Episodes - Off the Menu

by Joan

OFF THE MENU

(Episode 20/Season 2)

Musings By

Joan Pickering

 

OFF THE MENU

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. J

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!

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