#203 Surprise – Primer

Written by Toni Graphia
Directed by Fred Keller

Isabel shows up at the Crashdown where she discovers Max has planned a surprise 18th birthday party for her. When the geologist Grant Sorenson shows up a few minutes later with an armful of roses, Isabel explains to Max that the two of them had a date. Isabel then notices Grant has a small cut on his neck, which he says he received from an accident on a dig earlier that day. Isabel then has a flash of red pulsating letters she tries to ignore and feeling out of place, Grant leaves telling Isabel he’ll talk to her later.

Isabel and Max have an argument in the backroom about her getting too close to Grant. Maria interrupts them telling Isabel there’s a police officer out front to see her. Isabel comes out to find Alex dressed as a cop, and he proceeds to perform a strip tease for her. When Isabel has a flash of an injured Tess, she tells the others she thinks Tess is in trouble. Liz interrupts to tell them she’s discovered Whitaker has been taping her personal phone conversations. Liz goes on to tell them Whitaker invited herself to the party, and is out front.

Now thinking Whitaker could have something to do with Tess’s disappearance, Michael goes to search her office where he finds a file of photographs of Courtney. Michael confronts Courtney who gives him a story that because she once slept with Whitaker’s stepson, Whitaker is keeping tabs on her.

Meanwhile, Max goes to Valenti who helps him search Tess’s room for clues to her whereabouts. They discover the last person Tess spoke to on her cell phone was Grant. Max and Valenti go and search Grant’s room, and are caught by Grant who explains he only called Tess to find out what type of roses Isabel liked.

Back at the party, Isabel has a clearer flash of the word “Red’s.” Maria tells Isabel she thinks she knows what she’s seeing and the two of them leave together telling Liz to stay behind and cover. Isabel and Maria drive to a lighted sign “Fred’s” with the “F” burnt out. Isabel then spots Tess’s abandoned car. Isabel runs over to the car and finds a piece of alien skin on the door. Isabel and Maria then follow a second set of tire tracks that lead to an abandoned warehouse. Isabel tells Maria to go and get help, while she goes to look for Tess.

Inside the warehouse Isabel finds an injured Tess, and as they make their escape they run into Congresswoman Whitaker who demands to know where the Granilith is. Isabel denies knowing what she’s talking about, so Whitaker explains her kind cannot exist on Earth because they lacks DNA. Whitaker goes on to tell Isabel they only have this “skin” for 50 years, and their time is almost up. Whitaker then demands to know the location of the Granilith, to which Isabel again replies she has no idea.

Whitaker then tells Isabel that she knew her in her other life; that she belongs with them. Whitaker explains her name was Vilandra, and she had a great love and for that love she betrayed Max, her planet, and her race. Denying what Whitaker has told her, Isabel takes Tess and leaves. Whitaker catches up to Isabel and Tess, and threatens to kill them. Isabel realizes she has no choice but to use her powers to kill Whitaker.

Wanting to be alone, Isabel goes to the pod chamber. There she questions everything she’s just learned, and in frustration throws a rock into one of the pods. A light streams through a hole she’s made in the back of the pod, and Isabel climbs through to discover the Granilith.

Colin Hanks Commentary

“…I wasn’t really wearing a g-string…”

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