I Believe in Aliens

**I Believe in Aliens** is the twenty-sixth episode of the science fiction comedy television series *Resident Alien* and the sixteenth and final episode of the second season. It aired on September 28, 2022.

## Synopsis

Harry comes face to face with his greatest enemy and makes a choice that may affect Earth forever.

## Plot

### Documentary

A man, who identifies himself as Mike Richardson, the CEO of Dark Horse Media, gives an interview for a documentary. He talks about how when he was a child, his mother sent him out to the store for bread and milk. He hopped on his bike and was joined by his friend, Duke. On the way back from the store, they looked up at the sky and saw a big disc, hovering about 60 to 100 feet in the air. He and his friends got off their bikes and just stood there, looking at it. He says he tends to be a skeptic, but it's something that he can't really explain and he has no idea what it was. He only knows that it was consistent with our conception of what a flying saucer is.

### Cheese

D'Arcy and Asta sit eating at Joe's Diner, Asta happily munching on a burger. "What'd that thing ever do you?" asks D'Arcy and Asta cracks up laughing, telling D'Arcy to stop it as she continues that it probably has little baby sliders. She tells D'Arcy that she needs to see Harry soon, that he just got back from a medical convention. D'Arcy asks Asta if she took a look at the picture of the apartment she sent her. "It's tiny," replies Asta, but D'Arcy argues that it has a hot tub. Just then, Jay enters the diner and Asta starts cursing to herself, complaining that she thought she wasn't working today.

Jay approaches the two of them, greeting D'Arcy as "Cheese." She tells Asta that she just found out that she's a few credits short on her science elective, asking if she can have her old job at the clinic back. Surprised, but pleased, Asta tells her that she can. "Cheese?" she asks D'Arcy after Jay leaves. D'Arcy tells her it's a long story that has nothing to do with cheese. Asta then gets a bunch of texts from Harry and excuses herself, saying that Harry is really excited about medicine.

At Harry's cabin, Asta receives Goliath's message from the alien baby. The message starts out as before, with Goliath explaining that Harry's people are not coming to kill everyone. He explains that it is The Greys that are on Earth. He explains that they have learned how to live on Earth and drops the bombshell that they have mastered hybridization, that they have been creating Grey/human hybrids for years and are planning to take over the Earth. He tells Harry that they already had once and that he is in fact Harry from the future, though Asta and Harry already know this. Finally, he warns Harry not to kill General Eleanor McCallister, telling him that she may be Earth's only hope.

Asta asks if all alien babies from his planet do this and he tells her that his "Moesha" is special. "Moesha?" she asks and he explains that he is trying out names. He explains that the Greys are too spindly to last long in Earth's atmosphere, so creating hybrids makes sense. She pleads with him to at least tell her that he didn't kill the general. He tells her that he got the message in time and so he did not kill her. She says that he can work with her and they can get rid of the Greys. He shoots back that he will not, that she is his enemy and that she heard Goliath, the tried to stop the Greys. She pleads that he can't just let the Greys take over, but he says that he already did once and it is guaranteed. She asks just what he's going to do and he says that he will do what human failures do: ignore his horrible failure by being a parent and passing on his resentments to his children. "Children?" asks Asta, and he reveals that he adopted Peter Bach's son, Robert Hutchins. Robert comes out, asking Harry to keep the noise down and Harry shouts back that he's not sleeping the day away and he's signing him up for soccer practice. Asta clutches her head, massaging her temples.

### The offer

Mayor Ben Hawthorne enters Sheriff Mike Thompson's office, asking if he has any updates on his budget requests. "Eight additional deputies, four more patrol cars, and body cams for everyone, including Cletus," reads back Ben. He tells Mike that it sounds like a lot and Mike counters that it's the bare minimum with the resort coming in, that when it does, they're going to need a new prison just for the prostitutes alone. Ben tells Mike that he's no longer supporting the resort. He explains that he was so caught up in rebranding Patience that he forgot how much he loved it. Mike tells him that if they *don't* get the resort there are going to be riots and they'll need a tank. Mike tells him he can get him one more deputy and a Hot Wheels car. Mike agrees it's a deal if he can get one of the loop-de-loops for it.

At Joe's Diner, Harry is approached by Dan with a bag of ten hamburgers. "Hope the monster baby's hungry," he tells him. Just then, everything and everyone freezes around Harry. A man, Joseph Rainier, enters the cafe. He introduces himself to Harry, but Harry says he will call him "Dickhead." Joseph suggests that they be professional, but Harry refuses. Joseph tells him that they've made a deal with his people, that they have conceded the Earth to them. He says that they get the planet and they can let him go home, that they've left an escape pod up on the mountain for him that will take him to his home planet. He tells Harry that he will text him the coordinates, and they have an extended argument over how they got his phone number, ending when Joseph admits that Nurse Ellen Cho gave it to him. "Good luck," Joseph tells Harry and Harry catches him in another childish insult. He then takes a fly that was frozen in the air and places it in his pie. When time unfreezes, he shouts about it being in his pie, then leaves, saying he is not paying.

The interviewer speaks with a man, James Dowdall, saying that he has had many encounters and asking about one specifically that he was able to recall. He tells the interviewer that he was able to record one once, just after New Year's Eve. He shows the interviewer cell phone footage of two floating orbs and how they appear to be changing shape. Meanwhile, at her secret black site in Wyoming, General McCallister states that the base has been compromised and they're moving everything to Farmington 5. An underling objects that it hasn't been used in years. "Then we'll have plenty of room," counters McCallister. The underling tells her that they may have had help on the inside. "He went straight for the safe," explains the underling, showing footage of Joseph Rainier. McCallister says that's their mole, telling her to find them. She asks the underling to also bring back Peter Bach's hard drive, but she says it's gone. She tells the underling that the info on it is encrypted and that the second anyone tries to use it, they'll know.

### Conspiracies

Sheriff Mike enters the office, telling Deputy Liv that they've been getting complaints about a black van parked on the sidewalk. Seeing her glued to a news broadcast, he asks if she's alright. The news report says that the victim of a crash died in an ensuing fire and that the victim's name has been released: Peter Bach. Hearing this, Mike tells Liv that he's sorry. "He got too close. They killed him," Liv tells him. He's immediate skeptical, but she insists that it was no accident, that it was murder. She says that the abandoned van Mike was referring to must be Peter's. Mike says that she believes in conspiracy theories and is reading too much into things. She counters that he's the one who believes the moon is man-made. Liv tells him that it may be right, that it could be all in her head. He suggests they just wait while Ernie comes from the tow yard. She agrees. The second, however, that he is out of sight, she takes off with the vehicle.

In his cabin, Harry holds the alien baby. He tells him that he will love his home planet, although he's too old be tested in the punishing ice-wind desert. Robert comes out of his room and Harry calls him "son," saying that they need to have a family meeting. Robert tells him he's not his son. Harry tells him that he's putting in timeout, then tells him that they're moving to his home planet. Robert says there's no way he's moving anywhere with him, that he needs to get back to his life. Harry tells him that he has no life without him. Robert thanks him for getting him out of the prison, but tells him he has to go. Harry tells him that if he must go, he has something for him. He gives him one of the alien balls, telling him that it will keep him from dying and that it also keeps hot drinks hot.

Another subject, Osvaldo Ramirez Castillo, interviews for the documentary. He explains that there was a blackout in his building and he stepped out onto the balcony and saw three dots of white/yellowish light zooming in a triangle formation. He's not sure if it caused the blackout, but it spooked him. Back in Patience, at the Hawthorne household, Kate wakes up in the middle of the night. She goes downstairs and finds Ben in the kitchen, standing stock-still. She asks what he's doing and he realizes he was sleepwalking again and had the same dream from before. He quips to not wake up him next time until he finishes doing the dishes and Kate tells him to get back to bed. That morning, Harry comes up to Max Hawthorne as he is out walking. He hands him a picture, telling him he wanted him to have it since he's never seen what he looks like as a human. Max points out the drawing is a stick figure and surely looks nothing like him. Harry explains that he is doing what humans call a "goodbye tour," that he and his baby are returning to their home planet. Max does not believe him, claiming that he loves him way too much to leave.

At the sheriff's office, Sheriff Mike approaches Deputy Liv. He tells Liv that it's a funny story, that Ernest just called and when he came to pick up the van, it wasn't there and neither was she. Liv claims that the "other guy," Ned, came to pick it up. She spins a story and Mike tells her that her lies are getting very specific. She admits that she took it. "You're an officer of the law," he reminds her, and she tells him that Peter's death was no accident and the van is safely in her garage. He tells her to listen to him, that she wants her to get the van to impound immediately. She tells him that that this is what he always does, that his dad even said that he runs away from everything that takes him out of his comfort zone. She tells him that she's keeping the van and that a real friend would trust her and have her back. He says a real friend wouldn't make their friend visit them in jail.

### Ready to listen

A married couple, Lee and Jessie Miller, interview for the documentary. They explain about having seen a bright white-ish light and posting to Facebook, but being worried about the aliens coming to get them. In his cabin, Harry records a video for Asta on his phone. He tells her that if she's watching, he's already in space and that he said goodbye, but she probably did not hear him because she was reading a dresses magazine. There is a knock at the door and Harry opens it to find Sahar. "Max told me you have Baby," she says, and Harry tells her that his name is Chaz. The alien baby comes to see her, in the form of Bobby Smallwood, and she hugs him, saying she thought she'd never see him again.

The baby thanks Sahar, saying that she helped him. She tells him that he helped her, that she never thought she could raise a human hybrid alien baby toddler boy, but she did. She says she feels like a different person since she met him. She gives him a toy alien wearing a hijab to remember her by. Harry thinks to himself that his people always thought that modern humans hated aliens and regarded them as their enemy, but it is not only Asta who can care about a being so different from themselves. As Sahar gives the baby a snack bag of carrots, she tells Harry that she can't name the baby "Chaz," that he is significant, extraordinary, the bridge between her people and his and needs a name that matches. Harry then decides to name the baby "Bridget," telling it to "take off the stupid monkey suit."

As Liv pulls up outside her garage, she is greeted by a couple of police from Braddock. One of them asks if she is Olivia Baker and she agrees that she is. He tells her that they're looking for a stolen van, and that one of her neighbors said they saw her driving a van into her garage. She calls her neighbors liars, but agrees to their request to open the garage door. They do so and she is stunned to see Sheriff Mike and her husband, John, inside playing cards. "Everything okay, officer?" asks Mike. "You want to pull up a chair?" The officer tells him they're following up a report of a stolen van, but there doesn't seem to be one there.

After they leave, Mike explains to Liv that after they talked yesterday, he pulled up CCTV footage which showed the van being driven into Patience at 1:30 A.M., three hours *after* Peter Bach died. He explains that the van is on the Ute Reservation and is safe. She apologizes that he had to lie to cops. "Don't be," he tells her, explaining that he looked them up as well and they weren't real cops. He tells her that he needs her to tell him who she thinks they really are and if she says something about aliens, maybe he'll listen this time.

### Asta's secret

As Harry heads to the pod left on the frigid mountain, he thinks to himself that his people do not have a word for failure. They may have lost the Earth to The Greys, but this is not a failure. He thinks that maybe or maybe not McCallister can save the planet, but he knows that he failed as Goliath and all he has left is his baby. He thinks that he considered eating his baby once, but has now gotten to the place all humans eventually get to, that he no longer wants to eat his baby. As he boards the pod, he thinks that the baby is cute when he sleeps and that the angry girl is not the only one who has been changed by the baby, that he has too, that this is why Goliath gave the baby to him. "I have been changed too," he realizes. He thinks to himself that he is not Goliath and does not have to fail. He launches the pod with only the baby on-board. He then realizes that he is still clutching the carrots provided by Sahar. "I will eat them for you!" he shouts.

The couple from before continues their interview for the documentary. The woman says that she saw a red light from the mountains and it met where a red light was and then disappeared, like a rendezvous. Meanwhile, Jay meets Asta in her office at the Patience Health Clinic. She tells her that she has a winter formal coming up and that her mother bought her a dress. She shows Asta a picture the dress, asking her what she thinks. They both agree that it's awful and Asta tells her that it's not her mother's fault, that a dress like it would look great on some people, but it's totally draining for their skin tone. They make an agreement to visit a new local vintage store the next day at 3 to find a better one. Knowing what happened before, Asta promises Jay that she'll be there. "I know you will," Jay tells her, smiling.

D'Arcy visits the Twelvetrees residence in order to pick up some things she left behind. Dan comments that he should known her stuff wasn't Asta's when it was left in a neat pile. He tells her that if she wants to clean Asta's room, he's fine with it. She is then stunned when she discovers a box with a note about the Galvan/Powell Group and a vial of Botulinum toxin. Meanwhile, Harry returns to his cabin. Asta is there and stunned to see him, as she thought she never would again. He tells her that he's not going home, that he sent the baby alone. She asks if he's going to help save Earth and he agrees that he will try, but that he had to protect Bridget. She tells him it's a nice name.

D'Arcy enters the cabin, angry. She asks Asta if she wants to tell her why she has the Botulinum toxin that killed Sam Hodges. She says it's her big secret, that Harry killed Sam and she's covering for him. Asta pleads with her to trust her, but she says that Asta has been lying to her for a year and yet will trust some random weirdo that just eats pizza all day and is a murderer. She tells Asta to just tell her what's going on, but Asta says she can't. D'Arcy tells her that she's done, that she can't be friends with her. Asta sobs, and D'Arcy shouts that Asta doesn't need her. "Of course I need you!" Asta tells her and from behind, Harry chitters. D'Arcy turns around, to see Harry's alien form. "That's my secret," Asta tells her.

### The new alliance

"You're a dinosaur!" shouts D'Arcy. "What? No," says Harry. "Thank God," says D'Arcy. Harry tells her that he's an alien and she says that it's the same thing. She tells Asta to just not cut her out again, ever, and to tell her everything. As they hug, Harry thinks to himself that connections between humans tie them together and give them strength and that they're stronger when they have support from someone they care about. Deputy Liv Baker gives an interview for the documentary. She explains that as a child during a camping trip, she saw a UFO, but her teacher didn't believe her, so she pretended he was right and never mentioned it again. The interviewer asks what she would say to her teacher now. "I believe in aliens," she tells the interviewer, crying a bit and saying she didn't think she was going to get emotional.

At the vintage store, Asta helps Jay to find a beautiful red dress. At the Patience's Sheriff Office, Sheriff Mike interviews a candidate for the new deputy position. He has impressive credentials. He also happens to be Joseph Rainier, the Grey alien in disguise. Harry, Asta and D'Arcy sit and eat pizza at Harry's cabin. Asta fills D'Arcy in on everything that's happened so far, including the various "medical conferences" that were really an alien convention and an alien baby. A helicopter whirs outside and Harry tells Asta and D'Arcy they need to get to the bunker. "The what?" asks D'Arcy and Harry tells her it is a fallout shelter for the end of the world. "Take her quick," he tells Asta. A group of soldiers break the windows and bust open the doors. Harry tells them that they were unlocked and he will send a bill.

Harry is brought in chains before General McCallister at the backup base. She asks if he knows why she brought him there. "Yes," he tells her, and she says that she thinks he doesn't. "Do you want me to take those off?" she asks about the chains. "Or do you want to do it yourself. He says he will and does so. "Idiots," she calls the soldiers, dismissing them. Harry asks her just what this place is. "It's nothing," she tells him. "A quarter of a mile down, there's a lot," she continues, revealing a secret, high-tech elevator in a wall. He boards and the doors close, him telling her that she owes him money for his cabin doors.

Robert Hutchins sits on a bus stop bench, munching on snacks. He palms the alien ball and a bright light flashes. A light appears over him and he rises into the sky. He is pulled into a Grey spaceship. The same Grey that Harry spoke with previously restrains him, then claims the alien ball, which glows green in his hand. Restrained on a bed next to Robert is Mayor Ben Hawthorne. "Do not be afraid," the Grey tells him. "Your baby is here too." A flashback shows that three months ago, the Greys abducted his wife Kate and took her baby. Ben turns his eyes to see the baby floating nearby in an incubation chamber.

## Quotes

"*Eight additional deputies, four more patrol cars, and body cams for everyone, including Cletus.*"

"*Well, of course, Cletus, 'cause, you know, he got a temper on him, so if he roughs somebody up, we need to know about it.*"

- Ben Hawthorne and Mike Thompson

"*Dickhead says what?*"

"*What?*"

"*Chicken butt.*"

- Harry Vanderspeigle and Joseph Rainier

"*I will see you never! I am not fat. I am thick. All bodies are beautiful! Except yours, you squirrel-necked dick.*"

- Harry Vanderspeigle to Max Hawthorne

"*I mean, I mentioned that I saw something, but then my teacher, uh, didn't believe me, and so I just pretended he was right and never mentioned it again. You know, this world we live in is a lot more unconventional than we think, and there's bizarre phenomenon happening out there to people that's real.*"

"*What would you say to your teacher now?*"

"*Sorry. Uh... ah, I'll do this, okay. I believe in aliens.*"

- Deputy Liv Baker and an interviewer for a documentary

## Cast and characters

Starring:

* Alan Tudyk as Harry Vanderspeigle
* Sara Tomko as Asta Twelvetrees
* Corey Reynolds as Sheriff Mike Thompson
* Alice Wetterlund as D'Arcy Bloom
* Levi Fiehler as Mayor Ben Hawthorne
* Elizabeth Bowen as Deputy Liv Baker
* Judah Prehn as Max Hawthorne

Special guest star:

* Linda Hamilton as General McCallister

Guest starring:

* Meredith Garretson as Kate Hawthorne
* Gary Farmer as Dan Twelvetrees
* Gracelyn Awad Rinke as Sahar
* Jenna Lamia as Judy Cooper
* Diana Bang as Ellen Cho
* David Bianchi as Goliath
* Enver Gjokaj as Joseph Rainier
* Kester Talbot as Bridget in the form of Bobby Smallwood

and

* George Takei as the voice of the Grey alien

Co-starring:

* Mike Richardson as Himself
* Peter Hogan as Himself
* Kalayla Raine as Jay
* Trevor Carroll as John Baker
* Paul Piaskowski as Robert Hutchins
* Kristina Matisic as Reporter
* Shalyn Ferdinand as Female Officer
* Yurij Kis as Male Officer
* Rachel Colwell as Lieutenant Hill
* James Dowdall as Himself
* Osvaldo Ramirez Castillo as Himself
* Jessie Miller as Herself
* Jef Miller as Himself

## Behind the scenes

* According to showrunner Chris Sheridan, the script for this episode was written prior to the series being picked up for Season 3 and was not written in such a way as to be tweaked based on whether or not the series was picked up. He described it as being one of his favorites of the series so far with a lot of big things happening and stated that how long the series continues depends on how much of a slow-roll the writers can do of Harry's emotional growth.
* This episode is dedicated in memory of Bill Terezakis. Bill Terezakis was a makeup artist who worked on the Pilot of *Resident Alien*, as well as series such as *The Twilight Zone* and *The X-Files* and films including *Dawn of the Planet of the Apes* and *Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters*.
* Peter Hogan, the creator of the original *Resident Alien* comics series, co-stars as himself, describing a real-life alien experience, along with a number of cameos by other real-life experiencers. According to Chris Sheridan, during Season 2, he received an e-mail from Richardson about his alien experience as a child. When creating the finale, he knew he wanted to have Deputy Liv Baker be able to speak about her experience and came up with the idea to create a documentary using real-life interviewees.

## Gallery

### Videos

Will Harry Accept This Alien’s Tempting Proposition? - Resident Alien (S2 E16) - SYFY-2BEHIND THE SCENES- Linda Hamilton Was Most Surprised by THIS - Resident Alien (S2 E16) - SYFYAre Harry & General McCallister... Teaming Up? - Resident Alien (S2 E16) - SYFYResident Alien Season 2 Episode 16 RECAPPED! - Resident Alien (S2 E16) - SYFY
## References

1. ↑ RESIDENT ALIEN: Creator Chris Sheridan on the end of Season 2 – Exclusive Interview by Abbie Bernstein, September 24, 2022
2. ↑ TVLine: *Resident Alien* Boss on [Spoiler Learning Harry's Secret: 'It's Going to Change Everything' in Season 3] by Nick Caruso. September 28, 2022.]