What's On Tonight (Wednesday): Alien in America

Resident Alien

I come in peace! Here's what's on television for tonight, Wednesday, February 17!

The honorable Top Pick tonight is Syfy's Resident Alien, a fusion of small town murder mystery, doctor dramedy, and alien invasion. Harry (Alan Tudyk, the devil himself) was sent to Earth to kill all humans, but he crashes and takes the identity of a doctor in Patience, Colorado. There are plenty of comedic quirks, such as the boy who sees Harry in his alien form, Harry's love of Law & Order, and the bartender oddly attracted to him. It is still a little rough, especially in its meshing of emotional dramatics and dark humor, but has been improving every week.

Elsewhere, Cali and Mariana are back in Trouble, Gladys Knight throws a party, Will Smith dissects the 14th Amendment, David Pogue learns about life began on Earth, Nancy and the Drew Crew are still fighting the Aglaeca, and Johnny gives Burt his own version of This Is Your Life.

STREAMING & EARLY PRIMETIME

Amend: The Fight for America (Netflix, 3 a.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Will Smith hosts this exploration of the Fourteenth Amendment as the most enduring hallmark of democracy in the United States.✔️

Behind Her Eyes (Netflix, 3 a.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. "A single mother enters a world of twisted mind games when she begins an affair with her psychiatrist boss while secretly befriending his mysterious wife." This is a limited series.✔️

Hello, Me! (Netflix, 3 a.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. A new romantic comedy K drama.

💲 Jeopardy! (Syndicated, check local listings): Ken's final week!

Sisyphus (Netflix, 3 a.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Another new Korean drama.

FOR THE RECORD: American Detective with Lt. Joe Kenda (Discovery+); Faster with Finnegan (Motor Trend); House Hunters Comedians on Couches (Discovery+, season premiere); Married at First Sight: Unfiltered (Lifetime, 7:30 p.m.); Meateater (Netflix); One Week to Sell (Discovery+); 💲 People Puzzler (GSN, 6 p.m.); See No Evil (Discovery+); Undercover Billionaire (Discovery+)

🕗 EASTERN / 🕖 CENTRAL

Chicago Med (NBC, 8 p.m.): Halstead runs into trouble when one of his trial patients falls ill, and his own stress and symptoms have Choi struggling to get through the day.

Nova: Beyond the Elements (PBS, 8 p.m.): Tonight, David Pogue examines the molecules that allowed life on Earth to begin and thrive and how scientists use evolution in chemistry.

Riverdale (The CW, 8 p.m.): Toni, Alice, Archie and Kevin fight to keep Riverdale High open after learning that its budget has been cut. Meanwhile, Veronica gets creative when she discovers Chad is having her followed, and Jughead starts a new job after debt collectors show up in Riverdale.

FOR THE RECORD: AEW: Dynamite (TNT); The Challenge (MTV); Married at First Sight (Lifetime); The Masked Dancer (Fox, season finale); My 600-lb Life (TLC); My Perfect Family (BYUtv); Tough as Nails (CBS); WWE NXT (USA)

🕘 EASTERN / 🕗 CENTRAL 

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (PBS, 9 p.m.): FINALE. "How the Black Church expanded its reach to address social inequality and help the needy, from the Jim Crow South to the civil rights movement to present day."

Chicago Fire (NBC, 9 p.m.): A fire at a homeless encampment leaves Severide and Casey searching for answers. But do the homeless take over the fire station?.

Nancy Drew (The CW, 9 p.m.): Tensions flare between Nancy and the Drew Crew as they continue to fight the Aglaeca. George has a beautiful bonding moment with her sisters. Awww, George!

SEAL Team (CBS, 9 p.m.): As the team continues to grapple with major changes, it is sent on a mission in Ecuador.

Sistas (BET, 9 p.m.): Zac finds himself in legal trouble. Sabrina considers going on a date with a new guy. Gary puts it all on the line when he expresses his love for Andi.

QUICK HITS:

📺 The Dick Cavett Show (Decades, 9 p.m.): Mandy Rice-Davies, R.V. Cassill, Billy Graham, Arthur Penn, Chief Dan George (17 Dec 1970)

FOR THE RECORD: Bitchin' Rides (Motor Trend); Court Cam (A&E); The Fixers (BYUtv); Forged in Fire (History); Guy's Grocery Games (Food Network); Man's Greatest Food (Cooking Channel); The Real Housewives of New Jersey (Bravo, season premiere); To Catch a Smuggler (National Geographic)

🕙 EASTERN / 🕘 CENTRAL

Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10 p.m.): After a series of deadly ambushes, the team goes under cover to bring down a dangerous new drug dealer who is determined to push out the competition. Ruzek's informant proves to be a loose cannon, which could upset the whole operation.

For Life (ABC, 10 p.m.): With Aaron and Marie facing threats from an increasingly hostile community, Aaron and his team double down by pursuing criminal charges against a high-ranking police officer they believe tried to cover up the shooting.

Good Trouble (Freeform, 10 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. With Jerod's case on the line, Callie takes a job with a high-profile defense lawyer. After sleeping with Evan [*starts yelling at Mariana*], Mariana has to make a decision regarding her relationship with Raj. I like Mariana, but her storylines have been misfire and misfire.

I Survived a Crime (A&E, 10 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. The series says it all.✔️

⭐ Resident Alien (Syfy, 10 p.m.): Harry travels to the Ute Reservation to help Asta's grandmother, and there he learns what it means to belong. You see, in alien form, Harry doesn't have feelings. However, since assuming human form, he has been forced to have some emotions and finds it incredibly confusing and frustrating. It is a bit of a tired arc in media, but Tudyk makes it his own. Harry is also struggling to keep his mission a secret. His ship is on the verge of being discovered, as is the body of IRL Harry. The murder mystery of the town doctor (not Harry, FYI) is pretty slow burn.

Skyville Live: Gladys Knight & Guests (CMT, 10 p.m.): SPECIAL. Gladys Knight is joined by superstars Martina McBride and Estelle to perform beloved classics, including "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "Neither One of Us."

S.W.A.T. (CBS, 10 p.m.): A tragic mission leads each member of the team to contend with their emotional distress in varied ways. So is this VSE?

QUICK HITS:

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna TV, 10 p.m.): Burt Reynolds, Richard Lewis (11 Feb 1982)

FOR THE RECORD: House Hunters International/House Hunters (HGTV); Marrying Millions (Lifetime); Narco Wars (National Geographic); The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo); Reset (Viceland); Restoration Garage (Motor Trend)

💤💤😴💤💤 

Dust (Comet, 1 a.m.): The show starts again. An interstellar trip gone awry in Time Trap, an extraterrestrial discovery on Earth with On Sunday, and an imaginary friend is forced to consider retirement when his creator starts to grow up in So You've Grown Attached. Other titles: Cold Caller, Strange Beasts, Time, and The Black Hole.

QUICK HITS:

Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 p.m.): Will Arnett, Rosamund Pike, NAV featuring Gunna

A Little Late with Lilly Singh (NBC, 12:37 a.m.): Patton Oswalt

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo, 11 p.m.): Margaret Josephs, Michael Rapaport

FOR THE RECORD: The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central, 11 p.m.)✔️; Nightly Pop (E!, 11:30 p.m.); Ridiculousness (MTV, 11 p.m.)

The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah (via me)

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Note: All times are Eastern.

Key Sources: The Futon Critic; IMDb; J! Archive; TV Passport; Zap2it
⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback
✔️: Video/gif/photo included

Happy watching, everyone!