Runaway Train

A Review of "Blood Brothers"

by Kate Ancel

Copyright November 25, 1999

"I need one more moment now. One more chance to change directions."

Things are spiraling out of everyone's control in this episode. There are more people than ever involved and on the verge of learning the secret despite the best efforts of the kids to keep things quiet. The choices Liz will have to make are becoming ever clearer, as are the ramifications of those choices. She's finally realizing that trusting and protecting one friend may mean sacrificing not only another friend, but also her own reputation. There are no easy answers here. Writers Barry Pullman and Breen Frazier also vividly outlined for us the moral dilemma Alex is faced with and the equally strong influences of friendship, loyalty and conscience.

Random Thoughts:

This episode delved into the bonds of friendship and the impacts of hiding parts of your life from the people who love you. I was pleased to see Alex involved in the story finally. Colin Hanks gave us a great performance, giving Alex much more depth and dimension than we've seen from this character in the past. The scenes between Liz and Alex were some of the best in the episode. He is clearly torn between his loyalty to her and his need to do what he believes is the right thing.

It seems to me that Alex is much more dangerous to them feeling left out and hurt than he would be if he knew their secret. As the situation stands now, he is reacting out of hurt, and that makes him an unknown quantity. He's much more likely to keep his mouth shut if he feels he is being trusted.

Interesting that both Alex and Kyle seem so willing to believe that Liz is involved with drugs, and that she would be willing to cover up for someone using them. She doesn't strike me as the type. Even if that's the only logical story to explain the blood switch, it seems to me that Liz has grounds for some hurt feelings herself that her friends are so quick to jump to that conclusion.

Liz was on the right track with Alex, taking everything except their friendship out of the equation. But she should have gone a little further and asked him to understand that this wasn't her secret to tell and she has bonds of trust with other people that he has to respect. He certainly would expect to be able to trust her not to share his secrets with her other friends, but I don't think he's thought about it in those terms. As it stands now, Liz is pretty much in a lose-lose situation.

Topolsky has been very clever in the way she used Alex's isolation to manipulate him. She said all the right things, but didn't count on the strength of his loyalty to Liz. Too bad she wasn't quite clever enough to keep from having her cover blown. I'd love to be a fly on that wall when she has to explain to her superior how a high school sophomore was able to hack into the encrypted FBI logs she's been sending and blow her cover. I get a certain satisfaction in that.

Likes:

• The added character development for Alex was long overdue. He's been an underused character up to this point and it was high time we got a little insight into what makes him tick and into the dynamics of his relationship with Liz.
• Michael flirting with the nurse to divert suspicion was pure Michael. You just gotta love that guy.
• The whole scene in the hotel room with Michael and Maria, with Michael doing exactly what Maria was suggesting while trying to make it appear that it was all his idea. And while we're on that one, remind me never to call Maria the next time I need a baby-sitter. It's a little frightening that she makes a habit of going through the garbage of the families she baby-sits.
• I noticed with interest that Michael is no longer in flight mode. It was good to see him want to stay and fight instead of run away. Could it be he has more of a reason to stick around than ever?
• I loved the scene where Liz meets Max's mother for the first time and the sweet look exchanged between Max and Liz. Although I did wonder why Mrs. Evans singled Liz out for an introduction and not Maria. Mother's intuition?
• I got a kick out of the irony of Miss Topolsky using a coffee cup from the UFO Center. How appropriate.
• I like the closer relationship we're seeing between Liz and Max. It was nice to have an opportunity to see them just enjoying being young and together and 'normal' for a change. Their relationship is progressing nicely and it's evident they are moving beyond the shy awkwardness of past episodes. I like the development and growth we're seeing there.
• Isabel's continuing exasperation with the flirtation going on between Michael and Maria is funny and very sisterly.
• I like that Alex didn't offer up any information to Topolsky even though he was feeling used and hurt and in danger of serious repercussions himself.
• Director David Nutter offered us a well constructed scene at the Crashdown after discovering Topolsky's phone number in the trash at the motel. The ping-ponging back and forth between Liz and Maria and the trio at the table was very well delivered and entertaining. As were the differing viewpoints of what actually transpired there from Michael and Maria.
• Anyone else notice how popular Mrs. Deluca's blow-up aliens seem to be at the UFO Center? She's doing a booming business.
• The SWAT music accompanying the FBI agents as they attempted to retrieve Max's blood was a nice touch, I thought.

Dislikes:

• My first and most major dislike about this episode was how contrived the whole situation with Alex seemed. I just don't buy the premise that they couldn't have used Liz's blood because they would have been able to tell the difference between male and female blood. I think it's unlikely that they would have done the extensive testing that would have been required to determine gender for a simple head injury. So the need to call Alex in was extremely contrived, in my opinion.
• I know I said that I wanted more smiling and laughing, but was that forced laugh while walking with Max the best Liz could do? They need some work on appearing natural and casual.
• How convenient that Topolsky answers her phone using her name.
• I found myself wondering that if Topolsky has had that handy little nose-bleed drug all this time, why hasn't she used it on Max or Michael or Isabel? It's possible they would have been careful enough to flush their tissues, but it's also possible they wouldn't have expected someone to slip them the nose-bleeder and been careless.
• If they went to all the trouble to show viewers a real prefix for Topolsky's phone number instead of the infamous 555, they should have at least done their homework a little better. 505-437 is an Alamogordo prefix, which is about 120 miles away from Roswell and certainly not a local call.
• I had a little trouble with Maria sending Michael back for her purse. Why wouldn't she just have gone back for it herself? Oh, right…because then Michael wouldn't have been able to ID the FBI agents collecting evidence from Max's bedside.
• What ever happened to the forcefield on the Jeep? Liz's hair was actually flying around in the wind this time. Although it was exceedingly neat and tidy at the hospital for someone who had just been driving with the top down and been in a car accident to boot. Are we supposed to believe she took the time to groom herself in the ambulance?
• West Roswell High certainly goes all out to keep their guidance counselors in the loop on student activities. I have a hard time believing the principal would rush immediately to the guidance counselor with news of a student car accident.
• And speaking of the car accident, why wouldn't the sheriff have been all over that? He was conspicuous in his absence in this situation.

Favorite Quotes:

• Michael: "I heard you saved Mr. Ed."

• Maria: "Relax. God, you guys act like I've never tailed someone before."
• Isabel: "Subtle. He'll never notice us going backwards."

• Maria: "This is the second time you've dragged me into some cheap motel."
• Michael: "Yeah, well, don't spread it around; you'll ruin my reputation."

• Maria: "How long is this going to last, us waiting out here like this?"
• Michael: "Why? You got a date?"
• Maria: "Maybe."
• Isabel: "You know, I'm the one that should be complaining stuck out here with you two."

• Liz: "Maybe you could stay for dinner. You know, Blue Moon burger, Saturn rings and a Mercury milkshake for $3.99."
• Max: "Sounds tempting."

• Maria: "You know, um, toiletries say a lot about a man, which, by the way, you should take note of, but I am guessing you'll have more luck by the phone."

• Maria: "Keep looking, Sherlock."

• Maria: "Listen, any baby-sitter worth her salt knows that the best place to look is in the garbage can. It's always revealing."

• Maria: "Anyway, so Spaceboy was looking at this guy's aftershave, so I told him to look in the trash because, you know, that's where you find the best trash."

• Maria: "Clear as a bell, no mistake, that's right. Miss Topolsky, all American guidance counselor and big, fat liar."

• Michael: "Never trust a blonde."

• Michael: "Stick a fork in us, Maxwell, we're done."
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• Max: "Liz told him we were into drugs, just to get him to stop asking questions."
• Isabel: "Great. That will be a lot easier to explain to Mom and Dad."

I give this episode 2.75 UFOs out of 5. A passable episode if you overlook the plot holes.