Why Did Resident Alien Dedicate Its Season 3 Premiere to Rick Neale?

If you happened to catch the Season 3 premiere of SYFY's Resident Alien TV series (new episodes air on Wednesdays), then you may have noticed that the episode (titled "Lone Wolf") was dedicated to the memory of one Rick Neale.

Who Is Resident Alien's Rick Neale?

The 41-year-old transportation professional worked as a Teamster driver on the show's current season, which was able to wrap production before the WGA strike took effect last May. When Hollywood came to a halt, however, Neale — who had worked in Vancouver's thriving film and television industry for close to a decade — sought out other work as a long-haul trucker. 

"He was a provider for his family, he wasn’t going to let his family suffer," Neal's friend Paul Smith told CTV News. "He would do whatever it took, and he took the trucking job."

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"He liked it and hated it at the same time, just because of how dangerous it was," added another friend, Ryan Bieber

Neale was tragically killed in early October 2023 as the result of a head-on collision with another tractor trailer that took place on the Trans Canada Highway. He was not at fault for the accident, investigating officers revealed to CTV. His family has set up an Ever Loved page to raise funeral expenses. So far, the fundraising campaign has garnered over $32,000 CAD in donations (a figure well over the original $1,000 CAD goal).

"The world lost a one of a kind soul," reads the page's description. "A husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He will be deeply missed by so many. We have put together this fundraiser to help raise costs for funeral expenses and to help lessen the load for his wife, Monica and their two kids, Nathan and Lexi. On behalf of the Neales, thank you for your kind words and generosity."

How to Watch SYFY's Resident Alien TV Show

The first two seasons of Resident Alien can be found on Peacock. The NBCUniversal platform currently offers two monthly subscription plans: Premium ($5.99 a month with ads) and Premium Plus ($11.99 a month with no ads and download access for certain titles). If you're a student, you can enjoy the Premium plan for just $1.99 for an entire year!

The show is currently in the midst of its third season, which officially kicked off last week. New episodes air on Wednesdays at 10/9c on SYFY, and next day on Peacock.

Looking for more SYFY Originals? Chucky, Face Off, and Paranormal Witness are also streaming on Peacock.