The emotional core of the hit Syfy series Resident Alien is the friendship building between its fan-favorite main characters, especially lifelong buddies Asta Twelvetrees and D’Arcy Bloom. Played by Sara Tomko and Alice Wetterlund, respectively, the two friends’ relationship was severely tested by Asta keeping the presence of disguised extraterrestrial Harry Vanderspiegle a secret from D’Arcy, only for D’Arcy to be entrusted with this interplanetary conspiracy at the end of Season 2. As Resident Alien returns for its third season, this reaffirmed friendship will face new challenges as the fate of Earth hangs in the balance once again.

In an exclusive interview with CBR, Resident Alien stars Sara Tomko and Alice Wetterlund talk about the new wrinkles to their characters’ shared dynamic in Season 3, tease a confrontation with the sinister gray alien Joseph Rainier, and recall some of the highlights of their own real-life friendship together.

CBR: As opposed to the first two seasons, D’Arcy now knows Harry is an alien and gets to join in on the antics. How is it taking that on in Season 3?

Alice Wetterlund: It’s boring and we don’t like it.

Sara Tomko: We hate working together, and we hate working with Alan [Tudyk].

Wetterlund: That’s why she came all the way over, because we hate working together.

Tomko: We love each other, love being together, love working with Alan, and I’m so excited that D’Arcy knows now because I could not hold that heavy – is it Rodin holding the heavy thing, like me holding the thing about Harry by myself for two seasons.

Wetterlund: It was two seasons, but the second season had so many episodes, so the story of Asta keeping this huge part of her story inside and away from the person that she tells everything to was really starting to fracture their relationship. D’Arcy is an extremely insecure person, and her security blanket in the world is Asta. She relies on Asta as an emotional center. To be left out made her feel so worthless. Now that she knows, there’s that voice in the back of her head that says “But why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Tomko: I want to address something, though. I feel like we have a bit of a toxic friendship. [laughs] You were basically like, “I’m not going to be your friend anymore,” and I was like, “Don’t go!” Let’s just say, if you want to go, go, and if you want to stay, stay. Don’t do something you don’t want to do.

Wetterlund: I’m just proud that we, as people, recognize that it’s true – the person that I play is sort of fun and very animated and a loose cannon. She’s fun to play, but not fun to be that person. It’s really difficult, she’s not very likable, you can see her coming apart a lot of times. She puts a lot of pressure on Asta that is unfair, and I think Asta deals with it as much as she can, but I think Asta would probably deserve to have a few more boundaries. [laughs]

Tomko: I think that’s what Asta gets to experience in Season 3, like “Who am I when I’m not taking care of D’Arcy, Jay or Harry?” I think there’s a lot of that in Season 3 for every character, “Who am I and what is my purpose in this small town, in saving the world and just in life?”

I think the last time we spoke, we were commiserating over you guys riding the tandem bike in Season 2 and how not great that was.

Tomko: It was so hard! I love that bike, but it was tough. We didn’t fall. I tried to do a tandem bike at the beach with TJ, my husband, and we also had a hard time. I’m not sure what’s going on with the tandem bikes and why they’re so difficult, but I do like the idea of them. We just had to stay steady, and I remember you telling me –

Wetterlund: “One person has to take the lead.” It’s actually a good teamwork/scene partner thing if we hadn’t known each other before we got on that bike.

Tomko: It’s very D’Arcy/Asta too, like “I got this! I’m going to help you save the world now!” [laughs]

The other big wrinkle in Season 3 is Enver Gjokaj as the gray alien. How is it having him as this adversarial figure?

Tomko: I think that was my favorite part of watching the first couple of episodes. Without too many spoilers, there are so many great moments between Enver and Alan. I’m really loving the element of having two aliens that have to pretend to be human. Enver is playing a hybrid alien, so he actually does have that human component which you see on that date scene between the two of us. It’s fun to watch them figure out how to one-up each other, and also still be in these human bodies that they’re uncomfortable in. That was a really fun moment.

Wetterlund: Yeah, Enver blew me away. My expectations were low, but I had been a fan. I watched Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. His comedic ability is just amazing, he’s so good. I loved watching his scenes with Alan and his scenes with you. There were interactions between Asta and Enver and I loved watching him. Those scenes really drew out your comedic ability as an actor. There was a lot of tête-à-tête with that, that was so fun to watch, the unraveling of Asta. Sara was playing around, which was just so cool. I’m very excited for people to see it.

Tomko: We’re excited to watch that and see where that goes! I think it’s nice for Harry to have somebody who understands him.

Wetterlund: The Odd Couple! Roommates!

Which one is Oscar?

Tomko: Oscar is the really grouchy one? I feel like it would be Harry, he’s the grouchy one.

Wetterlund: They’re both grouchy.

Tomko: They’re both grouchy, but I feel Harry is Oscar!

Resident Alien Season 3 is now airing on Syfy and the USA Network. The first two seasons are currently available to stream on Netflix.