Wipe Out! – Review from Space.com
From space.com:
Roswell – ‘Wipeout!’
By Scott O’Callaghan
Special to SPACE.com
posted: 05:46 pm ET
14 November 2000The Skins make a final assault on the aliens of Roswell, even while they send the humans in town into a different dimension for a while. Courtney makes a sacrifice.
(original air date: November 13, 2000)
Written by Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts
Directed by Michael LangeGUEST STARS
Sara Downing- Courtney
Miko Hughes- Nicholas
Mary Ellen Trainor- Diane EvansWHAT HAPPENED
Mom Evans has made breakfast for the family. Max asks Isabel why she’s been avoiding him.
Kyle and Sheriff Valenti fish together. Kyle catches a fish and then releases it: the whole circle of life thing. Valenti is puzzled.
Liz and Maria are returning from an errand. As they drive closer to Roswell, a green glowing rod stuck in the UFO Center billboard emits a glow which settles over town.
Mom Evans disappears in front of Max and Isabel, leaving breakfast behind. In town, Liz and Maria are greeted by empty streets.
The Skins depart from a tour bus. They have arrived.
(more detailed spoilers)ANALYSIS
The Skins are gone, both the evil ones and the good one. They’re all just dust and flakes now.
This episode ties things up neatly for us. A clear resolution as our arc is finished. The various characters we’ve met recently are gone. A change in time even kept the townspeople from witnessing anything.
The Skins are gone, leaving only questions and doubts in their wake.
The others want to know who Velandra is. Who was she, and why was Nicholas so interested in her? Max wants to know what Isabel’s hiding.
Michael has shown himself to be untrustworthy, once again. The man cannot keep a secret. He acts to protect those whom he loves, but he’s not the best at thinking ahead.
What will happen to Maria now that Courtney is dead? Will Maria and Michael reconcile?
Max is probably wondering about trust now, too. Whom can he trust? Not Isabel. Not Michael. Tess and Sheriff Valenti seem to be his only unqualified allies right now.
The Skins are gone, but where do we go now?
WHAT WE LEARN
Although he doesn’t appear on screen, Mr. Evans finally has a first name: Philip.
The Whitt’s (Alex’s band) are still together and have burned another CD.DANGLING PLOT THREADS
Where did Tess’ power come from?
Is Nicholas still alive somehow? If so, how did he survive the blast?BODY COUNT
One Skin UFO Center and another at the billboard. Courtney killed herself. Tess’ fire destroyed twenty-one Skins at school. Add them to the six bodies so far, and we’re up to thirty deaths this season.
ROSWELL (OR REALITY) CHECK
When Alex returns to the Crashdown, he resumes eating his pancakes, but all of the dishes were swept off the counter when the Skin jumped over it to escape from Sheriff Valenti.
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK
They look like just like Max and the other aliens, except with bad New Wave ‘80’s hair. Alien dopplegangers come to Roswell in “Meet the Dupes.”