Warning: Spoilers ahead forResident Alienseason 4, episode 1, “Prisoners.“Resident Alienseason 4, episode 1,“Prisoners,” brings back a cool storytelling devicethat the show had only ever briefly toyed with, and it did so in the previous run of episodes. By theend ofResident Alienseason 3, the show had established an even firmer identity for itself. However, it was also not afraid to experiment with various elements of its tried-and-tested formula. Every member of theResident Aliencasthad their own ever-growing role within the story, but one of them broke out of their mold so successfully that season 4 is still reaping the rewards.
Despite being filled with a rich variety of fleshed-out characters,Alan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigleis still unquestionablyResident Alien’s primary protagonist. As such, he sits at the center of the story in a way that is difficult for other characters to replicate. As well as his many interactions with the Patience townsfolk and those from among the stars,Harry has also served asResident Alien’s narrator since the show’s inceptionin 2021. While he has retained that particular duty in season 4, it’s now a role he shares.
Resident Alien Season 4’s Premiere Is Narrated By Both Harry AND The Mantid
Clancy Brown’s iconic voice is more prominent in “Prisoners” than it was in “Homecoming”
Introduced at the end ofResident Alienseason 3, the Mantid was quickly set up to be the show’s next big villain. Althoughthe Grey Aliens are still around as a group of overarching bad guys, the Mantid acts as a much-needed face of the show’s villainy. Portrayed physically by Alan Tudyk in “Prisoners” as part ofhis plan to steal Harry’s life and blend in with humans,the nefarious Mantid is voiced by Clancy Brown. The Mantid’s inner monologue in “Prisoners” can be heard by the audience just as Harry’s can.
Most of the human characters inResident Alienare pretty open with their thoughts and opinions. Therefore, it hasn’t been necessary to hear what they’ve been thinking so far. As an eccentric alien, having Harry as the narrator helps clear up his motives and emotional state on a scene-by-scene basis, and the same is now true of the Mantid. Becausethe Mantid has long periods of introspection as he plans his next move, Brown’s voiceover is instrumental to knowing what’s going on in the villain’s mind. Otherwise, he’d just be looking around with an evil smirk on his face.
The Mantid’s Narration Duties Justify Clancy Brown’s Casting In The Resident Alien Season 3 Finale
Resident Alien introduced Brown in a relatively minor role
As mentioned earlier, the Mantid is voiced by Clancy Brown. The actor has appeared in several huge shows and franchises over the decades that include, but aren’t limited to,Invincible,Gen V,SpongeBob SquarePants,Ahsoka,Dexter,American Dad!,andRick and Morty. While his roles can often be in live-action projects, he’s perhaps more sought-after for his iconic speaking voice, the bassy tone of which lends his characters a certain gravitas. However,Brown had very little to do on hisResident Aliendebut in 2024, which made his casting a little confusing.
Clancy Brown is perhaps most well-known for voicing Mr. Krabs inSpongeBob SquarePants.
The Mantid is revealed to have taken Harry’s form in theResident Alienseason 3 finale, making it seem as though Brown’s role had been handed to Tudyk ahead of season 4. That isn’t entirely untrue, but Brown has remained part of the cast.Brown’s role as the Mantid has been boosted in season 4, as he now shares narration duties with Alan Tudyk, justifying the initial introduction of a star like Clancy Brown. His presence in the season 3 finale should probably have been a sign that he would be back in a far more significant way.
Ben Hawthorne Was The Only Other Character To Narrate Resident Alien Before The Mantid
Resident Alien season 3 briefly experimented with a new storyteller
Clancy Brown is actually the thirdResident Alienstar to narrate the show. While Harry has obviously filled this role the most, there is another character who has shared his thoughts with the audience. Patience’s Mayor, Levi Fiehler’s Ben Hawthorne, beat the Mantid to the punch inResident Alienseason 3 while spying on Sheriff Mike Thompson (Corey Reynolds) and Deputy Liv Baker (Elizabeth Bowen).
Fiehler’s voiceover added a little more context to the moment as he played at being a secret agent, but it felt like the main intention of hearing Ben’s inner monologue was to enhance the comedy of the situation.
Ben’s duties as theResident Aliennarrator lasted all of one scene, and it wasn’t strictly necessary for the moment to make sense. Fiehler’s voiceover added a little more context to the moment as he played at being a secret agent, but it felt like the main intention of hearing Ben’s inner monologue was to enhance the comedy of the situation. The fact that it was so unnecessary and short (but effective) makes me think thatResident Alienwas using this moment to feel out what the show might be like with someone other than Tudyk in the recording booth.
I Hope Resident Alien Season 4 Continues With Two Narrators
Harry & the Mantid both offer fascinating perspectives
Alan Tudyk has done a phenomenal job asResident Alien’s sole narrator so far.Harry’s voiceover is a huge part of what makes the show so effective, and I’d go as far as to say that it’s just as instrumental to the show as Michael C. Hall’s narration duties as the titular character of theDexterfranchise. Both characters have thoughts that would be far too wild to vocalize, and they offer a unique perspective on the world around them. Therefore, an inner monologue directed at the audience is one of the only ways to get that essential information across.
As a villain, the Mantid’s thoughts are brand-new and almost comical in their dark focus on mating and looking for another human to decapitate.
Other than Harry, Resident Alienhas long lacked another character who it would make sense to promote to narration duties. There is an argument for Heather (Edi Patterson), but I think her thoughts would be too similar to Harry’s to make it worthwhile. As a villain, the Mantid’s thoughts are brand-new and almost comical in their dark focus on mating and looking for another human to decapitate. I wouldn’t expect Clancy Brown to step away from the show after “Prisoners,” soI’d be very surprised if the Mantid doesn’t continue to narrateResident Alienseason 4alongside Tudyk’s character.
In a way,the Mantid co-narrating the show bringsResident Alienfull circle. Harry has always been the main character, but it’s easy to forget that he started the story as the primary villain. His goal was to kill all humans, and his inner monologue throughout the early episodes made that very clear. Where Harry and the Mantid differ is that Tudyk’s voiceover always provided glimpses into the hero he would eventually turn out to be, whereas Clancy Brown’sResident Aliencharacter already sounds irredeemable.
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