Just Act Normal

by Kate Ancel copyright April 11, 2000

This episode, written by Thania St. John, explored the issues of trust and how far it can be and should be stretched. This is a subject that has been addressed before, but this was really the first time the kids have had to address those issues as a group in addition to trust amongst themselves. New players are being brought into the mix and old enemies are proving not quite so easy to categorize.

Random Thoughts:

I am as yet undecided about the motivations of Topolsky and Tess. Topolsky's capture at the end of the episode certainly lends credence to her claims of conspiracy and to her terror. But I did wonder why Nacedo would have intervened to prevent any further contact between her and the kids if she really was trying to help them. Possibly he believes that Pierce is too close on her trail and any contact with Topolsky would lead Pierce right to them. But how did he managed to create a cover story about Topolsky being hospitalized at Bethesda that would stand up under investigation without some help? Possibly Nacedo has connections and resources that we have not yet been made aware. I guess the more likely story is that Pierce really did have her hospitalized at a facility at Bethesda for her interrogation in the event of the need for just such a cover story. What do you suppose Nacedo had in store for her if he had caught up to her before Pierce? Keeping Hank company with the worms, probably.

I'm equally ambivalent about Tess. I suppose she could be exactly what she appears to be…a new girl in school looking to make some friends. But things are rarely what they appear to be on this show. The timing of her appearance and the fact that she seemed to be trying a little too hard to ingratiate herself with the alien trio, make me suspect that there's something fishy about her. Not to mention her habit of interrupting private conversations between Alex and Isabel and eavesdropping on Max and Michael. It will be interesting to see how she interacts with Liz and Maria.

The new ending scene in the opening segment was a good visual addition. I like that it ends with all six of them standing at the edge of the reservoir, showing that the story has expanded to include them all.

If Liz knew ahead of time that she and Max were going to catch a movie, why would she wait until the very last second to ask Maria to cover her shift at the Crashdown? She put Maria completely on the spot. And Max was no better letting Isabel believe he was joining her when he had no intention of staying at all.

So Max and Liz had their first date at a place called Senor Chows. What do you suppose they serve there? Chinese Mexican food? Enchiladas eaten with chopsticks? Chinese Mexican food, a pool table and a dance floor. What more could you ask for?

I thought it was noteworthy that Isabel referred to Michael as her brother for the first time. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but that certainly seemed like foreshadowing of some sort to me.

Fashion note of the week: bra straps are meant to complement an outfit, not to be strategically hidden away. I'll have to make note of that. I just have to shake my head when I think of all the years I've wasted trying to hide those suckers.

How do you suppose the mysterious guy in the car knew that Alex was one of the ones in the group that voted to talk to Topolsky? Lucky guess, maybe.

I thought it was an interesting development that the sheriff now has the orb, although I did wonder why he noticed it there in the dark with the symbol facing downward and looking so much like a rock. Maybe that's the safest place for it to be right now. It certainly would be one of the last places Pierce would logically think to look for it, especially if he doesn't know that Topolsky enlisted the sheriff's help.

It was an interesting contrast to see Max and Michael having a friendly discussion about relationships to the hostility at the end. That fight was a definite sign that Max was serious when he told Michael that it was time for him to be held responsible for his actions. It did seem a bit of an overreaction for the normally so contained Max, though. Especially since he's been guilty of following leads on his own a few times himself.

I thought it was strange that no one except Maria noticed how quiet Michael was when they gathered at the reservoir the second time. It was such a glaring difference from his previous loud protests. Max and Isabel are usually pretty quick to pick up on mood swings that extreme from him. They should have seen that something was up.

• It seemed out of character to me that Isabel would so openly and unreservedly befriend Tess. Maybe she sensed another ice princess type and Tess is someone she would have befriended under normal circumstances, but these are not normal circumstances. Given everything that's happened lately, a new girl on the scene should have immediately raised the red flags for Isabel that it did for Max and Michael. Granted, Isabel is feeling a little needy these days for someone to fill the void that is being left by Max and Michael, but she knows better than anyone that what she needs is a confidante. Why would a girl she just met fit that bill any better than any of the other friends she's made over the years? Her open acceptance of Tess seemed a little too convenient to me.
• The reactions of Max and Liz when Topolsky shows up at the window out of the blue in the middle of nowhere seemed entirely too mild. It should have scared the hell out of them to all of a sudden have a crazy woman appear, at least initially.
• I know I'm probably going to be lynched for this thought, but I thought director James Whitmore, Jr. relied a little too heavily on Max and Liz kissing and cuddling all the time in this episode. I know it's a natural progression, but it got to be a bit much. These two can say so much to each other with just a look or a casual touch and I found myself missing those lines of communication between them.
• The MIA status of Kyle is puzzling. We haven't seen hide nor hair of him since he tied one on with Max in Blind Date. Must be one hell of a hangover to keep him sidelined this long.
• Michael's snide comment to Liz that her judgment of Topolsky couldn't be trusted because Liz trusted her the first time around was unjustified. After all, Liz was the only one to suspect Topolsky wasn't what she claimed to be initially and went out of her way to warn Michael that Topolsky had pulled his school records.
• The Crashdown appears to be remarkably self sufficient if the waitresses and cooks can just disappear on a whim and the owners are rarely in attendance. I wish I had a job that flexible.
• I was disappointed that Sheriff Valenti was convinced that the doctor had tracked Topolsky to Roswell from her credit card transactions. He should have been suspicious that an FBI agent suffering paranoid delusions of being followed would have dared use a credit card knowing how easy it is to track those transactions.

• This was an outstanding Michael and Maria episode. While it's obvious they are struggling with the rules and boundaries of their relationship, it's equally obvious how much they really care for one another. Michael is trying so hard to give Maria what she wants, in spite of the fact that he has very little in his personal life to draw from. There were some very sweet, tender moments between them that showed without words what their real feelings are. I loved when Michael put his arm around Maria on the couch after learning Topolsky was back in town because he knew she was scared. Also, the moment by the reservoir when he pulled her close and just held her. It's nice to see that he's finally learned how to use her first name, too. This was the first episode for me that the Michael and Maria story took precedence over any other aspect of the plot. I thought Brenden Fehr and Majandra Delfino were fabulous in this episode.
• I liked that Michael finally called Maria on her need for him to be a certain type of boyfriend, asking her why she wanted to be with him if she thought he was such a loser. I don't think Maria realized up until that moment how unrealistic and how unfair she was being to him asking him to be something he doesn't know how to be, not to mention completely different than the boy she first liked.
• Kudos to Wardrobe for finally finding something for Max to wear besides dark colors for at least two scenes.
• I laughed out loud when Maria called out Max's name when she and Michael were making out, as well as to Michael's reaction to it.
• I do like the new, comfortable closeness between Max and Liz, in spite of the previously mentioned dislike. It's nice to see them be affectionate and close, as long as they don't go overboard with it. I would hate to see the writers substitute sex for real, honest character interaction.
• It was fun to see the tables turned and have Michael asking Max for romantic advice this time around, even if it did lose something in the translation to action. Gotta love Michael's wrapping paper of choice, though.
• I always love to see the friendship between Isabel and Alex grow. Slowly but surely he's winning her over in spite of her fear of being vulnerable. Katherine Heigl and Colin Hanks both played the scene at the booth in the Crashdown beautifully. Very sweet. Tess could sure use some lessons in timing, though. Every time Alex and Isabel were making progress, Tess would appear to put a crimp in things, almost deliberately it seemed to me.
• I liked that the FBI loose end wasn't left dangling as I had originally thought. I didn't expect Topolsky to show up with a second communicator, and I have to wonder how the FBI got their hands on it.
• I'm glad they are continuing to show the sheriff in a more favorable light and his possibilities as an ally to the kids. That said, I'm also glad Max didn't trust him too much when the sheriff approached him in the UFO Center, since his motivations are still suspect.

• Michael: "Just a couple of horndogs looking for a place to make out."

• Maria: "How many light years away is my Eclipse Burger?"
• Michael: "Depends on how they feel about raw."
• Maria: "I put that order in 10 minutes ago."
• Michael: "Yeah, well you can't rush an eclipse."

• Alex: "Whoa! Peep show!"
• Maria: "Don't worry. It's nothing you haven't seen before."
• Alex: "Don't be too sure."

• Alex: "You two have plans?"
• Tess: "Girl's Night."
• Alex: "Guess I have the wrong hormones for that."

• Michael: "This whole dating thing really bites."

• Michael: "If I'm such a loser, why do you even want to go out with me?"

• Liz: "I believed her."
• Michael: "Let me remind you, Liz, that you believed her the first time, too."

• Michael: "Now she says what we've got isn't good enough. She wants more."
• Max: "You mean like…"
• Michael: "No, if that's what she wanted, would I be here talking to you?"
• Michael: "I'm serious, Max. Things are getting frosty. She went to the French club meeting today instead of meeting me in the eraser room. The French club. What the hell is that?"

• Max: "She's a stranger, Isabel."
• Isabel: "Well, it's not like I'm going to fall in love with her, tell her our secret and compromise our very existence."

• Maria: "Hey, Gidget. You got some flowers from Moondoggie."

• Liz: "I've never seen anyone so scared."
• Alex: "Taken a look at me lately?"

• Maria: "If you want me, you have to earn me. That's how relationships work."
• Michael: "No, Maria. That's how Boy Scouts and merit badges work."

• Maria: [Looking at gift from Michael] "Shampoo."
• Michael: "Shampoo and conditioner."
• Maria: "A real time saver."