If you’re not watching Resident Alien for the emotional trauma disguised as comedy, then I don’t know what you’re doing with your life.
Resident Alien Season 4 Episode 3, “Ties That Bind,” took us back to the 1970s, gave us lobsters, time portals, Starsky & Hutch cosplay, and enough emotional breakthroughs to power a therapist’s conference.
And yes, I’m still thinking about those hard candies by the door and how D’arcy was thisclose to grabbing a handful. The ’70s were lawless.
Harry and D’arcy Go Time-Tripping
Harry and D’arcy are off on a time-travel mission to retrieve alien tech Harry accidentally dropped in 1970 — a device powerful enough to restore his alien energy but dangerous enough to wipe out his entire species if handed over to the Grays. No pressure!
They enlist Dale, an alient time portal hobbyist who’s part conspiracy theorist, part horny cryptid, and fully convinced his family invented time travel. And honestly? I buy it. He sends them back to the 1970s, not without a warning about prolonged erections and some mild confusion over the century.
Once they arrive, they look like time tourists who dressed from a Goodwill bin labeled “TV Cop Shows.” D’arcy’s loving the cheap beer and lobster prices; Harry’s desperately trying to not poop his human pants.
Their interactions with young Eleanor — future General McCallister — are a goldmine of awkward reveals.
D’arcy is still furious that Harry never mentioned her, and Eleanor is laser-focused on fixing her dad’s broken spirit after the government made him doubt what he saw: proof that aliens exist.
The Past Is Messy — But So Are We
Eleanor’s heartbreak is understandable. Her father believed in her, but she was too afraid to admit what she saw. She’s been blaming her younger self for not speaking up ever since.
But now, given a second chance, she walks into that lighthouse and tells young Eleanor to be brave, to tell the truth. And the payoff? Worth every ounce of temporal instability.
If your heart didn’t crack open during that father-daughter hug at the end, I don’t know how to help you. Go eat some unwrapped candy and reflect.
D’arcy Steals the Show Again
D’arcy continues to be the unexpected heart of the show.
One moment, she’s outwitting a cop with references to The Brady Bunch and Grey’s Anatomy like a true TV fanatic, and the next, she’s pulling a mini bottle of vodka from her coat and staring at old skiing medals like they’re judging her.
When she finds Eleanor broken after failing to change the past, D’arcy doesn’t run. She listens and understands. And when Harry later explodes at her, saying he feels like nothing without his alien powers, D’arcy answers with brutal, beautiful honesty: “Welcome to the club.”
She tells him that getting his energy back won’t fix what’s broken. That if he sacrifices his entire species, he won’t be more of himself — he’ll be less. Haven’t we all felt like this to some degree, wanting to sacrifice others to feel more like ourselves?
Harry is like the rest of us. Underneath all of his bluster, he’s a guy grappling with identity, shame, and vulnerability. We’re exploring raw and powerful stuff through a TV alien, which is exactly why this show is so damn good.
Meanwhile, Back in Patience…
While Harry and D’arcy are off rewriting emotional timelines, things are getting dicey in Patience.
Ben and Kate are still in “should we tell Liv?” mode. He thinks they should; she thinks it’s a terrible idea. They’re both right. But before they can decide, Kate starts remembering things. D’arcy was there. The alien ship. It’s coming back to her — and it’s not going to stay quiet for long.
Elsewhere, Sahar is plotting manticide, and Max is pouting about losing his alien-hunter leadership status. But I draw the line when Max kidnaps Bridget.
Sure, Sahar is a pain in the ass sometimes, but she’s good with the little alien baby. Max? Not so much, and he practically gets Bridget killed to prove his point. Not unlike Harry with his people, now that I think of it.
Liv and Mike are still bickering like old marrieds, but there’s a new wrinkle: Jewel Staite is in town! As FBI agent Jules Gardner, no less. It’s a mini Firefly reunion with Alan Tudyk (behind the scenes if not in front of them) that made my nerd heart glow.
Mike’s trying to keep up, but the poor guy gets smacked around emotionally and physically every episode. He is making progress, not that he has a choice when he runs right into the mantid gnawing on Bambi in the forest. But like Eleanor’s father, he believes. There’s no turning back.
His training the townsfolk to fight off a serial killer (or maybe a mantid) led to Kate’s trauma bubbling up mid-punch in their self-defense class. God help us when she puts all of the pieces together.
But Ben cradling her afterward? Maybe one of the softest moments we’ve seen between them in a long time.
Asta and the Cousin Confessional
Asta’s cousin Kayla finally corners her for the truth, and wow does she get it. Alien prisons on the moon? Joseph the hybrid? Oh, and Harry? Alien. Kayla’s reaction is iconic: “I’m sorry, WHAT?”
But she handles it. She’s not even mad — just surprised that everyone seems to know except her. And once she’s looped in, she stands firm. Asta’s not just family — she’s everything.
She’s already been teaching Daisy about her exceptional beginning in this world because she carries her people’s history with her in the form of stories she’s willing to share.
The biggest surprise here is that Asta grew up with the same stories, but she didn’t let Kayla into the loop sooner. Maybe she needed something all her own.
She gave up Jay. But the knowledge that aliens truly to exist? She was keeping that for herself. And D’arcy. And her dad. And Max and Sahar…
Harry’s Homecoming… and Heather’s Surprise
After everything, Harry walks back through the time portal not with alien energy, but with something heavier: perspective. He can’t bring himself to sacrifice his race for his own comfort.
He returns to Patience, only to be greeted by his bird-alien ex, Heather. And surprise! “Honey, I’m home!” she chirps, holding a basket full of alien babies. As one does.
And just when Harry thinks things can’t get worse? He gets a foot cramp.
How will Harry respond to his former flame’s return when he’s no longer got his alien mojo? We’re about to find out.
The Stories We Carry
In voiceover, Harry reflects: “Sometimes, beings are forced to acknowledge their history… Sometimes, they get to rewrite it… Sometimes, they avoid it entirely.” And if that doesn’t describe every character in this episode, I don’t know what does.
Whether it’s D’arcy facing the girl she used to be, Eleanor healing a lifelong wound, Harry choosing empathy over power, or even Asta’s refusal to share a powerful secret with those who would be most willing to accept it — Resident Alien is always about what makes us human.
This was one of the show’s best episodes to date. A love letter to childhood regrets, parent wounds, growing up, and letting go, with a whiff of time travel and Crown Royal bags (Trinkets! Barbie clothes! Alien gizmos!). Be still my beating heart.
But what about you?
Do these stories of regret speak to you? How would you handle a trip to your past? Drop a comment below to keep the party going.
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