Warning: Spoilers ahead forResident Alienseason 4, episode 10, “The End Is Here.“TheResident Alienfinale is filled with meaningful scenes and subtle moments that pay homage to the show at large, and one in particular is far more important than it initially seems. Alan Tudyk has led theResident Aliencastsince the show began in 2021, making the finale the 44th and presumably final time he will play Harry Vanderspeigle.
WhileResident Alien’s finale teases new storylinesthat could be picked up someday, season 5 isn’t confirmed. So, theend ofResident Alienseason 4would seem to be the stopping point for Harry’s story. The final shot in which he appears seems like little more than a playful spin on one of the show’s biggest tropes, but there’s more to it than that.
The Real Reason Harry Finally Sees A Human Reflection In Resident Alien’s Finale
Resident Alienpays a lot of attention to how Harry and other aliens look in reflections. Even when in human form, their reflections reveal their alien faces, even if only to the audience. This is a way of constantly reminding the viewers of an alien character’s true nature and who/what they really are.
When Harry has his alien energy removed inResident Alienseason 4, his reflection also becomes human.
In one of the final shots ofResident Alienseason 4, episode 10, “The End Is Here,” Harry, who is traveling in his natural alien form, sees his reflection in the window of his spacecraft, and it’s human. This reverses the show’s usual trend, and there’s a pretty profound meaning behind the creative decision.
Harry’s alien reflection on Earth was a reminder that, deep down, he was still stranded away from home, among people who were not his own. By the end ofResident Alien, that has all changed. About to embark upon a new chapter in his life with Heather (Edi Patterson),Harry’s reflection turning human shows how much humanity he is taking with him.
In addition to proving how much he has changed over the course of the show, the fact that Harry looks directly at his human reflection with such a knowing look on his face implies he has been able to see his “other” reflection this entire time, rather than it just being something for the audience to pick up on.
Harry complained a lot about Earth during his stayon the human homeworld. While he also didn’t sound too fond of elements from his old life, it was clear at times that he missed the familiarity of certain parts of being among his own people. So, seeing his alien reflection everywhere he went was a way of reaffirming that he wasn’t really where he belonged.
Harry’s discovery of things he loved on Earth, like milk and pizza, gradually made him miss his homeworld less and less. Earth became his new safe place, as confirmed by the fact he sees his reflection as human after he leaves in “The End Is Here.” He feels at home there.
He will miss the Earth greatly, but is taking a huge part of it with him into the unseen events that will follow the finale. The moment is also pretty dark. His human face originally belonged to the real Harry Vanderspeigle, who Alien Harry killed in the pilot. So,Resident Aliendoesn’t end with an entirely wholesome moment.
