Resident Alien Season 3’s Biggest Disadvantage Sets Up Season 4’s Successful Story Change

Resident Alien season 3 had something huge to contend with that the previous two installments didn’t, but comments from the showrunner Chris Sheridan suggest the setback may actually have benefited the most recent run and could continue to be a positive influence on the show’s future. With the Resident Alien cast set to return for a fourth run of episodes, Sheridan’s storytelling methods may have been forever altered by season 3’s unexpected circumstances.

Resident Alien season 3’s ending certainly left the characters in a precarious position, with certain figures more aware of the danger they’re in than others. So, Resident Alien season 4 will have several loose ends to address. Thankfully, an unfortunate behind-the-scenes change for season 3 appears to have unwittingly sharpened the skills of those penning the scripts, which makes the coming season even more promising.

Resident Alien Season 3’s Reduced Episode Count Led To The Show’s Best Season

Sheridan was originally expecting to have 12 episodes

Speaking with CBR, Sheridan revealed that Resident Alien season 3 was originally intended to be a 12-episode run. However, it was reduced to 8 when the show’s writers had already begun work on the scripts. The latest season was already shorter than the previous two before this last-minute change, but the writers’ room had to get even more creative than they were already being to tell a rewarding story. While it may have been unwelcome news at the time, the result was Resident Alien season 3 becoming a brilliantly jam-packed adventure.

“It was hard, especially since we started at 12. The original order was for 12, and then we dropped to eight about midway through the writers’ room. We didn’t have time to reconceive the season, so we had to tell our 12-episode story in eight episodes. We had to pick and choose our moves. The downside is that there were some things that were a little bit rushed. The upside is that there was a lot packed in, and I think we did a really good job managing getting a lot of information, but also having it be really entertaining.”

Resident Alien season 1 consisted of 10 episodes, and Resident Alien season 2 had 16. With Resident Alien season 3’s massive reduction in length, Sheridan and his creative team did an incredibly admirable job not only of telling the story they originally wanted to tell when they thought they had 12 episodes, but also of making the latest run the best yet. It was likely a difficult adaptation to make at such short notice, but they pulled it off very well.

Resident Alien Season 4 Should Continue Its Chaotic Storytelling

The Resident Alien writers must keep the ball rolling

With Resident Alien‘s new popularity due to its arrival on Netflix, the show’s next era is unlikely to be so truncated. However, even if Resident Alien season 4 is longer than last time out, it shouldn’t drop its fast-paced approach to getting the story across. Resident Alien season 3 may only have been so high-octane because of circumstances outside its control, but the change in formula was something the show didn’t know it needed. In fact, Resident Alien season 4’s story teases a Terminator-esque arc, so taking their foot off the gas could be the worst possible option.