Warning: Spoilers ahead forResident Alienseason 4, episode 2, “The Lonely Man.“The Greys have long been a part ofResident Alien’s story, but a key part of the species' lore has only ever been mentioned in passing before season 4, episode 2, “The Lonely Man.” Althoughthe Greys' plot to terraform the Earth was foiledat theend ofResident Alienseason 3, the nefarious race has remained in place a major threat toAlan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigleand his friends. With the introduction (and swift exit) of Jinkx Monsoon as the voice of Bruce, the show has paid off a long-running tease that has been present for a while now.
Resident Alien’s Grey Aliensare fictional, but they’re also based on real-world accounts of those who claim to have encountered them. The Greys have existed in folklore for decades and have therefore popped up in various sci-fi projects, and often as the bad guys.Showrunner Chris Sheridan hasn’t strayed too far from how the Greys are often portrayed, but he has also added his own spin on the species while overseeingResident Alien’s narrative.
“The Lonely Man” Reveals Exactly Why The Grey Aliens Can’t Survive On Earth
Bruce’s fate is something the other Greys have been trying to avoid
Resident Alienseason 3’s main storyline was the Greys' attempts to transform Earth’s atmosphere and make it uninhabitable for humans, but suitable for the long-term survival of their own race. While Greys can and do visit Earth, their physiology prevents them from staying for too long. They can’t breathe the air indefinitely, and the gravity is too strong for their spindly bodies to withstand. This has been known for a while, butResident Alienseason 4, episode 2,“The Lonely Man,” shows the exact process the Greys have been careful to avoiduntil now.
It seems at first as though the show is forgetting what should happen to Bruce’s species when they’re on Earth for too long, but “The Lonely Man” proves the canon has remained intact.
After helping Harry escape from the moon ship,Bruce parts ways with Tudyk’s character and heads to Las Vegasto experience Earth culture. Monsoon’s Grey character voices his adoration for the planet inResident Alienseason 4’s opener, “Prisoners,” and his desire to go there. It seems at first as though the show is forgetting what should happen to Bruce’s species when they’re on Earth for too long, but “The Lonely Man” proves the canon has remained intact.
The first sign that Bruce’s body is breaking down comes when his arm falls off, but it quickly gets worse from there. In the privacy of a hotel room, Harry and Asta (Sara Tomko) lay Bruce’s body on the bed while he turns into a gray puddle of goop. He even remains conscious until said goopification is complete. The gross sequence doesn’t just finally reveal why Greys don’t stay on Earth for long, but also how limited their stays need to be. Bruce is planetside for a day and a half, but that’s enough for his body to give in.
Bruce’s Fate In Resident Alien Season 4 Also Solves A More Recent Grey Mystery
The disappearance of Mike’s Grey now makes sense
The matter of what happens to the Greys when they stay on Earth too long has been solved, but “The Lonely Man” also provides the answer to something that happened in “Prisoners.” WhenSheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) found and knocked out a Grey inResident Alienseason 3, episode 8, “Homecoming,” it wasn’t clear at first how he would handle the encounter. Mike has a very black and white view of the world, and aliens have only just started to become a reality for him. Annoyingly, season 3 ended without showing what Mike did next.
“Prisoners” begins a month after “Homecoming”, but it also includes flashbacks, one of which shows what happened after Mike’s Grey encounter.Mike bags up the alien and rushes to show Liv(Elizabeth Bowen), but by the time he arrives, the Grey is gone. As it turns out, “The Lonely Man” reveals that the Grey had also turned to goop, and Mike just hadn’t checked the bag thoroughly enough. So, the Grey in question must have been nearing the end of his day-and-a-half on Earth and disintegrated en route to Liv afterResident Alienseason 3’s finale.
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