Reviews By Joan

Season 2

#201 Skin and Bones
#202 Ask Not! – Review
#203 Surprise – Review
#204 Summer Of ’47
#205 The End Of The World – Review
#206 The Harvest – Review
#207 Wipe Out! – Review
#208 Meet The Dupes
#209 Max In The City – Review
#210 A Roswell Christmas Carol – Review
#211 To Serve & To Protect – Review
#212 We Are Family – Review
#213 Disturbing Behavior – Review
#214 How The Other Half Lives – Review
#215 Viva Las Vegas – Review
#216 Heart Of Mine – Review
#217 Cry Your Name – Review
#218 It’s Too Late & It’s Too Bad – Review
#219 Baby, It’s You – Review
#220 Off The Menu – Review
#221 The Departure – Review

201 Skin and Bones – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: The burial spot of Agent Pierce’s bones is discovered by a geologist and Michael is the prime suspect in Deputy Hanson’s investigation. Also, the Pod Squad’s enemy (The Skins) make their presence known.

Max/Liz: I felt so bad for Max. He’s in denial. He doesn’t want to face the fact that everything has changed since they received the message from home. He’s frustrated and Liz distancing herself from him is not helping. I thought Maria was unnecessarily cruel telling Max that Liz blew him off (I don’t believe that for a minute). Max is under the false impression that Liz is keeping her distance because she thinks he has unexpressed feelings for Tess and does not want to interfere with him following his true heart. He thinks that by reassuring her that he does not love Tess, Liz will want to come back to him. But Liz knows he doesn’t love Tess, that she is his true love, which makes her sacrifice all the harder. Her seeming coldness and indifference are actually signs of the suffering she is going through, trying to stay away. She still believes that she would be a hindrance to his fulfilling his destiny to lead his people and that she’s doing this for his own good. She doesn’t realize that she completes him and the emptiness he feels without her has caused him to be an ineffectual leader. However, now that she is back and can see the effects of their separation, perhaps she will see the error in her decision. (Maybe Liz should hear the song “Here With Me”; then she would understand that Max can’t breath, can’t be without her resting there with him.)

I wonder if Nasedo knew Max in his former life as king. He seemed disgusted that Max is a pacifist. I wonder what kind of king Max was?

Michael/Valenti: I LOVED the bonding scene between Michael and Valenti; it was my favorite of the episode. Michael lacks confidence and is scared that he will let the others down. His opening up to Valenti, treating him as the father figure he has been searching for, could prove interesting. Perhaps Valenti can help Michael with his self esteem issues. Although Michael’s fears are justified, since they have no idea what they are up against, he will need to have confidence in himself in order to defeat their enemies.

Maria: I was surprised by Maria’s behavior. I couldn’t believe she actually said “I hear ex-cons are really great in bed.”, making it sound like she was offering to sleep with Michael to get him back. Being needy isn’t going to help Maria; she needs to get back some of the spunk she displayed in the earlier episodes of the 1st season.

I was glad to hear that Maria and Max “bonded” over the summer. I hope we get to see some of it ourselves.

Whitaker: I find Congresswoman Whitaker’s behavior suspicious. Why would she tape her conversation with Pierce? Why was she so distrustful of Valenti? Why was she so sure they would find Cadmium X on the bones? When they were running the tests on the bones, why was she looking out the window instead of at the computer screen? Did she “sense” something was out there? I think she is more than what she seems. Nasedo referred to her as a “foul temptress”; an odd description but I think a warning that we can’t trust her for more reasons than her trying to discover the “truth”.

General: I felt the opening scene in the therapist’s office was a clever way of recapping the previous season and admitting that, after what Max has been through, he would need psychological counseling. Not that it will do any good, because if he ever “opened up” to the doctor he would be committed!

Is the geologist, Grant Sorenson, supposed to be a new love interest for Isabel? Poor Alex! I’m not sure I approve; he’s too old for her. (Can we say jailbait?!)

I don’t usually pick up on accents but I noticed that Majandra used the Boston pronunciation when she said that Liz was visiting her “aunt” in Florida. Since people pick up on it every time I use it (being a Boston transplant living in California and it being a pronunciation not used elsewhere in the US), I’m surprised the director/production crew didn’t pick up on it when “Maria”, who’s lived her whole life in Roswell, used it.

Michael’s arrest was waaay over the top! On WHAT grounds?! Because his pocket knife was found near the burial spot? Bringing him in for questioning is one thing but arresting him?! What happened to establishing who the victim is, when the murder took place, where the suspect was at the time of the murder and what his/her motive would be before being able to arrest someone?! It made it look like Valenti didn’t know how to handle the situation and I believe he would have been able to.

So, shapeshifters can have and enjoy sex; something tells me this will come up again!

I realize that they wanted Liz to figure out where the bones were taken but they handled it badly. Why would Liz say to Max “I’m not a dork, I just love science”? He knows that! And why would she have to explain that Mr Seligman told them about it in class? Max took the same class! They should have just had Liz remind Max about what Mr Seligman told them in class and have that lead her to the conclusion of where the bones were taken.

“The Skins”; Max and Isabel’s “mom” said they would know the enemy by the evil within but it also seems they shed their skin as well. Are they reptilian? Why did it take so long for them to show up? Have they been observing the Pod Squad for 3 months? I thought it was a neat special effect when Michael picked up the hand skin and it disintegrated.

Speaking of neat special effects, I jumped a mile when they “initiated the accelerator”. I knew something would happen but I wasn’t expecting that! And just what were they doing to the bones; what was that “field” supposed to be? Could Max have been harmed by it? He does have a human body after all. And how did Max know where the bones were once he got into the building? Did he “sense” it or did he see them place them in that chamber out of our view?

At the Crashdown when they were “celebrating”, they were eating pizza; I wonder if the delivery guy thought it was odd delivering pizza to a restaurant? J What was Maria apologizing for? Just that she forgot to tell them Courtney was still there? Her apology seemed directed at Michael rather than the group as a whole. Courtney is obviously interested in Michael but the feelings better not be reciprocated. His excuses to Maria will seem pretty hollow if they are.

The promo has Max saying “He died in my arms” and it’s probably safe to assume he means Nasedo, but Nasedo has died before and been brought back. It will be interesting to see if Max has the healing stones and if he will try to use them alone.

I really liked the fact that they are bringing back the humor that seemed missing from the last few episodes of the 1st season.

Favorite Lines:

Max: No rock stands a chance against Michael Guerin.

Nasedo: You can never find those little pod people when you want them.

Nasedo: Sheriff Valenti, welcome to the ever-burgeoning “I know an alien” club.

Maria: I hope he’s using birth control.

#202 Ask Not! – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Ask not what your planet can do for you, but what you can do for your planet. Max must come to terms with his role as leader of his people, without the guidance of Nasedo, who has been murdered by the Skins.

Subplot: Max has a new boss and Tess has a new home.

Max: All I could think of when I saw Max run into the table, as he’s running towards the Crashdown, was OUCH!!, that must have hurt! I saw most of the filming of the outside scenes for this episode but I missed this one so I don’t know if they used a stunt double or not. I don’t think they did so I hope Jason didn’t get hurt doing that shot.

I gathered from this episode that we are supposed to find a correlation between JFK’s involvement with the Cuban missile crisis and Max’ dilemma with the Brody situation, as well as his insecurities as a reluctant king. Max hearing what JFK went through in the decision making process did hit home but those comparisons would be true of any leader. I do not know whether JFK listened to his advisors or not but, ultimately, JFK made the wrong decisions because the Bay of Pigs invasion was a fiasco. So, are we supposed to assume that JFK listened to his advisors and made the wrong decision to help the exiles invade Cuba and Max, who did not listen to Isabel and Michael, therefore, made the right decision by not killing Brody? Or, are we suppose to assume that Max’ decision to go against Isabel and Michael’s advice will ultimately prove to be a mistake? I guess we won’t know until we find out for sure if Brody is who is says he is. Personally, I have my doubts.

Max is still struggling with the responsibilities of leadership and the enormity of the decisions he will have to make are overwhelming him. Although he hasn’t had much time to prepare for this, I was a little surprised that he doesn’t think he has the instincts to make the right decisions. He has more confidence in himself than that, and he displays that confidence when he takes command of a situation, where he wants things to go his way (I think he rather enjoys saying “That’s an order.” to Michael). But what possessed Max to discuss his leadership issues with Maria?! He must have been desperate, although I think Alex would have been a better choice.

I don’t think Max should trust Tess, just yet, with her memory retrieval techniques. God only knows what kind of memories she would conjure up for him!

Tess/Kyle: This is the first time that I actually enjoyed Emilie’s performance. Tess and Kyle are hilarious together! Their scenes together were my favorite in this episode. This pairing should prove to be a lot of fun; it may even rival Michael and Maria (especially since Maria/Majandra has not had her usual spark lately). Of course, we all know that Tess’ people skills are wanting, but I thought Tess was awfully nosy, going through Kyle’s personal belongings while a guest in his home. I thought her snapping his boxer’s was a bit much too, and why was she wearing his jersey? Had she still not brought any clothes from home, even though she was now living there (what was she wearing to school) or was she just trying to get a rise out of him? The barbs she threw out at him had me in stitches. And Kyle spouting Buddhism’s! The look on Jim’s (Bill’s) face was priceless!! Poor Kyle, not only do the aliens take up all of his father’s time, leaving very little for himself, but now they are moving into his home!

Tess reminded Kyle that she had no family, no friends, that her father figure had just been murdered and she too needed peace of mind but she seemed unaffected by all that had happened to her. Is she putting up a brave front, pretending that things don’t bother her or is she faking it with Kyle to gain his sympathy (which, of course, worked because Kyle is a softy deep down)? She’s also trying to use sympathy to get to Max as well. She never gives up!

When Tess said to Max “I’m not human. Neither are you.”, I was wishing he would remind her that they are half human. Maybe Kyle will help to bring out her human side.

Michael: I thought Michael’s “time behind bars” had given him time to reflect and understand what Max is going through but he’s right back to sticking it to Max for not seeing things his way. Why doesn’t Max realize that he needs to give Michael an assignment to make him feel like he’s doing something constructive towards dealing with their predicament? Michael needs to be active to feel productive; he can’t sit back and passively watch like Max. If Max doesn’t let Michael into the decision making process more, I can see Michael challenging Max for the leadership role.

Michael smiling when Max interrupted his conversation with Isabel should have been a dead give away to Max that something was up – Michael never smiles!

Liz: Liz wants to tell herself that she can step aside and let Max be with Tess, to fulfill his destiny, but seeing him alone with her is too painful. I do believe she’s weakening! Even Maria noticed Liz’ euphoric state after Max touched her!

Maria: Maria hitting Max with the book was way over the top. She’s much too mean to him. When she said they “bonded” over the summer, I was so happy to hear that and I had such high hopes but I’m beginning to have my doubts. I don’t call his mooning over Liz and her yelling at him “bonding”. They are like water and oil, they don’t mix!

Maria nagging Liz, yelling at Max and fawning over Michael – could she get more pathetic?! Maria used to be my favorite female character in the show but I’m beginning to think I may have to switch allegiances! Unfortunately, at the moment, none of the others are in contention either. L Liz is aloof and distant, Isabel has been reduced to the role of peacekeeper between Max and Michael and I still don’t trust Tess.

Isabel: I didn’t understand why Isabel was so quick to suggest that they kill Brody with so little information to go on; investigate yes but not kill first and ask questions later. I felt it was out of character, although they are all apt to do things out of character since they are so scared right now.

Whitaker: I was surprised that she didn’t ask Liz why she lied when she first asked her if there were any messages from Pierce (Nasedo) and Liz said no. I’m assuming Liz decided on the spur of the moment to make up the story of him dumping her so Whitaker wouldn’t try to look for him. (Hopefully Liz will let Max know what she told her so he doesn’t say something that contradicts the story later on.) Did she believe Liz? She seemed genuinely hurt, so she probably had real feelings for him. However, Whitaker’s drunk scene was obviously a ruse to get Liz to open up. How much information did Pierce give her before Nasedo took over? She must know Liz is involved or she wouldn’t have been trying to glean information from her. She probably was after information on Max but now knows Tess is involved too.

Skins/Courtney: So, what do we know about the Skins so far? The momogram said we would know them by the evil within; Max and Michael can “feel” their presence, even when hidden; they may have strange vision (based on the special effect used to tell the audience of their presence); and they shed their skin in large chunks (wouldn’t you love to be able to exfoliate your skin the way Courtney did? J ) They seem to leave an awful lot of “calling cards”. Is this on purpose or are they just careless? What is Courtney’s game? Is she still gathering information, waiting till she knows for sure she has the right targets before going in for the kill? Does she want them to view her as a friend so she can turn them to the dark side? Is she working alone, waiting for reinforcements or is the gang all there? Did she kill Nasedo? When she asked Michael if he was into “piercings”, was that a play on words to see if he would react to “Pierce”?

Brody: I’m not buying Brody’s abduction story. First, I find it very difficult to believe that Milton would sell his life’s work and not even say a word about it to his protégé, Max. Second, he “acquired” the pentagon beeper too easily. This strikes me as a very important device to the Skins, one they would not allow one of their kind to lose, for fear of exposure, and something they would have no qualms about killing for, to get it back. Third, why didn’t he want anyone to know about the “improvements” (“If anyone asks, you never saw any of this.”) and why is he using an elaborate security system for his UFO information? And if he goes to the trouble to have an elaborate security system, why didn’t he question Max on how he got past it?

General: The energy surge the pentagon beeper emitted passed right through Brody without harming him (although he did jump so he knew something happened). Does this mean it was directed only at Michael and only effects the person it is directed at; that Brody is a Skin and it does not harm Skins; or that Brody is 100% human and it does not harm full humans? Is it preprogrammed to activate in the presence of the Royal Four? If so, then, like Alex asked, why would it activate when Michael was in the room but not Max? Did Brody activate it or are different beepers designated for each of the Royal Four?

Nasedo turning to ashes upon death. Guess his species doesn’t have to worry about funeral expenses, cremation nor burial!

Did anyone notice that Michael used the door this time to break into the UFO Center instead of coming down the chute or through a window?

Based on what Maria said to Max about his not telling her what he was talking about, I assume that Maria, Liz and Alex do not know about the Skins. I wonder how much information Max gave Valenti when he brought Tess over.

The door to the Crashdown did not appear to be locked; weren’t they taking a chance playing the CDs without a player when anyone could just walk in, including Liz’ parents from upstairs?

What was that red light shining on Liz and Maria when they were driving in the car? It wasn’t like they passed something that had a red reflection. It was there throughout the scene and it was very annoying.

We now know that Tess has healing powers, so Isabel is the only one, so far, to not exhibit this power.

Favorite Lines:

Isabel: I’m too young to be dust.

Tess: Calvin Klein; I approve!

Tess: Post-it Notes; nice touch.

Tess: How do you think the Buddha would feel about being sandwiched between Hustler and Busty Biker Babes?

Max: So, just know this…I’m coming for you, Liz.

#203 Ask Not! – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Max throws a surprise birthday party for Isabel, but she is unable to enjoy it because she keeps having flashes of Tess in serious trouble and, coincidentally, Tess is late for the party. Also, Whitaker reveals her interest in the Royal Four.

Whoa! By the first half hour I felt I was on information overload and there was still more to come. This episode was just filled with “surprises”!

Isabel: Could these kids have anymore weight placed upon their shoulders? Now, in addition to having to deal with having people trying to kill her and having to kill someone herself, Isabel has to deal with the fact that she may have betrayed an entire race of people all for the love of one man. I don’t believe Isabel’s people would have sent her (or Tess?) to be recreated as a human if she had betrayed her brother so, either they were unaware of the betrayal or Whitaker is lying. But, until Isabel learns the truth, thinking she may have done such a despicable thing will undermine her confidence in herself.

“You may be king but I’m not bowing down to you; not in this lifetime!” Until this episode, I had assumed that Isabel accepted Max’ role as King and leader, because she kept reminding Michael that Max was the leader, but it seems that doesn’t apply when Max is telling her to do something she doesn’t want to do. Then she can be just as stubborn as Michael. Poor Max, he thought being a leader would be difficult and that was before he knew his own sister would resist his authority! It seems no one (except Valenti) obeys his orders/requests unless they are convenient.

I was so tense when Isabel “saw” Tess come in while they were singing Happy Birthday to her that I was really surprised Isabel was able to keep her composure. It also surprised me that Isabel wasn’t more concerned that she was having these splitting headaches. If they never get sick, that should have been an indication to her, and the others, that something was seriously wrong. Unless Isabel wasn’t including headaches when she told Liz in Blood Brother that they never get sick.

Considering how much she feared the Pod Chamber in the beginning, it’s a good sign that she now goes there for solace; she is taking a step in accepting her alien side. Isabel talking to her “mother” that way, shows us how much she needs someone to confide in. [Side note: When talking to her “mother”, Isabel said “I’m 18 today, Mother, October 25th.” If today was her actual birthday, no wonder Max was stressing that she would figure it out. Most surprise parties are thrown before (or sometimes even after) the actual day so the honoree will not suspect anything. And usually when they mention an actual date on the show it’s the same date as it is being aired; I wonder why they chose the 25th instead of the 16th? Also, I’m confused about the age thing. Last year all the kids were 16 year old sophomores, now, suddenly, Isabel is 18. Did we skip a year? Are they now 18 year old seniors? Did the WB decide it wanted to sex up the show and it would be better if they were “legal”?]

With all that is going on, it’s interesting that Isabel wanted to spend her birthday with Grant, a stranger, instead of making plans with her family. Telling Max that she could date Grant without letting him in on their secret, is evidence that she too, like Max, is trying to hold on to the fantasy that her life can be normal. With the Skins trying to kill her, she’s delusional if she thinks she can date someone without them figuring out something is “different” about her.

Whitaker seemed surprised at Isabel’s power. We know Nasedo had similar powers so is it that Isabel’s people were weaker than the Skins and she now has more power because of her human brain capacity?

Whitaker: I was very surprised to find out Whitaker was a Skin. I figured she was going to be the government adversary, taking over for Valenti and Pierce. Does this mean there is no government enemy or have we just not met them yet?

So, if she was a Skin and Courtney is a Skin, why was she spying on Courtney? Courtney’s cover story would be pretty easy to check, which would mean Whitaker was married with a step-son and Courtney spent two years in a juvenile hall. So, were these real people and, if so, when did the Skins take over their personas? Was Whitaker already a Skin when she and Nasedo were having their affair? Did she realize he was an alien and that he could lead her to the Royal Four and the Granilith? Did she decide to have “one for the road” before killing him that night? Was Nasedo unable to see “the evil within”?

Whitaker said she could only sustain her skin state for 50 years, that her time was almost up and that she needed the Granilith to survive. How does she know it only lasts for 50 years? Have some of the Skins been there longer than 50 years and are now dying? Does the skin state allow them to shapeshift into different personas or do they have to choose one and stick with it for 50 years? Nasedo had been there over 50 years. Was he using the Granilith to survive or wasn’t he affected the same way. Whitaker mentioned that hers was a different race from Isabel’s but were they a different species as well? What is their natural state? Do they shed in their natural state or only with human skins? Why would Nasedo refer to them as Skins if it’s not a natural state for them? Was he aware of what form these aliens took when they came to Earth and started thinking of them as “Skins” because of their need to shed or is “Skins” an English translation of their alien name? The Granilith; what do you suppose it is? Did Whitaker need it to get a new body or to go home? Where does it get it’s power? Has it been running since 1947 or did it turn on when Isabel threw the rock? Nasedo must have known about it, who else could have put it there, so why didn’t he say anything? Since next week’s episode is a flashback, we will probably not learn more about it until the 5th episode (The End of the World); a rather foreboding title.

Whitaker was obviously looking for Vilandra when she was pumping Liz for information which was why she mistakenly took Tess instead of Isabel but if she was looking for Max’ sister, why would she think it was Tess? When Liz said Tess was a girl from his past, it was implied that it was a romantic connection or she wouldn’t have had to leave the relationship. So which is it? Is Vilandra the king’s sister or wife and did she really betray her people or is Whitaker lying?

Why would killing Nasedo save Isabel from the other three? Did Whitaker think he knew about the betrayal and would let the others know?

Michael: Kyle said having Tess’ lingerie, etc in the bathroom was like walking into Victoria’s Secret and Michael’s response was “So, what’s not to like?” Are we supposed to believe that Michael wouldn’t mind finding ladies lingerie hanging in his bathroom? I don’t think so! J And Kyle, I think thou doth protest too much; people will think you’re falling for Tess! Was this the first time Michael and Kyle ever spoke to each other in front of us? It will be interesting to see if they become friends. I was surprised to see that Michael was sensitive enough to realize that Kyle had committed a faux pas in front of Diane.

Michael’s cake was soooo pathetic but it was soooo sweet that he tried. The Tabasco was a nice touch but I think the other guests might have thought it a bit odd. Why did Courtney assume he didn’t use eggs? I guess Skins like Tobasco too!

Michael screwed up big time!! What was he thinking, confronting Courtney with the information he learned in Whitaker’s office! What did he hope to accomplish? Now she knows they suspect her. He has created a very dangerous situation. Why did he think she was “working with” Whitaker if he suspected Whitaker was spying on her? I wonder why Courtney didn’t ask him why he was going through Whitaker’s files? And just what was Michael planning to do to her when she slapped him, if Maria hadn’t interrupted? He seemed to believe her story but now that they know Whitaker is a Skin will they realize Courtney is too, since Whitaker was watching her?

Courtney: What is Courtney up to? Why does she keep flirting with Michael? Did she think she could seduce Michael and he would reveal his identity to her? And why, when Michael practically admitted who he was, didn’t she kill him?

When Maria pulls up in the car and says Isabel’s in trouble, did Courtney wonder where Isabel had gone and why she wasn’t at her own party?

Did anyone else wonder if those colas Courtney served were safe to drink? It was probably a good thing Isabel dropped hers. Why was Courtney there anyway? They didn’t need to hire someone to serve the guests and she’s not exactly Isabel’s friend.

Max: I was glad to see that no one approved of Isabel being with Grant but I didn’t understand Max’ about face at the end. There’s still no proof that Grant is who he says he is so why did Max say he was wrong about him? And why would he bring it up then unless it was just to create an opportunity to tell Isabel he should trust her instincts? It looked like Max used Redial to check the last call Tess made (which would make sense), not *69 to see who called her last, so why did Max ask Grant why he called Tess? And if Grant did call Tess, why did he have her number? When did they meet? To our knowledge, they didn’t even know each other.

Tess was in pretty bad shape, why didn’t Max immediately go to her to heal her?

Why would Max invite non inner-circle members to the party? Wasn’t that a little risky since they don’t know who they can trust anymore? And why would Kyle discuss Tess’ new living arrangements openly with them. Wouldn’t they want to keep Harding’s absence low key? How have they explained his absence anyway? An extended business trip? Speaking of explanations, Valenti needs to come up with better cover stories for when he breaks the law on Max’ behalf. Grant could easily have sued him for breaking and entering his home without a warrant or probable cause. And it’s going to start getting suspicious if people keep disappearing when they go to Roswell (Harding, Pierce, Whitaker), especially prominent people like Whitaker. Can’t wait to see how they explain that one!

Alex: I thought Colin did a great job of spoofing the strip tease dance (Alex was soooo funny I was LMAO) and the look of shock on Diane’s/Mary Ellen’s face was priceless but what were they thinking?! Max was obviously aware of what Alex had planned and he certainly knew his mother would be there. Didn’t it occur to him she wouldn’t be amused and that Alex would be mortified?

It’s a good thing Alex was still dressing when Grant showed up; that would have killed him.

General: I liked that they actually gave Diane some zingers in this episode: “And, what year might that be?”

Where did the blue ring box that Isabel was holding at the party come from? When she came out from the back room she was not holding it, no one gave it to her and yet, before she got to the table to open gifts, it was in her hand. I think either Whitaker or Liz gave it to her as a gift but that action/dialog was cut. Can we say blooper?

I’ve been wondering whether the skin sheddings only disintegrate when one of the Royal Four touches it. When Michael and Max found the sheddings, only a few seconds had passed since the Skin had left it behind but much more time had passed since the shedding had been left on the car, so they don’t just self destruct after a certain amount of time. And Courtney obviously was unable to make it disintegrate or she would have done so instead of flushing it down the toilet. I’m still not sure if they are just careless or if they are purposely leaving behind calling cards.

I thought it was cute that Maria realized she’d be better off with a 4-wheel drive vehicle if she was going to continue going on adventures with the Royal Four!

It didn’t appear that Liz closed the file drawer, and the CD case was definitely still on the desk, so how did she explain it to Whitaker? At least we know now that Liz misses kissing “him”.

Was that a framed picture of Whitaker on her office wall (when Michael broke in)? Who keeps a framed picture of themselves on their office wall? And I guess Isabel forgot to tell Liz to keep Whitaker from returning to her office so Michael could check it out.

Next week’s episode looks like a lot of fun. They all looked great in the ‘40s get up, especially Liz.

Favorite Lines:

Diane: And, what year might that be?

Michael: Nothing you could handle.

Isabel: You may be king but I’m not bowing down to you; not in this lifetime!

#204 Summer Of ’47

Musings by Joan Pickering

#205 The End Of The World – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Max returns from the future (2014) to ask Liz to help him fall out of love with her in the present time period, so that Tess will not leave.

Subplot: Michael succumbs to Courtney’s seduction and he discovers she’s a Skin.

I was totally bummed out by this episode. Granted, it had some amusing parts, (I don’t do spoilers and wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had been warned to have tissues handy so I wasn’t expecting to laugh so much), however, the bits of levity did not make up for the ending. The whole time I was watching, I kept thinking Liz and Future Max would figure out a solution – a way to remain together and keep Tess from leaving the group. So I wasn’t worried and when there was no happy solution at the end, it was like being cut with a knife. It was really ironic because during the episode Liz was in so much pain from what she had to do (Max too from her rejection) and I’m feeling for her (and him) but I’m not worried, I’m thinking everything’s going to be OK and then, in the end, Liz is deliriously happy because she’s lost in the euphoria of dancing with Future Max and I can’t enjoy her moment because I’m in too much pain. I was still in pain long after I finished watching the episode, and tears were streaming down my face and falling on my papers as I was writing down my notes for my review. I don’t get it anyway. Future Max never said he had to mate with Tess for their unit to work, just that she had to remain with the unit to create a strong enough bond to defeat their enemies. He also never said that Liz couldn’t tell Max the truth, only that Max couldn’t know he was there and that they couldn’t meet. The logical thing to do would have been to have Future Max make a connection with Liz and give her his memories of what happens when Tess leaves, then Liz could have made a connection with Max to give him the memories. Then he would understand that he could not shut Tess out of his life. How he handled it, whether mating with her or just creating and maintaining a close friendship would have been his decision and not something forced upon him. The way they went about it didn’t make sense and was just hurtful to Max, Liz and the viewers. After what Liz did, I don’t see how they can even remain friends unless she tells him the truth and if she does then what was this whole thing for except to just play with our emotions; I expected better than that from Jason Katims. But I also expect a resolution to this because Max and Liz not getting back together is NOT acceptable.

Max: Doesn’t Future Max realize it’s dangerous to mess with the past? For all he knows, this new future without Liz by his side could mean an early death for him and the results would be the same – their enemies would win.

Why did Future Max keep referring to Max in the third person? When you talk about your past self, you still refer to yourself as I or me not he or him. I found that very strange, like he was trying to distance himself from his former self.

I thought it was unforgivable of Future Max to blame Liz for the fact that he couldn’t stop loving her.

Future Max was so cute, saying he would never be jealous of Kyle when all the while he was jealous just thinking about what they were about to do, even though he knew they weren’t really going to be doing anything.

Wasn’t Max taking a chance, changing the color of the roses in front of the Mariachi Band?

Michael: So, Michael has wheels now. Did he have the motorcycle all along and just didn’t want to take Hal out on it or did he just get it?

My initial reaction was shock when he let Courtney kiss him and then accepted her invitation inside but then I reminded myself that he’s just using it as an excuse to investigate her and he wasn’t really responding to her advances. However when she came to his apartment it was quite a different story, he definitely “responded” then! Did she do something to him (like Tess did to Max) or is he really attracted to her? Is Maria right? Is he just a “hound” after all?

When Michael pulled Courtney’s “skin” off, it made me wonder how Nasedo could not have known Whitaker was a skin when they were in a passionate embrace, if it comes off that easily. Unless of course, the Skin was a shapeshifter and did not take over Whitaker’s body until just before Nasedo was killed. I noticed the “skin” did not disintegrate as soon as Michael touched it, nor as he held it. I don’t like that there doesn’t seem to be much consistency with that part.

What was Michael planning on doing to Courtney when he found out she was a Skin? If he hadn’t missed, would he have killed her instead of the TV? (Guess he won’t be able to watch hockey games for awhile. ;-))

Did anyone notice that when Michael left Courtney’s apartment he forgot to take his shirt, jacket and helmets?

I couldn’t believe that Alex actually punched Michael and that Michael was so understanding about it! I laughed out loud when he said “You realize that you just risked your life?…You’re a really good friend, man.” I didn’t quite understand Alex’ response – “Call me that again, and I’ll really kick your ass.” What was wrong with Michael telling him he was a really good friend to Maria? Poor Michael, someone always seems to be hitting him; he seems to bring out the violent nature of people who are normally sedate (i.e. Max, Alex)

Liz: I loved future Liz’ hairstyle and look. I think Shiri should consider keeping that look for herself.

Liz saying she would not have made love to Max is not that believable, considering how close they came in Sexual Healing. If things heated up enough, she would not have been able to resist. It was a little surprising though, that Max (loved it when she referred to him as Saint Max) had anticipated the possibility by carrying protection with him, but better that he have it than not.

Maria: What can I say!? I just loved Maria in this episode; she was her old spunky, feisty self again, and the sparks were definitely flying between her and Michael.

Courtney: I still don’t know what her angle is. Why did she act like nothing happened in the alley? She must have known Michael’s an alien by now. How could she not have heard Alex referring to Michael’s alien powers. Why was she continuing to seduce him? Does she just enjoy her work? Is she just after information, like where the granilith is? Why did she jump out the window rather than stand and fight. Are his powers greater than hers and does she know this?

Tess: I didn’t think Tess (Emilie?) was very convincing when she was telling Kyle that she hates her life and is sick of the whole destiny and waiting for Max to come around crap.

I was really surprised that Tess was interested in having Kyle “trim her lamp”, I thought for sure she was going to blow him off (no pun intended!). Does this mean she’s starting to warm up to humans (Kyle in particular) or does she just have physical needs that have to be satisfied and, since Max isn’t available, anyone will do?

Alex: Alex was soooo cute when he was begging Madame Vivian to find some lust in his life with Isabel. By the way, where was Isabel in this episode? Did Katie need time off for another project?

I can’t believe he shouted out “that you have some twisted alien power” to Michael, while the door was open! Why do they have to have him do stupid things like that? But that was so chivalric of him to defend Maria’s feelings like that. Although I don’t condone violence so I don’t think he should have hit him.

Kyle: Kyle looked soooo good sitting on the edge of Liz’ bed with his shirt off! He certainly was a good sport to help Liz the way he did but then, if she told him she was trying to discourage Max’ interest in her, he may think he has another chance at her himself. Would he want one?

Some of the funniest moments/lines:

Maria cuffing Michael on the side of his head for kissing Courtney!

Maria asking Madame Vivian “OK, are they a good 48 hours?” but I was a little disappointed that she would be satisfied with just a few moments of pleasure. That’s not a sign of true love, but then, I think she’s in denial about how much she cares for Michael.

When they were driving to Madame Vivian’s and Maria was sooo sure she had “landed” Michael once and for all but then qualifies it with an “I think”.

Maria telling Michael that Courtney just wants to get into his pants and Michael replying “That might work.” He meant using Courtney’s interest in him might work with his trying to find out who she is and he had no clue how it sounded to Maria! (and the rest of us, for that matter!)

Maria telling Liz: “Granted, Michael is the world’s worst boyfriend. I know that, you know that…America knows that.” (Yes, we do!)

Max singing with the Mariachi Band. Was that really Jason singing that song!? He has a very nice singing voice.

Future Max being concerned that he had grey hairs!

Future Max admiring the top Tess was wearing.

Michael opening Courtney’s cabinet and finding all that skin lotion.

Kyle telling Tess: “In order to trim the lamp of wisdom, we must attend to our bodily needs.” (Poor Kyle, he came so close to getting lucky. I bet he never did get a chance to trim Tess’ lamp!) Actually, I enjoyed all of Kyle and Tess’ repartee.

Kyle telling Liz: “I’m here to help; my body’s merely a vessel.”

#206 The Harvest – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Max, Isabel, Tess and Liz go to Whitaker’s home town to attend her funeral.

Subplot: Michael and Maria investigate Courtney.

Michael: Why did Michael wait so long to tell them something as important as Courtney being a Skin? And, I wonder why Michael chose Maria as the first to tell? Was it just because he saw her first, at school or was it to do some repair work on their relationship? Considering his suggestion on how they could “make the time go faster”, while waiting for Courtney to show up, he obviously wants to go back to boyfriend/girlfriend status. However, I think Courtney is going to prove to be serious competition for Maria. (Although he pretends to be annoyed, I bet he loves having two women fight over him.) Michael is obviously attracted to Courtney and for someone like Michael, who has received little praise in his life, it will be difficult for him not to gravitate towards someone who is lavishing praise upon him. And, she knows just the right tactic to take – telling him he’s better than Max. I was glad he had enough sense not to buy into her flattery immediately but given time, she will probably be able to convince him. And he just bought her some time by rescuing her “husk”. I don’t think that was just in gratitude for the sacrifice she made, I think he wants her to stick around. However, he should still beware, the Skins may be using Courtney (possibly without her knowledge) to do just what he said – divide and conquer the Royal Four.

How did Michael know from where the pictures were taken? Even Courtney was impressed with that accomplishment (but then she’d be impressed with anything he did)

Why didn’t Michael call Max (before driving all the way to Arizona) to let him know that Courtney confirmed that their enemy was there.

Why didn’t Michael ask Courtney how her people planned on getting home?

Maria: Maria, was once again her spunky self and highly entertaining. However, although I find Maria’s put downs of Michael very amusing (and often well deserved) she needs to start finding things to compliment him about, if she hopes to compete with Courtney.

I burst out laughing at Maria’s reaction to realizing she was holding Courtney’s skin. Obviously it does not disintegrate immediately when a human touches it.

That was a cute reference Maria made, comparing herself and Michael to Scully and Mulder.

I like both of Maria’s hairstyles; the swept up version gave her an older, more sophisticated look and the braids made her look soooo sweet and innocent.

Courtney: Oh, Courtney’s got it bad for Michael!! I was ROTFL when they revealed her Michael shrine! (The Metallica T-shirt was a cute touch.) Now we know her angle – she’s a groupie! I think perhaps she’s gotten a little too involved with her work. J Does she realize that if they go back home, and she returns to her former normal form, that he cannot. She seems to like being a “babe”, will she want to return to her original form?

I wasn’t sure, in the beginning, if we could trust her, but if she was willing to sacrifice her own husk for Michael, I think there’s a good chance she’s sincere. I’m assuming the renegade group she belongs to is unknown to the rest of the Skins or there would not have been a husk for her, but they may have been suspicious, which could be why Whitaker was spying on her. Regardless, she can’t go back to the Friendship League colony now. Were there other members of the renegade group in the Friendship League and did she sacrifice them as well? If so, they won’t be too happy with her if they find out what she did. Does she know where the other colonies are? Will she betray them too? Will she have to ally herself with the Royal Four now?

Max: I thought the confrontation scene between Max and Liz was well done. I was so glad that he didn’t believe that Liz could do that to him and knows she’s hiding the truth. I could really feel his angst. Although he knows she’s lying, he just can’t fathom why she would be willing to hurt him so. I still don’t understand why Liz thinks she has to withhold the truth from him.

Max is showing more leniency for Tess. Although he was very stoical about it, he still let Tess use him as a pillow in the back seat of the jeep.

I was surprised that Max ate the food Ida Crawford offered, after saying they couldn’t trust anyone, and accepted their invitation to stay. Why didn’t he send someone with Isabel, when she followed Nicholas, if he said no one should be alone. And I didn’t understand why he was so surprised to realize that the Friendship League were all Skins; I thought he and the others assumed that possibility going in.

Does Max only have the force field ability for defense? Does he not have the energy surge like Michael, Isabel, Nasedo and the Skins seem to have?

When Max went sliding back, down the aisle, all I could think of was Maria’s expression – “Another one being sucked into the alien abyss!” but it was a neat effect.

Liz: Liz doesn’t trust Tess enough to let her know she didn’t really sleep with Kyle. Why? Tess would never want Max to know the truth so she wouldn’t tell him. Are Liz and Kyle planning on keeping up the charade?

When Liz poked a hole in Whitaker’s arm, I thought she was going to ask Max to fix it for her, not cover it with flowers, but then Greer wouldn’t have discovered they knew Whitaker’s body was a fake.

Why did Liz go wandering off alone after Max warned them not to?

Isabel: Isabel doesn’t want the others to know about her possible former betrayal but her withholding of information could be detrimental to the group and their mission, thereby creating the same scenario.

Why didn’t she use her powers against Nicholas? She had no trouble hitting him with a pipe so it wasn’t that she didn’t want to hurt him.

Isabel was a little harsh with Tess with that “crashing in” comment; you could see that Tess was hurt.

Tess: How did Tess know about Liz “sleeping” with Kyle. Did Max tell her or was she actually awake and overheard, when Max asked Liz about it in the jeep? Tess seemed a little too interested (and pleased) in knowing about Kyle’s “capabilities”. I wonder which one she personally prefers, Max or Kyle? I think she’s too ambitious to choose Kyle over Max, if she had a choice, but I think she likes Kyle more.

What took Tess so long to help Max against the Friendship League? Why didn’t she try to unlock the doors, while Max had the force field up, so they could leave?

General: OK, if we assume the information we received from Whitaker, Courtney and Nicholas is correct, then there was a civil war between two races/species on the Royal Four’s alien home planet. (Why can’t the writers give this planet a name!) The Skins were on one side and Nasedo and the Royal Four’s people were on the other. Isabel/Vilandra fell in love with The Skins’ leader Khivar and betrayed her people, which led to the death of the Royal Four, the fall of her people’s empire and the rise of Khivar to the throne. The Skins sent troops to Earth to prevent the Royal Four from staging a comeback. The renegade Skins are just as unhappy with Khivar on the throne as they were with Max so they are planning their own coup, to place Michael on the throne. Did former Max actually cause the rift that started the civil war? These people are a mess! Are we sure we want the Royal Four to go back there to help them!?

I wonder if Khivar wants Vilandra returned to him unharmed? Judging by the way Whitaker and Nicholas treated her, I think not. I guess Vilandra made a poor choice as a mate. And, since Khivar is on the throne, I guess that means Grant is not her former lover, as some had surmised.

If the Skins have been here for 50 years, how do they know Khivar is still in power or that they still have supporters back home? Are they still in communication? The Momogram said “Our enemies have come to Earth.” If the orbs contained a prerecorded message, and arrived with them in 1947, and the Skins came in 1950, how did Mom know in advance? Was the Momogram supposed to be an actual time communication? If so, can the Royal Four use the orbs to send a message as well as receive one?

I’m under the impression that the Skins are not shapeshifters, like Nasedo, so if they can’t change their form and their “husks” don’t age, they must have moved around an awful lot in the past 50 years to divert suspicion as to why they never grew any older, especially Nicholas. I’m sure they had no idea their mission would take this long. I must say, they certainly are dedicated to their cause.

If the heavy shedding didn’t start occurring until recently, because they are now dying, how did Nasedo know about it? Was he in touch with them in recent years? Did he only just recently start referring to them as “Skins” or did he always call them that because of their husks? Courtney seemed familiar with the term, so were the Skins aware that Nasedo called them this? Also, if the shedding is a sign of deterioration, why do they continue to regenerate fresh looking new skin?

When the tubes containing the husks exploded, the Skins suffered physical pain, as if connected to the husks already. Was this connection significant or was it just a way to provide an escape for Max, Tess and Liz? Since Courtney did not feel any pain, I guess we can assume Michael got her husk out of her tube before the tube exploded. Did it look like Nicholas’ husk was still in tact?

Why were the husks wearing clothes? I know, I know, network TV standards, but it was incongruous.

Why didn’t Courtney and Nicholas use Michael’s former name, and Greer use Max and Tess’ former names, like Whitaker and Nicholas did with Isabel?

I’m assuming Ida Crawford gave Tess the adoption story because she wasn’t sure who she was and that was their standard cover story but why didn’t the Crawfords pretend to be more upset about their “daughter’s” sudden demise, if they were playing a part? And if they weren’t sure, does that mean Whitaker never reported to them her suspicions? Walt Crawford did act like a typical guy, talking about which highway was the best to take!

Why did Greer say he was glad the Royal “Four” had saved them the trouble of finding them by coming to them, when it was obvious that Michael was not with them. Why didn’t he ask where he was?

Did anyone else notice that as the guy at the barn was telling them there were no tourist attractions in town, there was a tourist information office right across the street?

Did anyone else wonder why that TV was turned on in an empty classroom? They didn’t go in there to watch TV, so it is unlikely they turned it on.

Under bad edits/bloopers: First, I think there was some dialog missing in the Michael, Maria, Courtney scene, when Maria asks why Courtney is obsessed with Michael. Courtney says “I’m not obsessed with him. OK, I follow him, in the political sense.” Maria laughs and Michael responds “Our leader?” (with the emphasis on the “our”). Courtney never said anything about “our” or “leader”, so what statement is he responding to?

Second: In the funeral scene, the same extra (a woman in a purple v neck sweater) comes in twice in a row.

Favorite Lines:

Maria: But it’s hard to run, with your pants around your ankles?

Maria: Yes, you know what? Just to make things simpler, from now on, you should consider everything to be your fault, OK? OK.

Michael: She’s obsessed with me.

Maria: Well, I guess that makes two of you, then, doesn’t it?

Maria: Oh please, do your lips not get chapped from all the ass kissing!?

Tess: Good looking pile of dust.

#207 Wipe Out! – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: The Copper Summit Skins come to Roswell seeking revenge and place all humans, except Liz, Maria, Kyle and Jim, in a time warp.

Nicholas: I found the relationship between Nicholas and Ida unusual. He was obviously in charge and she was his subordinate, however, he still called her “Mom” and she treated him as her son, even when they were alone. I assumed their family status was just a cover but perhaps they really were supposed to be mother and son, or, after playing the roles for 50 years, did it just become habit?

He must be pretty clever to be able to create this time displacement field. It had to affect humans, couldn’t affect Skins and couldn’t affect the Royal Four, who are half human. However, not clever enough to build in safeguards, so it couldn’t be short circuited by a mere car battery. Also, did he not consider the possibility of humans being out of town at the time of the time displacement and returning later to find the Skins? Should we assume that Liz, Maria, Kyle and Jim were the only ones that happened to? (How convenient.)

Based on Nicholas’s reaction to the leftover food on the counter, Skins definitely enjoy human food! Although, he didn’t seem to be concerned about germs (ick!).
He definitely seemed to suspect that the mirror may not be real but didn’t seem to know why. Was he unaware of the ability to project images into another mind? Is this an ability Tess has, only because of her hybrid status, and therefore, it would not be known to the Skins?

Did they bring the moister chamber with them on the bus? Otherwise, how was Nicholas going to get Ida back to it without abandoning the mission? Did anyone else think that his Plan B sounded an awful lot like Plan A?

How was Nicholas able to “rape” Courtney’s mind of the information that Max was moving their operation to the school, when she was not in the room at the time he said it? And how did Max have memories of Isabel’s soliloquy in the pod chamber?

What did Nicholas mean when he said to Michael “By the way, love the hair. Hope you win.” Was that some insider joke about some contest Brendan is in? (One that I’m unaware of… how could that be!)

Jim: I loved the bonding scene between Jim and Kyle. I bet Jim never realized that Kyle’s new found Buddhist idealism would interfere with dinner. His expression was priceless!

It was a funny line, but what did Jim mean when he was complaining about Kyle hanging wind chimes in “MY” backyard; shouldn’t it be “OUR” backyard? No wonder Kyle feels underappreciated and undervalued by his father. It’s probably just as well that Kyle’s football buddies aren’t coming by anymore; it wouldn’t bode well for him if they caught him hanging wind chimes! (Does he even still play football?)

I was glad Jim was prompted to tell Kyle he was proud of him but what caused his sudden weakness, making him think he was running out of time? Was it his injury or because he was about to disappear? None of the others displayed a weakening condition before disappearing, which would indicate it was his injury, but he was perfectly fine when he returned. Was he healed while in the time warp? I found this confusing.

Michael: Michael was definitely smitten with Courtney. Even Max noticed his concern for her was more than just concern about possibly losing someone who could prove to be helpful. I was disappointed, however, that his concern would extend to the point where he was willing to reveal what could be considered Top Secret Information for their mission (the whereabouts of the granilith). The look of relief he had shows us he realizes how close he came to Nicholas finding out but will he learn from that experience?

When Courtney changed husks, did Michael get to see her natural form? Good thing Maria didn’t see Michael with Courtney when she was in the tub. Even though the water was murky, he would have been toast!

Maria: Maria definitely proved she can come through in a crisis. She didn’t panic when she was left all alone, she completed her mission and she saved the day! You go girl!!!

Maria seemed totally in the dark when Liz was telling Kyle she didn’t want to disappear without Max knowing. Obviously Liz hasn’t said anything to her. Will she remember to grill Liz on this later?

LOL at Maria’s explanation for all the stress relieving herbs in her apron pocket – “What, I was dating Michael Guerin.” and everyone’s knowing nods!

When they were leaving to go to the sign, why, if she thought it might be the last time she ever saw him again, didn’t she kiss Michael? “Goopy” or not, I’m surprised she could resist.

Isabel: I loved it when Isabel used her powers to throw the boys out of the bathroom and shut the door on them!

I wonder who Isabel called, when they first learned everyone seemed missing?

Tess already told them Nicholas was stronger than anything she had been up against before and Courtney had confirmed his strength, so what did Isabel hope to accomplish going up against him alone? What was in that case she grabbed off the bus seat? It looked like it was just a camera; was she planning on using something in it to hurt Nicholas? They obviously were not concerned since they let her keep it.

Max: I was surprised that Max admitted to Kyle, to his face, that he doesn’t trust him. Kyle probably understood why he said it, but I wonder if Jim did?

Max must be thinking he can’t trust anyone! He’s never trusted Tess or Kyle, his faith in Liz has been shaken, he now knows that Isabel has been hiding information from him and that Michael is giving information to outsiders. Is this what happened to him before? Is history repeating itself? Does he feel he’s been living in a house of cards and it’s all crashing down around him?

I found it interesting that Max’ first reaction to what Tess did was, can she do it again, rather than the horror of it. Although, as the leader of a race involved in a war, he has to think of survival and his reaction is understandable, and also means he’s finally thinking like a leader, he does have to ask himself, at what cost? I was glad that Tess was troubled at the thought of ever doing it again, but something tells me she may have to; they all may have to.

Liz: Liz was having an awfully hard time seeing Max just comforting Tess slightly, she’ll never be able to handle seeing them “together”, if that ever comes to pass. I was glad to hear that she did not want to die (or disappear) without Max knowing the truth. This means she intends to tell him eventually.

Tess: Tess really came through for them in this episode; she hid them from Nicholas and Ida, saved Maria and then saved them all by annihilating their attackers. However, that last act may have caused psychological damage. She’s not as unfeeling as she’d like us to believe, at times, and was obviously disturbed by the results of her actions.

How did Tess know that Isabel had taken off? Did Max go back to the UFO Center, tell them Isabel took off, go back out to look for her and then return?

Courtney: I was very disappointed that they killed off Courtney, I think there were a lot of stories left to tell with her character, but I was glad to see her die with honor, by not letting Nicholas learn where the granilith was. I have to admit, I was a little bit suspicious when she asked Michael where it was, wondering if everything she had done prior had just been a set up to find it, but she proved her loyalty in the end.

Did Courtney switch husks too soon? She seemed much healthier in the old husk. Did they have no way of preserving the new husk until the old one wore out, thereby giving her no choice but to take the risk of using the new one now, even though it wasn’t “fully mature”.

Kyle: I was glad to see Kyle get a chance to prove his mettle. He really kept his cool, helped keep the others from panicking and basically handled anything thrown at him. He earned Max’ trust, in spite of what Max thinks he did with Liz, and he also showed his sensitivity to Max’ feeling by promising to take care of Liz, knowing Max still cared about her. I guess the Buddhism is helping. Will it be able to help him reconcile to the fact that he has now killed another sentient being?

General: What happened to the humans while they were in this time warp? Were they continuing to exist in another dimension? Were they in limbo, frozen in time? Liz, Maria and Kyle looked ecstatic to see one another when they returned, so did they not see each other on “the other side”? Their clothing went with them so why didn’t other inanimate objects they were holding go with them (like the bowl Diane was holding, which suddenly dropped to the floor when she disappeared)? When they returned, did they notice from the clocks that an hour or so had passed inexplicably? Did those who returned to their cars wonder why they were in the midst of a major car pile up they had no memory of? Will they ask any questions or will this just fall through the cracks? Will the others at least tell Alex what happened and ask him, Liz, Maria, Kyle and Jim what happened to them while they were gone?

Who was watching Liz and Maria? Each time they have used that thermal energy vision to indicate one or more of the characters is being watched, the person(s) being observed can sense they are being watched but are unable to see anyone. Is this because they are well hidden or do they have chameleon like capabilities? The Skin in the UFO Center just pretended to be a mannequin rather than using a camouflage technique. Do the Skins have different levels of power? Is the camouflage ability only for the elite? I noticed that the soldier Skins were not using special powers to overcome the humans and Royal Four (except for the one who attacked Maria). Are the energy surges, and such, reserved for the elite like Nicholas, Ida, Whitaker and Greer? Courtney could manipulate molecular structure but she never displayed any powers useful in a fight.

Just what are the Skins’ real bodies made of and how are they the same or different than Nasedo’s/Royal Four’s people? The bullet Jim fired* at the Skin attacking Liz and Maria seemed to pass right through him, with a puff of dust. And when they were killed by being hit on the back, they disintegrated, like the husk skin sheddings, into less then dust (just bits of skin). They can’t survive on Earth without space suits – the husks. They seem nothing like Nasedo, whose body was affected by bullets, who at least became a PILE of dust upon dying and who could survive on Earth without a “space suit” of any kind (he also had the ability to shapeshift, which the Skins do not seem able to do); and yet they inhabited the same planet and apparently were able to mate with one another. (*By the way, even in slo mo, you cannot see Jim enter the Crashdown in order to be there to fire his gun.)

We have a new piece of information re the shed skin/disintegration theory. When Maria touched it in Harvest, it did not disintegrate, but when Liz touched it in this episode, it did. Is this significant? Are the writer’s trying to give us a clue about just how much Liz was “changed” by Max or are they just careless and not keeping track of when it disintegrates and when it doesn’t? If they are trying to indicate she changed, it obviously was not enough to keep her from disappearing, just like the rest of the full humans.

Why didn’t the Royal Four use their powers to create a force field when the Skins came upon them, or break their bonds when the Skins had them tied up? Are they unable to break another alien’s “spell”? Did the energy field over Roswell, creating the time displacement, suppress their abilities to some extent? It obviously didn’t suppress them totally, because Isabel used them to push the boys out of the bathroom and Tess used them to hide everyone from the Skins, but Tess’ abilities definitely increased considerably as soon as the field was removed.

Did anyone else notice the steam during the balcony scene with Max and Michael? What was that from?

Since the Skin’s attack occurred on a Saturday morning (prime tourist time), Brody should have been at the UFO Center. So, since he wasn’t there, is that proof that he is human and disappeared with the rest of them or, did he join the search for the Royal Four, because he’s a Skin, and we just didn’t see him?

When Max said they had to move their base of operations to the school, it almost appeared as if they were going to leave without taking Courtney with them. They all just headed for the stairs, including Michael, and Max only mentioned about getting Jim.

Did anyone else notice that the Jetta didn’t seem to have a rearview mirror? Did they remove it so it doesn’t block the camera angle whenever there is someone sitting in the back seat or was it supposedly lost when the FBI shot out the back window? I’ll have to go back and check that.

Was that supposed to be Nicholas who bumped into Max and Tess at the end or were they just being paranoid?

Although they look like trouble, I cracked up when I saw the punk version of the Royal Four from next week’s promos!

Favorite Lines:

Kyle: Buddha forgive me, but I’m gonna kick your ass! (and he did!)

Maria: So, how does electricity work?

Kyle: Why are you looking at me? We were both in the same remedial science class for three years.

Courtney: I think I see a chest hair Nicholas. Way to go. (spunky to the end!)

Alex: Skip the pancakes.

#209 Max In The City – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Max and Tess go to New York City to attend the summit meeting of the ruling families of the five planets.

Max: That deal sucked and I was shocked that Max even considered it for a moment! How would it help his people if Kivar was still in power and Max was his puppet!? Also, as soon as Nicholas mentioned the granilith, he should have been suspicious that he whole summit meeting was just a ruse to get him to reveal it’s whereabouts. I was glad that Max had the good sense to listen to Liz’ advice and turn down the “deal” but disappointed at the reason he gave Isabel. Although it is important for a ruler to be compassionate, he cannot let his personal feelings interfere with his decisions involving the greater good of his people, as a whole. If the deal had had merit, and he had turned it down simply because Isabel and Michael wouldn’t be able to return home, that would have been self centered and self indulgent (to paraphrase Lonnie) and not the actions of a good leader. I don’t think Max is ready yet, to be a leader and I wonder if the original Zan lost his throne because he was not yet ready to make difficult decisions.

I was glad to see Max stick up for Tess against Rath and Lonnie, that he asserted himself with them and that he remained wary of their trust. Loved his concerned looks when he saw Rath stealing food.

I was wondering if they were going to let Max have a little fun, seeing as it was his first trip to NYC, and was glad they did; it was so nice to see him smile again, but the “I’m King of the World” bit was a mite cheesy. I was also happy to see him reconcile with Isabel and Liz, which gave us even more smiles. Now that he is less sullen, hopefully in the future we will have a chance to see his playful side, something I’ve sorely missed lately.

Brody: I’m beginning to think Brody’s abduction story is just too convenient. Why would they abduct him from NM and take him all the way to NY when they could have, just as easily, abducted someone closer to NY? Also, I think his telling Maria that he felt it was about to happen again was his way of creating a cover story to explain his presence there. I think it’s more likely that Brody really is Larek and that he came to Roswell to help his friend Zan/Max, or if the friendship thing is a lie, to spy on him. I also find it interesting that Maria is the only human who knows the whereabouts of the granilith and she’s the one Brody is trying to get to know.

Nicholas: I was really shocked to see Nicholas. How did he survive Tess’ wall of fire? Did the others survive too or just him? It can’t be a clone because he knew what happened that day and a clone wouldn’t have those details. I was a little surprised Max and Tess weren’t more curious about his miraculous recovery.

Rath was mistaken (or lied) when he said the ones calling the summit didn’t know about both sets of podsters. Nicholas obviously did. The question is, did he mistakenly think the New York Four knew about the granilith, or, did he know they were ignorant and therefore, convinced Lonnie to get rid of Zan and lure Max to New York?

Tess/Ava: When Tess said “they” tried to get the info on the granilith from her, did she mean just Rath and Lonnie or was Nicholas there too? Did he try the mind rape on her. Did she use the wall of fire again? But then why wouldn’t she remember this time like she did last time? Is she telling the truth? And if not, why? Tess seems to have convinced Max that she is loyal and trustworthy. Although I’m inclined to agree with him, there are still too many unanswered questions where she is concerned so, currently, the jury is still out in my case.

I’m sure Tess’ line about considering Roswell her home is meant to be significant, indicating that she feels more accepted now.

Ava seems to have won over Liz. Can you imagine Liz hugging Tess that way!? Just where was Ava going at the end of the episode? Back to New York?

Lonnie/Rath: Lonnie seems to think she remembers her life as Vilandra. Why does she remember more than the others? Or, does she have false memories of her past, somehow implanted by the Skins? I certainly hope she isn’t a true representation of Vilandra.

I guess we can assume Lonnie and Rath have had sex with humans, since they were able to compare, and say alien sex is the best. I’m still wondering if they’ve taken into consideration that their human bodies are nothing like their alien ones, and that going home in these bodies may not be such a great thing. Alien sex may not seem so attractive back home.

I don’t think there is any question that we will see Rath and Lonnie again, in spite of their mysterious disappearance.

Liz: Why was Liz afraid to try to contact Max? Even if she felt she wouldn’t succeed, that wouldn’t be a reason not to try. Did she think something bad would happen to her? Nothing bad ever happened to Isabel, other than being frightened by what she saw, once inside. I would have expected Liz to jump at the chance to help Max, no matter what the risk to herself. Perhaps they were trying to show us that, in spite of her fear, she courageously helped Max but instead, they seem to be painting us a picture of a fearful, scared little rabbit Liz (stepping away from the circle in The Balance, saying Tess scared her in TL&V and now this), who may not be able to come through for Max in a clinch situation. Maria has been shown to be much stronger, which seems incongruous.

I was so relieved that she finally told Maria the truth but I was ready to shake her when she continued to lie to Max. He obviously had doubts that she actually did anything with Kyle, lets just hope her faint nod wasn’t enough to convince him otherwise. At least saving Max’ life definitely helped her cause in her quest to maintain their friendship. And, the more they are together, the greater the chance that she will weaken (or rather, come to her senses) and eventually tell him the truth. (I wonder if Isabel or Michael will tell him what Liz told Ava “You lost Zan, please don’t let me lose Max. I LOVE him, you know and…I love him just as much as you did Zan. Please Ava, don’t let me lose him, please.” If he knew what she said to Ava, he’d know she was lying to him and remain hopeful that she would one day tell him why.)

General: Were the emissary, and the representatives of the ruling families, really able to project their thoughts and know what was being discussed by the others from millions (perhaps billions) of miles away. If so, they seem extremely powerful and I cannot imagine the Roswell Four and/or the New York Three being any match for them. I’m more inclined to believe they were all Skins and that the whole thing was a ruse to get the granilith. Or, at the very least, that they were “broadcasting” from a ship orbiting Earth. Another reason I think they were all Skins is because, if the other ruling families were willing to sit down with each other, then why didn’t they just join together to get rid of Kivar? Why would they need Zan/Max? You would think after 50 years, they would have done something by now.

I was glad Tess asked the question about who raised them but ticked that there was no answer. It could make a big difference in the truthfulness of the information we have learned from the New York Three if it turns out they got most of it from Skins. At least we know their protector was a shapeshifter. It seems their protector was even worse than Nasedo, (assuming, of course, that it wasn’t Nasedo) if the best he/she could do was raise them in a sewer/subway tunnel. Even Nasedo didn’t keep Tess in the cave. Some viewers think the shapshifter who ate tic tacs and killed Hank was different from Nasedo; could he have been their protector?

Ava told Liz that Max changed her when he healed her (not because of the reverse connection), so does that mean Kyle has been changed (other than the Buddha stuff J )? BTW, how did Ava know that healing a human would change them? Did their protector tell them? Did Zan ever heal a human?

At least they made an effort to explain Max’ absence to his parents.

I liked Maria’s hair style, when she went to deliver Brody his Galaxy Sub.

Gripe: I use the closed captioning to determine the spelling of names of characters and things. In Harvest, when they used Kivar’s name, they spelled it Khivar, now they’re spelling it without the “h”; why can’t they be consistent with something as simple as the spelling of a character’s name!

Favorite Lines:

Lonnie: Boys, don’t make me get off this couch.

Nicholas: Nice to see your genocidal girlfriend again. Killed anyone today?
Tess: Day’s not over.

#210 A Roswell Christmas Carol – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Max is haunted by the spirit of a man, who died when Max failed to help him after an auto accident.

Max: This was an extremely thought provoking episode. It creates an interesting and heartbreaking dilemma. Knowing you have the ability to help/save someone; wanting to be able to do so with impunity, but unable to. What do you do? How much should you put at risk for a stranger? Max’ guilt and remorse over the death of the man he failed to help is understandable, because he is such a sensitive and caring individual, but he was being much too hard on himself. When he said “Why couldn’t I trade my life for his?”, I wondered why he felt he was required/expected to risk his life for another; a stranger no less. And only martyrs and saints would risk TORTURE for someone they don’t even know. In addition, although it wasn’t his foremost fear and reason for not acting, he WOULD be putting the others at risk as well. He had every right to fear the consequences of his actions and besides, he has a responsibility to avoid capture and remain alive; an entire race of people are depending on him. How much can we expect from him? How much should he expect of himself? As much as he’d like to, he cannot help everyone, so he has to make choices. When does he help and when does he walk away? He can’t save them all. Those are tough choices to make. He’ll have many more tough choices to make, as leader of his people. Does he have the temperament to be a leader and make tough choices?

I wasn’t sure if the “spirit” was just supposed to be a representation of Max’ guilty conscience or if it was really supposed to be the dead guy’s spirit. I thought it was just a representation, until Max went to Brody’s house and they weren’t there. How would Max know that they went to the hospital? If it was actually the guy’s spirit, it seemed in the beginning that he wanted Max to make amends to his family, so why did he do a complete 180 when Max decided to help a different family?

I’m very confused. I’m not sure if this is a continuity issue/problem or if I’m just misinterpreting it, but in Leaving Normal, Max said “Liz, when I saved you, it was because you were shot, and there was a bullet in you. Something was happening to you that wasn’t supposed to happen. It was before your time. But I can’t just heal people. I’m not God.” I thought that meant he could not cure a fatal illness. So then, how was he able to cure their cancer; what was the difference? Are we supposed to assume everything Max said was a lie? Leaving Normal was a very moving episode and that would diminish it. The accident fit in with what Max said he could “fix”, but not the cancer. And let’s face facts here; if he is able to cure cancer, he would not have to keep this a secret. Anybody who could cure cancer, alien or not, would be revered as a god, by all nations of the world, not captured and tortured. Anyway, now that Max wants to heal people, without arousing suspicion, I wonder if they will have him decide to become a doctor? I think most viewers assumed that would be his chosen profession, if he didn’t have to be leader of a planet.

I never realized before that Max didn’t believe in God. I guess when he told Liz he wasn’t God, I just assumed he believed in Him. I have a vague recollection that there was some mention of it another time, but I can’t think what it was and don’t have time to go through every episode (not that that would be a hardship, I just don’t have the time) so if anyone else remembers, let me know. Then again, I suppose what happened to him in The White Room could cause him to question his beliefs.

I was LOL at the opening when they are discussing the necessary “parameters” of the tree and I was on the floor when he pulled out the tape measure. God forbid it should be an inch or two off!

Brody: I was shocked to learn that Brody had a daughter and she was dying of cancer. I never anticipated that story arc. It’s quite a coincidence that both he and Sydney had inoperable, terminal, bone marrow cancer. Did he feel guilty that his was cured but hers was not? Was that why he wanted to reestablish contact with his abductors? Did he hope to convince them to cure his daughter? Now that she is cured, will he give up the search?

Isabel: OK, I thought the Christmas Nazi subplot was very amusing, and her ordering everyone around, to be sure she has the perfect Christmas, fits her personality, but I got the impression that she, supposedly, has been doing this for some time and I don’t remember her being such a “joiner” – Director of the Pageant, President of the Hunger Drive, Christmas dinners at the nursing home, the Christmas dog show – somehow I can’t picture the Isabel of last season doing any of those things.

Her rant about wanting a MERRY CHRISTMAS, like a normal human being, was very funny but also very telling. She is the most afraid that they will lose touch with their human side, the more they explore their alien side, and she’s clinging to all that represents being human; which, I think, is why she sided with Max so quickly when he wanted to help Sydney, even though she still hasn’t forgiven him totally for helping Liz. Although, I think the fact he asked first, helped.

Isabel must have one hell of an allowance if she can afford all that leather clothing and pearl earrings, or does she have a job we aren’t aware of?

Tess: They are definitely doing a make-over on Tess. Last season she was portrayed as a manipulative b***h, but it’s obvious they are trying to humanize her now. I really like the new Tess but that doesn’t leave us anyone but Nicholas to hate and distrust, and I doubt that he will be in every episode, so I’m guessing they are planning on introducing a new adversary. Hmmm, maybe Howie’s character from Destiny? Anyway, I got a real kick out of her trying to infuse the Christmas spirit into Jim and Kyle and also how she demanded her own chair! I am curious though; how did she know to say Jim missed Amy in the note? It was obvious that he was smitten with her but she wasn’t in Roswell during their brief dating period, so how did she know they had dated? Kyle seemed just as surprised as Jim when Amy arrived so, if she asked him about her, he obviously didn’t get suspicious.

Jim/Kyle: I just loved all the Jim/Kyle, Jim/Kyle/Tess and Jim/Kyle/Tess/Amy scenes! Jim and Kyle were just toooo funny, trying to watch the game “around” Tess and doing the sideways cheer; Jim trying to help the players “visualize”; Jim flirting with Amy in the supermarket (I really hope they expand this story arc, I love them together); Jim panicking when Amy rings the doorbell; Kyle’s look when he realized that Tess made his favorite dish for him, and I really loved the one he had as he watched her carry the turkey into the dining room (I think he’s really falling for her and I am so hoping that they eventually get together!).

Maria: At first, when Maria told Michael the bumper was very thoughtful of him, I thought she was equating it to when he made her the napkin holder, and that she would be satisfied with that as her gift, knowing how much time and effort he put into it, not taking the easy way out by using his powers. I was a little disappointed that she expected more. (sigh) I guess Isabel knows Maria better than I do. BTW, what did Maria get for Michael?

Maria is always “coming to the realization” that “x” is more important than “y” (“I just wanted to let you know that I heard about what you did for Sydney and those children. This whole thing with Sydney has made me realize how stupid I’ve been about this gift thing. I don’t need a gift.” and “After what happened to Alex last night, that’s just, like, not what’s important to me at all. So, if that’s why you’re acting strange, you can just stop. It’s over. I mean…just go back to being your usual self.”, etc.) but it only lasts until the next episode. She doesn’t really learn anything from it, so she doesn’t really “realize” what’s important.

I thought that whole, considering marrying Brody because she felt sorry for his daughter, was a bit over the top. I was glad that Liz had enough sense to convince her to let Brody have time alone with his daughter. How did Maria know Sydney had no mother? Are we supposed to assume that Brody said something to Maria OR that Maria is jumping to wrong conclusions?

Michael: I felt sorry for Michael. Granted, the electric toothbrush was a boner of an idea but why didn’t Isabel just tell him to buy Maria jewelry, instead of telling him to “Think about all that you and Maria have shared, all that she means to you. Then start coming up with some ideas. OK? A Christmas gift should be personal, thoughtful, and something someone would never get herself.”? Very good advice, but she should have known how he would interpret that and that jewelry would not enter the equation; although personally, I think the bumper was a very sweet idea.

When Michael told Max he was pissed that Max was more capable at healing others, it made me think “just one more reason to envy Max Evans” but, more importantly, it shows he’s not as cold and unfeeling towards strangers as he’d have us believe.

General: We have new information. Not only does using their powers deplete their energy (kudos to Jason for being able to show us so well, what a strain this was on Max), it depletes their powers.

Continuity issue/problem: Michael and Maria were not “together” last Christmas so why would Maria think Michael needed to make up for last year and why would Isabel say “Last year was your first year together, and you didn’t give her a present?”

Jim and Kyle will know it was Max who healed the children, if they hear the report about the silver hand print. I wonder if they will say anything about the risk he took?

At least they are admitting that Maria is still 17 and didn’t magically “age” her to 18, to make Brody’s interest in her more acceptable.

When Max was healing Sydney and he got flashes of her past life, who was the guy sitting on the couch? Will he be significant later on?

Did anyone else think that Shiri looked especially radiant in this episode?

Blooper: There was definitely someone in the laundry room when Michael was telling Max about hedging his bets.

Favorite Lines:

Kyle: His mind and body are in deep conflict. When one’s heart and one’s mind are not in balance, one’s body is the first to fail.

Jim: I’m very concerned that you’re starting to make sense to me.

Kyle: We like it in the garage. I use it to dry my socks.

Isabel: You know, is it too much to ask, that one day a year, I can be like a normal human being, with a normal life, and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!?

Maria: This must have cost you a fortune.

Michael: I’m sure they will.

Maria: I don’t need this gift. This year my gift is you.

Liz: I thought you didn’t believe in God? Max: I believe in you.

#211 To Serve & To Protect – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Isabel gets a vision of a young woman being kidnapped and asks Jim to help her find her.

Was it just me or did anyone else think this episode lacked the warmth and humor that are the trademarks of this series? It also felt as though the cast was just going through the motions. I hope this is just a case of “you can’t hit one out of the ballpark every time”, rather than a new trend/direction, in which the series is headed.

ISABEL: Isabel wishing she could use her powers for the good of society – no surprise there. Max can cure cancer so, naturally, she wants to feel like she can do something important and make a positive contribution. So, perhaps she should rethink using her dreamwalking abilities to invade the privacy of others, for recreational purposes. I was really disappointed in Isabel when she did this. It was a questionable, but understandable, activity when she did it for protection (like with Maria and Alex) but not acceptable to do it to Kyle and Liz for no good reason. I do have to admit, however, that my first thought was “Oh, I wonder if she’ll learn about Future Max” and was glad at the possibility. I think Max was probably hoping she would discover something too, or he would have been more firm when telling her to “Stay away from Liz, please.” It could almost be construed as a dare, since he knows she likes to defy him.

Was her vision of Grant as the kidnapper true (the girl said she never saw his face so how could she relay it to Isabel?), or was Isabel projecting her fears about him into the vision? Does she sense there is something not right about him OR is she becoming too close to him and is instinctively backing away, so as not to reveal too much of herself?

I liked that we got a chance to see Isabel and Jim working together, rather than either of them always being with just Max or Michael.

JIM: I was surprised to hear that Jim’s men reported his behavior to his superiors. I didn’t realize he had alienated them, to the point where they would turn on him.

I was irritated that, once again, they had Jim violating Grant’s 4th amendment rights. It doesn’t seem in character and, if he keeps breaking the law, on their behalf, he will become an ineffectual ally because he’ll bring too much attention to them. Then it dawned on me – maybe that’s the point! Maybe Jim is the catalyst that brings government attention to the Royal Four. First as their adversary, then as their unwitting ally.

I thought Jim knew about Isabel’s ability to enter a person’s subconscious. I guess they never told him how they got the info about Nasedo’s whereabouts from Pierce.

LIZ: After getting past my “Who the hell is Brad, and I don’t believe for a minute that Liz would dream of being with someone other than Max” reaction, I decided to analyze her dream. To me it said that she wants to move on but knows she will never be satisfied with anyone but Max, thereby creating a hopeless situation. Hence her frustration while trying to explain it to Maria. She’s cracking; it’s only a matter of time before she confides in him. And how dare Isabel call this scene “boring”! I’ll never forgive her for cutting it short!

I can’t imagine Maria being so hostile to Sean, just because he was in prison, so it must be that, prior to being arrested, he used and abused his relatives shamelessly, and was a shiftless, trouble making, freeloader (or something to that affect). Not exactly the kind of qualities that would attract Liz and, since Liz never asked Maria why she was so hostile, we have to assume she knew the reason. It is obvious they are trying to suggest she has an interest in him. Hopefully just that she has an interest in trying to reform him, out of the goodness of her heart, and as a way to keep her mind off Max. Nothing else would be believable.

KYLE: Kyle is trying to come to terms with this new knowledge that Max’ healing changed him in some way. On the one hand he finds it a nightmare but on the other, he is intrigued by the possibilities other “powers” might offer. Hopefully his Buddhist teachings will keep him grounded and not let him either go off the deep end, or get a swelled head, or become abusive with any powers he may actually discover he has.

More and more I am enjoying the scenes between Kyle and Tess. Theirs were the only light moments in this episode and the sweet and spicy one was my favorite.

DAN: I think it’s safe to say that Dan is the new government threat, to replace Topolsky and Pierce. Do we assume that Dan didn’t see the force field? I suspect he knows more about the Royal Four than he is letting on. I don’t think he’s all that concerned about Jim’s career. Jim may be an old friend, but right now all he is to Dan is a source of information.

GENERAL: Based on the promos, it is obvious that the kidnap victim is connected to their human ancestors, which is probably why Isabel was able to receive her cries for help. (Although there is still the possibility that Isabel will be able to receive visions from people she is not connected to.) I got the impression the girl was being used as bait to lure Isabel and the others into the woods to be assassinated, so did the kidnapper know she was connected to them and if so, how, OR is she in on it? Is the kidnapper Grant, a Skin, or both?

I loved the special effect of the bullet hitting the force field!

I wondered why Max and Isabel were watching that little TV in the kitchen. Do you think perhaps Mom and Dad were watching something on the bigger one that Max and Isabel considered as “crap”?

I was a little surprised that Max didn’t knock before entering Isabel’s room, considering she may have been dressing for her date. Oh wait, that’s right, she WAS dressing for her date!

I didn’t think Max’ “You look really bad” comment to Isabel sounded the least bit convincing. Maybe that’s because she didn’t! (Could she ever?)

Was it just me or did it seem that Sean’s burger never got any smaller, no matter how many bites he took?

Did anyone else think the ringing of the “Buddha’s” phone sounded just like the beeping in Liz’ vision from Sexual Healing?

Favorite Lines:

Maria: OK, OK, you’re a, you’re a … Maxaholic. (Aren’t we all!?)

Max: Isabel, you are my sister. You yell at me, you second guess me and you piss me off. You also saved my life. I don’t care what we’ve been through, I still believe in you … I always will. (Although I wanted him to add “and I love you” to the believe in you.)

#212 We Are Family – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Laurie Dupree disappears and Jim Valenti loses his job.

Subplot: Tess finally has a family and Michael may have found his.

I enjoyed this episode much more than last week’s. The story is really getting interesting and there was a lot more heart and camaraderie among friends. Having Alex back felt good and, it’s amazing what a little Max/Liz interaction can do for the soul! I’m really loving the Kyle/Tess pairing – they may even become my new favorite couple – but it was Max and Liz in the janitor’s closet that was my favorite scene this time.

Jim: What must Jim be thinking right now? He’s trying to do the right thing, and it’s coming out all wrong. When he turned over his badge, it reminded me of the scene in Destiny when he put his badge in his pocket. He made the decision then, that he felt the safety of Max and company was more important than his job. That decision was cemented when Max saved Kyle. But making a decision like that and living with the reality of the sacrifices (losing his job, his reputation, financial security, etc.) are two different things. What will happen to him now? Will he get his job back? Does he want it back? Has it been a help or a hindrance to their cause? Will Agent Duff believe he’s “one of the good guys”? Will she be “one of the good guys”? Will she help of hinder him/them?

I was a little surprised Jim didn’t discuss a cover story with Max and Isabel when they were on their way to Frazier Woods. He knew Dan was watching him, so there was a big possibility he would be followed and he would have to explain why Max and Isabel were there. Dan’s right, he’s not a good liar and he can’t think of believable explanations on the spot, he needs to be prepared!

Finally, we got to witness a lip lock between Jim and Amy! Let’s hope there are a lot more in the future and that they last longer. J I just love seeing Jim’s reactions to Amy and I’d love to see Bill in a romantic comedy.

Why did Jim call Isabel on Liz’ phone? Doesn’t he have Isabel’s cell phone number?

Amy: Way to go Amy!! Stand by your man! I loved it when she stood up for Jim in the convenience store. And it was especially intuitive of her to realize that, what he needed most was to be reminded that people not “in the know” still believed in him.

Max: I absolutely loved the janitor’s closet scene where Max tells Liz he will wait for her! Part of the reason I loved it so much was that it reminded me of the earlier episodes, when Liz wanted them to be together and Max was saying they could never have a normal relationship, and you could feel the yearning between them that things could be different. Continuity wise it was off kilter, because she’s currently the one keeping him at arms length, but because I could really feel the love between them, I decided to forgive them that slip. However, then my paranoia kicked in. Please tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that Max telling Liz will still be a part of the group, even if she leaves to experience the world, isn’t a way for TPTB to tell us that the character of Liz will be MIA in the future. I want to continue enjoying this moment so please tell me I’m way off base!

Liz has just told him she wants to experience the world with him, and he tells her he can’t, because of who he is; it sounds like Max is finally accepting his responsibility as king. Like with his telling Kyle he could NOT promise to keep from asking Jim for help. His sensitive side does not want to see anyone get hurt because of him or his cause; his practical/leadership side knows he needs all the help he can get and that defeating the Skins is just as important to the humans as it is to the hybrids.

What did Max mean when he said “But the closest I’m going to get right now is the granilith chamber.”? What does it have to do with seeing the world? What has he discovered about it?

I felt so bad for Max (and the other podsters); that he (they) will not be able to enjoy many of the pleasures life has to offer, but then, the reality is that life isn’t fair. That’s something Kyle is finding out.

Kyle: Kyle was angry at what was happening to his father and lashed out at the Royal Four as an easy target, an easy source to blame. But he doesn’t really regret his involvement with them, as evidenced by his realization that Tess would no longer be a part of his life if he banished the Royal Four from it. He’s scared about what his involvement with them will do to his own life, but he will not desert them. I don’t think he knows the whole situation and how serious it is. Perhaps they should let him know.

Tess: When Tess came to the Sheriff’s Station, to look out for Kyle, it reminded me so much of Maria and Michael working as a “team” in their investigations. J I do believe this is the first time Tess has extended herself to help someone else, without being asked. Won’t be long now before she has the courage to admit, Kyle’s her favorite PERSON, not just her favorite human.

Alex: I like the new Alex – he’s much more sure of himself! Isabel seemed to think so too. J Poor Alex – a long distance romance. Couldn’t they do better than that for him!?

Being an exchange student in Sweden was a good way to explain Alex’ absence but it would have been more believable if something that big in his life had been mentioned at least once prior to his “return” home. Also, my friends host exchange students and it usually lasts longer than one month.

Michael: On the one hand Michael was right, it doesn’t help to brood, and making Jim’s sacrifice mean something is important, but his callous attitude towards Jim losing his job, was a sign that he was in denial that the situation was as bad as it was, to relieve himself of the guilt that he, Max and Isabel feel for involving Jim in their dangerous lives. Michael did have a point, Jim did CHOOSE to ally himself with them, but since his other choice would have been to let Pierce have his way with them, perhaps Michael should be a little more grateful and supportive. He did get his just deserts though from Laurie. Ouch! That must have hurt when she kneed him in the groin!

Laurie: Psychotic or scared to death? I’m guessing scared to death but she is more than what she seems. How did she survive being hit by a car, relatively unscathed? Did they do more than borrow DNA from her grandfather? Was he “changed” somehow? Did he pass on these changes to his descendants?

General: I’m confused. When Liz told Max there were TWO pieces of asteroid pie in the fridge, and he could stay as long as he liked, I thought she was hinting that she wanted him to get them and bring them up so they could study for history together. But, not only did he not come up, she wasn’t even studying and she had invited Isabel and Maria, but not Max, to come see Alex’ slides. Why wouldn’t she invite him to come watch the slides? And where did he go? He wasn’t there when she went for the extension cord. And perhaps he should have been because then he would have prevented Sean from breaking in. What was that all about anyway? What was he planning on doing? I’m not buying the “hungry” excuse; I’m sure Amy is feeding him. And, if it was so cold outside, why didn’t they watch the slides inside? (Considering how much time she spends on that balcony, I’m surprised she hasn’t invested in an outdoor heater! J ) Did the cold chase Maria away? She missed the best part – the Northern Lights! God, what I would give to see them for real.

How does a judge have the power to suspend a Sheriff?

Dan didn’t have much to do in this episode. Is Agent Duff taking over as the government threat? They were probably trying to show her forceful personality but I thought she was just rude, making herself at home that way in Jim’s house.

Does anyone else think Laurie looks an awful lot like Courtney? A coincidence or deliberate?

Why was the alien green blob stuff in the grave AFTER the search? Was it placed there on purpose for Michael to find? Did anyone else notice that it had the same shape as the stuff floating inside the blue cells? I was wishing Isabel would look at the cells under the microscope, so we could witness her telling them they were the same as what she saw when she touched Laurie’s hand.

I thought the “spell out your troubles in mustard” was cute. Did Liz feel troubled by the word “grow” because she doesn’t want to grow without Max?

I thought of a reason why their birth/hatching was delayed – so it would be less likely that the human “donor” would run into his/her clone.

I’m going to assume Brownsfield, Texas is close enough to Roswell for Michael and Isabel to have just popped over to the hospital? I wonder why Laurie’s file was empty? Had someone else requested it but not her personal belongings? Did someone else steal it, but was uninterested in her belongings? I find it hard to believe she kept her prized family photos wrapped with a rubber band rather than in a photo album or at the very least in a shoe box.

Favorite Lines:

Tess: This polyester number is not working for me.

Liz: We’re friends plus.

Amy: One thing you obviously know nothing about, is Jim Valenti. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be talking such trash!

Max: I’ll be watching you, Liz Parker. Wherever you go. And, I’ll be here when you get back.

#213 Disturbing Behavior – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Michael and Maria help Laurie escape from the FBI and the three of them end up on an impromptu road trip to meet Michael’s new found “family”.

Laurie: Laurie is still an enigma to me. How much of her schizophrenic behavior is due to her fright, the drugs they have been giving her, and/or the gandorium (green blob stuff), and how much is her real self? When she first saw Michael (in We Are Family) she thought he was her grandfather and started screaming “You’re DEAD”, so obviously she was aware that her grandfather was dead. Then in this episode, after she and Michael talked and she started trusting him, she was aware that he was not her grandfather, come back from the dead or reincarnated. When she told Michael he was in Tucson (I knew IMMEDIATELY that would be their next stop J ), I thought she was going to show him his gravesite, so I was really surprised when she and Michael seemed to expect to actually see him. Showing signs that she’s delusional and Michael isn’t sure what to believe. I have to admit, at one point I wondered if Michael and Maria were being led into a trap.

That was one tough decision she had to make – do you go with someone you know is an alien (he used his powers in front of her), after aliens have hurt you, or do you stay with someone who is shooting at you and once buried you alive? Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place and having to choose between the lesser of two evils (in her mind).

I thought Maria’s approach of letting Laurie know she was free to leave was good thinking on her part and the best way to earn Laurie’s trust. It was another sign of her delusional state that she choose to leave when she had no money for food, shelter or more appropriate clothing, for that time of year.

Amy: Finally!! They made some acknowledgment that the parents have noticed the long absences of these kids! Diane Farr had the best scenes in this episode and kudos to her for being able to display Amy’s anguish over Maria’s behavior (it was written all over her face), but at the same time, inject humor into the scenes.

Did Amy feel she couldn’t demand that Maria, come home at once or be grounded for life, because Maria knows, and pointed out to her, that she did such things herself? Or does Amy feel she needs to let Maria start making such decisions for herself and she’s just hoping she makes better ones than she did? How would Amy react if she knew what Maria was really up to? I think Amy would support the Royal Four but if she’s freaking out about the possibility of Maria getting tattoos, or something pierced, I think she’d be a basket case (and possibly Laurie’s roommate at Pinecrest) if she knew that Maria has been shot at and attacked by aliens!

Maria: It was a very cute scene when Maria was trying to convince Michael he needed to “bond” emotionally with Laurie, to get her to trust him, but (I’ve said this before, but it behr’s repeating) she needs to temper, with praise, the constant put downs and criticisms. Yes, they are funny and occasionally needed, but they can be psychologically damaging as well. Michael’s self esteem is low enough and when you don’t receive praise from those you love, you lose confidence in yourself and you lose the desire to try to improve. It brings us back to his question to her in Crazy – “What I want to know is, If I’m such a loser, then why do you want to be with me?” She never did answer that question and I think it’s high time she let’s him know what she LIKES about him. He said it himself – he has feelings – and she’s stepping all over them!

Maria, what were you thinking? Couldn’t you come up with a better excuse than camping? Everybody knows you HATE camping. Didn’t you say (in Into the Woods) that your idea of the great outdoors is “rolling the windows down in my car on the way to the Mall.”? Liz had to PAY you to come with her. No wonder your mom was suspicious! Gheesh!!

Michael: At first I wondered why he balked at telling Laurie the truth, since she already knew he was an alien, but then I realized that in her unstable condition, the less she knows the better. I thought Michael chose the right route, that they are family, and I thought he did a great job expressing his feelings.

I thought it was very sweet of him to take Laurie’s hand, to show moral support, when they were heading towards the house. And, I was proud of him for vowing to stick by her, when it became obvious that she was not in good hands with her/his family. Poor Michael, he hasn’t had much luck with family; first Hank, then Nasedo, Laurie may be schizoid, and what a piece of work Mary and Bobby are! I suspect Laurie is the rightful heir and they had her locked up in a mental institution to get the money.

My favorite scene was the conversation in the car between Maria and Amy and Michael and Amy! I just cracked up, especially when she told Michael she would hunt him down and kill him like the mangy dog he is! But, did Michael tell Maria her mother wanted her to have fun because he didn’t want her to know all of what she said or because that’s all he got out of the conversation?

Jim: So, Jim does woodwork. I just love a man who can work with his hands.

I found it interesting that when Jim was making the baseball bat he intimated that his job had kept him from doing such things for his family (Kyle) before, and he seemed to regret what he had lost because of it. And yet he leapt at the chance of getting his job back when Agent Duff said she’d help. I’m guessing that, when he goes back, things won’t be any different. Jim identifies himself, his self worth, by his job, (that’s why he was in such a dark place from losing it) so his job is more important to him than time with his family.

Max: If Max thought the gandarium was a virus or bacteria, why did he keep it in an OPEN glass? I really enjoyed seeing Max and Liz working together as a team, but why did he say he didn’t want to involve her, after he just finished telling her she still was, and always would be, a part of the group?

General: Why was there such a violent reaction when Isabel connected with Brody? And how was Larek reached so quickly? I’m still not sure that Brody isn’t really Larek and I’m suspicious of Larek telling them they have to leave the planet. Probably the only way to do that would be to use the granilith, so he could be trying to get them to expose where it is hidden. We’ve learned that the green blob is called gandarium and is a parasite, but can we believe Larek when he says it is dangerous? Max said he felt no ill effect from it and implied that it had shunned him, as not being tasty enough, but will he develop symptoms later? What was that green stuff the nurse put in Laurie’s IV (in We Are Family)? Has she been infected? Is it contagious or do you need to be in direct contact? Has anyone who has been to Frazier Woods or Pohlman Ranch been infected? By the way, I thought in Four-Square, Michael said Pohlman Ranch had been removed from maps by the government, so how did it end up on the water table map? (Continuity blooper?)

So, is Grant being possessed by a Skin, like Larek supposedly possesses Brody? That would explain his taking Tess, if he actually did (in Surprise), and Jim’s impression that Grant wasn’t himself when he attacked him.

I thought the pillow fight between Liz and Sean was totally contrived. It was staged just so Liz would be found in a compromising position with Sean when Max came in. It didn’t seem the least bit natural to me.

Maria and Amy don’t strike me as the video game type, so was that Sean’s game? Where did he get the money for it?

Boy, Grandpa (Charles) Dupree sure came a long way from the farm! Did he strike oil while plowing the north 40 or what? The maid recognized Michael immediately; did Grandpa keep a picture of himself as a young man in full view?

Are Bobby and Mary Dupree brother and sister or husband and wife? I got the impression they were brother and sister.

Fashion Do’s and Don’ts:

Kyle: Loved the leather jacket. He was looking especially gooood in this episode!

Tess: The lambskin vest has got to go!

Favorite Lines:

Amy: Each time leaving out on the open road, another piece of her innocence, and my Jetta.

Michael: I’m not completely emotionally retarded. I have feelings.

Maria: All right, then walk ‘em over there and give them a work out.

Amy: Call me if you need bail money!

#214 How The Other Half Lives – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Possessed by the gandarium, Grant kidnaps Isabel, kills Carmen and shoots Michael, in an effort to get to Laurie. In the meantime, the gandarium entrap Alex and Kyle in an underground cave.

Question – Is there another hive somewhere or did they just spend an entire episode to tell us what the gandarium is, only for it to be useless information, now that it’s all gone? Let’s assume it’s not useless information and exam what we’ve learned.

1. It’s a genetically engineered life form (which means it is not native to their planet (Antar?).
2. It’s designed to bridge the differences between the human and alien (Antarian) DNA & RNA re-sequencing, during 3rd stage amino acid synthesis. (Does this mean the Royal Four have gandarium in their system? Is this why the gandarium rejected Max’ hand? But then why would the mutated version be lethal to THEM as well? And if there was a connection between them, why did the gandarium want Grant to kill Isabel?)
3. It is programmed to infect human cells (and exercise mind control?).
4. It’s a waterborne parasitic virus.
5. It needs oxygen to survive.
6. It is hive-like.
7. Only the Queen can infect a host.
8. The Queen can infect a host (Grant) without mutating, and then control the host’s actions.
9. The Queen needs a host with a specific (1 in 50 million) defective gene (Laurie), in order to mutate into a universal virus and spread, exponentially, upon contact.
10. It seems to have shapeshifting abilities
a. green blob
b. blue/green crystal
c. flying jelly fish

I wondered why the gandarium never did anything to Alex and Kyle except entrap them. Were they holding them prisoner for the Queen’s return? If the Queen is the only one that can infect others, what is the purpose of the rest of the hive?

I’m assuming that, since all the other gandarium died, the sample that Max had, did also.

Michael: I enjoyed seeing how Laurie brings out Michael’s softer side; like when he touched her hand before they were thrown out, as reassurance that he was still there for her and how he tried to bolster her self confidence. Now if someone could just do that for him! Then again, maybe Laurie made a start by reminding him that he is Charles Dupree’s legacy to the world.

I don’t understand why Michael didn’t ask Laurie if she had a picture of her grandmother. You would think he would want to know for sure if there were any more “family resemblance’s”. Speaking of pictures, I thought the scene of Michael placing the picture of Laurie on a shelf in his apartment was sooo sweet, but it made me wonder if he has any of Maria.

OK, I like that they are making an attempt at continuity with the first season, but Michael taking credit for Maria’s ideas was funnier the first time around.

Michael’s powers are continuing to grow, so I was surprised that he didn’t at least attempt to heal himself, rather than waiting for Max to do it.

If Charles Dupree had a defective chromosome, and his DNA was used to create Michael, does Michael have the defective chromosome?

Maria: Loved that Maria was the one to figure out how to outwit Bobby and Meredith. Loved even more that she finally complimented Michael! Although I hope it will happen again without his having to perform a heroic act.

She and Michael definitely took to “the good life” quickly and easily. =)

Laurie: So what caused Laurie’s erratic behavior? Her defective gene, her fright, or the gandarium?

Michael wanted Laurie to stay with him so he could protect her and have his new found family close to him. Of course, it wouldn’t make sense for her to leave the mansion and move into his one room apartment and, storywise, they can’t have Michael moving to Arizona, so they used the, she needs a respite from aliens, excuse. But I’m sure they’ll be bringing her back in the future.

Maria: I was glad to see Kyle and Alex bonding and working together. I was also a little disappointed, however. These characters generally provide a great deal of comic relief in this show, so the two of them together was an opportunity for a hilarious scene – or should I say a missed opportunity!

I was a little surprised that Kyle wanted to go into the underground cave, considering how leary he is of all things extra-terrestrial. Why didn’t they push against the crystal that blocked the exit. How did they now they couldn’t move it if they didn’t try?

I’m betting Kyle and Alex were as disappointed as I was that Tess and Liz didn’t hug them with relief at their escape. Instead, Tess and Liz hugged each other! What was up with that!?

Observation: Alex/Colin looked even cuter than normal in this episode. =)

Larek: Larek seemed to know an awful lot about the gandarium, except how to kill it (or was that piece of information deliberately left out by him?). It suggests (and it’s something I’ve suspected all along) that the Antarians were experimenting with creating hybrids long before they used the method to re-create the Royal Four.

Grant/Isabel: We now know that Grant was infected/possessed by the gandarium when he first met Isabel in Skin and Bones. I wonder if it was the gandarium that caused her attraction to him? Grant proved himself to be a good person, so I was glad that Isabel sensed this and stayed with him at the end.

If Grant was shot, in To Serve and Protect, where did he go for medical treatment and why wasn’t it reported?

Interesting that Isabel felt it wouldn’t be dangerous for her to hitch a ride with a stranger, even though she realized she couldn’t protect herself from Grant.

Jim/Duff: I was really surprised that Duff trusted Jim without full disclosure from him. What did Jim mean by “walk away”? They have to report the deaths of Carmen and Grant somehow! Will there be an investigation? Will they find Michael’s blood? Now that she’s “in the know” (since Michael used his powers in front of her), I think she will support them, but I was surprised that Jim just assumed she would.

I think that Duff and Jim should be commended for finding the bomb shelter based on Michael’s “They’re back there” instructions!

Bobby/Meredith: I wonder how Bobby and Meredith reacted to two violent deaths in their home!?

Somehow I think Meredith’s plan to keep Michael and Maria busy eating, so they wouldn’t be going through her personal stuff, would have worked better if she hadn’t TOLD them the plan!

Bone to pick: Is it too much to ask that they keep the names of their characters straight? Last episode Laurie’s aunt was named Mary (distinctly said by Laurie and confirmed in the closed captioning), this episode it’s Meredith (distinctly said by Laurie and confirmed in the closed captioning).

General:

What we learned about the Royal Four:

1. Their powers do not work against the gandarium crystals. (I wonder if we will learn why in the future?)
2. Choloriform does work on them.

Did anyone else notice that in the promo for this episode Michael tells Laurie “You’re safe here now.” and Laurie replies “I’m not safe here.” but when it aired Michael says “I just wanted to make sure you’re OK. We’re gonna help you.” and she replies “My aunt and uncle need me to be crazy.” I suppose we could say, that was deceptive advertising, but I’d rather think of it as an opportunity to see cut scenes!

Favorite Lines:

Kyle: So I guess what I have a problem with is that suddenly I’m a member of this club I never wanted to join. And as it turns out, this club has a striking resemblance to a chain gang.

Kyle: What do you suppose alien crystals are going for on E-bay?

Laurie: You are Grandpa’s legacy.

#215 Viva Las Vegas – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Needing a vacation, Michael asks Max to join him for some debauchery in Las Vegas. Hearing about it, the rest of the gang invite themselves along.

Max: “Are we having fun yet?”

Answer: No. Because they were looking for fun in all the wrong places. Nobody seemed to be having that much fun until the end. Anyway, this episode was not about having fun. This episode was about Michael testing Max’ friendship.

Michael: Michael’s confidence, in Max always supporting him and being there for him, began to breakdown in Tess, Lies and Videotape, when he told Max “I don’t know who you are anymore.” His nightmares are a manifestation of his fears that Max expects more from him than he feels he’s capable of delivering and a growing concern that he and Max are poles apart ideologically. He’s no longer sure that he can count on Max’ loyalty and support, no matter what, so he subconsciously decided to test their friendship by planning this get away from it all, spur of the moment, no rules allowed vacation. Michael described Las Vegas as a place without rules, without responsibility – a city of dreams. Considering he’s falling apart psychologically right now, and what he really needs is structure, something to hold on to, Vegas seems like the last place to go; especially when you’re already on the edge of losing it. But it is the ideal place to go if you want to see how low someone is willing to go, in the name of friendship, and that is what Michael wanted to find out about Max. He wanted to sow some wild oats and he wanted Max to do it with him; hoping they would form a tighter bond, from their joint debauchery. I think he started the fight in the casino deliberately, just to see if Max would back him up. Although Max wasn’t willing to provoke a confrontation, he still stood by Michael during the fray. Unfortunately, Michael only sees that Max isn’t willing to let his guard down and be irresponsible, like he wants to do and be.

I found it very amusing that Michael picked Vegas because it has no rules, and the first thing he does when they get there, is lay down some rules! I loved the names he picked for everyone. I don’t think we’ve ever seen his whimsical side before. Of course, they were so obviously fake, I’m surprised they actually used them.

I was very disappointed in Michael, on so many levels, in this episode. I had thought he was showing signs of maturity, but clearly, I was wrong. I can’t even begin to describe how irresponsible throwing away $50,000 was, when they know they are supposed to be preparing themselves to fight a war. Did he honestly think he didn’t need the money!? I don’t, for a minute, buy his excuse that it was tainted money and it was haunting him. If he really felt that way, he wouldn’t have used the money for fun and debauchery, he would have wanted the money to be used for something good, and would have donated it to charity. Then there’s the cheating; using his powers to make the dice roll the right numbers. That’s STEALING! And this was NOT for the good of the cause, or their survival, so there is NO justification for it whatsoever! I know he’s rebellious, defies authority, looks for shortcuts, etc. but I always assumed he knew the basic differences between right and wrong. Obviously, once again, I’m wrong. L Michael may now be glad, that he’s an orphan and free to do as he pleases, but I wish Jim would take him under his wing and teach him these things. He’s basically a good person, he just needs the proper guidance and Jim would be perfect for that role.

I absolutely LOVED Michael’s “private conversation” with himself! Michael saying Max isn’t fun, made me wonder if they ever really had FUN together. I would love it if they would reminisce about good times they had together as children.

Michael’s comment that as long as they all stick together, they’ll make it, reinforced Future Max’ prediction that they won’t survive if they don’t all stick together.

I think they had Michael being even more insensitive than normal, in this episode, but that was so the payoff at the end would be all the sweeter. And that was sooo sweet of Michael to arrange for Maria to be able to sing at the nightclub!. I just loved the gentle kiss at the end of the song. These are the reasons she puts up with all the crudeness in between. They are also little bones for us Candygirls to pick on, until the meatier stuff arrives. Not to be greedy, but I was wishing we could see them dance together too. Also, I was hoping that now that they are seeing each other again (and that he’s given up on that, no chicks/soldier mode crap), that we would see a little more heat and passion. Considering the raging, sexual hormones of a teenage boy, I’m amazed at his restraint (and Max’ too, for that matter) J They do still look, however. Did anyone else notice that they both checked out those young ladies walking by, as they were discussing Braveheart?

If Michael didn’t want anyone else to know about their trip, why did he let Kyle know where they were going?

I wonder why Michael didn’t heal the cut over his eye, when they got out of jail (or have Tess do it, if for some reason, he couldn’t). Are they hoping we forgot that he was able to heal River Dog’s ankle?

I like Michael’s new hair style, but I like the shorter version, from Summer of ’47, better.

Maria: I was flabbergasted that Maria didn’t ask Liz to join her at the spa! She asked her to come to Vegas to spend time with her. This was a major, missed opportunity for the two of them to get some bonding time together. When are we ever going to see that again?

Majandra does have a “nice set of pipes” but the promos spoiled the “surprise” that she was auditioning to be a stripper. It would have been much funnier if we hadn’t known in advance. However, even though we saw most of Michael’s phone call to Maria in the promos as well, I cracked up when I discovered she hung up on him, because it was his only phone call! I just wish we could have seen his reaction.

I thought Majandra/Maria looked great at the dinner party and that “look” fit well with the sultry song she sang. Sultry songs suit Majandra, even if they are not to her liking.

Tess: All right, who possessed Tess!? I can’t believe how bubbly she was when thanking Michael for organizing the trip. I can’t believe I’d have a reason for using bubbly and Tess in the same sentence! And with all the travelling she did with Nasedo, she never made it to Vegas? Somehow it seems like the type of place Nasedo would head for.

When the guard carded Tess and Liz, my first thought was that Tess would use her mind warp on him. I was really surprised to see it take her so long to think of it herself. Is she losing her manipulative instincts from lack of use? I hope so.

I loved it that Tess first, invited Kyle to join them on the trip, and then “invited” him to dance with her. I hope they aren’t just teasing us and that they really are planning on pairing them together.

Where did Tess wind up, after leaving Liz? I guess she didn’t get into too much trouble, or we would have heard about it.

Liz: I can’t believe Liz spent 6 hours in a video arcade, instead of finding Maria and spending time with her. Not only would it have kept her mind off what she gave up with Max, but she would have been with the one person she could talk with about it, if she couldn’t keep her mind off it. And I realize that Liz was hurting, but I think she was unnecessarily mean to Tess.

When Max told her about his flash, and that he felt as if it really happened, it looked like they had her contemplating telling him the truth. As much as I want her to, since they made it so important that she not tell him, they need to make the reason she reveals the truth just as important. I think it would have been natural if she accidentally spoke out loud, in a soft whisper, what she was thinking – “It did” and to his inquiring “what?” she could catch herself and dismiss it with “nothing”. That way she wouldn’t have exactly revealed the truth but it would be one more clue for Max that there is a hidden truth.

Max: Max wants to help Michael, he just doesn’t know how. He’s not a robot, he just doesn’t understand where Michael is coming from most of the time. I didn’t think it was fair of Michael to expect Max to be able to “heal” his emotional problems. Although Max was correct when he assessed that what Michael needed most at that point was a friend, not a chaperone, and Max had let him down somewhat, if Max had just let Michael go wild, possibly risking exposure, he wouldn’t have been much of a friend.

Loved Max’ reaction to Liz’ comment about getting married in Vegas (“Not me. Not in this life time.”) Actually, he may be right. Since Liz and Future Max changed Max’ future, perhaps the new Max and Liz will make a better choice.

I loved even more, the “flash” Max had of himself and Liz as a bride and groom! Did he really have a glimpse into the future or was he just projecting his desires/fantasies? Was that the dress she wore/would have worn or was that his fantasy dress for her?

While watching Liz sit there alone, watching all the others dance together, I (along with, I’m sure, all the other Dreamers) was wishing that Max would suddenly appear and ask her to dance. And then, lo and behold, there he was! (sigh)

Isabel: It was really nice of Isabel to help Traci with her dress and her wedding. I also liked that little touch, where Isabel refers to Michael as a prince, when telling Dave who the room belonged to. Did anyone else think there were pieces missing from their conversation? I was really surprised that she agreed to go to his room though. I think that was taking the “let’s throw caution to the wind” attitude of the vacation a little too far. Thank goodness she came to her senses. She took to being someone else (Brandy) readily and easily, but discovered she couldn’t be anyone but herself.

I thought it was a bit much of her to expect sympathy from Alex for her aloneness. If she hadn’t dumped him, she wouldn’t be alone, and she wants him to feel sorry for her! Alex came through as usual, being the sweet, sensitive guy that he is.

Jim: Way to go Jim, and kudos to Bill for his performance! I just LOVED that scene where they come back into the suite all happy and giddy and Jim is waiting for them; and then reads them the riot act! Can you imagine what he went through, thinking some catastrophe had befallen all of them!? Loved that he included Tess, and more importantly, that she listened and left with him. I felt a little sorry for them though, that he was going to report their actions to their parents, because they had been through a lot and needed a break. However, they did make some very poor choices and shouldn’t be led to believe that their special circumstances, puts them above the law. Unfortunately, the one who needs the discipline/guidance the most, is the only one without a parent. Jim, please take note of my comments re Michael! So, did Max not include Kyle’s name on the debate team list, or was Jim just smart enough to know that Kyle, and the others, were not on the debate team? Will their parents ever believe anything they tell them again? Oh, and Bill – looking gooood! I just love you in leather.

General:
Majandra/Maria did a good job on the recap at the beginning of the episode, but I’m not sure I like that approach of having a character speak directly to the audience. It works for comedies but not as well for dramas.

I was surprised that no one seemed to think it odd that Michael was throwing away $50,000! Even Max only made a faint attempt at talking him out of it. I also was surprised that none of them, except Liz, thought it odd that Vegas was the destination. The main attraction of Vegas is to gamble. Even though there are other things to do, I don’t think most teens would choose to go there unless they were accompanying their parents on a family vacation. Or, they were planning on using fake IDs to gamble themselves, which our little gang seems to have had no problem doing. I’m really beginning to worry about the morals of our little troop.

What we’ve learned: Braveheart is Michael’s favorite movie.

Favorite Lines:

Michael: No lecturing, no moralizing, no whining about spending the money on the homeless. This weekend is about fun and debauchery. You got it?

Liz: Yes. I know how to have fun.

Michael: Right!

Maria: I was auditioning to be a STRIPPER! Little innocent me.

Michael: You get the job?

Michael: This is a private conversation!

Michael: I’m still trying to get an accurate body count. (Was that a “tip of the hat” to Scott O’Callaghan’s Roswell body count?)

Jim: Tess, don’t make me come back there!

#216 Heart Of Mine – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Max is spending more time with Tess, and connecting to his alien side, causing a distancing between himself and Liz; so Liz turns to Sean.

Subplot: The advent of the Junior/Senior Prom gives the kids a chance to behave like normal teenagers.

I am numb from disappointment. The WB touted this as the relationship episode we had all been clamoring for, but obviously they do not have a clue as to what it is we are asking for! I recently said, in a discussion with fellow Roswellians, that it should be mandatory for the writers to watch all the season 1 episodes, so they would know what these characters mean to each other, and us. I think that should apply to TPTB at the WB as well. Although maybe it wouldn’t make any difference because Jason Katims himself wrote this episode, and if he doesn’t know these characters (I’m beginning to suspect he does not see the characters the same way as the fans do) then we’re lost. I was trying to relate the title “Heart of Mine” to what took place in the episode but I couldn’t find any “heart” in it. They chose to pair up the characters with the least amount of chemistry and break apart those who’s chemistry lights up the screen. No wonder this episode had no magic, no spark, no anything but disappointment. Was it that I was anticipating too much after such a long break, or was it, at least partly, that the actors had no enthusiasm for what they were doing? Maybe because it kills them to have their characters do and say these things, or, maybe they just don’t care anymore. And if they don’t care, how can I? I finally realized the title was somewhat appropriate because this heart of MINE is breaking. The only tears that stung my eyes, were for the sorrow I felt that my love for this show is dying. There are still a few burning embers, the light hasn’t gone out completely, I’m sure the passion can be resurrected, but not if the episodes continue on this path.

Liz: When they opened with Liz’s journal entry, my heart soar; I was sooo glad they brought it back!

I use to think I knew these characters, that I could figure out why they did the things they did, could predict how they might react to certain situations, but Liz is not behaving the way I anticipated at all. I’m having trouble understanding her. It’s all contradictions. She was strong enough to tell Max that he should be with Tess, to fulfill his destiny, but not strong enough to watch it happen. This is understandable but it’s unfair of her to tell Max how much pain she is in because of seeing him with Tess, at the same time she is telling him they have to admit that it’s over between them. He’s in pain too and knowing that his actions are hurting Liz, hurts him even more. She’s asking him to say he doesn’t love her anymore, thinking that will set her free, but even if he did say it (it would never happen but even if it did) she would still love him so she would never be free. I suspect what she really wants is for him to keep telling her that no matter how much she pushes him away he will never stop loving her, and wanting her, and trying to convince her that there is no other woman for him but her (or is that just what I want!). I thought he was going to say it but instead he believed her spoken words instead of the feelings behind them. And I don’t get that. I thought that the connections they made in season 1, helped them see into each others souls, to know deep down how they felt about each other. Words cannot subdue that knowledge.

I thought Liz’ “enthusiasm” when Max told her he was remembering his [other] home planet, rang false, which surprised me because I thought she would be much happier for him and more interested than she appeared. Granted, she doesn’t really want him to remember his past life with Tess, but, as a scientist, you would think she would want to hear every last detail.

Pairing Liz with Sean is beyond belief! There is zero chemistry and zero reasoning for her to go to him for solace. And how could she tell Maria that she “could meet another guy” when she knows, and admitted so to Future Max, that no one can replace Max in her heart, they would always be second best. And there’s no way she could believe that Max “could meet another girl” and want to be with her. The ONLY reason he is not with her is that she forced him away so that he would fulfill his destiny to be with Tess. His meeting someone else, and wanting to be with her, is so far out there, that Liz must be losing it to even mention the possibility.

It didn’t seem appropriate to me that Liz was dancing with Maria like she was having a wonderful time, right after telling Max how much emotional pain she was in.

Liz must be an orphan now. I gave up awhile ago lamenting the absence of the parents but, come on, their daughter’s prom night and they are not there to take a picture!?

Max: I was glad that they finally touched upon the memory retrieval process that Tess mentioned many episodes ago in the season opener. However, if Tess is the only one helping Max “retrieve” these “memories”, can we really trust that they are real? Did he really love her in their past life, as opposed to it being a political marriage? Are those feelings resurfacing and are they conflicting with his feelings for Liz? Or is Tess manipulating his feelings, like she did once before? There is no passion, no chemistry when they kiss; I don’t feel any love.

I loved Max’ smile when Liz told him she had bought her Prom dress well in advance.

I was disappointed that they didn’t show us any of what Max was remembering about his [other] home planet. It would have been nice if they at least gave us a flash of the three moons.

Michael: Michael agreed to see other people much too quickly; who else would he see? The minute they showed him with Juanita, the first thought that came to me was that she’s giving him dancing lessons so he can surprise Maria, but then I thought “Nah – too cliché, they are much more imaginative than that. (Overestimating them, once again.) However, it was very sweet of him to do that. I just loved his reaction/response when Maria called herself stupid for not trusting him.

Does Michael really want to know what the “chicks’ look like on his [other] home planet? He must realize they won’t look human! Actually, I’m surprised he hasn’t asked Tess to help him “remember”. He’s the one who most wants to know about his alien life.

Kyle: I couldn’t believe it when they had Kyle say he thought of Tess as a sister. I kept screaming No, No, No!!! Not only is it unbelievable, based on the looks he’s given her in the past, but once again, they are taking a pairing that works magic, on so many levels, and destroying it. The only thing I had to look forward to this season was the sexually charged bickering between Kyle and Tess, and now I won’t even have that! They are just sucking all the romance out of this show!!

Alex: Alex/Colin looked exceptionally cute in this episode, and he was so right about not falling into that trap again, not wanting to become Isabel’s doormat. I really like this more self assured Alex. He and Isabel are very sweet together and make very good friends, but I don’t think there’s enough sexual chemistry between these two characters for anything more than friendship.

Isabel: I thought it was rather selfish of Isabel to coerce Alex into asking her to the Prom, after he just finished telling her how hard it would be for him, and then exacerbating the situation by kissing him, but I wasn’t surprised. It was something Isabel might do because she can be self involved at times.

So Isabel is now a senior and the rest are juniors, even though they were in the same classes in season 1. Or did she immerse herself in her schoolwork so much this year, in between fighting evil aliens, that she finished a year ahead of everyone else? Why wouldn’t Max and Michael do the same? Is there a reason they have accelerated her education? Will she be going off to college (so she can do movies)? She told Alex that “no one” else knew she had graduated, does that include Max, Diane and Phillip?

Sean: They won’t tell us what Sean did to be sent to juvie but, if he has to stay 1,000 feet away from schools, that screams selling drugs to kids. Will that become a factor later on? Will Liz be implicated (guilt by association) and will Max have to come to her rescue?

General: What we’ve learned: The aliens kiss, they swim, they have parties (in addition to weddings) and their water is thicker than ours. I wonder if that’s just the water they swim in or if it includes their drinking water?

Favorite Lines:

Michael: Transient, fleeting, impermanent. I know what ephemeral means Maxwell. It’s my life.

#217 Cry Your Name – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: The death of Alex, in a car accident, is devastating to all, but Liz refuses to believe it was an accident (or suicide, as Jim thinks it may be). She believes he was murdered.

I prefer to remain spoiler free but I was accidentally told about Alex’ death in February. My initial reaction, of course, was shock. I had to fight back the tears that were stinging my eyes. To my plaintive “WHY! Why would they do such a thing!”, my friend answered that Colin wanted out of his contract. I shot back “They could have just sent him back to Sweden. They didn’t have to KILL him!”, and I still feel that way. Since I had two months to prepare for this episode (and after Heart of Mine, being somewhat disenchanted with the series), I felt I would be able to watch without too much devastation. I was wrong; oh so wrong! My heart was breaking not only for the loss of a wonderful character, but also for how it affected the other characters. As heart-wrenching as this show was, it reminded me of the old Roswell, because it made me truly care what was happening to the characters – I could feel their pain. The characters were speaking to me, once again. I’m not sure how coherent these musings will be. I was crying too hard, and too much, to focus on what was being said and any underlying meaning that was there. I can barely get through this review without tearing up again.

Alex: God, I’m going to miss this character so much. He was so funny, touching, sweet, caring, insightful (this is who Liz should have been going to for consolation, not Sean!) and cute. The retrospective clips, while Liz was sorting through the pictures, were so poignant. It was great to see all these wonderful scenes again (especially the strip tease dance) but so sad that there will be no more. Also, because there wasn’t any dialogue, we missed hearing all those wonderful lines Colin delivered with perfection.

I think we can agree Alex’ behavior with the pizza guy was extremely odd, and so not like Alex, but I have to admit that it never occurred to me, until Liz mentioned Kivar, that he was probably possessed by an alien. The question is – why? And, are the other humans in the group next? A very chilling prospect. Alex said to Kyle, in How The Other Half Lives “We not only met aliens, but they killed us. How many people can say that?” Prophetic? Then again, since no time passed between his being with the girls and being with the pizza guy, he would have had to have been possessed when he was with the girls and on the phone talking to Isabel. So, why didn’t he behave strangely then? If the alien wanted people to think he was suicidal, he should have acted strangely in front of friends, not strangers.

When Alex picked up Leana’s picture, I wondered who he wanted more. Although he loves Isabel, basically worshipped the ground she walked on, it was Leana, not Isabel, that helped him achieve more of his potential and feel good about himself. She touched something inside of him. His conflict between the two would have made a great story line, but now we will never know.

Liz: Everyone grieves in their own way and I was glad that they showed the different approaches. I loved that Liz never stopped believing in Alex and that she focused her grieving on clearing his name. However, I was very unhappy that she unleashed her repressed anger out on Max. Telling him that, if Alex was killed by an alien, it would be Max’ fault, was hitting way below the belt and completely uncalled for. Yes, knowing them has put the humans in danger, but it was their decision to stay and face the danger. They knew they may pay with their lives. This is not to say that 16 and 17 year olds are mature enough to make those kinds of decisions but the Royal Four never coerced them. In fact, Max tried on many occasions to keep Liz, and the others, out of his problems. He never wanted them to get involved to the point they were in danger. They volunteered. Liz herself insisted, telling Max “We are a part of this now.” in 285 South, “You should let me in, Max.” in Into The Woods, etc. Alex knew the risks and he told Kyle that his experiences with the aliens had been one hell of a ride. He asked Kyle “You really want to step out of this cave if it meant you were gonna be another dumb jock?” and Kyle replies “You know what, I wouldn’t.” I understand Liz is in pain, but that was a very cruel blow, to Max and Isabel, who are both feeling shades of responsibility. I felt so sorry for The Royal Four. They have never done anything but help the humans, and they already feel guilty for the danger they have brought to Earth, and now their best friends are turning on them, making them feel even more guilty. Best friends are supposed to be there for you in the bad times – that’s when you find out who your true friends are. I don’t believe Liz isn’t a true friend. I feel, even though she’s in pain, it’s still out of character for her to accuse Max like that. Part of it may be her own guilt. I think Liz blames herself as well, because if Max hadn’t saved her life then, if it was an alien that killed Alex, he would still be alive.

When Max came out of the van and Isabel ran off crying and Liz stoically agreed with Tess that he should go to her, I was saying “No, Max, no!” As much as Isabel needed him, Liz needed him more. Her strength was just a facade. She had been closer to Alex than anyone, and a piece of her died along with him. That’s why I was really glad that she went to Max for comfort but I was wishing she had said “I need you” instead of “I don’t want to be alone”. I also loved the bonding between Max and Liz reminiscing over Alex’ antics in school. Too bad it was spoiled by bringing up Tess. I’m having a hard time understanding Liz’ behavior. Her tone, when she speaks to him about Tess, implies that she thinks it’s all his fault. Yes, she’s in pain, yes it’s hard to watch Max with Tess, but she’s the one who told him he had to be with her. And let us not forget that in Heat Wave Max said to Liz “Liz, I think that what I’m afraid of isn’t that we try this and it works out really badly. What I’m afraid of is we try it and it works out really well. I’m afraid of feeling everything that I know I would feel. Because I know it’s not meant to be. And somewhere down the line, we’re gonna get hurt. I can live with that. I just couldn’t bear to hurt you.” Liz responded “But that’s not your decision, is it?” She made the decision; she has no right to blame Max, he has been nothing but honest with her. Supposedly, according to Future Max, Liz became, once again, her old loving self, but we, and Present day Max, never got to see that. It’s all been about her pain; she has no room for Max’ pain. This is not the Liz I thought I knew from Season 1. (psst, Liz, mean people suck!) It’s almost as if TPTB are trying to make us dislike Liz, the way they have portrayed her this season. What a switch; we’re supposed to dislike Liz and like Tess. What’s up with that? Is there a point to it, or are they just manipulating us? Or have I been reading Liz wrong all along? Was she never as strong ,loyal and loving as I thought she was? At least she finally admitted she wants to be his friend, even if they are not together, but, based on the promos for next week, it seems like it’s just a set up.

Liz was too light and dismissive about Tess when Maria brought it up. Maria and Alex are the very people she should open up to and talk to about her feelings in this matter. If she did, maybe she wouldn’t be so caustic to Max.

On a lighter note, when Max asked “How does frozen macaroni and cheese sound?” my first thought was “disgusting”, especially since she had been dry retching just prior. But perhaps it’s comfort food for some.

When Mr Whitman told Liz how much she and Maria meant to Alex I expected her to reply “We thought the world of Alex”. Mr Whitman would have liked to hear that.

Liz was sooo cute when she was miming to Alex to “stay strong”.

Max: I loved that they had Max and Michael debating the merits of a movie. We don’t get to see them discussing every day things very often. It was a perfect analogy too, with Michael choosing The Matrix and Max choosing Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (great movie btw).

When Liz brought up Max kissing Tess, I wanted him to explain why he kissed Tess and was disappointed that he didn’t. It’s understandable that he would succumb to her advances at that time. He had just been hurt, to the quick, once more by Liz, and someone he had once loved (real or not) was offering comfort. That would be difficult to resist. But did he reflect on what he did, and why, later? Did he compare what he feels for Tess (real or not) for what he feels for Liz (very real)? Does he even wonder if what he feels for Tess is real or forced (either by Tess’s mind warp or by genetic engineering). If he has those doubts, he should have mentioned them to Liz or she will think that what they had was not real. His not saying anything tells her he has moved on, which would never happen if what they had was real. Yes, he could force himself to mate with Tess, for the good of his people, but he would never stop loving Liz and he could never love Tess as he loves Liz. We only get one soul mate in life.

I found it interesting that they touched upon Max having qualms about touching Alex. Many people would find it very disturbing to touch a dead (probably mangled) body covered in blood, and to see a friend in that condition would be doubly hard, but I bet very few of us gave that a second’s thought when Max went in the van, alone, to try to bring Alex back. Sometimes I think we expect too much from him. It’s good the writers remind us that, although he has superior abilities, he is just a kid and he’s half human.

Isabel: Isabel’s dreams affected me the most. Especially the one where she begs Alex “Please don’t go” and he responds “I’m already gone”. A whole new set of tears came flooding out. I began to fear I would run out of tissues, long before I ran out of tears.

Isabel’s response to her mother, that special powers don’t help, was especially poignant.

I find it a little hard to believe that Isabel never told her parents or Max about early graduation until now. When Liz hears about her going to San Francisco, will she say anything about them having to stay together to prevent the end of the world?

Michael: I just loved the whole Amy/Michael scene and that she got to see his softer side. I was really impressed with the way Michael rallied to Maria’s side and was there for her when she needed him the most. Which was why I was so shocked that he just abandoned her, so abruptly, in the end. I found that whole us vs them ending very disturbing.

Jim/Kyle: I though it was a bit trite to have it be Kyle’s birthday, and they never really went anywhere with it. But Jim handled it as best as something like that could be handled.

BTW, are we supposed to assume that Jim got his job back?

Favorite Lines:

Max: You simply can’t prefer Keanu Reeves to Michelle Yeoh. You can’t. I won’t let you.

Amy: Welcome, on the couch.

#218 It’s Too Late & It’s Too Bad – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Liz continues her investigation into Alex’ death, and discovers that Alex’ trip to Sweden was more than what it seemed.

Subplot: Michael gets in touch with his human side and makes a promise to Maria.

Max and Liz are at each other’s throat; Max and Isabel are at each other’s throat; Max and Tess are lovers; Michael and Maria are the voice of reason?! Welcome to Roswell’s alternate universe. A topsy turvy world where everything is backwards and confusing and most of all – wrong. I want the old Roswell BACK! There is too much anger, too much angst, in this season’s Roswell, without the underlying love and friendship of season 1. Liz’ investigation, and the clues she’s finding would be a lot more interesting, a lot more fun, if they were ALL doing it together; like the old days. The only really good part of this episode was Michael and Maria.

Michael: Michael is getting in touch with his human side and is becoming more reasonable, sweet and romantic. [Could he be any sweeter! He’s been so caring and attentive to Maria and Amy. Perhaps Michael is having second thoughts about his alien side, because he has had a taste of being truly needed, as a human, by Maria and Amy, and enjoys it. And his speech to Maria just blew me away – although I wanted him to add that, when the time came for him to leave, he hoped she would want to go with him.

I liked that Michael was concerned for Liz’ safety, as his reason for not wanting her to continue her investigation, but it’s not exactly the first time she, or the others, have risked their lives.

I was glad that Michael noticed that Max was not being reasonable by not considering the possibility that Liz is right about an alien being involved in Alex’ death, and that he said so to him.

Michael REALIZING that Isabel shouldn’t make decisions when her emotions are running high was AMAZING! Isabel’s come back – “Isn’t that how you make ALL your decisions?” – was priceless! Touché Isabel! Michael blew it, saying he was speaking for Max. Knowing that she was defying Max, he should have said he was speaking for the GROUP, and that she had been overruled.

I KNEW, the minute Michael walked in and saw Amy fussing with the disposal, that he would use his powers to fix it. It was so sweet of him to let her think she did it. Can we assume he “fixed” it like new, so she won’t have any more problems with it? Hope that doesn’t cause any suspicions.

Max: I thought is was great of Max to extend the first olive branch to Liz, when he said he could forgive her awful accusations because of the state of mind she was in and I felt so sorry for him when she broke the branch.

While Michael is getting in touch with his human side, Max is getting in touch with his alien side, and is becoming more unreasonable and demanding. Max should know better than to try to order Liz to do things. He, of all people, knows that people who need to be in control, do not take orders from others. To get them to do what you want, you have to make them believe it’s the right thing to do. Reason with them, cajole them, sweet talk them, but never ORDER them. The hackles will be raised, they’ll stick in their heels, stand their ground, not budging an inch. Granted, Liz wasn’t being receptive to reason, but he should have tried cajoling and sweet talking, before ordering her. Where are the leadership qualities he displayed in season 1? He should be improving with experience, not getting worse! Also, the old Max would have followed Liz to the airport.

Max should have reminded Isabel that she cannot run from who she is. That leaving Roswell will not take away her responsibilities and the war [translation: end of the world] will find her, no matter where she is. He would have been more effective if he told Isabel that her leaving might put their parents’ lives in jeopardy. However, then that would mean Max would have to admit that, not only might he be somewhat connected to Alex’ death, but that all the other humans in his life could be next.

My stomach started churning when I saw Max rubbing Tess’ feet! I don’t remember him ever doing that for Liz; at least not that we saw. It’s just a good thing they warned us in advance (via promos) about the coupling between Max and Tess; otherwise, I would have tossed my cookies! Hmmm, wonder why they had to cut so far away? Could it be there isn’t enough chemistry for close-ups? Did anyone else get the impression they were using stand-ins for the wide shot? Does Max equate mating with Tess as accepting his alien side? Does he think he couldn’t do it any other way? Was it the rejection from Isabel and Liz that made him vulnerable to Tess’ advances? Or, does he just not realize he’s being controlled by Tess?

Max seems to still be in denial, but I’m wondering how much of that is Tess’ influence. He says home is just a dream to him, that he can’t touch. Maybe because his memories of it AREN’T REAL!

Why would Max just “lately” be thinking Michael was right? They learned he was right in Destiny – almost a year ago.

Liz: She is so focused on her “mission” that she’s not thinking clearly. She’s being methodical in looking for clues but not being rational in her attempts to get them. It was extremely selfish of her to cajole Sean into helping her break into the school. She knows he’s smitten with her, and would therefore take the risk, and he had a lot more to lose than she did. She can’t find the Olson’s by phone, but she thinks she can just hop on a plane, to a foreign country that she’s never been to before, and find them? She won’t even listen to what anyone else has to say and she doesn’t try to explain her findings – she tries to cram them down their throats! This is not the level-headed, reasonable Liz we knew. I’m beginning to think that she too is possessed. If not by an alien, then by obsession! I admire Liz’ tenacity and loyalty to Alex, but if she wasn’t being so strident, she would be able to convince others, and then she wouldn’t be fighting this fight alone.

Liz told Max that she doesn’t regret what she said, because it was true. Which part of what she said was she referring to – that Alex was killed by an alien or that Max was responsible, or both? She may be “calmer” now but she’s just as insensitive.

When Liz told Max “Let go of me!”, I was wondering if Max was thinking “Did I ever REALLY know you, because you’re NOT the Liz I fell in love with.” Max was showing her that he was willing to be reasonable and listen to her, and she wasn’t even willing to discuss it with him.

Doesn’t it occur to Liz that Sean has not changed his bad boy ways if he has burglary tools!? Where did he get the keys? Were they master keys from a locksmith? It was really chivalric of him to take the blame for her, but he should have tried talking her out of it to begin with, not help her. I was just as disappointed as Maria that Liz hadn’t made any effort to help him.

Did Liz know that Isabel was planning on leaving? If so, and Max wasn’t able to prevent it, would Liz have revealed what she knew?

17 letters and 3 spaces – grasping at straws or brilliant deduction?

Isabel: I was glad that Isabel got past her guilt enough to admit the possibility that an alien could be involved and that they should look into it.

I was surprised that Isabel believed Max. She should have realized that he never would have said those things about her, [I’m amazed he even thought of them] but it did show how desperate he was to keep her from going. Then again, I keep forgetting, this is the alternate Roswell universe; maybe he would do something that despicable.

I can’t believe Isabel used her powers so flippantly (no pun intended). Like people wouldn’t wonder about that guy slamming into the lockers, no matter what explanation was given.

Isabel “plays” the part of the model citizen; that’s not the same as making extreme sacrifices for a greater cause. Isabel has always tried to ignore her alien side, except for recreational purposes, and pretend that she is human. Alex’ death reminded her that life is short and she wants to experience as much of it as possible. However, Isabel is in denial if she thinks she can live a normal human life and fight an alien war at the same time. Is that what happened to Vilandra? Was she not willing to make the sacrifices [giving up her lover] needed to win the war? Is history repeating itself? Will Isabel come to her senses once she is past the grieving stage?

Tess: I was really beginning to like Tess this season, but all my former feelings of ill ease and mistrust resurfaced in this episode, starting with her putting her arm around Max’ waist and giving that furtive look at Isabel and Michael. All kinds of alarms started going off in my head [danger Max Evans, danger Max Evans!].

How does she always know where to find him? Does she follow him? Is she linking with him telepathically, without his knowledge? But, if she had that ability, she would have used it in The White Room.

Maria: I was glad that Maria reminded Liz that she hasn’t been there for her and that her all consuming quest has been hurtful to others.

I understand that Maria was afraid of losing Michael, like she just lost Alex, and it was the grief and anxiety talking, but my first reaction was – gheese Maria, give the guy a break; when you’re not harping on him about everything he does wrong, you’re telling him to STOP being a perfect boyfriend because it will hurt too much when he’s gone. Poor Michael, he just can’t win.

Amy: Amy knew Michael wasn’t talking about the disposal; was she telling him it’s OK to just stick around as long as he can, then leave? She doesn’t know the circumstances of why he would have to leave; doesn’t she care that Maria would be hurt, like she was hurt by Maria’s father? Luckily Michael handled it well.

General: I believe this is the first time the writers have used the term Pod Squad (Maria’s opening comments). Wasn’t that a term coined by a Internet reporter and/or fan of Roswell? Was that a tip of the hat to the fans who gather together on the Internet? Will viewers who don’t visit the Internet sites wonder what she’s talking about?

When “Leanna is not Leanna” flashed on the screen of Alex’ laptop, I’ve got to admit, it took me completely by surprise – it never occurred to me that she might be involved! [bone to pick: I wish they would be more consistent in the spelling of characters’ names! Just last week they spelled her name with one N!]

The building was torn down in 1994. What about that information makes Liz think they weren’t in Sweden? Where does she think they went? Even if they time traveled, they’d still be in Sweden. Why would they pose in front of a building that no longer exists?

Where does Sean get all this money – he has a car, and now flowers for Liz?

Favorite Lines:

Isabel: So I’ll change one dollar bills into hundreds.

Michael: You can do that?

Michael: But there is one thing that I can promise you, and that is…I can give you now. [that’s all anyone can really promise]

#219 Baby, It’s You – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: Maria and Michael join Liz in her investigation and the three discover more than they ever expected.

Subplot: Max makes Tess pregnant from his one night of “hot alien sex”, and the baby is sick.

This is getting interesting! I was really glad they brought up the book again and I can’t wait to hear the translation! OK, this is my theory. The “book” is in code and even Nasedo didn’t know how to decipher it. (That’s the only realistic explanation for him not giving Tess the translation.) Therefore, it’s possible the 5 members of the feuding worlds didn’t know how to decipher it either (although how they got a copy remains a mystery). They assume the book will lead them to the granilith, so they need to decode it. They have been unsuccessful on their home world, and have determined the encryption is somehow linked to Earth, so they decide to have one of their cryptographers on the home world “possess” an Earthling, and have them act as their eyes and legs. They wanted someone who was good with computers, because of the length of time they would need to possess the body. It would take less energy if the subject knew what to do already and just needed to be manipulated. I’m guessing Brody wasn’t available for some reason, so they chose Alex. The evil aliens on Earth, infiltrated the school – remember, it was the guidance counselor who arranged the trip (it seems the guidance counselors at West Roswell High just can’t be trusted! ;-) ) – so they could create an alibi for Alex’ absence. They used some sort of mind warp to simulate a visit to Sweden, and his stay with the Olsens, and to give him false memories. They superimposed him and Leanna/Jennifer into pictures of Sweden to enhance his “memories”. The question is – why kill him? It only brought on suspicion. Did they not figure on Liz’ dogged determination? And, if they planned to kill him from the start, why wouldn’t they have done something to make him seem depressed, upon his return, rather than more self-assured? Or, were they not planning on killing him, but then the false memories starting to fade and they were afraid real ones would surface? Was it just suppose to look like an accident but Alex fought the “possessor”? I don’t do spoilers, so I’m probably way off base, but I think my theory is fairly reasonable. Anyone else have one?

Max: For a young man who just had “hot alien sex”, Max seemed more conflicted than joyful. What a shame his first time couldn’t be with someone he loved. He has to force himself to hold Tess’ hand and put his arm around her. He has no natural tendencies to do so.

When Max first told Isabel about his losing his virginity to Tess, I couldn’t believe he expected her to sympathize with him, after the way he treated her! Is he that self absorbed?

When Max first saw Michael, I thought he was glad for the interruption, so he wouldn’t have to face Tess. But then he tells him he’s talking to Tess, which would make Michael leave (which he did), so I think I was as confused by that scene as Michael was!

OK Max, what happened to the condom you kept in your pocket when you were still chasing Liz? I would have expected a little more responsibility from him. Couldn’t he have at least manipulated something he had with him into a condom? When Max told Michael it was probably a lot like human sex, I was thinking, well Michael doesn’t know what that’s like either! So, do you think Max was exaggerating, like most guys do, when he said “about an hour”? ;-)

When Max started trashing the trash, I was thinking – a little pent-up frustration, Max? but it just broke my heart when he broke down and cried. It was a reminder that he is still a kid and really can’t handle all the responsibility he has. I was really shocked that he was considering moving out and getting a place with Tess; like his parents would EVER let him do that, not going to college, etc. I’m guessing they would/will have Tess move in.

I thought Max was unnecessarily cruel to Liz, when she went to ask Tess about her powers. I wonder if he ever asked her why she didn’t go to Sweden after all?

Kyle: It was really nice to see Kyle and Isabel bonding. I’m surprised he didn’t seek her out sooner, since she does enjoy using her powers for recreational purposes, and he’s all for recreation. Leave it to Kyle to find a perverse use of their powers – Buddha would be so unhappy with him. (Almost as unhappy as being sandwiched between Hustler and Busty Biker Babes!) I know that Isabel can now dreamwalk people when they are awake, which I’m assuming is what they were doing since it wasn’t nighttime, so it made me wonder what Jodi Ann thought about the whole thing. Did she think she was losing it, fantasizing about a perfect stranger!? Still not quite sure how Kyle convinced Isabel to dreamwalk Jodi. How was that fun for her? Oh, and I bet Kyle will be VERY careful not to make Isabel angry! (ZAP!)

Isabel: I would have expected that Isabel’s hurt and anger went deeper than a prank would alleviate, so I was a little surprised she went that route. However, the alien yearbook picture WAS funny and Michael’s remark “Mine sucks too.” was the topper! I’m assuming Michael didn’t actually see Max’ picture, and I do hope that it’s only in Max’ yearbook. Too many questions would get asked if it was in all of them. Curiosity? Why wasn’t Isabel’s picture next to Max’, if they are alphabetical? Do they have a different yearbook for each grade level? Is Isabel in a different grade? (I thought she was just graduating early.)

I was really happy that Isabel and Max apologized to each other (although I noticed, and was disappointed that, he didn’t say he would never have gone through with his threats). I guess Max needed to breakdown and be her “little brother” again, for her to forgive him. However, I was wondering, when she finds out that he wasn’t “going through all that” when he attacked her, will she be angry again? (Maybe just a little?) I loved how she made him feel better by reminiscing about the freak snowstorm when they were little, but, when Isabel made it snow, it made me wonder if the snowfall in A Roswell Christmas Carol was “real” or was it Max?

Liz: I was so glad that Liz finally calmed down enough to convince Maria to join her investigation; they work so well together and it made it a lot more fun.

It was great to see Liz and Maria enjoying the concert, but I was a little surprised there was no mention of how sad it was that Alex wasn’t there to enjoy it with them.

I think Liz would agree with my theory; since she was asking Tess about mind control, she’s probably thinking Alex was possessed.

Maria: I was really glad that Maria joined Liz on her investigation. It was very clever of her to trace the e-mails. I do believe Maria could become a private eye – she has a natural instinct for finding clues!

Maria! Michael says the sweetest thing in the world to you and you don’t even kiss him goodbye!? What’s the matter with you?

Michael: Michael has been just so sweet and heroic and dependable lately; it keeps making me wonder when they are going to have him do something REALLY rash, to make up for it all! Actually, I hope not, because I like sweet, heroic, dependable Michael. I was a little surprised that he didn’t insist on accompanying them to the University in Las Cruces but was very pleased he remedied the situation by showing up later. Typical Michael moment – he wants them to leave until the information gets personal!

He must be feeling pretty good about how his powers are progressing; he really saved the day with that security device.

Two more surprises: Michael playing basketball (I thought he thought the sport was lame), and Michael buying a yearbook, especially a color one since that must have been very expensive; although I never did see either Max or Michael giving a receipt to show they ordered one, but I can’t imagine the school was just giving them away. I was a little surprised to see them in color too; wasn’t last year’s black and white?

Tess: I was a little surprised Tess acted subordinate to Jim, when Max brought her home the next morning. I thought once she got what she wanted (Max), she wouldn’t bother to act like she needed Jim and Kyle anymore. Perhaps her affection for them is real.

Since she didn’t have a mother to tell her what it would feel like to be pregnant, I wonder how she knew, less than 24 hours later?

General: At first when Max was acting happy about the baby, and Tess starting having pains, I thought – how convenient. Then when Max “saw” the baby, and knew it was sick, I thought maybe it was for real, but I haven’t dismissed the possibility that Tess mind warped the baby. Why wouldn’t the baby be able to survive? It just seems like poor planning to want them to mate if their progeny cannot survive in Earth’s atmosphere. And why wouldn’t the baby be a hybrid? It has human DNA from both parents. I’ve got to admit, I loved the little glowing hand part (which, btw, looked very human – 4 fingers and a thumb). At the time, assuming it was a hybrid, I wondered if that was something a normal alien fetus would do or if it was only because it was a hybrid. Now I’m wondering just the opposite; is it a sign that the fetus is a full alien? If Max and Tess can’t have a baby that could survive on Earth, how would Max and Liz or Michael and Maria be able to? I wonder how this will effect Michael and Maria’s relationship and would it hurt Max and Liz’ chances of getting back together?

I couldn’t help wondering where Jim and Kyle were when Max was tending to Tess. Do they know about the baby? And did Jim ever talk to Max later, like he promised/threatened? If he was upset about him keeping her out all night, wait till he hears about the baby!

Is Leanna/Jennifer a Skin or a new type of alien?

Favorite Lines:

Isabel: This may come as a surprise to you, but I really don’t need to see that!

Kyle: Then bring a book!

Michael: So here’s the thing. I’m not gonna tell Max, but I need to know. Because if wherever you’re going turns out to be dangerous, I’m, sure as hell, gonna be there to protect you. (awww, good he get any sweeter!)

Michael: Mine sucks too.

Max: Hot alien sex

Michael: What? Alien herpes?

Isabel: Kyle, if you quote that fat, bald man to me one more time, YOU’RE gonna wake up, one of these mornings – ZAP!

#220 Off The Menu – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: While using a virtual reality simulation program, to try to recall what happened to him when he was abducted to New York, Brody is electrocuted and can suddenly access Larek’s memories. He then takes hostages in the UFO Center, demanding the truth from Max.

Now I know why they didn’t show this episode right after the hiatus, followed by Heart of Mine. They were afraid that if we saw those two episodes, one right after the other, we may not have returned for any others! I think I can safely say that this was one of my LEAST favorite episodes of the series! It seems the only point of this episode was to tell us about the Trithium Amplification Generator [TAG] pentagon device, and to set up the reason for Max getting to know Tess better and Liz going out with Sean. Let’s start with Liz dating Sean. How lame could we get. Like Sean would give up an opportunity to sue a multi-millionaire for assault, for one date with Liz! If Tess could wipe out Amy’s memories of the event, why didn’t she do the same with Sean? It’s not like they can trust him to remain quiet (Max didn’t even trust him not to kill Brody). Speaking of Tess wiping out Amy’s memories – how long will that last?

And, I find Brody/Larek’s memories of Tess, dubious. First, he didn’t have these “memories” until after Tess’ “failed” attempt to mind warp him and second, when Max “saw” the memories, Max/Zan and Tess/Ava were in their human form. Larek wouldn’t have memories of them together, on their home planet, in HUMAN form! If the memories are supposed to be real, then they blew it by making them human; if they were implanted by Tess, then Max should have realized something was wrong when he saw them. And if Max loved Tess so much, when he was Zan and she was Ava, why isn’t there any chemistry between them now? Tess said what he feels for Liz is what he used to feel for her; I don’t buy that for a minute. Max and Liz are soul mates. When you meet your soul mate, you KNOW. If he and Tess were soul mates, he would have known the first time they kissed. But there are no natural feelings of affection. He has to CONVINCE himself that there is something there, for duty’s sake.

Brody: When Brody was trying to get Max to leave, I thought he had a lady friend with him (and I was hoping it was NOT Maria!). I don’t understand why he felt he had to hide the simulator from Max. I thought he thought of Max as a kindred spirit.

Max’ “healing” erased not only Larek’s memories but also the ones he got back with the simulator (of Nicholas and Max). Like Tess’ mind warp, I wonder how long it will last. And, what will keep him from getting a new simulator and doing it all again?

When Brody shot at Max, simply because he suspected Max was an alien involved with his abduction, it reminded me of when Max, Michael and Isabel went to kill Brody, simply because they suspected he was an alien – what goes around, comes around. Actually, I was surprised by Brody’s reaction. He admitted that the aliens cured his cancer, and he knew and trusted Max, so if he suspected Max was involved why wouldn’t he ask him how he did it, and whether he saved his daughter too? You would think Brody, of all people, would suspect a connection and, because they had done good things for him, would not be quite as fearful. He strikes me as the inquisitive kind. I would have thought he would want to ask Max a ton of questions, not kill him immediately.

At first I wondered why Brody wouldn’t be suspicious of Maria telling Liz to take the Galaxy Sub with Pepperjack off the menu? He knows he always orders it and she always delivers it. But then it seemed they were giving him selective memory, as the evening wore on, until he couldn’t even remember he had a daughter. Not quite sure what they were implying there. Was Larek’s personality taking over?

As I was watching, knowing that none of this was mentioned by Amy and Sean in future episodes, I began to think it would turn out that this was all a dream Brody was having and he’d wake up thinking “What the h***!” I think MY solution was better!

Good thing Brody can’t shoot straight. Five shots at Michael and Isabel, and they ALL missed!

Sean: I’m confused by Sean’s injury. It seemed pretty serious at first, but when they were locked in Brody’s office, he seemed to be moving around just fine (Amy wasn’t very sympathetic towards him either). And, I don’t remember them bandaging the wound, so why didn’t he bleed on the Geroge W T-Shirt? Also, if it IS serious enough to need medical attention, aren’t doctors required to report stab wounds? How will he explain it?

Jim: So, it appears Agent Duff never got him his job back. I wonder what he’s been doing for income. However, it seems he’s able to just waltz into the Sheriff’s Dept and take whatever he wants. I was rather surprised that Hanson (who’s such a stickler for rules) didn’t take the surveillance equipment back from him, with a stern warning about appropriating government property! But then it seems Hanson is having trouble adjusting to their new roles.

I was a little surprised that Jim willingly let Liz go into such a dangerous situation, and also surprised that she seemed more EXCITED about it than nervous.

Jim said when the electricity went out, it automatically locked the UFO Center doors – so how did Amy, Maria and Sean get in? Michael had to use his powers, Liz had to be buzzed in.

Max: When Max called out for Sean to stop, my first thought was “What are you doing? Are you trying to get Sean killed?”, then I thought “Did he think Sean was going to kill Brody?”, which was later confirmed by Max, but I never felt that was Sean’s intent. I’m curious if others felt like Max or me. We know how Liz felt, and, I have to admit, this time she was right when she said it was Max’ fault that Sean got hurt.

How did Max know that the aliens used the unused portions of a human’s brain when they possess them? Rath never explained it in such detail, to our knowledge.

I was wishing Max was able to find the words to describe how he felt about Liz, so Tess would know she’s wasting her time; she will never be more than second best, if that.

Not used to hearing Max whistle. Was he remembering his time in Vegas, dancing with Liz?

Tess: Why didn’t Tess immediately try to mind warp Brody into thinking there was a commotion elsewhere or something, rather than expecting Max to deal with it and, thereby, having to reveal his powers? Granted, the mind warp didn’t work later (supposedly), but she didn’t know that then.

General: Why would Ralph the electrician know more about a blackout than the Dept of Water and POWER?

I guess we can equate cooking by alien powers as cooking by microwave. Isabel uses her powers all the time to cook and heat up food, but even she thought the burger was nasty, and that is one thing microwaves really can’t cook – a good hamburger!

I was really glad they brought up the TAG device again. So now it has a name, we know it is definitely not harmful to humans, and that it is not tuned to one particular alien – In Ask Not, Brody must have turned it on, when Michael broke into the UFO Center and was disabled by it, and it was off when Max was in the room with it. The question is, did Brody turn it on accidentally at that time, or was Larek in control then?

I was wondering why Michael thought Max would leave work early, just because of a blackout, so I was glad that Isabel agreed with me.

Favorite Lines:

Liz: That was weird.

Michael: What was?

Liz: Maria just hung up on me.

Michael: Happens to me all the time.

Michael: I think Vegas loosened him up.

Isabel: Michael, the guy irons his jeans!

#221 The Departure – Review

Musings by Joan Pickering

Main Plot: The Royal Four need to get Tess home to save the baby, but once they activate the granilith they only have 24 hours to say goodbye to all the people they love, knowing they will never see them again, since it’s a one way ticket home.

Subplot: Alex’ killer is still at large and may strike again if not stopped.

Ding dong the b***h is gone,
the b***h is gone,
the b***h is gone,
Ding dong the evil b***h is gone! ¯
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. ;-)

I suspected Tess of manipulating Max, and I didn’t trust her, but I have to admit I didn’t think she had killed Alex. I realized it the second she stopped Kyle from leaving her room to tell his dad. My reaction was Oh my God, TESS killed Alex! You b***h!!. I do hope we get more explanation, somehow, of how she pulled if off because there are a lot of unanswered questions. How did Tess arrange for Alex to be at the University? How could she keep him and Leanna under control from so far away and for so long? She’s always said she can only do if for short periods. Was she lying then? Are her powers stronger than we were led to believe? The mind warp taxes her strength too, so why wasn’t she feeling the affects? I think she must have an accomplice, but who? Nicholas? Lonnie and Rath? Why didn’t she mind warp Liz to stop her investigation? Did she want Liz to find the translation so they wouldn’t wonder how Tess got it? I should think her saying she suddenly “remembered” how to read it would have been better than risking Liz discovering who killed Alex.

Michael/Maria: Well, what can I say? I was blubbering like a fool over the whole “I want you to see me” scene, with Michael finally opening up to Maria! I was so glad that he finally admitted that he wanted Maria to “see” him like she had allowed him to “see” her. I know I’ll be wearing a hole in my tape from rewatching this scene over and over and over and over… This is, hands down, my favorite scene of season 2. (The one from Independence Day is still my favorite of the series – what is it about Michael crying that gets to me so much?!) Kudos to Brendan for playing this scene so well! Oh, and something tells me that Italian dinner went to waste, but that was so sweet of him. Although I love it when Michael gets sentimental, I do hope they don’t get too lovey dovey; I love it when the sparks are flying as well! ;-)

I absolutely loved that Michael wasn’t able to go through with it. I wonder if Maria will be conflicted. On the one hand she should be ecstatic that Michael loves her so much that he would make such a supreme sacrifice – giving up what he assumes is his one and only chance to go home – to be with her. On the other hand, will she feel she’s not worthy of that much love and devotion? Does she love him as much? I was a little disappointed that she didn’t even broach the subject of going with him.

I was also very disappointed that they consummated their love at such a young age. I understood why Michael did it, and I was a little upset he didn’t tell her he was leaving first and then see if she still wanted to proceed to that stage. It would have been a little more reasonable then, for her to want to as well. When he told her he was leaving and she said “I know” I thought she meant she knew he was leaving imminently. It would have made sense. When he made the connection with her, that was what was foremost on his mind and he wasn’t holding anything back, so she should have sensed it then. And her deciding she wanted to make love to him, for him to be her first, and not wanting to lose this opportunity forever, would have made sense. Anyway, I do hope Michael took his own advice to Max, and was “smart enough” to use protection!

Got a chuckle out of Michael cutting in on Maria’s intro, and taking credit as usual!

I was a little disappointed that Michael didn’t hug Jim (or at least shake his hand). I thought they had bonded, at least a little, in Skin and Bones.

Max/Liz: I was glad that Liz finally told Max that she didn’t really feel he was responsible for Alex’ death, but I was wishing she had apologized for making him think she did.

I felt so sorry for Liz, having to take in so much bad news at once – the fact that Max had sex with Tess (I KNEW she’d be crushed that he lost his virginity to Tess), the baby (I was a little surprised that Michael never said anything to Maria, who would have said something to Liz), the baby being sick (Liz would feel bad about that for Max’ sake) and then the worst news of all, Max leaving for good! I was surprised she held it together as well as she did.

I was also surprised that she didn’t want to spend every last possible minute with him before he left. Even if she was hurt by all the things he said, he’s still the love of her life and she thinks she’s never going to see him again. I was shocked that she got out of the jeep and walked into the Crashdown. Granted if she had stayed with him, she never would have found out about Tess, but they could have found some way for Kyle to figure it out on his own (you see Maria should have been with Michael till the last minute too!), and then come save the day!

I was devastated that she ran to Sean! Thank God she came to her senses before it was too late.

I found Liz’ slip about SAVING herself for Max interesting. That’s different than saying she wouldn’t be with anyone else but him; that would mean she would rather remain chaste than be with anyone else. But she said she was SAVING herself for HIM, which means she thought they would be together some day soon. Has she been in denial all this time? Telling Max they can’t be together, that he has to be with Tess, pretending to be sleeping with Kyle; obviously she was hoping he would ignore all that and insist that he and she HAD to be together. I was disappointed that she didn’t mention Future Max at that point. What was there to lose if he was leaving? She said in Wipeout that she didn’t want to die without letting Max know the truth – well, if she let him leave without telling him it would be the same thing. It’s not just the fact that she didn’t sleep with Kyle that he should learn, but also that all those horrible things she said to him, like not being willing to die for him, were lies.

Why did Liz ask Kyle “how much further” when on the way to the pod chamber? She’s been there before, not him. Shouldn’t it have been him asking her?

I was disappointed that when Liz asked Max if he loved Tess, he qualified his answer by saying “Not like I love you.” Did that mean he thought he loved Tess a little? (retching! Must have been a mind warp!) And after waiting so long for them to kiss, the lack of passion was a bit of a letdown; the sadness making it bittersweet.

Now that Tess is no longer there to manipulate Max, will he continue to have “memories” of home?

I had the same thoughts as Liz when I saw Leanna sewing – wondering why an alien would bother sewing a button on a shirt when a simple wave of her hand would fix it. Why didn’t Max? I’m rather disappointed in him. He was much too willing to kill Leanna without knowing for sure that she was an alien and that she killed Alex. Didn’t his experience with Brody [in Ask Not] teach him anything? And the fact that he would start a fire in a dorm, putting others at risk, destroying private property and risking nearby property, was truly repugnant! We never did see him repair the damage he caused to the furnace. If he didn’t , that could cause a fire later. I doubt that Jim would be very honored to know him if he had heard about that. Actually, I don’t understand why he thought taking care of Leanna would solve the problem. Did he honestly think she acted alone?

I was glad that Max finally said something about the fact that they would not be seeing a welcome mat when they arrived on Antar (and why is it that they have yet to SAY the name of their planet? I thought since it appeared in the translation of the book, they would finally let the word be spoken!) Now, Tess knew she would receive a warm welcome but shouldn’t Max and company have felt that their return would be construed as them coming back to reclaim the throne and therefore, they would be summarily executed? And how do they even know if they can survive in Antar’s atmosphere? Max thinks the baby is sick, that it can’t survive in Earth’s atmosphere, even though the idea was for Max and Tess to mate and have children, so if the Antarians were wrong about that, could they be wrong about the hybrids surviving on Antar? Personally, I don’t think the baby is sick. I just think someone should have brought up the possibility.

How does Max think he will be able to save his son?

Tess/Jim: I was tearing up over Jim’s speech to Tess about her always having a home with them. I was wishing, at the time, that she had told him it felt good to call him Dad, but now I’m glad she didn’t. He wouldn’t want to feel like a Dad to HER. Talk about having regrets for taking in a stranger and helping them out, making them a part of your family! I wonder if this will affect Jim’s trust in Max. Max is the one that brought her to his home.

Why didn’t Jim drive them to the pod chamber?

Why didn’t Tess use Brody to translate the book? She knew he was susceptible to mind control and he was a computer expert.

Tess indicated that King Zan was a different person than Max. Was Queen Ava a different person than Tess? And speaking of Ava, does anyone know if Emilie signed a contract for season 3? Since Tess is on Antar, will Ava reappear on the scene? I think Emilie and Nick have great chemistry together and it would be a shame to waste that. Bringing Ava back could prove interesting.

I find it interesting that in Four Square, Max, thinking Tess was Nasedo, asked if she was going to kill Alex, Maria and Liz, and it turns out he was right to be afraid of that. She wasn’t Nasedo, she was even worse! Does it make you wonder if these people are worth helping? Can any of them be trusted (besides Max, Michael and Isabel)? Do we really want the pod squad preparing to fight a war for people who may not be worth their lives?

Nasedo made a deal!? 40 years ago!? Then why did they kill him before he delivered on his promise? Why did he think of them as the enemy? Sounds more like Tess made a deal that didn’t include him! When Tess said the aliens at home were not her enemies, did anyone else wonder if she was Vilandra after all? Or was it that Zan was just surrounded by traitors?

General: OK, Future Max came back to prevent Liz and Max from getting back together because if they did Tess would leave and the world would end.

1. Tess has now left; will the world end in 14 years?
2. Doesn’t that above scenario sound like something Tess would concoct? Did Future Max really come back or did Tess mind warp Liz into believing he did? We will all be watching closely to see if Liz starts drumming her fingers. ;-)
3. If Future Max was real, and the future he was trying to prevent really happened, then Alex would still be alive. In the other future, did Tess still mind warp Alex to get the translation? And if so, why didn’t she kill him that time? Why didn’t his mind warp fade like it did in this future? If, in the other future, Alex didn’t do the translation, then who did? Did she have the crystal rod for the granilith the whole time? If not, how did they get the rod and how did they know how to use the granilith?

Now that the hybrids have no way back to Antar, will Kivar call off the Skins or will he heat things up to get rid of them once and for all?

Blooper – Alex’ gravestone said he was born June 21, 1984, which would mean he was 15 in December 1999, but in Heat Wave, which took place in December 1999, he distinctly mentioned to Sheriff Valenti that he was 16! Granted, it would have been more appropriate if they had all been 15 in 1999, but they made them 16 so they should just stick with it and stop screwing around with the ages so much!

So, was Alex visiting them from the grave, to help them remember, or did the mind warp just fade over time and they remembered on their own?

When I saw the granilith take off in the promos, I suspected only Tess would be aboard (although I had no idea why) but I had heard that this episode was going to be a cliffhanger so, when it was just Max and Tess left in the chamber, I was afraid they were going to cut away before we knew who got aboard and we would just see the granilith take off without knowing if Max went with her. THANK GOD that didn’t happen!

Who else knew they were videotaping their good-byes to their parents the minute Max smiled? I wish they would just tell them already!

Was the pod chamber destroyed? Did they lose all the stuff they had collected from Antar? I was disappointed we didn’t hear anymore of the translation of the book than the first few lines we were able to read on the screen anyway!

OH NO! Bob died!!! Will Max be able to revive it? It just won’t be the same seeing them drive something else. Will the Jetta be next!? ;-)

Max telling Liz “I was right about one thing. To get you into my life, to be around you, to love you.” tells me that Roswell will be back on track in season 3. Now that Tess is out of the picture, Max and Liz can concentrate on clearing the air and repairing the damage that was caused by her. I have high hopes that UPN will leave Jason Katims alone, to bring us his true vision of Roswell, and write the stories he wanted to write.

Favorite Lines:

Michael: But, I’ve thought about it. And I want you to see me.