Resident Alien dedicated its season 3 premiere, “Lone Wolf,” to a man named Rick Neale, but the show doesn’t state who Neale was and why the dedication was made. It isn’t unusual for a TV show to honor a member of the production by including their name at the end of an episode, and unfortunately, it’s often done to mark their passing.

TV shows are a hugely collaborative effort, Resident Alien included. As well as the actors, directors, and writers who garner most of the attention and plaudits, there are an endless number of positions within the production of a TV show that go unnoticed.

Although it’s not unheard of for an episode of television to be dedicated to someone outside the show’s immediate circle, more often than not, the effort is made in the memory of a fallen colleague. In Neale’s case, the message serves as a saddening announcement that he wouldn’t be involved with Resident Alien season 4.

Rick Neale tragically lost his life in October 2023 following a car accident near Lytton, BC. The Resident Alien season 3 crew member had sought alternative employment as a long-haul truck driver in the wake of the Hollywood writers’ strike after the Alan Tudyk-led show wrapped in May 2023. Speaking with CTV News, Neale’s close friend stated the Resident Alien crew member, “Liked and hated it at the same time, just because of how dangerous it was.“

Unfortunately, the dangers of Rick Neale’s new role proved to be more severe than originally assumed. While driving a dump truck on the Trans Canada Highway, Neale lost his life in a head-on collision near Spences Bridge. Neale was warned off the job by another friend, but Neale’s commitment to provide for his family took priority. At just 41 years old, Neale sadly left behind a loving wife and two young children.

What Other Shows & Movies Rick Neale Worked On Before Resident Alien

CTV News also stated that Rick Neale had spent the last eight years working on, “Various TV series and movie productions across Metro Vancouver.” As such, his work would seem to have been confined largely to Canadian productions. However, Rick Neale’s IMDb page lists another project that dates back to 2016 and also gives some insight into his area of expertise within the crew.

Neale’s IMDb page includes him as part of the “Transportation Department,” which would explain his skill set transferring over to long-haul driving outside the entertainment industry. His lone credit on the site lists Rick Neale as being responsible for transporting the “star trailer” for 2016’s Love in Paradise starring Luke Perry. As such, Rick Neale’s duties were likely similar during his time working on Resident Alien.

Sources: CTV News, IMDb

Resident Alien

Release Date

2021 – 2025-00-00

Network

USA Network, SyFy

Showrunner

Chris Sheridan

Directors

Robert Duncan McNeill, Shannon Kohli, Brennan Shroff, Lea Thompson, Kabir Akhtar, Alan Tudyk, Claudia Yarmy, Jay Chandrasekhar, Jennifer Phang, Warren P. Sonoda

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