Resident Alien boasts several genre tags that include sci-fi, comedy, and drama, but season 4, episode 6, “Soul Providers,” finally gives the show a label it’s been trying to earn since the pilot. Primarily, I’d say the Resident Alien cast is tasked with making the audience laugh, but they also help bring several non-comedic storylines to life.

Alan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigle is at the heart of Resident Alien’s sci-fi formula, and the show has engaged in an impressive amount of worldbuilding considering it’s a zany dramedy. Harry’s journey to the Greys’ moon base at the end of Resident Alien season 3 taught the audience a lot about the nefarious race, and season 4 is following in similar footsteps.

The Galactic Housing Council In “Soul Providers” Finally Makes Resident Alien Feel Like A Proper Space Opera

Harry has often mentioned other races and worlds in Resident Alien and has even contextualized some of them with specific anecdotes. However, with most of this simply being heard but never seen, it makes it easy to forget that Resident Alien is quietly a space opera, even if most of the outer space lore never makes it to the screen.

Seeing so many alien races together in a setting that wouldn’t stick out in something like Star Trek makes Resident Alien feel like the space opera it’s been trying to be for years.

“Soul Providers” finally changes that by bringing Harry face-to-face with the Galactic Housing Council, an organization that had been referenced a few times in Resident Alien but never shown. Seeing so many alien races together in a setting that wouldn’t stick out in something like Star Trek makes Resident Alien feel like the space opera it’s been trying to be for years.

Of course, Resident Alien is and always will be an incredibly character-driven show. Despite the threats from alien species and the existence of time travel, the show often focuses on more “grounded” stories that examine the human condition surprisingly well. So, while it’s exciting to see something like the Galactic Housing Council firsthand, it’s understandable why such instances are rare.

“Soul Providers” Also Puts One Of My Biggest Fears To Rest For Resident Alien Season 4

Resident Alien season 4 only happened because of a network switch from Syfy to USA Network, and that change came with a reduced budget for the show. As a result, the latest run of episodes has had to get creative with its storytelling and has largely avoided the use of CGI and other expensive shots whenever possible.

I thought this might have created issues, and although season 4 has been incredibly well-received (it has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes), Resident Alien has been a little light on special effects since. Thankfully, “Soul Providers” goes heavy on the CGI for Resident Alien’s new Galactic Council scenes, and they look brilliant, which proves the show does still have money to play with.