S01.E01: Pilot

[jewel21]

Quote

An alien hiding in a small Colorado town meets the locals when they ask him to help solve a murder.

Airdate: 01/27/2021

[Amethyst]

Not a bad start, it definitely got better in the second half.  Unfortunate that the real Harry was killed because he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And AlienHarry probably didn't consider that someone will eventually come looking for the real Harry.  The sheriff said he would only spend a few months in Colorado, then leave.

I don't think the little boy will be a problem.  He's more scared than anything.  He'll probably befriend AlienHarry and keep his real secret safe.

I've been a fan of Alan Tudyk since 28 Days, so I'll give this a try.  Townspeople were cool.  I did think people (namely Asta) got over the doctor's death way too fast, but I'm assuming it was to move the plot along.

[AnimeMania]

What can I say about this show. I was watching it and I was enjoying every minute, I loved the quirky characters, the special effects, the weird music, the strange humor. I was thinking to myself I have never liked a TV Show this much, especially a "pilot", everything was coming together perfectly. Then it hit the half way point and everything became so boring, so pedestrian that I almost didn't care that he figured out how the doctor died. What can I say 10/10 first half and 4/10 second half. I have no ideal how I will like the rest of the season, but if I had to guess, I will say they peaked early and the rest is going to be downhill.

[dwmarch]

I loved it although part of the affinity comes from the fact that this was filmed in the town I grew up in. Downtown Ladysmith, BC has some beautiful heritage buildings and has appeared in a few big productions before. There was one scene where I could tell they were filming right on First Avenue but they made it look like a side street which was weird. Then again there is only about three blocks worth of buildings in that particular style so they have do some weird angles to make less look like more. It was fun to look for places I have seen around town. The exterior of the kid's house was familiar, I'm pretty sure that one is on the north end of First Ave.

The cops beatboxing was absurd but hilarious. I like the quirky humor.

The autopsy scene was a little more graphic than necessary so here's hoping scenes like that are few and far between. I'm still trying to get over some of the stuff I saw on Preacher.

Someone has to take Alan Tudyk saying "this is some bullshit" and dub it over a certain scene in Serenity. Y'all know the one.

[femmefan1946]

Because it was filmed in Canada, it is carried on CTV/SciFi Channel.
Yeah!
I think this is the first time Alan Tudyk has been the lead, and not part of an ensemble.

I think it will go well. Some good laughs. I particularly like the deputy  and the barmaid.

[cardigirl]

I wish the alien hadn't killed the real human.  Makes him somewhat less sympathetic in my eyes. I love Alan Tudyk though, so I'll keep watching. 

[cdnalor]

2 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I wish the alien hadn't killed the real human.  Makes him somewhat less sympathetic in my eyes. I love Alan Tudyk though, so I'll keep watching. 

Well, he's there to wipe out all humans and was ready to kill a kid so he's got a long way to go to win us over but I assume the show will have him warming to the human race over time and changing his mind about his mission.

It bugs me that the alien physically changed his form to human but somehow the kid can "see" his true form.  If the alien's human appearance was a projection or mind control, I could accept it but this way it doesn't make sense.

I like the humour of an alien trying to adapt to our culture but I don't know how long they will be able to keep that fresh over a series.

Edited January 28, 2021 by cdnalor
Edit

[Suzysite]

Does anyone know the name of the actor who played Jimmy, the abusive husband?  I've seen him somewhere and he's not listed in the credits or on imdb.

[edhopper]

I am a big fan of the comic, so the changes bothered me. In the comic, Harry is a peaceful, benign alien who is stranded and is just waiting for his people to rescue him. He also isn't  this awkward and naive.

So I guess I should just accept this on it's own merits and not compare it to the comics. On that standard it was pretty good.

[mjc570]

Except for 1 quibble, I totally loved it.  Loved the opening, loved the humor. Alan Tudyk is so perfect,  I just love all the little stuff, like how his whole experience is based on  Law and Order, his little facial twitches, holding his hand out for a handshake.  

I'm sorry, fans, but it does seem that the more I like a show, the greater chance it will be cancelled, and I like this a lot.  

That is, except for the ending which made no sense.  He's here to kill the human race (not sure why his race cares about how we treat each other, but ok), but is willing to see if we can be deemed worthy because 59 sacrificed for 1? Wouldn't he just see that as illogical, even below panda level?

 

[roctavia]

10 hours ago, Suzysite said:

Does anyone know the name of the actor who played Jimmy, the abusive husband?  I've seen him somewhere and he's not listed in the credits or on imdb.

I don't have an answer for you, but we had the same conversation at our house... "who is that guy, what do we know him from?" And then no jimmy on IMDB.

 

Nevermind! it's on there now!! https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0970805/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t3

Edited January 29, 2021 by roctavia

[WaltersHair]

I found this by accident. Enjoyed immensely except for the aforementioned killing of the original doctor. Also, minor quibble, a pathologist wouldn't have the first clue about treating living people and there's that pesky state license that takes weeks to get even if he did.

Loved AT since his Firefly days. I hope the kid makes it and I'm giving the mayor the side eye. Too white, too nice, too perfect. Ted Bundy all the way.

[Check Sanity]

23 hours ago, dwmarch said:

I loved it although part of the affinity comes from the fact that this was filmed in the town I grew up in. Downtown Ladysmith, BC has some beautiful heritage buildings and has appeared in a few big productions before. There was one scene where I could tell they were filming right on First Avenue but they made it look like a side street which was weird. Then again there is only about three blocks worth of buildings in that particular style so they have do some weird angles to make less look like more. It was fun to look for places I have seen around town. The exterior of the kid's house was familiar, I'm pretty sure that one is on the north end of First Ave.

The cops beatboxing was absurd but hilarious. I like the quirky humor.

The autopsy scene was a little more graphic than necessary so here's hoping scenes like that are few and far between. 

Was Eureka! also filmed there? It did feel familiar. 

I loved the beatboxing Amazing Grace scene! 

I didn't find it more graphic than the cold opens of Bones, or maybe that show just got me used to it. If I didn't know the "blood" was likely died corn syrup that may have made me queazy. My mind was in humour mode though, which makes it easy to get over graphic stuff for some reason. 

13 hours ago, cdnalor said:

It bugs me that the alien physically changed his form to human but somehow the kid can "see" his true form.  If the alien's human appearance was a projection or mind control, I could accept it but this way it doesn't make sense.

That's one of the mysteries that's got me curious. Why do even 1 in 1 million humans have the genetic mutation to be able to see through that alien species "molecular reconstruction'? Also some how he still retains his above human levels of strength? Plus the editing of the mirror bar dancing scene... is he able to see his true form always or was that just a cool director thing added for effect?

1 hour ago, WaltersHair said:

I found this by accident. Enjoyed immensely except for the aforementioned killing of the original doctor. 

The doctor was aggressive first. Not that it means he should have been killed. However, as a matter of "him or me", if the doctor had the strength it would probably be the other way around. 

2 hours ago, WaltersHair said:

 I hope the kid makes it and I'm giving the mayor the side eye. Too white, too nice, too perfect. Ted Bundy all the way.

I agree with @Amethyst that the kid will befriend him. 

The mayor is off, but I don't think he's the poisoner. He was too eager for AlienHarry to do an autopsy. Speaking of, is the brain thing normal? Not the squishing, or excitement and joy which made me laugh. But if checking the brain is part of it, why did Asta leave before it was done? It's just a minor thing but still. 

Also, since when do general doctors give therapy sessions? 

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot, I've been missing a quirky, funny hour long show. 

[Suzysite]

9 hours ago, WaltersHair said:

I hope the kid makes it and I'm giving the mayor the side eye. Too white, too nice, too perfect.

Too white?  Let's not go there.

9 hours ago, roctavia said:

Nevermind! it's on there now!! https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0970805/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t3

Thanks.  I had already done some digging and saw he was on Harper's Island.   That must have been it.

[gibasi]

I liked the show a lot.  I couldn't figure out who the Sheriff was (I missed the opening credits) but then it hit me-Sgt. Gabriel from The Closer! Of course I will be watching this. It will be fun to watch Alan Tudyk as the lead.

[Dowel Jones]

Fell kind of flat to me.  Maybe I was expecting more of a combo of Northern Exposure and MiB.  I'll stick with it for a few episodes to see where it goes.

[Quilt Fairy]

22 hours ago, Check Sanity said:

The doctor was aggressive first. Not that it means he should have been killed. However, as a matter of "him or me", if the doctor had the strength it would probably be the other way around. 

The doctor was aggressive first?  The doctor was defending himself from a house-breaker who was also a 7 ft alien.  With a fireplace poker. 

[Check Sanity]

29 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

The doctor was aggressive first?  The doctor was defending himself from a house-breaker who was also a 7 ft alien.  With a fireplace poker. 

Haha I know. AlienHarry would have killed him either way considering his goal to kill the entire human population. Also because the doctor saw his true form. I will admit I was thinking a bit more in terms of the movie Arrival, where it questions human's tendency is to answer "other" with fear and violence first rather than say, attempt communication. 
I wonder how much watching Law & Order (and other tv shows) has informed AlienHarry's conscious--because he goes back to help Asta--and how much that was him. 

[roctavia]

I agree that having him outright kill the doctor was kind of a bummer.... but also if his plan is to kill everyone, I guess it's not out of character. 

The doctor stuff is a bit unbelievable, since that's not how doctors work. A GP wouldn't do autopsies and therapy and all that... or at least you wouldn't want them to! As someone else said, medical licensing and certification doesn't work that way either... but as a premise for a show and a tiny isolated town, I guess we can hand wave some of it away.... Do the aliens have an extensive knowledge of human anatomy and physiology? Or is this all from Law and Order reruns?

[tennisgurl]

I have always loved Alan Tudyk so I am pretty much automatically on board for this, especially as Alan Tudyk doesent often get to play the lead. This seems like it will be fun and quirky, although him killing the original doctor was a downer. I guess its not surprising he would kill a person, considering his main plan is to kill every person, but there is something a bit more visceral about actually murdering someone as opposed to saying that your going to kill lots of people.

The supporting cast seems fun, especially the two cops and the bartender, the show has a bit of a Nothern Exposure vibe, just with an alien. I am very interested in seeing where it goes, its been awhile since I had a new quirky oddball scifi show. 

Edited January 30, 2021 by tennisgurl

[Quilt Fairy]

I'm interested in how he "became" the doctor.  Was it a Starman thing where he just had to see the doctor to morph into him?  Or did he sample the doctor's DNA as he fought and murdered him?   There are also a couple of ways to view the scenes where he's shown as an alien.  Is it a Quantum Leap-type thing where only he can see the real him in a mirror but all the humans (except for innocent children - hah!) see the human, or is it a nudge-nudge wink-wink from the show hitting us over the head with the premise?

Quote

the show has a bit of a Nothern Exposure vibe,

The show might have a better premise if it hewed more closely to Northern Exposure, i.e., isolated town (not Colorado, Alaska's a better choice) where everybody knows he's an alien, but hey, they need a doctor, so...........

Edited January 30, 2021 by Quilt Fairy

[TWP]

On 1/27/2021 at 10:30 PM, dwmarch said:

I loved it although part of the affinity comes from the fact that this was filmed in the town I grew up in. Downtown Ladysmith, BC has some beautiful heritage buildings and has appeared in a few big productions before. There was one scene where I could tell they were filming right

Your town is now on my must-visit list.  I live a bit south of there in the US. Are any of the mountains real and/or do you recognize where they may have been shot? One scene had a glorious glaciated peak, but it looked CGI.  I hope it was based on something real.

I appreciate any new show that avoids the horrors of our real-life daily news and focuses on made-up horrors instead.  I'll try and hold on to this show, albeit reluctantly.  They nearly lost me with the killing of the original doctor...why couldn't the two have mind-melded for the purpose of science or something.  And the terror that little boy must feel.  It's hard to laugh about that.  So hopefully, the little boy and Mr.  Alien will come to some sort of uneasy friendship.  And I hope the original doc will simply be frozen in snow and can be revived through alien magic.  And of course I hope the alien doesn't fulfill his mission, although maybe it would be for the best (I kid, I kid!)

I also appreciated some of the comedy.  The beat-boxing cops were amusing and Tudyk is excellent at subtle comedy. He truly is a superior, versatile talent. A few times I felt the show delved into what I call Ellen-cringe comedy (from the Ellen comedy show of the 90's) where the viewer laughs while peeking through the hands they're using to cover their eyes because the scene is so uncomfortable. And I had to fast forward through the brain-smashing.  Was that supposed to be funny?

But I'll give this first episode a 3/5.  Not terrible, but wish it was better. I'll hang on for another two episodes and see where we are.  I AM disappointed, but not as disappointed as I could be. 

Hey, maybe they'll bring in Fillion to be Tudyk's captain. Too obvious?

Edited January 31, 2021 by TWP

[CooperTV]

Canada, as per usual, is a very beautiful place. The production values in the pilot are great. I'm not expecting that to last, though.

The show is deliberately quirky affair, with that weirdly acting people in small town thing that is a cliche at this point. It's not exactly bad writing but the same old, same old feeling is there, nonetheless. I also thought that "quirky characters" that act almost too weird clashes horribly with the main theme of a reptiloid pretending to be human in a small town. Mostly because everyone's acting incredibly alien and unnatural throughout the episode. I mean, the nurse lady fell asleep near the dead body of her beloved mentor. Next the same nurse lady decided to participate in the autopsy of said beloved mentor. And the autopsy of a beloved mentor is apparently a reason enough to flirt with a dude with whom you did the autopsy and who called you names.

Secondly, it's winter and the nurse lady is riding a bike. And she also suggested that Resident Reptiloid (RR) drive home while he was under influence of alcohol. The alcohol they consumed after they completely forgot the beloved mentor's wife came to the office searching for her husband and found his corpse.

Maybe that's the point, maybe in the end of the season there will be a huge plot twist everyone in this town is a alien?

[SoMuchTV]

Well I was finally able to stream this after I figured out how to spell SciFi ScyFy Syfy so I could download the app on my Firestick.  This could be fun.  But I agree with a lot of posters above -  I was bummed from the very beginning that he killed off the real doctor.  I wish they could have found a way to team up.  I hope killing inconvenient people he runs into doesn't become a regular occurrence.

[AnimeMania]

Maybe the Alien's original intentions were not to kill the Doctor, since that would have been so much easier to do if it stayed invisible. The Alien revealed itself after the Doctor asked who was there, then the doctor tried to kill the Alien. The Doctor learned real quick not to bring 2 arms to a 4 arm fight.

[Kromm]

It's weird, but I'm not sure it's "good weird".

It's always interesting when a protagonist is the bad guy, but I'm not sure how sustainable it is when it's a series instead of a one-off, and there aren't mitigating factors or other points of view to soften the experience.  I mean you have have shows about, let's say... a serial killer and it's somewhat sustainable because he's killing other serial killers.  Or you can have a show about mobsters, but it's somewhat sustainable because other things happen, and on some level the protagonist mobster thinks he's providing for his family. Etc etc. I mean those examples actually arguably DO fall apart if you pick at them, but even so I'd say the point remains that it's a balancing act, even when it does work.

The vibe of this show around the edges of the sci-fi plot is Quirky Town Show.  So, mostly Northern Exposure, but with a million other Quirk Town Shows in the mix.  Maybe that's the buy in, if the notion of a very villainous lead feels too weird.

I will say that I have no problem with Tudyk's acting here. He's certainly nailing "strange".  The question is if one can watch it over and over again.

13 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Well I was finally able to stream this after I figured out how to spell SciFi ScyFy Syfy so I could download the app on my Firestick.  This could be fun.  But I agree with a lot of posters above -  I was bummed from the very beginning that he killed off the real doctor.  I wish they could have found a way to team up.  I hope killing inconvenient people he runs into doesn't become a regular occurrence.

I suspect our level of comfort about who he kills and when isn't a primary concern of the show, if they really stick with the notion that he wants to destroy all life on Earth.

If the arc is him having a change of heart, they've got a real sales job making us like him however many people he does or doesn't kill, since he DID start with a gruesome murder.

[alvajon]

I liked the show very much--it’s a cross between Paul, and Starman, in Fargo.  Nice to have something fun and quirky to watch in these recent times.  I didn’t like AlienHarry taking out the real Harry either, but hey, it’s a t.v. show, and on SyFy.  

[Amethyst]

On 1/29/2021 at 11:13 PM, roctavia said:

The doctor stuff is a bit unbelievable, since that's not how doctors work. A GP wouldn't do autopsies and therapy and all that... or at least you wouldn't want them to! As someone else said, medical licensing and certification doesn't work that way either... but as a premise for a show and a tiny isolated town, I guess we can hand wave some of it away....

I thought this as well.  Even for a small town, him being the only doctor is a stretch.  The real doctor must have been exhausted.

[femmefan1946]

On 1/30/2021 at 11:16 PM, TWP said:

 Are any of the mountains real and/or do you recognize where they may have been shot? One scene had a glorious glaciated peak, but it looked CGI.

Vancouver Island is pretty mountainous. We're just west of Vancouver across the Salish Sea, but we don't get much snow here. More once you are over the Malahat and heading upisland.
But the mountains are not as high and there are few glaciers.
If I go down to the beach here in Victoria about an hour south of Ladysmith, we have a wonderful view of Mount Baker which is snow capped all year long. But that's the Olympic Range.  The Island mountains are the Insular Range.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_Mountains

A cameo by Nathan Fillion would be cool, but what might be more fun (and I speak as a confirmed Browncoat) would be a cameo by the most famous native of Ladysmith BC, Pamela Anderson.

[Tachi Rocinante]

His reaction to "taint" was hysterical.

[Quilt Fairy]

On 1/31/2021 at 9:55 AM, SoMuchTV said:

Well I was finally able to stream this after I figured out how to spell SciFi ScyFy Syfy so I could download the app on my Firestick

I guess you don't read much syence fyction. 

[Ubiquit0us]

,

On 1/23/2021 at 1:41 PM, jewel21 said:

  Quote

An alien hiding in a small Colorado town meets the locals when they ask him to help solve a murder.

I liked it but wonder how they plan on maintaining the plot points:

• He was on a mission to sterilze Earth.
• He's impersonating the town doctor without getting caught
• He hates humans

BTW, I never knew this takes place in Colorado until now.  For some reason,  I thought it was set in Alaska so it would be remote enough to prevent Harry from getting busted  and explain the Northern Exposure town. 

[Raja]

1 hour ago, Ubiquit0us said:

,

I liked it but wonder how they plan on maintaining the plot points:

• He was on a mission to sterilze Earth.
• He's impersonating the town doctor without getting caught
• He hates humans

BTW, I never knew this takes place in Colorado until now.  For some reason,  I thought it was set in Alaska so it would be remote enough to prevent Harry from getting busted  and explain the Northern Exposure town. 

He has his mission but no way to complete it. And by watching enough of Law & Order he knows not just to kill a few prematurely because the humans will find out and work to stop him and his kind

How could you continue to hate us once you get to know us?

[Ubiquit0us]

32 minutes ago, Raja said:

He has his mission but no way to complete it.

Well, he's going to find the rest of that weapon eventually... 

[Raja]

35 minutes ago, Ubiquit0us said:

Well, he's going to find the rest of that weapon eventually... 

Or will he? My Favorite Martian got a hundred episodes out of Uncle Martin not being able to repair his ship.

[SoMuchTV]

On 1/31/2021 at 10:55 AM, SoMuchTV said:

Well I was finally able to stream this after I figured out how to spell SciFi ScyFy Syfy so I could download the app on my Firestick.  This could be fun.  But I agree with a lot of posters above -  I was bummed from the very beginning that he killed off the real doctor.  I wish they could have found a way to team up.  I hope killing inconvenient people he runs into doesn't become a regular occurrence.

Updating to add that it's also available on the NBC app, which is built in to my smart TV.  I think you still need to have a login for your TV provider for a plan that includes "SyFy", but I'm not positive on that.

[Ottis]

Bored and found this show. It makes no sense. As an alien who wants off the planet, Harry Alien is too involved too quickly. This should have happened over at least half a season. Or we need to find out this alien is emotionally disturbed (for an alien). In every scene, I ask why he cares.  Happy Alien needed to become bored, or to retrieve his device from the kid, or some motivation to care about interacting. The writers are going with cheap laughs at the expense of any logic or consistency. Also? The 59 miners going back in were stupid. Send in a few, assess the situation, determine next steps.

Edited February 18 by Ottis

[Paloma]

On 2/7/2021 at 8:44 PM, Tachi Rocinante said:

His reaction to "taint" was hysterical.

My husband and I just found this show on Netflix and are enjoying it despite the quibbles others have mentioned. But we don't know what "taint" means--I'm hoping someone sees this comment and can explain.

[Tachi Rocinante]

2 hours ago, Paloma said:

My husband and I just found this show on Netflix and are enjoying it despite the quibbles others have mentioned. But we don't know what "taint" means--I'm hoping someone sees this comment and can explain.

The medical term is perineum.