In this episode, the focus is mainly on Max, as a near catastrophic event, aided and abetted by the devious Sheriff Valenti, causes Mrs. Evans to become suspicious about Max and his origins. I thought this was a very telling episode in many ways, as we begin to understand that Max feels as alone and isolated on his adopted planet as Michael does, despite living in the loving environment that the Evans’ have provided for him. We also got to see a vulnerable side to Isabel that’s only been touched on in earlier episodes.

This episode opens up with Max studying while his mother is cooking in the kitchen. Suddenly, a fire starts, due to some cooking oil accidentally spilling on the kitchen burners, and Max, reacting instinctively, puts out the fire using his powers, but then throws a pot of water on the embers to make it look like he put out the fire with the water. The fire department comes to investigate what happened, along with the ever suspicious Sheriff Valenti, much to Max’s alarm. The sheriff, in his usual insidious way, casts a doubt on Max’s story. Max then relates the story to Isabel, and Max is clearly upset about everything. In their conversation, Isabel tells Max that he was right to end things with Liz, much to Max’s displeasure. This scene segues to Liz telling Maria at the Crash Down that she’s over Max, while her actions prove to Maria, and all of us, that she isn’t over Max at all.

Back in school, Michael expresses alarm that Max used his powers to save his mother, and then Liz and Max share an awkward moment talking about the fact that they’ll be sitting together at the upcoming basketball game. I thought it was very obvious in this scene that both Max and Liz still care for each other a great deal, despite their attempts to deny it to each other and themselves.

Back at home, Isabel finds Mrs. Evans watching an old video of them as children, clearly looking for something in the video. Mrs. Evans then starts asking Isabel questions about Max, much to Isabel’s alarm.

At the basketball game, Maria and Liz respond enthusiastically to what’s happening on the court, and Michael observes it all and responds derisively to Max, “humans.” Isabel then joins them, but pulls Max off to the side and tells him that their mother is suspicious, and Isabel indicates that they should tell their mother the truth, a move that both Michael and Max are clearly against. Liz cheers for Kyle, who’s playing in the game, and, distracted, he falls and hurts his ankle. Liz looks on at Kyle with concern, and Max seems hurt by her concern.

Max goes to see Liz at the Crash Down, but she heads out to see Kyle, and give him a pie, because she feels responsible for his injury.

Sheriff Valenti goes to see Mrs. Evans, and in his usual unctuous way, he plants seeds of doubt in Mrs. Evans’ mind about how Max put out the fire, giving her a pamphlet that clearly states that grease fires can not be put out by water. I really saw Sheriff Valenti as truly evil in this scene, using his charm to draw the web of suspicion ever closer to Max.

Michael goes to see Maria as she’s working, unsuccessfully, on a wood shop project, and she confronts him about the fact that she helped save his life, and yet showed no gratitude whatsoever towards her. Liz goes to see Kyle to drop off the pie she got him and some class notes, and he treats her coldly, hurting her a great deal.

Back at the Evans house, Max’s mother relates her suspicions to Max about how he put out the fire, saying that water doesn’t put out a grease fire, thanks to the information in the pamphlet that Sheriff Valenti “helpfully” provided her. Isabel walks in, and she and Max leave, and she tells Max that they need to tell their mother the truth. Isabel indicates that she’s wanted to tell their mom the truth all along, but Max indicates that telling the truth could destroy everything. Isabel then tells Max that this isn’t just his decision. I think that this scene showed the fundamental difference between Max and Isabel, as Isabel wants to feel truly connected with her adopted family and is happy with her life on earth, and wants nothing more than to belong, while Max, like Michael, feels like an outsider, and has never really felt comfortable in this “alien” world that he’s forced to call home. Mrs. Evans talks to Isabel, and asks her if she has any memories of their life before their adoption, and Isabel answers sweetly but evasively, saying that the day the Evans came for them is when their lives began, which, to Isabel, represents a certain type of truth.

Back at school, Michael and Maria argue some more, and Maria demands an apology that Michael is not prepared to give. Back at the Crash Down, Kyle goes to see Liz, and, pressed, she admits that she feels somewhat responsible for his injury, and that she was sorry for the way that things ended, and Kyle apologizes to her, and they seem to come to an understanding, and leave the door open for them to become friends. Max comes into the Crash Down, but upon seeing Kyle and Liz together, he leaves, clearly hurt.

Mrs. Evans goes to see Sheriff Valenti at his behest, and he shows her the police report detailing the shooting at the Crash Down, and that witnesses reported Max healing Liz. Max then sees Mrs. Evans looking at the video of their childhood, and she focuses on the part where Max healed an injured bird. Mrs. Evans questions Max, and he gets defensive, and he tells he that he can’t tell her what she wants to know, and he leaves, highly agitated and clearly upset.

Max goes to discuss the situation with Michael and Isabel, and Michael and Max tell Isabel that they can’t tell Mrs. Evans the truth, and that Mrs. Evans is not their mother, and Isabel leaves, very upset.

Back at school, Maria finds a napkin holder that Michael had made for her in her locker, along with a thank you note, much to her delight. Michael then talks to Maria, and she says that she didn’t use his napkin holder for her project, but that she kept it, and she thanks him, and he smiles, clearly touched. Michael goes on to say, however, that he can’t get indebted to anyone, and that he has to be a stone wall, and when he gets around her, he feels confused, and he doesn’t want to feel that way, which is as close as Michael can get to admitting that he cares for Maria a great deal.

Back at the Crash Down, Max goes to see Liz, and he tells her that it’s okay if her and Kyle get back together, to which she coldly replies that she wouldn’t need his permission if that were the case. Max, clearly upset, tells Liz that she sounds just like Isabel, saying that Isabel said he’s controlling, and Liz replies that he is controlling, and Max, about to break down, replies that he is who he is, and that he’s trying to make things work. Liz then replies that he should have some faith in the people around him, which has a noticeable affect on Max.

Max then goes to see his mother, who’s sitting on a bench in the park, and she asks him if he wants to find his real parents, and he responds that he doesn’t know where he would be without her and his father, and she responds that nothing he is could ever turn her away from him, and she asks him why he can’t tell her his secret. Max responds by giving her a model house that she had given him, explaining that he hated his first nights in their house, and he cried because he wanted to go home, while Isabel felt at “home” with the Evans right away. Max then tearfully tells his mother that he doesn’t know what “home” is, and he begs her to trust him, and they embrace.

In the final scene, Max apologizes to Isabel, and he tells her that he talked to their mother, and but that he didn’t tell her the truth. Isabel then breaks down and cries, and Max embraces her, and tells her that everything is going to be okay.

Overall, another good show, and it continued to allow us a view into the hearts and souls of these wonderful characters.

Jerry D.

Jerry D.