Resident Alien Was Canceled, But Its Creator Explained Why Knowing This ‘Was Exciting’

Let’s be clear right from the start: cancellation is never good. I always hate to see shows unexpectedly wind up on the list of series ending in 2025. However, when the cast, crews and creatives get this news can make all the difference. So, while it’s a real bummer Resident Alien was axed, I also totally see why knowing this information early excited the creator.

Sadly, news broke that Resident Alien would be ending with Season 4, which has three episodes left on the 2025 TV schedule. This news came from the Syfy show’s creator Chris Sheridan, and he noted that he had a feeling this was going to happen. He told TV Insider:

See, there’s almost always a silver lining. While it is extremely sad that Resident Alien is ending, Sheridan knew that would probably happen far enough in advance that he could give his series, which he has been the showrunner on since day one, the ending it deserves.

To me, there are levels of sadness with cancellation. When a series gets the axe unexpectedly right after it ends or even in the middle of its run, that’s the saddest outcome. That’s because programs don’t get the chance to conclude their stories. So, if a season ends on a cliffhanger, it won’t be resolved; we’ll just be left hanging.

One level above that is Resident Alien’s situation. Obviously, getting canceled sucks no matter what. However, finding out about it when Sheridan did makes matters better. It gave him the opportunity to write an end for his show. They got to close the loop, conclude the story and go out with a bang. To that point, the showrunner said:

So, it sounds like Resident Alien will get to be a show that actually ends well, because they knew Season 4 would be the last. And that is why the creator was “excited” about this situation. Since he kind of knew in advance, he got to craft a meaningful and deserved ending for the characters in Patience, Colorado, and that’s really all you can ask for.

I’d say it’s the best case scenario here. So, it’s obviously sad Alan Tudyk and co. won’t be returning, and this brilliant sci-fi comedy won’t get to continue. However, I’m also excited that they (kind of) got to go out on their own terms.

Since 2021, people have watched Resident Alien and seen Tudyk’s alien go from a being hellbent on destroying humanity to a being who truly cares for the people around him. It’s truly one of Tudyk’s best projects, and he shines as this hilarious fish-out-of-water character. So, saying goodbye will be hard.

However, Resident Alien crashed onto Netflix a while ago, and you can still binge it with said Netflix subscription to your heart's content. So, while the series will be over-over in a few weeks, you can still return to it often.

Now, it’s time to get ready to say goodbye, and thank goodness we actually get to say that. The last three episodes of Resident Alien will air on Fridays on Syfy/USA Network, with the finale set to drop on Friday, August 8 at 10 p.m. ET.