‘Outlander’s Parental Prequel, ‘Resident Alien’ Finale, Dexter Plays Cat and Killer Mouse, ‘Smoke’ Overheats

Outlander: Blood of My Blood

Passion is hereditary. That’s the conclusion Outlander fans are likely to make as they become immersed in the backstories of the two sets of parents who bore those eternally romantic heroes, 18^th-century Scot Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and his 20^th-century soulmate, Claire Beauchamp (Caitríona Balfe). Like its predecessor, this prequel spans two different eras with time-travel fantasy grounded in earthy realism. The first two episodes introduce the couples: bastard son Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and the headstrong Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater), whose fateful meeting in 1714 Scotland sparks a forbidden romance between rival clans. Some 200 years later, battle-damaged WW1 soldier Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) finds his one-and-only, Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield), through a series of heartfelt wartime letters. Love stories for the ages? And then some, as the couples’ fates become intertwined in surprising ways.

Resident Alien

“Not this again?” moans Max (Judah Prehn), the kid who can see aliens for who they are. It’s true. Another alien has come to Earth, more specifically small-town Patience, Colorado, with dire plans for humanity, and once again, it’s up to Harry (Alan Tudyk), the extraterrestrial in human form, to save the world. “This is going to be cliché, but … take me to your leader,” he quips to the new interloper. Harry had better act fast, because this is, sad to say, the series finale. And with both Harry and Asta (Sara Tomko) expressing wanderlust, it’s apparently time to go.

Dexter: Resurrection

Though Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) knows it’s risky, he can’t stop targeting the elite serial killers who are part of billionaire fanboy Leon Prater’s (Peter Dinklage) secret society. That’s his code, his mission, which is why we keep watching. Dexter’s latest target may be the most dangerous yet: narcissistic Gareth (Murderbot‘s David Dastmalchian), aka the “Gemini Killer.” While Dexter stalks his prey—or could it be vice versa—another dogged crusader, his former Miami police colleague Angel Batista (David Zayas), approaches the New York detectives with his theories about Dexter and his son, Harrison (Jack Alcott).

Smoke

The arson-themed crime drama, which initially felt like too much of a slow burn, shifts into overheated overdrive in the penultimate chapter, with Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton) taunting members of the task force who are trying to expose the arson investigator as an arsonist. That includes his conflicted boss, Harvey Englehart (Greg Kinnear), and especially his detective partner Michelle Calderon (Jurnee Smollett), whose childhood fire trauma he’s more than happy to exploit and who turns out to be much more of a loose cannon than we ever imagined.

Chief of War

The Hawaiian historical drama starring and co-written by Jason Momoa jumps ahead a year in the third chapter, with former war chief Ka’iana (Momoa) learning the ways of the “paleface” and gaining an appreciation for firearms while hunting in Alaska and getting schooled in trade in the Spanish West Indies. Back in the islands, the ruler of the kingdom of Hawaii is dying and assessing his succession, which may include his nephew Kamehameha (Kaina Makua).

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• The Fixer (8/7c, Fox): The reality series wraps its first season with entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis lending his business expertise to a clothing retailer/lifestyle brand and a multi-purpose culinary space.
• Bering Sea Gold (9/8c, Discovery): The 19^th season opens with the Bering Sea miners racing for untapped gold, with two clashing over a contested spot.

 ON THE STREAM:

• Stolen: Heist of the Century (streaming on Netflix): A true-crime documentary delves into the audacious 2003 heist in Antwerp of a cache of diamonds worth hundreds of millions from a seemingly impregnable vault.
• On Everything I Love (streaming on ALLBLK): Erica Peeples stars in a violent melodrama as Sheena, who goes to great and criminal lengths to procure a liver for her 6-year-old son after a near-fatal accident.
• Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa (streaming on Hulu): The Texas-born comedian headlines his second comedy special, riffing on dating, cars and controlling his temper.
• Freaky Tales (streaming on HBO Max): The genre-bending action movie set in 1987 Oakland and starring Pedro Pascal makes its streaming debut and bows on HBO Saturday.