Recap: Oh, my! 'Resident Alien' Season 2, Episode 13 beams down a huge guest star & alien reveal

Just when you thought things couldn't get any more heart-wrenching on Resident Alien, the hit SYFY show unleashes a torrent of emotion in the twelfth episode of its second season. Asta (Sara Tomko) has been having a rough go of it lately. She had to live with the guilt of killing a man, forgot her estranged daughter's birthday, has to keep the secret of the world coming to an end, and now, she learns that her biological mother is an apathetic low-life who never cared much for her at all.

An overall theme of parenthood pervades the latter half of the season, especially since Harry (Alan Tudyk) discovered that he and Goliath are one and the same, which makes the newly-hatched alien child his genetic offspring.

**SPOILER WARNING: THIS RECAP CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR RESIDENT ALIEN SEASON 2, EPISODE 13, "HARRY, A PARENT"**

Episode 12 begins not with our main characters, but with a random dude finding his wife in bed with another man. The jilted lover attempts to murder the infidelitous interloper with an axe as Harry Nilsson's "Without You" plays over the soundtrack (the needle drops on this series are just... *chef's kiss*). Before the husband can strike any sort of final blow, however, time mysteriously grinds to a halt. This sequence will be important later, but let's put a pin in this for the time being.

Elsewhere, Harry partakes in one of his famous inner monologues, recalling his experience of being sent into the Ice Wind Desert (his people’s rite of passage). He seems to be speaking to himself, but it turns out that he's in the middle of a therapy session with Ben (Levi Fiehler), whose deep-seated abandonment issues fail to register with the fake Dr. Vanderspeigle. As such, the mayor refuses to pay for the session and the stubbornness continues when Kate (Meredith Garretson) attempts to talk to him about of the resort idea.

Harry researches different alien species online, while pretending to not care about the alien baby now in the government's possession. Asta comes into the office and follows up on last week's big Goliath reveal, asking Harry if he has a secret time machine. He explains that the only effective way to travel through time is through a portal, though his people were never able to figure out the science. In fact, there are only two extra-terrestrial species known for using portals: The Greys and the Alpha Draconians. Since The Greys have no real use for humans other than probing their “elimination holes” (don't ask), it’s gotta be the lizard-like Alpha Draconians.

In an effort to convince Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) to stay in town, Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) gifts him a Patience snow globe. She also mentions the fact that Detective Lena Torres (Nicola Correia-Damude) clearly has the hots for him. Mike argues that if he moves, Liv will get to inherit the role of sheriff, but only if she gives up all of her UFO conspiracy nonsense. Never one to mince words, Mike's father, Lewis (Alvin Sanders), perfectly sums up his son's reluctance to stay in Patience: "You’re afraid to be happy."

Making good on her desire to get back into the world of professional skiing, D'Arcy (Alice Wetterlund) trains up for a qualifying competition. Her new boyfriend, Elliott (Justin Rain) advises the former Olympic athlete to go easy on her body, but D'Arcy callously brushes him off. Not only is she highly motivated, it also seems she's leaning a bit too hard on the painkillers Harry prescribed to her in last week's episode.

Asta and Harry agree to attend the qualifying round and cheer D'Arcy on (Harry only agrees because churros are promised). While searching for an "Team D'Arcy" hat at her father's house, Asta discovers a letter and childhood photo Dan attempted to send to her birth mother, Mary Ellen Taylor. The letter was returned to its sender and when pressed for more details, Dan explains that Mary no longer lives at that address.

On the way to the skiing competition, Harry stops in a field on the side of a highway rife with cosmic energy capable of amplifying alien signals. He creates two crop circles — which he explains are just "alien emojis" — in an effort to ward off the Alpha Draconians. Churros are then had by all on the frigid ski slopes, but D'Arcy continues her self-destructive track record by convincing Harry to inject Cortisone into her injured knee, despite the doctor's protestations that it could result in permanent damage.

While D'Arcy prepares for her official performance, Asta and Harry hit up the alleged last-known address of Asta's biological mother. It turns out that Mary Ellen still lives there and couldn't give less of a hoot about Asta or her granddaughter, Jay. Even Harry realizes the social conventions expected in this situation and gives the woman a bit of free medical advice: "smoke more." Internally, Harry can't help but liken his own parental apathy to Mary Ellen. Externally, he cheers Asta up by comparing her mom to a "bag of sh**."

Back at the slopes, D’Arcy gives an excellent skiing performance, qualifying for the actual tournament three weeks from now. Elliott shows up in her moment of triumph with the whole Patience crew. At the after-party that evening, Kate tries to show Ben how over-expensive resort towns can be, though the mayor sticks to his guns. Kayla (Sarah Podemski) says Kate should use her lawyer brain: all they need to do is get a restraining order against resort construction until a judge can hear their case.

On the way home, D’Arcy’s jeep suddenly runs out of juice, even though she’s got half a tank of gas left. Time suddenly grinds to a halt, with Harry being the only person in the vehicle capable of regular movement. Time starts back up, but Harry is clearly spooked. No explanation is given as Liv takes Mike to the spot in the woods where she saw a UFO as a 10-year-old. Mike still doesn’t believe the deputy, but doesn’t belittle her either. They share a nice moment, discussing how one should always enjoy life and be open to receiving gifts. At the diner, Asta tells D’Arcy about the disastrous meeting with her mom. Harry waxes poetic on how parenting isn’t just an older human looking after a younger one. It’s a word that includes many definitions.

We then flashback to the Jeep stalling out. A strange light appears in the sky and Harry steps out of the car to find a UFO hovering in the sky. A member of The Greys (voiced by none other than Star Trek legend, George Takei!) beams down and says that the Alpha Draconians are not on Earth. The Gray leader says there is no use trying to get in their way of invading Earth. If Harry tries any further, they’ll kill him and everyone he cares about. Time restarts and it is revealed that the mysterious opening in which the husband tries to kill his wife's lover occurred at a house just down the road.

New episodes of Resident Alien air on SYFY every Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern before hitting the SYFY app and Peacock the following day. The hit show has already been renewed for a third season.