Warning: Spoilers ahead for Resident Alien season 4, episode 1, “Prisoners.”The Greys have been part of Resident Alien‘s story for a while now, but it has taken the recent introduction of Jinkx Monsoon to the show’s cast for the nefarious race to reach their potential. Debuting in Resident Alien season 4, episode 1, “Prisoners,”Monsoon voices Bruce, the Grey Alien who liberates Alan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigle from his incarceration aboard the Greys’ moon ship. Bruce also fixes Resident Alien‘s Grey Aliens in a way that I feel has long been necessary.
After appearing as Doctor Who‘s Maestro in 2024, Bruce is another big and recent sci-fi role for Jinkx Monsoon. Although he initially seems as though he’s going to be a minor character, Resident Alien season 4’s premiere ends with the strong suggestion that Bruce will have a prominent arc as the show continues. With any luck, the influence he has already had on Resident Alien will continue to grow.
Bruce Is Just What The Greys Needed In Resident Alien
The Grey Aliens lacked proper characterization until Bruce’s debut
Despite being so pivotal to Resident Alien so far, the Greys have developed no real identity beyond being villains. Sure, they’re intimidating, but they’re also just a nameless mass of individuals, none of whom have been characterized in any notable way. George Takei’s cameo as an unnamed member of the race has probably come the closest to giving a Grey Alien some personality, but even the brief voice role from the Star Trek icon didn’t make much of an impact. So, Bruce is incredibly important.
While Bruce is an alien who wants to be human, Harry is currently stuck in human form and wants to become an alien again.
Jinkx Monsoon’s Resident Alien character has a name and a personality, making Bruce someone to root for and follow through the story. He doesn’t look all that unique when compared to other members of the Grey Alien race, but I’m sure that will change as he starts to live out his dream of exploring the surface of Earth. Plus, Bruce’s story is an artful opposite of what’s going on with Harry in season 4. While Bruce is an alien who probably wants to be human, Harry is currently stuck in human form and wants to become an alien again.
Bruce’s Resident Alien Introduction Has Another Great Difference From The Other Greys
A non-villanous Grey is very exciting for Resident Alien’s future
Understandably, all the other Greys that have come before Bruce have been villains. This has made it even trickier to tell them apart, as they all share the exact same motivation, which was revealed in Resident Alien 3 to be the transformation of Earth’s atmosphere so they can take the planet for themselves and rid it of human life. Bruce is a comical and wholesome presence, so it means the Greys aren’t all the same, even if Monsoon’s character is unique among his people.
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While Bruce is set to become a massive ally to Harry and his friends, there’s still a big obstacle in Bruce’s way: Greys can’t spend long on Earth. The atmosphere isn’t suitable for them to breathe on a prolonged basis, and the planet’s gravity is too strong for the Greys’ spindly physiques. So, Bruce can only really stay on Earth indefinitely if the Greys succeed in transforming it to accommodate them, which would be bad news for the humans. Therefore, Bruce will need to return to the Greys’ ship at some point unless the writers figure out an alternative.
Bruce Opens The Door For More Interesting Grey Alien Characters To Debut
I hope Bruce isn’t the only standout Grey in Resident Alien season 4
Bruce is a great character, and I’m glad Resident Alien has introduced him, but he surely can’t be the only new Grey to enter the fray with a recognizable name and distinct personality. While this would arguably make Bruce less special, he would remain unique in that he has an affinity for the Earth and its people rather than sharing the views of his peers that it’s merely a planet to be conquered.
Just as Bruce has allowed Jinkx Monsoon to enter the Resident Alien universe, other standout Grey Aliens could mean more cool guest stars stepping in to voice members of the race. Resident Alien has a history of recruiting sci-fi actors to make guest appearances, and the Greys could serve as a great platform for this trend to continue. This wouldn’t be a necessity for Resident Alien season 4 to be great, but it would be a nice addition.
| Resident Alien Season 4 Release Schedule | ||
| Episode | Title | Release Date (2025) |
| 1 | “Prisoners” | June 6 |
| 2 | “The Lonely Man” | June 13 |
| 3 | “Ties That Bind” | June 20 |
| 4 | “Truth Hurts” | June 27 |
| 5 | TBA | July 4 |
| 6 | TBA | July 11 |
| 7 | TBA | July 18 |
| 8 | TBA | July 25 |
| 9 | TBA | August 1 |
| 10 | TBA | August 8 |
- Release Date
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January 27, 2021
- Network
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USA Network
- Showrunner
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Chris Sheridan
- Writers
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Chris Sheridan, Biniam Bizuneh, Sarah Beckett, Emily Eslami, Jeffrey Nieves, Tommy Pico
