Resident Alien Season 2 Episode 2 Review: The Wire
Carissa Pavlica
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Harry's quest to save Asta when his people arrive to destroy humanity continues.
But Liv and Mike have a renewed interest in bringing down Harry, and they're making a lot of headway.
It's the tale of two quests on Resident Alien Season 2 Episode 2.
[First, on a personal note, I want to get out of the way up front that I've been suffering from a migraine for four days, so please forgive me if this isn't the best review. Forgive me.]
On to the good stuff!
Despite his renewed efforts to keep Asta alive, Harry has yet to admit to himself why he's trying so hard to do that.
However, the octopus recognizes how human Harry is becoming, and he doesn't like it. But how Harry threw the conversation was brilliant.
Harry: You don't know anything about space. You are a Colorado octopus.
Octopus: Is that where we are? Shit. I thought this was India. THAT is an Indian rug. You are appropriating their culture. That's not a good look, man.
Harry: I saw it at a red tag sale for five dollars. I had to buy it. Plus, I think it really brings the room together.
Either Harry has been venturing beyond Law & Order for his entertainment, or the Resident Alien writers just wanted to have a little more fun. Either way, I loved it.
With my people coming to kill everyone on earth, I will need a bunker to survive. I will fix it up and present it to Asta as her new home. We will live, and all the beer-drinking douchebags can fry.
Harry [internal dialogue]
Harry determines a bunker will protect Asta, and that dude is by far the best hole digger ever to reach earth.
Carrying buckets of dirt out of the cabin, I never expected to see the small circumference of that hole in the basement. It's the littlest things on Resident Evil that elicit chuckles.
Before Asta even has a clue of its existence, Harry stocks it and tries to find others who could join them.
If Harry has latched on to Harry, Asta doesn't necessarily feel the same way. Dan's observations about Harry's connection to her were a surprise.
Dan almost made the cut considering that he's a great cook and knows how to clean up after Asta, whose car suggests she's a piggy.
But Dan was nixed when Harry's version of common sense walloped him upside the head. As father and daughter, Dan and Asta could conspire to take over the bunker and use Harry as their slave.
The way Harry's mind works is so funny because he refuses to capitulate to his humanity. That makes his observations so much fun. One second, he's berating himself over changing, and the next, he's pragmatically washing away his reasoning.
Asta: What the hell is this?
Harry: My survival shelter and Your New Home!
Is it any surprise that Asta has no desire to say goodbye to the people she loves by saving herself in the bunker?
Why was she so sure that the danger from his people was over just because Harry was on the other side of it?
Asta is pretty intelligent, so her surprise that his people might not accept Harry's decision not to end humanity didn't make sense. Thankfully, Resident Alien is nonsensical, and it was easy to get over, but as the only character who sees things on the straight, it stood out.
Harry was so wrapped up in saving Asta that he got complacent. He's typically more aware of his surroundings. But Liv and Mike took him by surprise at the end by showing up to question him.
Their investigation is ramping up after discovering that foot in the lake, and all of their focus is on Harry. As they ran down possible scenarios they thought were out of this world, they got pretty close to the reality of the situation.
Of course, they have no idea that Dr. Vanderspeigel and Harry are two different beings, so they're stumbling around a little bit.
All of the information they got from the real estate agent has nothing to do with our Harry, but it did lead them to the Botox information about the not-so-good doctor, including a bottle of the stuff under Harry's floor.
Thanks to Harry's sleight of hand, Asta, Liv, and Mike are in the bunker together, and there's no telling what's next for the trio. Harry can't be thrilled with Asta's anger, her near-death experience (or so Harry thinks), or pushing him to phone home.
Would he try to make her see his point by locking her in the bunker with Liv and Mike?
Doing that would only make her angrier. And if she's angry, she might not be interested in working on Harry's behalf to steer Mike and Liv away from him as a suspect, even if that seems near to impossible given the evidence.
When it comes to just being a good time, "The Wire" had a lot to offer.
Ben: I want this person arrested.
Mike: Do you even know who did it?
Ben: Pretty obvious! Mayor Jessup. Didn't you see his anti-Patience ad?
Liv: Yeah. It's horrible. Ooh, looking forward to the corn maze, though.
Mike: Oh! Me too. I heard a rumor back in the '70s. Kid got lost in it for two weeks and had to eat his friend. See? That's a Goddamned good maze.
Ben: Sure, kids eating kids is fine in Jessup. We find one foot in our lake, suddenly, people think our town isn't safe!
Who didn't love Mayor Jessup touting his town at Patience's expense? There is no limit to what can be gleaned from that damned foot, and if they could swing that child-eating corn maze (or even Liv and Mike before or after visiting it), it would be kickass.
D'Arcy [to Asta]: You know, we really need this. We work way too hard.
John: You're actually supposed to be workin' today, Darc.
D'Arcy: Well, Load was actually supposed to be Metallica's comeback album, but life comes at ya fast.
D'Arcy and Asta's boating trip had a lot to offer, too. D'Arcy is so astute, but she's easily sidetracked by her love for Asta and having fun.
She always catches me off-guard, and their conversations reek of improvisation, but I think it's the writing and Sara Tomko and Alice Wetterlund's acting sell it as anything but a performance.
And let's face it, Wetterlund is one of the funniest women out there. Her standup is worth rewatching, and she makes any scene funnier, including as the zombie in Harry's dream.
I always knew I was mature for my age. Not to brag, but I've had BO for a year.
Max
If it's still unclear what the heck is going on with Max as a result of stealing one of Harry's metal ship balls, it might be even funnier that Harry knows and is letting it ride.
Frankly, I needed the laughs, and "The Wire" provided more than Resident Alien Season 2 Episode 1, and since Resident Alien Season 1 Episode 1 offered more than what followed, I take this as a very good sign, indeed.
What about you? Were you stifling laughter to hear what came next?
What's going to happen to the trio in the bunker?
Make sure to watch Resident Alien online and then share your comments below!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
