Alan Tudyk plays Harry Vanderspeigle in his largely human form Resident Foreignerbut there is an interesting explanation as to why a select few can see through his disguise. Most Resident Foreigner The cast looks at Harry and sees a human face, but some get an unrestricted view of his alien face. The latter is not a common occurrence and it all comes down to a specific piece of world-building by the sci-fi dramedy.
After starting in 2021, Resident Foreigner quickly became one of Alan Tudyk’s best TV shows. However, Harry Vanderspeigle is a far cry from Tudyk’s Disney characters. Resident ForeignerThe main character is a foul-mouthed alien who is not afraid to become violent when it is required of him. Although he eventually became a more traditional protagonist, there are still many things unique about Harry – including how he is perceived by the people around him.
Some resident alien characters have a specific genetic mutation
Resident Alien’s ability to detect aliens is very rare
In Resident Foreignerfirst episode, Harry is put off by Judah Prehn’s Max Hawthorne’s ability to see Tudyk’s character in his alien form. Fortunately, no one believes Max anymore, as they look at Harry and see him as human. Harry’s narration quickly explains that one in every million humans has a specific genetic mutation that allows them to see beyond their “molecular reconstruction​​​​​​.” It turns out that one of these humans lives in Patience, Colorado.
Despite a few attempts by Harry to kill Max so he could go unnoticed, the pair eventually developed an uneasy alliance that almost borders on friendship – but not quite. Unfortunately, Harry encounters another human who shares Max’s mutation – Peter “The Alien Tracker” Bach, by Terry O’Quinn. After a short period as enemies, Harry and Peter also end up adopting a healthier dynamic.
Harry isn’t the only alien exposed by Max and the Alien Tracker’s ability
Heather is one of the other Resident Alien characters whose cover can be compromised
Harry isn’t the only alien in the series. That said, other beings from beyond the stars don’t appear that often. When they do, there is no certainty that they will be in disguise – as proven by the Gray Aliens. However, other Resident Foreigner characters hide behind a human veneer. For example, Edi Patterson’s Heather looks every inch the Blue Avian she is when Max looks at her.
Likewise, the Mantid – introduced at the end of the Resident Foreigner season 3 – also has the ability to change form. Fortunately, this ability was proven inert by Max’s mutation. Despite trying to live undercover as Harry’s human appearance, Max knows he is really the Mantid. Other alien characters are a rarity in Resident Foreigner It’s easy to forget that genetic mutation is essentially universal across all alien life, but that’s the case.