Resident Alien Season 4 Will Be A Very Different Show After This Season 3 Storyline

Resident Alien season 4 could be headed in a different direction thanks to a specific season 3 storyline between two of the show's longest-tenured stars. The arc in question brought two members of the Resident Alien cast who don't often share the screen, but the result brilliantly changed the show's formula before the end of Resident Alien season 3. Now, Resident Alien season 4 has run out of a particular type of character.

Although there are several theories about Resident Alien season 4 and where the story could go next, information is currently scarce. That being said, the most recent finale drops many clues about what will happen when Alan Tudyk's Harry Vanderspeigle returns along with the other residents of Patience, Colorado. Even before Resident Alien season 3 ended, the show was quietly reshaping the fates of the show's ensemble in unexpected ways.

Judy Cooper Is No Longer A Comic Relief After Resident Alien Season 3

"141 Seconds" revealed Judy's profound loneliness

Jenna Lamia's Judy Cooper has been right on the cusp of being a series regular since Resident Alien began. So far, she has appeared in 22 of the 34 episodes. Lamia also wrote two installments of Resident Alien season 2. For the most part, the sci-fi dramedy has utilized Judy as a purely comedic character. She has primarily been portrayed as a brilliantly eccentric woman who is never afraid to let her various desires be known. In Resident Alien season 3, her brief romantic entanglement with Corey Reynolds' Sheriff Mike Thompson ended in a surprisingly heartbreaking manner for Lamia's character.

When D'arcy Bloom (Alice Wetterlund) sees through the act and offers her a shoulder to cry on, Judy's words are shockingly earnest: "I feel so stupid. When's it gonna be my turn?"

While reeling from his breakup with Lina Torres (Nicola Correia-Damude), Mike makes the drunken decision to hook up with Judy. The situation of her thinking they're in a committed relationship is initially played for laughs, but the fallout in Resident Alien season 3, episode 3, "141 Seconds," shows Judy is very upset when Mike calls it off - even though she tries to hide it. When D'arcy Bloom (Alice Wetterlund) sees through the act and offers her a shoulder to cry on, Judy's words are shockingly earnest: "I feel so stupid. When's it gonna be my turn?"

Judy was the last Resident Alien character to be humanized and shown to be just as vulnerable as anyone else. Mike breaking up with Judy and her reaction to the situation proves that her signature exaggerated demeanor and over-the-top approach to affection are nothing more than a way of hiding how truly lonely she is. So, Resident Alien season 4 can't really get away with just using her as someone to laugh at, or it'd just be cruel.

Resident Alien's Big Judy Change Highlights The Sci-Fi Show's Biggest Strength

The sci-fi dramedy shines when all its characters show all sides of themselves

It could be worrying to consider a run of Resident Alien episodes without a purely comedic character, which was the role Judy once filled. However, Judy being made more relatable is just one example of what makes the show so great. Resident Alien doesn't need full-time comic relief. In fact, all the characters are now so well-rounded that anyone just showing one side of themselves would stick out like a sore thumb. Julie was the prime example of this. Retrospectively, it was a little odd that she was only ever brought in for drive-by jokes. Now, it makes sense.

Judy's shift into a humanized character obviously doesn't mean Resident Alien will be void of hilarious moments.

Judy's shift into a humanized character obviously doesn't mean Resident Alien will be void of hilarious moments. The sci-fi show is just as much a drama as it is a comedy, and now every member of the cast can contribute to both genre labels. The show will continue to have sidesplittingly hilarious scenes, but it wouldn't be itself if it didn't also evoke a little sadness in its audience. In short, Resident Alien's formula will stay largely the same, or could even get better.