Resident Alien 4 Not Happening Doesn't Necessarily Mean The Story Is Over (& 2 Other Shows Prove It)

Summary Resident Alien could follow the path of other Syfy shows like Firefly and Farscape with a movie to tie up loose ends if not renewed for a new season.

Resident Alien's potential move to a new network could mean a brighter future for the show's continuation.

While Resident Alien season 3's cliffhanger ending may ultimately result in an unsatisfying conclusion, a possible new network could give the show new life.

Resident Alien season 4 still isn't confirmed, but even if the Syfy show isn't renewed, there's a strong precedent established for the network ending sagas in creative ways. Despite Resident Alien season 3's cliffhanger ending, Syfy has been apprehensive about bringing the show back to continue the tale of Alan Tudyk's Harry Vanderspeigle. So, while it's clear that showrunner Chris Sheridan has plans for Resident Alien's future, it remains to be seen if the project will be given the chance to reach a natural stopping point. If it doesn't, then the show may return in a new form.

The fact that Resident Alien season 3 was reduced to just eight episodes isn't a great sign for the show's future, with the previous two seasons combining to total 26 episodes. However, the delay in the announcement of Resident Alien season 4 hasn't been overly long yet. Modern-day practices sometimes consist of several months of deliberation before an official decision is made, so there's no reason to believe the show is doomed. Even if the Resident Alien cast has graced the small screen for the last time, the actors may return on a grander scale.

Related Resident Alien's 8 Greatest Cameos From Sci-Fi Stars, Ranked Resident Alien is a quirky and charming sci-fi show that has many connections to the genre as a whole, including some incredible cameo appearances.

Resident Alien Could End With A Movie Like Farscape & Firefly

Syfy doesn't like leaving a story unfinished

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Resident Alien is produced by Syfy, a studio that doesn't have the best track record when it comes to long-running shows. Many of their projects accumulate a cult-like following, but it's often not enough to justify a show's longevity. That being said, Syfy clearly has a distaste for leaving a production unfinished. The evidence of this comes in the form of two other Syfy original shows: Farscape and Firefly. Both shows were canceled before they reached their conclusion, but each had a movie greenlit to tie up any loose ends. Resident Alien could follow this template if it isn't renewed.

Alan Tudyk also appeared in Firefly, playing Hoban "Wash" Washburne.

Firefly's lone season came in 2002, with the genre-bending sci-fi/western space opera getting axed before all the episodes had even aired. Three years later, 2005's Serenity was released, which served as a sequel and conclusion to Firefly. Unfortunately, Serenity flopped despite Firefly's popularity, but at least it provided closure for fans. Farscape's run on TV began before Firefly debuted and ended a year after Firefly was canceled, airing four seasons between 1999 and 2003. The return of the Farscape cast was also much quicker, with the Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars miniseries arriving in 2005 to end the saga.

Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars consists of two episodes, but has the combined runtime of a feature-length production.

Why A Resident Alien Movie Would Be A Perfect Way For The Show To End

Resident Alien's current format has a limited shelf life

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The threat in Resident Alien has been ever-changing since the show began. Initially, Harry was the biggest danger to Earth, but his redemption has turned him into the planet's biggest protector. By the end of Resident Alien season 3, Earth is being attacked from all sides. As such, it's clear the show only has so much room to expand before a small group of misfits taking on the entire galaxy (and succeeding) becomes a little too unrealistic - even for a show like Resident Alien. A movie could combine these threats and have Harry and his friends take things head-on.

The two biggest loose ends currently in need of tying up are the revelation of Resident Alien's Star Wars-esque moonship inhabited by the Greys, and the Mantid. While the shapeshifting Mantid would make a great villain for Resident Alien season 4, he'd also serve well as a ground-level threat to balance out the intergalactic peril posed by the Greys' power. The movie's narrative would be dense if it followed this formula, but it would certainly be exciting.

Resident Alien Season 4 Could Still Happen

The Alan Tudyk show could be switching networks

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A Resident Alien movie may not even be necessary, as the studio could still commission a fourth season. That being said, Resident Alien's potential move away from Syfy would mean another company being responsible for its production. This could be great news for the show, as The Expanse is proof of a Syfy show flourishing after moving to a new network. However, there's no official word on who would make Resident Alien season 4 if it happened.

2:37 Related Resident Alien Season 4 Already Set Up The Show's Next Best Sci-Fi Guest Star Resident Alien has already had several sci-fi stars appear in guest roles, but the show's next big cameo could come from an unexpected place.

One of the most obvious choices to inherit Resident Alien is Netflix. The first two seasons of the show were added to the platform in early 2024, and they quickly ranked first in daily viewings. Currently, only Peacock has all three seasons of the show, as Syfy is owned by NBC Universal. So, NBC may want to retain the rights and produce Resident Alien as a Peacock original, but only time will tell.

Where To Stream Projects Mentioned In This Article Project Platform Resident Alien seasons 1 & 2 Netflix Resident Alien seasons 1-3 Peacock Firefly season 1 Hulu Serenity Apple TV+ (Rent only) Farscape seasons 1-4 Peacock Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars Currently unavailable