Warning: Spoilers ahead forResident Alienseason 4, episode 1, “Prisoners.“Resident Alienseason 4, episode 1, “Prisoners,” reveals that the Mantid has successfully stolen Harry’s life, and provides a few contextual clues about how he was able to do so. While Tudyk remains the leader of theResident Aliencastin “Prisoners,” his time is divided between playing both Harry Vanderspeigle and the Mantid. To the audience,it’s obvious that the Mantid’s impression of Harry needs work, but the deception is seemingly more than good enough to fool most of the residents of Patience, Colorado.
The Mantid was introduced at theend ofResident Alienseason 3, with the insectoid voiced by Clancy Brown while in his natural form. One of thebiggest story reveals inResident Alienseason 4’s premiereis just how thoroughly the Mantid assumed Harry’s identity, technically making the Mantid the third character to bear the name of Harry Vanderspeigle. At first, it seems a little confusing when it comes to the matter of the Mantid’s successful plan to hide in plain sight, but"Prisoners” uses the show’s brilliant blend of comedy and absurdist logic to explain things.
Most People In Patience Think The Mantid Is Just Harry
Harry is trapped about the Greys' ship while the Mantid steals his life
While Harry is trapped aboard the Greys' moon shop, the Mantid is living Harry’s life back on Earth. Tudyk’s performances as both Harry and the Mantid are different, but they each make it obvious that the characters are aliens trying to blend in among humans. To most of Patience’s townsfolk, it just seems as though Harry’s weirdness has shifted a little and is partly attributed to the Mantid’s lie that Bridget is dead. So,although people can tell Harry is acting differently, he isn’t actually doing anything that isn’t already expected of him.
If it hadn’t been for Max and Sahar’s investigation and the real Harry’s return, then the Mantid may have continued the ruse indefinitely.
At the start of “Prisoners,” Max (Judah Prehn) and Sahar (Gracelyn Awad Rinke) are the only two in Patience who know that Harry is actually the Mantid.Max’s genetic mutation allows him to see the Mantid’s real face, just as it allowed him to see Harry’s alien form, even when disguised. However, they keep the revelation to themselves as they investigate, and their actions ultimately result in Asta (Sara Tomko) also learning the truth. If it hadn’t been for Max and Sahar’s investigation and the real Harry’s return, then the Mantid may have continued the ruse indefinitely.
Sahar Explains She Avoided The Mantid Killing Her & Max At The End Of Resident Alien Season 3
Max immediately gave the game away by screaming
After whereResident Alienseason 3 left Max and Sahar, it’s perhaps a little confusing that they managed to survive the events of the finale. Max sees the Mantid’s face inResident Alienseason 3, episode 8, “Homecoming,” making it difficult to believe that both Max and Sahar could have escaped the show’s new villain after seeing through his disguise.“Prisoners” explains how it was possible with a humorously convenient and throwaway line.
I expected Max and Sahar to beginResident Alienseason 4 as prisoners of the Mantid. I knew he wouldn’t kill them, so locking them up to keep his identity safe would be the next most logical move. It turns out I was wrong, and Sahar explains that they were able to fool the Mantid into thinking that Max hadn’t screamed because he knew the Mantid wasn’t Harry, but because he stepped on a bee. In other shows, this would feel lazy, but I thinkResident Alien’s unique vibe allows it to get away with such a simple solution.
The Mantid Has Been Confining His Killings To Jessop, Not Patience
The nefarious alien has been committing his crimes away from Resident Alien’s primary setting
The Mantid feeds primarily on other lifeforms, as established during his debut in “Homecoming” when he decapitated an unnamed blue alien and ate its head. The Mantid’s murderous rampage has continued intoResident Alienseason 4. He has been killing humans and eating their heads, and the incidents have started to make headlines. The Mantid, however, has been smart. He hasn’t been feeding on humans too close to home. He has avoided hunting in Patience, but in Jessop instead.
Previous murder cases that predate the Mantid’s arrival on Earth have already forced collaborations between Jessop and Patience, soResident Alienseason 4 looks set to revive that particular working relationship.
Jessop is the next town over from Patience, and the two have a rivalry not dissimilar to a darker version of the dynamic between Springfield and Shelbyville inThe Simpsons. Previous murder cases that predate the Mantid’s arrival on Earth have already forced collaborations between Jessop and Patience, soResident Alienseason 4 looks set to revive that particular working relationship. Plus, with Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) dating Lena Torres (Nicola Correia-Damude), the two towns already have an especially powerful and recently intensified connection.
As well as playing Harry and the Mantid in “Prisoners,” Alan Tudyk also directed the episode.
The Mantid had already been on Earth for a month by the start ofResident Alienseason 4. He will have been forced to find food countless times during his time as Harry, so it was only a matter of time before evidence started to build up of a serial killer on the loose. What’s concerning is whether any eyewitnesses saw the Mantid near the scenes of the various killings. While in human form, the Mantid looks identical to Harry, so Harry could end up as a major suspect, and Mike is unlikely to believe Harry’s protests.
The Mantid’s Cover Is Blown At The End Of Resident Alien Season 4’s Premiere
The real Harry’s return makes it obvious what’s been going on
The Mantid’s plan falls apart at the end of “Prisoners,“with Asta also learning the truth when the real Harry returns. The four-character group of Max, Saha, Asta, and Harry only just manage to escape the Mantid and flee the cabin after Max incapacitates the Mantid with his newly reclaimed taser. This surely means that at least D’arcy (Alice Wetterlund) will be told about the Mantid as soon as possible, but the smaller groups of characters operating independently have no reason to find out. They also each have more pressing matters that are relevant to their respective storylines.
Although most of the mainResident Aliencharacters now know about life from outer space, they don’t all know Harry is an alien. I’m sure they’ll learn the truth eventually, but it doesn’t seem like the right time. On that topic, Harry discovers an unfortunate truth during his attempted fight with the Mantid. In short,Harry is stuck in human form. What remains to be seen is whether the Mantid will continue to try fooling everyone into thinking he’s Harry, or whether a new actor will play the Mantid as he assumes a new identity inResident Alienseason 4.
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