it’s like to be human yet. We spend our lives trying to figure it out. Harry hasn’t figured it out yet, he’s just a lot further along than he was when he started. So, there’s a lot more story to tell. There are new stories to tell. I don’t know if we’ll ever get the opportunity to tell them, but I think we’d at least get the chance to do a movie at some point.
Asked specifically about aResident Alienmovie, like fellow USA Network showsMonkandPsychhave gotten, Sheridan shares that those talks have taken place. He confirms that USA Network executives are open to the possibility, adding that he expects it to happen at some point. Read the exchange below:
ScreenRant:I would love to see that. Wynonna Earp just got a spin-off movie, much like Monk and Psych keep getting them. I hope you guys get one.
Chris Sheridan: Yeah, the topic has come up. I talked to USA about it, and that was their answer, “That’s what we do. We’ve done Psych and Monk.” They definitely are open to it, so I would expect that probably to happen at some point.
What This Means For The Future Of Resident Alien
On the one hand,theResident Alienfinale is a perfect farewell. Sheridan said that he did not expect a season 5 renewal and set out to provide a satisfying resolution. Harry flies away, in his alien form, having impacted the residents of Patience. The last shot of the episode, which was written by Sheridan and directed by executive producer Robert Duncan McNeill, includes the following:“Harry Was Here.”
Resident Alienis based on the comic book by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse
But despite the finality andnoResident Alienseason 5 follow-up, franchises likeMonkandPsychprove that there can still be life after the main show has ended.Monk’s return has even generated awards buzz. So long as the show’s ensemble, which includes Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, and Meredith Garretson, among others, is up for returning, then there is a path forward.
Our Take On The Future Of Resident Alien
The sci-fi dramedy could get the best of both worlds. It could have a satisfying ending to the main series. But, down the road, for one reason or another, Harry could return to Earth for aResident Alienrevival, and one ofTudyk’s most popular characterscould get a second wind.
