Resident Alien Season 4’s Story Hints At Repeating Linda Hamilton’s Iconic 40-Year-Old Action Movie

Resident Alien season 4 can’t avoid addressing one of the loose ends from the season 3 finale, and it’ll also likely lead to a familiar storyline for Linda Hamilton. The legendary actor began as one of Resident Alien‘s sci-fi guest stars, but has gradually become a bigger part of the show as it has progressed. As General McCallister, Hamilton has transitioned from being one of the story’s antagonists into one of the biggest allies of Alan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigle. Her role in the Resident Alien cast could be about to change again, and closely imitate her most famous fictional persona.

Resident Alien season 3’s ending came with several cliffhangers, including one that will surely inform McCallister’s season 4 arc. Hamilton’s acting career spans decades, and yet there’s one role she’s played sporadically since 1984 with which she’s most closely associated. Whether it intends to or not, Resident Alien is gearing up to pay homage to the franchise that made Linda Hamilton the star she is today.

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Linda Hamilton’s Resident Alien Character Mirrors Terminator In Season 4

General McCallister will face a similar challenge to Sarah Connor

Resident Alien season 3 brought back Terry O’Quinn’s Peter Bach, more commonly referred to as the Alien Tracker. Previously thought to be deceased, the character has been outfitted head-to-toe with deadly government technology. The end result is a character who is very reminiscent of the cybernetic enemies from the Terminator franchise. So, Linda Hamilton will need to channel her inner Sarah Connor to take down the new-and-improved Peter Bach. The difference is that killing Bach is the less desirable option than getting him to switch sides again, so the Terminator comparison isn’t perfect.

Bach reenters Resident Alien as what McCallister’s forces thought to be brain-dead. However, his rare genetics allow him to see through the disguise of any extraterrestrial lifeform disguised as a human – an ability that Hamilton’s character had hoped to weaponize. What his handlers never counted on was him regaining his sentience in the throes of service to his planet. So, Bach’s new integrated tools will make him a formidable enemy of Linda Hamilton’s Resident Alien character – especially when he realizes who did this to him.

The Terminator Was Far Scarier The New Alien Tracker Can Ever Be

Peter Bach doesn’t have quite the same fear factor as the T-800

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 was an incredibly advanced cyborg from years into Earth’s future, and his sole aim was to kill Sarah Connor to ensure Skynet’s victory. His artifical nature and strict programming meant he couldn’t be reasoned with, which made him a terrifying and powerful opponent for Linda Hamilton’s Terminator character. Peter Bach seems to present a greater physical threat, as he’s armed to the teeth with advanced weaponry, but the fear factor is nowhere near that of the T-800.

At his core, the Alien Tracker is still human, and his newly-regained sentience means it may be possible for General McCallister to reason with him. In addition, her forces are responsible for every piece of technology integrated into Bach’s physiology. So, there’s not the mystery factor of what he’s capable of, which was very much a big part of what made Schwarzenegger’s Terminator character so imposing. In other words, McCallister may have a contingency plan for if Bach goes rogue, whereas Sarah Connor was forever improvising. Thankfully, Bach reaching out to Liv in “Homecoming” also teases his willingness to collaborate.

The Alien Tracker Can Quickly Become The Hero In Resident Alien Season 4 (Which Copies Terminator 2)

Bach will still want to save Earth from alien threats

The biggest twist in 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day comes when it’s revealed that Arnold Schwarzenegger is actually playing the hero rather than the villain. So, Resident Alien season 4 could serve as a microcosm for the first two Terminator movies. Although Peter Bach’s motivations and character design make it easy to initially have him as one of the bad guys, it’s unlikely he’ll remain a major antagonist throughout the upcoming run of episodes. What’s more likely is that he’ll join the forces defending Earth from the alien threat.

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The Alien Tracker understandably won’t be immediately forgiving of what McCallister has done to him, so there will be plenty of opportunity for the pair to share a dynamic similar to the first Terminator movie. However, ultimately, the two characters are on the same side as fellow residents of Earth. Bach’s new weaponry won’t just be useful against the Greys, but his genetic ability to see through the Mantid’s disguise makes him a key component in taking down the shapeshifting insectoid. So, Resident Alien season 4 quickly needs Hamilton’s character to join forces with her cybernetic accomplice.

Resident Alien

A television adaptation of the comic book series, Resident Alien is a sci-fi comedy that stars Alan Tudyk as an alien who crashes on Earth with one mission – destroy humanity to save the planet. When Tudyk’s character takes the identity of a doctor, he arrives at a small town and begins to act the role preparing his plan. As time passes, he develops human emotions against his will – but his plans are further complicated when he meets the son of the mayor – who can see his actual appearance.

Cast

Alan Tudyk , Elizabeth Bowen , Judah Prehn , Levi Fiehler , Corey Reynolds , Alice Wetterlund , Sara Tomko

Release Date

January 27, 2021

Seasons

3

Showrunner

Chris Sheridan