Warning: Spoilers ahead forResident Alienseason 4, episode 10, “The End Is Here.“Resident Alienseason 4, episode 10, “The End Is Here,” sees Sara Tomko’s Asta Twelvetrees leave the town of Patience in Colorado behind, but the show’s final installment also makes sure to replace her in a surprising way. As a core member ofResident Alien’s castsince the show began in 2021,Tomko’s character has been pivotal to the story.
Still,Resident Alien’s endingrounds off pretty much everyone’s story, including Asta’s. Eager to see what’s waiting for her outside of Patience, she leaves the show’s primary setting. Asta has easily been one ofResident Alien’s best characters, and while she would be difficult to replace ifAlan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeiglehad stayed on Earth, she has now been swapped out.
“The End Is Here” Sets Up Judy As Alien Ethan’s New Best Friend
Harry’s departure initially made it seem that Patience would be without an alien among its human inhabitants, but the return of Michael Cassidy as an alien version of Dr. Ethan Stone means Harry’s absence won’t be as sorely missed.IfResident Alienseason 5 were to happen, Ethan would be a perfect replacement for Harry as the former becomes more human.
Part of what made Harry’s development so rewarding was watching him use Asta as a rough blueprint for human behavior, as well as his outsourced moral compass. Harry learned a lot about how to act human during his time on Earth, but he required Asta’s guidance right up until he left in “The End Is Here.”
Now thatAsta is also leaving Patience, Ethan won’t be able to benefit from her influence as Harry did, as he begins to change. Thankfully,Resident Alienhas thought of that. When Ethan was last shown, he was seen arm-in-arm with the lovable town idiot, Judy Cooper (Jenna Lamia). The strong implication is that they’ve become fast friends.
Because Ethan’s story has been set up to be so similar to Harry’s, it looks likeJudy will be filling the Asta-esque role as Cassidy’s character gradually growsto enjoy living on Earth and, presumably, abandons his mission. Asta’s outstretched hand of friendship was the catalyst for Harry’s transformation, andResident Alienis making Judy do the same for Harry.
Having Judy As A Best Friend Will Make Ethan Very Different From Harry
BecauseEthan has taken to Judy just as Harry took to Asta, the pair will grow together and influence one another during Ethan’s time on Earth. Harry and Asta’s dynamic meant Tudyk’s character started to subconsciously adopt less concentrated versions of Asta’s most prominent traits, like her almost obsessive need to help people.
It goes without saying that Asta and Judy are very different characters. Asta has been proven to be very bright and brave on countless occasions, whereas Judy’s entire vibe is that she’s clueless about pretty much everything. That said,Lamia’s character is absolutely harmless and incredibly friendly- often overbearingly so.
So, if Ethan starts to imitate elements of Judy’s personality as he grows his own soul, it’s unlikely that he will turn out anything like his alien predecessor. While I’m sure there will still be stark similarities between how Harry is now and the alien Ethan will become, I’m also certain they’ll each boast unique learned and interpreted traits.
Judy Gets The Ending She Deserves By Being Ethan’s Best Friend
It’s no secret thatJudy is often the character whose ditzy behavior is included primarily for the audience to laughat her. However, in trueResident Alienstyle, the show has also given her moments that flesh out her character and humanize her in ways that make her less cartoonish.
As part of her brief fling with Mike (Corey Reynolds) inResident Alienseason 3,Judy admitted her feelings of loneliness to D’arcy(Alice Wetterlund). After Judy’s awkward breakup with Patience’s sheriff, she tearfully asks D’arcy, “When is it gonna be my turn?” This element of her character hasn’t been addressed since, but it’s nice to know she now has Ethan.
As well as playing Judy in the show, Lamia wrote two episodes ofResident Alienseason 2 - “Girls' Night” and “Harry, a Parent.”
It should be noted thatthere’s been no confirmation that Judy’s relationship with Ethan is romantic, or that it ever will be. Still, she deserves to have someone who doesn’t just tolerate her or hang out with her when it’s convenient, which tends to be how her other dynamics go.
On the other hand,there’s also no reason Judy and Ethan couldn’t eventually become an item. There is already a precedent for human/alien relationships in theResident Aliencomics, where Asta and Harry have a romantic arc - a storyline that was omitted from the live-action adaptation in favor of a more platonic dynamic.
The Funniest Part About Judy & Ethan’s New Relationship
Jenna Lamia’s performance makes it obvious that Judy is often oblivious to the true extent of things happening around her, even when they’re completely bizarre. So, while it’s wholesome that she and Ethan appear to have hit it off so quickly, the stark truth of the matter is thatJudy probably has no idea Ethan is even an alien.
Instead, it’s more likely that she thinks Michael Cassidy’s new character is the original Dr. Ethan Stone. This is just speculation, but I think it makes perfect sense and is consistent with Judy’s personality. Even if someone tried to explain Ethan’s origin to her, I doubt Lamia’sResident Alienwould do much other than smile and nod.
Resident Alien
Cast
A television adaptation of the comic book series, Resident Alien is a sci-fi comedy that stars Alan Tudyk as an alien who crashes on Earth with one mission - destroy humanity to save the planet. When Tudyk’s character takes the identity of a doctor, he arrives at a small town and begins to act the role preparing his plan. As time passes, he develops human emotions against his will - but his plans are further complicated when he meets the son of the mayor - who can see his actual appearance.
