Levi Fiehler and Meredith Garretson discuss the subsconscious mind in Resident Alien Season 3

We learned a lot about Ben and Kate Hawthorn in Resident Alien Season 2, and some of it was absolutely heartbreaking. Those events are sure to have consequences going into the third season.

It turns out that Ben’s personality has been developed due to something that he doesn’t remember. He has been abducted by aliens on multiple occasions since he was a child. He doesn’t remember any of this. At least, his conscious mind doesn’t. There is something within him that remembers, though.

As for Kate, she was pregnant. Sadly, that baby was ripped from her by aliens, and she doesn’t remember any of it. All of this is sure to come up as we see more of the Hawthornes. We got to speak to Levi Fiehler and Meredith Garretson about their characters going into Resident Alien Season 3.

Looking back on playing the characters in Resident Alien Season 1

It turns out that the two learned more about their characters’ backstories going into the second season. When did they learn about their backstories, and what was it like continuing to play the characters with this knowledge?

Garretson started, as playing something like this is a gift for a lot of actors.

"“Last season, when Chris [Sheridan, showrunner] told us that’s what was in the cards, it’s such a gift because it creates an underlying sense of unease and tension. It can really play into a lot of conflict and questions…For Kate, she has no knowledge of what has happened to her, but she’s still being shaped by things she doesn’t really remember…it’s a nice Easter egg to move through conflict scenarios or not fitting in…and knowing underneath there is this unconscious, for me, issue at play.”"

- Meredith Garretson

Fiehler agreed with everything Garretson said, and then added in:

"“For me, when Chris told me, it was right before we started filming Season 2. So, we’d done the whole first season and I’d always just approached this character as a goof. It was only when he told me that basically Ben has been abducted as a child and, although he can’t remember it, every time it happens, it’s super traumatic. It really helped just in myself grounding the character…it just made more sense why Ben is the way he is.”"

- Levi Fiehler

It did lead to Fiehler developing the way he continued to play the character. There are some moments in the third season where the two get to play with the subconscious memories.

Did this mean they looked back on their first season characters and wish they’d done something different, or did it help by not knowing since the characters don’t remember?

"“I have a hard time watching myself, so there have definitely been times I’ve watched an episode and wished I could have reeled that back a little bit…I think, it’s hard. I think it would have been maybe beneficial to know, but maybe I would have made too much of a meal out of it if I’d have known.”"

- Levi Fiehler

Dealing with the trauma in Resident Alien

Kate has been through such a traumatic and heartbreaking storyline during Resident Alien Season 2. Even with the character not remembering everything, there is something in the back of the characters’ minds. There is also the fact that Garretson knows it all. What was it like playing this character with this trauma she’s now subconsciously living?

"“It’s such a pleasure to get to be on a show like this because it’s such a multi-hyphenate. I’m surrounded by these unbelievable comedians…everybody’s got such incredible comedic timing. Levi is just on fire funny every take…To get to be on a show that let’s me live in a comedic space and also get to do a storyline like this that is so grounded and what ends up being grief, it was a joy to play it.”"

- Meredith Garretson

It can sound like a strange thing to hear that there’s joy in playing a storyline with grief and trauma. Garretson did go on to explain that.

"“My sort of feeling about acting is that everything comes from joy, even playing grief, even play discomfort, or fear, or even paranoia. It’s all coming from a place of joy getting to live something out.”"

- Meredith Garretson

It made the storyline fun for Garretson to play out. There are a lot of emotions for Garretson to play out for Kate.

You can see the whole interview with Fiehler and Garretson for Resident Alien below:

Resident Alien Season 3 premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 14 on SYFY. Catch it the following day on Peacock.