Where most first seasons slowly figure themselves out the gate, Resident Alien has somewhat benefited. An extended two-plus year delay in production due to scheduling conflicts and the pandemic allowed much of the cast and crew ample time to get to know each other. Which is why, the quality is pretty all-around excellent for the first season of a series, and I can unabashedly say, that the supporting ladies of Resident Alien are pretty damn awesome.
Adapted from the Dark Horse comic co-created by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, Resident Alien sees Sara Tomko play Asta Twelvetrees. A partially Native American nurse that works, and in many ways runs, Harry’s clinic. Asta is sort of the grounded heart of the series and is the closest thing Harry has to a friend, challenged only for Harry’s interests by Asta’s best friend, D’arcy, played by Alice Wetterlund. A loveable and chaotic bartender who just so happens to be an ex-Olympic level skier. If Asta is the heart, D’arcy is the show’s spirit in that she’s the funny, free-willed, and free-spirited life of the party; who often, lets us get to understand many of our characters better. Especially both Asta and Harry.
In episode three, we not only see D’arcy and Asta’s friendship really flourish, but also, learn that each woman left home at different periods of their life to chase their dreams, only to return. We asked both Sara and Alice about their characters about this along with their friendship.
“For my part, D’arcy would not be alive without Asta, and maybe vice versa. That’s the friendship,” said Wetterlund in regards to her character, D’arcy.
Touched by the sentiment, Tomko added, “I think the only reason I (Asta) felt comfortable to come back home is that D’arcy was there. Aside from Sam Hodges who was like a father to me, Darcy is all I feel like I have left. So when harry enters into the scene, it’s a new character that both Asta and Darcy are super intrigued by for different reasons, but I feel like there becomes this ability and hope for Asta to feel like maybe she can belong somewhere with a group of people even though she has this incredible Native community helping her feel like she belongs. Darcy reminds her — Hey I’m here for you. I’m always gonna be here for you. You’re not alone — you see it happen for both Darcy and Asta, they both have these moments of insecurities where they don’t believe in themselves and they needed each other.”
At this point, Wetterlund chimes in sharing how uniquely close it was for her to see a friendship like that between two female characters:
“I always wanted to be on a show like this that had like that kind of female friendship. Honestly, Grey’s Anatomy comes to mind, and the characters of Christine and Meredith and how they are each other’s person, and it really that way with Darcy and Asta. It’s like they are — through thick and thin — each other’s main person that they can go back to. So in a lot of ways, for me as an actor, the show is that relationship. Asta is the center of D’arcy’s world.”
At this point, I commended the pair on their onscreen chemistry. As for the seven episodes, I’ve watched, I’ll admit: Asta and D’arcy are pretty fun together. Tomko then shared how their friendship went beyond just the series:
“Alice does exactly for me in my life what Darcy does for Asta. She is a calming presence. She always makes me laugh, and she reminds me of my strength, and I think that it’s been really rewarding to work with her. I’m just so grateful to the show for, if nothing else, this incredible new friendship that will be with me forever.”
Now in tears (including maybe myself) Wetterlund joked, “Well the feeling is not mutual, so, I don’t have anything in my eye.”
Resident Alien airs on SYFY on Wednesdays at 10 pm EST. We’ve got more reviews of each episode along with a couple more interviews this season.
