A Max from the future comes to Liz and begs her to leave Max forever. He really should be with Tess, or else evil aliens will destroy the Earth.
(Original air date: October 30, 2000)
Written by Jason Katims
Directed by Bill L. Norton
| Those Smutty Aliens |
| COURTNEY: Well I guess it's time for another night wrapped up in the sheets fondling my remote control.MICHAEL: I guess.COURTNEY: Unless, of course, you want to be my remote control for the night. |
KYLE: In order to trim the lamp of wisdom, we must attend to our bodily needs.
TESS: Let me tell you something, Buddha Boy. I got a lamp that needs some serious trimming. |
KYLE (to Liz): Well you here for a reason? Or you just rush right over'cause you sensed I might be experiencing some actual joy? |
GUEST STARS
John Doe - Geoffrey Parker
Sara Downing - Courtney
Winnie Holzman - Madame Vivian
WHAT HAPPENED
It is 2014, "minutes from the fall." An older Liz and Max -- clad in leather and with longer hair -- hug in front of the granolith. She reminds him that he must try to change the past.
He inserts a rod into the base of the granolith, which glows red. Lights churn, swirling at the top.
Suddenly, Max is inside the cone of the granolith. He reaches out to Liz and then disappears in a flash of light. (
)
ANALYSIS
Call it a turning point. A kaboom episode. The moment when everything changed. Call it what you will, but this episode is a knockout. As a relationship hangs in the balance, we find out that the fate of the world rests in one teen's hands.
This is a weighty episode. Intense. Emotionally demanding. Focused (neither Isabel nor Sheriff Valenti even appear this week).
Jason Behr appears in two roles here, playing the Max Evans of today as well as another Max Evans from 2014. He's got a lot to do here. He's got to convince us of the future Max's emotional intensity and pain resulting from all the death his world has endured. Behr must also convince us of the present Max's unfailing dedication to Liz Parker, even in the face of adversity.
The good news for the series is that Jason Behr can pull off such acting. Unlike Catherine Heigl's recent
, this episode really allows Behr the actor, as well as Max the character, to shine.
Roswell reality
The episode stays true to the series vision by making teen sensibility the center of the universe. Liz's love life can shape the course of history. Whether or not she sleeps with Max sometime soon will affect her world's future.
Liz is familiar with the idealized version of love sold by plays like Romeo and Juliet, but she also knows first-hand that danger and tragedy really aren't quite so sexy. Even if she doesn't entirely believe it.
Contradiction, thy name is "teenager"
Roswell presents us with teens who are teens. Their moods swing. They are fiercely loyal, their hormones alive and active.
But these are teens who think, too. They are not hormones alone. Especially nice to see this week is the ongoing evolution of Kyle Valenti, who is shaping up to be a decent -- and even funny -- guy. There is hope for him, after all.
Alex, too, shows real strength and acts boldly on his convictions, acting in ways we might not have anticipated.
It is also nice to see Tess being written with a bit more complexity. Like Kyle, Tess has often been misunderstood and too-simply-characterized, but the last few episodes have allowed her humanity to shine through.
WHAT WE LEARN
The power of the granolith can be used to send someone through time.
Liz prefers white roses to red ones.
DANGLING PLOT THREADS
Is this one night the Big Event that Changes Everything? Has Max changed his mind forever?
BODY COUNT
Sorry, no dead bodies this week. Just lots of busted hearts and one exploded TV set. The count remains at six.
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK
Congresswoman Whittaker's funeral brings out more aliens than just our gang. See the Skins pay their respects, in "Harvest".
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