Just a small sampling of the characters we think are out of this world: Audrey II from Little Shop Of Horrors (Screenshot), the Thermians from Galaxy Quest (Screenshots), a Star Wars Porg, and The Coneheads (Photo: Edie Baskin/Warner Bros./Archive Photos/Getty Images) Graphic: Natalie Peeples
This week’s AVQ&A is in honor of the upcoming Mass Effect remaster, out next Friday:
Who’s your favorite alien in pop culture?
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He can do stupid things!
Chief?
McCloud!
Little wing-ed potatoes!
INGNORE ME!!!!
There isn’t a pit deep enough I can kick you into for bringing that monstrosity back into my memory. So, for your crimes? I’m sentencing you to being Trump’s arse-washer for the rest of the century. *shuns*
Can always do worse…
What is that?
Nukie. Don’t ever watch Nukie.
The worst movie ever made? At least as far as ET rip-offs go.
Is that Nukie?
Stegrelo might be Paul Rudd.
There’s only one answer and it’s the right answer…(My boss and I used to love re-enacting this scene whenever we got a pizza lunch delivered to our office. I’d be the Queen (natch), the Pizza would be Newt and my Boss was Sigourney. And yes, our colleagues would watch us in bewilderment and confusion.)
My shortlist must contain:Spock.Jackie Joyner-Kersee from “The Neighbors”, because Toks Olagundoye was so damn great playing her.Jeff Bridges’ unnamed cartographer in “Starman”.
Shit, I forgot to include Everyone From Farscape!
Jeff Bridges was terrific in that movie.
Spock is such the obvious answer that I’m shocked nobody mentioned him or that I didn’t think of him when reading the list.
I love Korg from Thor:Ragnarok.Least liked: Jar Jar Binks, of course.
Practically anyone from B5 is an excellent choice.
I love that show, Babylon 5
YES – Citizen G’kar. Always Citizen G’kar. Then the Doctor then Roger.
good
Andalites, because, in a series about evil slug aliens trying to take over humanity, the Andalites still manage to be the biggest dicks in the universe, while still seeing themselves as the heros.
As a species, I like the Cords/Braids from Greg Bear’s Anvil Of Stars.
I would go with the Tines from Vernor Vinge’s A Fire Upon the Deep. Telepathic dogs working in unison to fire cannons has got to be hilarious. Runner up would be the Moties from The Mote in God’s Eye. I always pictured them as teddy bears, and their only real crime is they can’t stop fucking.
“I admire its purity.”
Roger Smith, and it’s not even close.
“The hilariously queer Roger Smith” was what I was about to post.
100% agree!
And the magic that is Rogu. They use him just the right amount not too little, but not forcing him into anything.
Rogu is Jesus.Roger the God.Ricky Spanish is the Spirit.
RICKY SPANISHHHHHHHH…..
I’ve been saying since he got named that Grogu grew on Yoda’s head like a tumor.
I like how the greys from Deus Ex were raised as orphans in a lab on Earth, so despite the advanced technology of their species, they’re basically just radioactive monkeys. I’d also like to add a note to Stanislaw Lem (yeah, I know he’s dead) that I thought there was insufficient detail on just how Solaristics had determined that Solaris was a single living organism.
No Muppet aliens? For shame.
Stride Mother is my favorite alien.
Superman.(Maybe Lobo)
The Transformers.
My first thought was these guys.But I have to admit that Trump ruined Zaphod for me, which is unforgivable. Suddenly the idea of a narcissistic conman becoming president and keeping the job despite spending two years of his term in prison for fraud doesn’t seem funny anymore. Still, Ford’s the best!I find it almost scary that I know this series so well I can tell you exactly what Ford is saying in that picture. It’s “You tend to lie a lot.” Although it could be a beat earlier and he’s saying, “I still don’t believe you.”
Thing is, you’re not supposed to like Zaphod. He’s supposed to be an obnoxious jerk, and him being Galactic President is another in a long line of jokes at the expense of Life, the Universe and Everything being one big joke.
But Ford? Yeah, Ford’s the best. On the list of people I’d want to travel the universe with, he’s just below The Doctor.
The Doctor would take you on more adventures, but Ford would take you to more parties.
I’m having a hard time figuring out which would be more dangerous…
Are you though? Yeah, Arthur doesn’t like him, and he is our audience surrogate, but he’s not exactly a great guy either, and mostly just upset that Zaphod is with Trillian. Zaphod is basically someone like Mick Jagger — arrogant, entitled, but still seen as cool by nearly everyone.
I think of it like Sheldon Cooper. A character people seem to like, but someone you’d actually hate to live with. Deep, deep, deep down, Zaphod is a decent person (and in my idea for the sequel to the film, this is addressed), but he’d be a nightmare to live with. Trillian walks away from him and he spends a good portion of the last few books alone because he chased everyone away.
I still get a kick out of Zaphod’s extra head on the TV series, though. Mainly in how terrible it looks combined with the story about how it nearly bankrupted the production to make.
And gave Mark Wing-Davey permanent back trouble, from what I’ve heard.
Ouch, sorry Mark
Lots of great choices already mentioned. I haven’t seen Strange Planet yet, though, and I think that it deserves a nomination.
“Willie, why are there weeds in the salad?”“Those aren’t weeds, that’s radicchio.”“The whole idea of you cooking is radicchio.”HA! The guy’s a comedy genius!
ALF is indeed the only proper answer.
My favourite ALF joke:“What’s the difference between toilet paper and a shower curtain? ““I don’t know. ““So YOU’RE the one! “
Aside from the one above, mine is:Willie: “Some people are so blinded by their thirst for money, they lose their values and do things they shouldn’t do.”ALF: “Well, that explains Ghostbusters II.”
My favorite Martian, too!
and killer backstory (a botanist left on Earth because he wanted to check out some flowers)
LOL, that’s pretty good. Love it. Little Shop of Horrors is another good pick and I’m curious about if the remake will restore that disturbing ending.Thinking about this, I was wondering if Flight of the Navigator counted. My memory’s fuzzy- was he an alien or was he the ship’s A.I? To play it safe, I’ll go with what would be my favorite, anyway, Christopher from District 9. He just wants to look out for his son, and the “prawns” aren’t so different from us, (they even have prostitutes!) which makes for great allegory- as all the best sci-fi knows.
There was also an Earth survival show a few years back called Falling Skies on TNT, where the humans found an alien ally in a “skitter” named Cochise (played by mo-cap master Doug Jones) and he instantly made the rebel story a lot more interesting.
Since this question is in honor of Mass Effect, I must add that Mordin is another favorite, and when it comes to pop culture aliens, I think I sort of have a type. And if they can’t be smart, at least be Natasha Henstridge in Species
no, no! the little child alien in “district nine!”
Little Shop of Horrors is another good pick and I’m curious about if the remake will restore that disturbing endingHonestly, it’s the only reason to remake that film. I’m well aware at just how many times this story has been adapted, so I’m no purist, but the casting is damn near perfect (although sign me up for Chris Evans as the Dentist!) and Lyle Conway’s design is iconic.The Director’s Cut ending is nice, but it’s in desperate need of some editing (although I can understand why they’d put every frame in there), and pushes the impressive puppetry to it’s limits. A plant rampage through New York done with modern special effects would be something I’d kill to see.
Oh yeah, Falling Skies. I forgot about that show. I think I watched the first… two seasons? And then stopped, for reasons I forget (lack of time, lack of interest, who the hell knows). I wonder if it’s worth revisiting.
It’s funny, I can’t remember if I finished it either, for a lot of the same reasons. But I got as far as whenever Cochise showed up, and I thought he was pretty great.
No love for Bowie?
How is ALF not on this list??? His whole m.o. was nothing but a long running cunnilingus metaphor. Gordon Shumway for the win.
There’s too long a list for a variety of reasons to simply name a single favorite. But here’s a few examples of aliens I enjoy. I could watch this show involving these aliens again and again. Scifi mystery noir. I put it up there with the Blade Runner franschise and Altered Carbon season 1 for world building. and wanting to see more.It had no business being as good/fun as it was. Featuring the voice of Snake in Metal Gear in his before Metal Gear voicing days.The slides had one game alien sooo… If there was one video game based on a world of aliens that I would desperately love to see brought to life in live action animatronic form…it’s Oddworld.
Nobody in the explored universe can steal a scene quite like the Little Worm Guys from “Men in Black.”
The Alien Alien because it looks so alien.
How does a Dalek make a quiche?EGGS, STIR AND BAKE!
Nebula, the star of Avengers: Endgame
She was my favorite as well. Her, Valkyrie, and Thor. And Tony, really enjoyed his speech to Cap/Bucky at the end of Civil War about how they’re either idiots or self-centered traitors for not signing the Accords and also how they’d be nothing without the super soldier serum, vibranium shield, and arm that were gifted to them by third parties. Right after he found out Bucky murdered his parents. It was really sad. But hey, Stark’s family problem’s pale in comparison to Nebula’s!
Pick one. (Except the guy Zhaan, the blue woman, is holding. John is human.)
thank you!
As always, the Solomons deserve more love.
And of course the Resident doc Harry (in comic and show).
Is that still on someplace?Am I missing it? I think I only saw a couple episodes.
Still on Hulu for sure and purchasable on Prime Video.
That’s right. I forgot. I had Hulu for a couple months (switched to YTTV), and that’s where I saw it. I was thinking I watched it on a cable channel.I kinda miss Hulu, but it has some maddening “features”.When you open it, it should open where you left it, not on the homepage, and when a new show starts, it should start at the beginning of that show, not where the show is at the current time, even if you built up a buffer during the previous show.
My current favorite is Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle.
I like Freiza. He’s just so plainly evil that he rules
In the middle of a Deep Space Nine re-watch with my family, so my current faves are these guys:
I see some “this is the answer” comments, but honestly… This is the answer. Garak wins by a hair for me, but man, I love Quark, too.
Same, I also answered with DS9. Kira, Garak, Dukat, Nog, Quark. Also, Worf, but he’s part TNG as well.
I’m with you almost all the way. (I can’t stand Kira. If she and Bashir were to fall out an airlock I would not weep.)
Bashir drastically improves in S4.
I totally agree, he was an arrogant creeper early on, but got to be a lot better when he got some experience under his belt. He was a real hero and much tougher than I originally expected him to be, all of his interactions with Section 31 and the prison camp showed a lot of mettle. His backstory was pretty good too, “Doctor Bashir, I Presume” is one of my favorite episodes. I think Miles and Garak, as his angel and devil, really helped him grow up and be a man of experience instead of someone who dealt chiefly in idealism and a naive view of “frontier medicine” etc.
He might have the most consistent character arc over the course of the show’s 7 seasons. The war really broke his sense of idealism more than the other members of the crew.But the upswing for him started in S4, when they dropped the creep factor and focused on his job and optimism instead—producing three great episodes in the process (Hippocratic Oath, Our Man Bashir, and The Quickening).
Yes, I’d say that even though he lost some of his idealism, he never truly lost his optimism or good cheer. Like, he got plenty depressed, but managed to bounce back due to friendships and self-discovery. Him and Nog really improved a bunch.
In early seasons I felt the same way about Kira and Bashir. She was pretty one-note and he was a creeper. Though in season 4 and onwards they get to be a lot better. Bashir went from one of my least to one of my most favorite characters. His friendship with Miles and Garak was pretty heartwarming, in addition to his backstory.
I do love Bashir and Garak together. I guess I’m just stuck in those season 1 and 2 doldrums, although the doctor has already drastically improved in the last episode we watched.
This list is the best for including the Ur-Quan (although I have to say I prefer the Zoq-Fot-Pik, because Frungy rules)Unfortunately, this list is also the worst for including Ewoks and Porgs. Both? Seriously?
“I’m not an alien!”
I always like the villainous aliens from Star Trek: The Romulans are ruthlessly pragmatic, which oddly makes them more relatable than their cold, logical Vulcan cousins.The Cardassians are deliciously manipulative, which makes them fun to watch.The Borg may want to assimilate all life in their collective, but that will end up forcing everyone to get along, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Dominion are ruthlessly effective. The Founders are shapeshifters, making them the best spies in the galaxy. The Vorta are the most conniving little shits, making them the best diplomats. And, the Jem’Haddar are the most tragic figures in the Star Trek universe, bred for nothing but war and genetically altered to be slaves; but they take pride in their jobs because it’s all they have. The Andorians just look cool.
Ford Prefect, because he’s so froody. Also, although the movie wasn’t perfect, I’ll always picture him as Mos Def.
I was in her thrall.
“Was” ? She’s currently a formidable theater director.
The Doctor, Romana 1 and 2, Nyssa, River Song (does she count as an alien? that one’s tricky), Turlough . . .
Han Solo.
John O’Connor, Lord John Whorfin, and John Bigboote. C’mon.
Riff Raff from RHPSZoidberg from Futurama(If we counted alien robots) Marvin the Paranoid Android
Just gonna list em:Roger (Smith)
Xenomorph QueenThe Doctor / MissyFrieza – Dragonball Z
TaliZorah / Liara / Garrus / AriaStarfire – animatedKerrigan (Brood Wars Era)Arcee / Soundwave /Airachnid (Transformers: Prime) Zelda Winston – The Dead Don’t Die.
Hela / Valkyrie /Nebula / Korg / Miek / Pretty much the entire Guardians of the Galaxy Cast – MCUVenom Symbiote / Dormammu – Marvel ComicsHarry – Resident AlienT’ealc /Vala – Stargate SG-1Farscape crewThe aliens seen on Archer’s Area 51 episodeKang – The SimpsonsZoidbergRidleyAltera (Fate franchise)Squid-baby – Men In BlackPyron – DarkstalkersGuyver IAlita – Battle Angel Alita
What about THE LEXX?
At present Resident Alien is my favorite
Nobody thought of this Alien? She would be at the top of my list.
1 – Giger’s Face-hugger & Xenomorph, taken as a given… 2 – Any alien on Farscape, but specifically, Moya and Pilot, a living space-faring leviathan / live-in symbiotically connected control interface creature. Not to mention the Scarrans, or Hynerians, or Luxans, or Einstein, or Scorpius, or any of the bizarre creatures-of-the-week that turn up. Even little incidental creatures like the “toothpaste” grub. 3 – the Cantina Band. Dishing out jazzy klezmer-esque coolness in the middle of the watering hole in the galaxy’s most wretched hive of scum and villainy? Clearly ice runs through those bad-ass bassoon-playin’ veins.4 – Scarjo in Under The Skin. I was considering making some justification based on how it’s an amazing film (which it is) and an amazing performance (which it also is), but I’d be dishonest if I didn’t note the impact of the nudity, because hot damn.
Probably Garak or Gul Dukat from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine!
Peter Capaldi
You’re all wrong. The best alien was SPEWIE.
I think I’ll go with Grig from The Last Starfighter, with Ford Perfect close behind, then maybe the Blob. Also, kind of surprised nothing from Star Trek made the list.
No love for the Shit Weasels from Dreamcatcher?
Nanu nanu