#111 The Toy House – Primer

When Max uses his powers in order to save his mother, DIANE EVANS, from an accidental fire, Diane becomes suspicious. When Diane questions Max as to how he saved her, Max tells her she should not be suspicious of her own children and offers no real answer.

Isabel and Max fight over telling Diane the truth. Isabel insists it is not purely Max’s decision to make, but hers as well. Max comes out as the leader insisting they not tell her.

As Diane sits watching old family videos, she finds one where young Max saves a bird using his powers. Diane confronts Max again who only runs out saying maybe it would be better if he just left their home for good.

Isabel, Max and Michael have another fight over telling Diane the truth. Isabel states that their mother loves them, unconditionally, but Michael interrupts saying there is no such thing as unconditional love.

Max considers this, and goes to see Diane in the park. He explains to her that he does have a secret, but he can’t tell her what it is. Max tells Diane she is his mother, and their house is his home so he hopes she can understand and respect his decision. Fearing she’ll lose the son she has come to love as her own, Diane tells Max it doesn’t matter who he is, and that she loves and trusts him. Max goes to Isabel telling her their secret is still safe. Isabel is upset when she realizes Max means he decided not to tell Diane the truth.

Meanwhile, Valenti snoops around looking for information from Diane about how Max was able to put out the fire. Diane protects Max, even though she’s not sure herself what happened.

Feeling distraught over her break-up with Max, Liz goes to Kyle to try and mend their friendship.

Michael uses his hands, not his powers, to make a napkin holder for Maria. He tells her it’s to thank her for what she did for him when he was sick.

Jason Katims Commentary

“THIS WAS AN EPISODE THAT HELPED US GROUND THE SERIES.”

Transcribed by Lena

“Toy House” I think it’s an episode that helps to sort of ground the series, because it deals with the kind of question a lot of people in the audience had which is ‘How do these aliens live a normal existence? What are their parents thinking about who they are?’ We were able
to focus on Max and Isabel’s life at home and deal with their human mother and a doubt certainly her mind since she’s adopted them and it made for a very emotional episode what I really love most is they gave our cast a chance to play very emotional scenes about family, about you know the possibility of losing your mother and particularly Jason Behr and also Katie Heigl. One of my favorite scenes is the final scene about Max and Isabel’s reconciliation I felt after that episode, you’ve gotten to know these aliens better and care about them a little bit more.