Roswell:

Grading the Episodes: Season 3

Last updated: January 25, 2004.

 The Cast for Season #3:

   Liz Parker                    -Shiri Appleby
   Maxwell "Max" Evans           -Jason Behr
   Isabel Evans                  -Katherine Heigl
   Maria DeLuca                  -Majandra Delfino
   Michael Guerin                -Brendan Fehr
   Kyle Valenti                  -Nick Wechsler
   Jesse Ramirez                 -Adam Rodriguez
   Sheriff Jim Valenti, Jr.      -William Sadler

  with,
   Mr. Geoffrey "Jeff" Parker    -John Doe
   Mrs. Nancy Parker             -Jo Anderson
   Mrs. Diane Evans              -Mary Ellen Trainor
   Mr. Phillip Evans             -Garrett M. Brown
   Alex Whitman                  -Colin Hanks        (guest star in one episode)
   Tess Harding                  -Emilie de Ravin    (guest star in one episode)

3.1: "Busted!" GRADE: C
w: Jason Katims; d: Allan Kroeker

A rather flat, emotionless, almost lifeless episode, "Busted!" is, in my estimation, the episode that put the final nail in the Roswell coffin (i.e. I think many of the fans who tuned into this episode on UPN were finally turned off the series). Indeed, you know you've got a problem when Phillip Evans (Garrett M. Brown) is the best part of the episode, far exceeding the now 'off' romance scenes with Liz & Max. (The scene where Phillip (& Max) shake down the FBI guy to save Liz is the only scene that gets this episode within shouting distance of a 'C+'.)

I have further stylistic reservations about this episode, namely I really don't care for the 'grainy' DV-looking scenes set "in the present" (e.g. the jail and courtroom scenes), and this technique detracts significantly from the episode. And while I like the concept of the government hiding a 'Top Secret' facility under a convenience store out in the middle of nowhere (and this particular piece of 'mythos', unlike most of the season #2 Skiffy 'mythos', is not cringe-inducing), it is hard to swallow the idea that Liz's & Max's characters have changed so much from the fallout from season #2 that they are willing to stage an armed hold-up together. (And don't get me started on the beginnings of the yawn-worthy, interminable Isabel/Jessie pairing!)

So, all in all, "Busted!" is a 'train-wreck'. But not a cringe-inducing 'train-wreck' like season #2's "Skin and Bones" - worse, it's a train-wreck because it's basically unconvincing and unmoving.


3.2: "Michael, the Guys, and
  the Great Snapple Caper"
GRADE: B-
w: Ronald D. Moore; d: Paul Shapiro

A rather pleasant, if insubstantial, 'filler' episode, I actually like this episode a fair bit. It is true that the premise of the episode assumes a substantial amount of backsliding on the development of the Michael character (i.e. Michael hasn't been this openly irresponsible since probably season #1). And certainly nothing very important happens in this episode. Still, this episode has some goofy scenes of playful camaraderie including not just Michael and the guys at MedChem, but also Michael and Max, and even at the end Kyle and Jim Valenti (how can you not like those final scenes where Kyle realizes that _Jim Valenti & the Kit-Shickers_ is actually pretty good?!). All in all, MtG&tGSC is just a fun, light, rather amusing episode.


3.3: "Significant Others" GRADE: C+
w: David Simkins; d: Patrick Norris

Season #3 continues its listless start with this episode that is actually one of the few entries in the Isabel/Jesse saga that's half-way interesting (could it be the return of FigmentAlex (guest Colin Hanks) that does it?...). Of course, like much of season #3, the best bits are on the periphery involving the continuing evolution of the Michael/Maria relationship. (My favorite scene in this episode is the scene at the bowling alley where Maria sees Michael and the MedChem gang bowling against Kyle and his crew, and realizes that she's been kind of a jerk about his friends.) There are also developments on the Liz/Max front - the scenes with Liz and her Mom, and at the end Liz and her Dad, are probably the single most effective scenes that Liz has with either of her parents.

But, like most of season #3, the bulk of this episode gets bogged down in the Isabel/Jesse romance (with FigmentAlex acting as Isabel's imaginary sounding board - what a commentary on the isolation of the character that the only person she can talk to about her life is a hallucination!). And that's a problem - it's difficult to get into an episode when you effectively don't care, and have no investment in, the episode's 'A' storyline.


3.4: "Secrets & Lies" GRADE: C
w: Russell Friend & Garrett Lerner;
d: Jonathan Frakes

An episode that attempts to be a little more lighthearted than the rest of season #3 (which tends to be a dark and brooding affair), this episode largely fails in those efforts. Indeed, like the "Meet the Dupes"/"Max in the City" two-parter from season #2, the second-half of this two-parter is much more effective than the first half.

The main story: Max beats it to L.A. to track down the other shape-shifting "Protector" alien (Nasedo/Ed Harding was the first one), after the "P.I.", Joey Ferrini (Dayton Callie), who threatened Michael in "Busted!" turns up dead at alien hands. While, this segment involves some good work from Joey's actor/girlfriend (a pre-"Monk" Bitty Schram) and Stephen Tobolowsky as Joey's "Hollywood agent" Julius Walters (and an amusing scene where Max puts in the worst audition ever! for Jonathan Frakes and "Enterprise's" John Billingsley), it ends up being not very interesting (at least until we get to Part 2: "Control").

The best part of this episode probably deals with Liz working with Kyle on a school video project, and ultimately getting involved in the complex Valenti family dynamics revolving around Jim Valenti, Sr. (However, this storyline is significantly hampered be the recasting of the actor playing Jim, Sr. - formerly Brett Cullen, Stanley Anderson here) - and by changes made in the level of the dementia afflicting the Jim Valenti, Sr. character, who is significantly more impaired here than he was in season #1.) But there's some good stuff here involving both Jim Valenti (Jr.) and Kyle.

This is also the episode that drives home the major structural problem with season #3 - while most season #1 and season #2 episodes were scrupulous ensemble affairs, season #3 made the mistake of foregoing that in favor of individual episodes more 'focused' on one character or one pair of characters (e.g. "Busted!" is a 'Max/Liz episode', MtG&tGSC is a 'Michael' episode, "Significant Others" serves as mostly an 'Isabel' episode, etc.). The result of season #3's structural change is that it ended up severing characters from each other, breaking up the formerly 'tight' ensemble that was Roswell's selling point early on.

POSSIBLE CONTINUITY ERROR ALERT!: In this episode, Max refers to the "two [shape-shifting alien] protectors" who crashed with the ship in Roswell. But this is wrong - in "The White Room", Agent Pierce specifically refers to four alien protectors: two who died in the crash, one who escaped (Nasedo), and one who was held prisoner and studied for "3 years" (presumably Kal Langley). Now Pierce never says what happened to this alien, but it was strongly implied in "The White Room" that this captive alien didn't survive. And yet Max only mentions "two protectors", and Kal never talks about being held captive in "Control".


3.5: "Control" GRADE: B-
w: Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts;
d: Bill Norton

"Control" is a pretty good episode, though it's denied a higher grade of 'B' largely because too much time is taken away from Max's quite good 'A' storyline and wasted on the increasingly annoying 'B' storyline/mess around Isabel's romance (now engagement) to Jesse.

Leaving aside the Isabel mess (though some of the parts of that involving Isabel in conflict with her mother (Mary Ellen Trainor) are OK), the parts of the episode involve Max and (former) alien protector Kal Langley (guest star Joe Pantoliano) are rather riveting. "Control" finally clues us in on what happens when one of the shape-shifters 'goes native', and gives us some glimpses into what life is like as a shape-shifter-trying- to-pass-as-human. This episode further confirms something that I think is hinted at all the way back to at least "Skin and Bones" - the fact that the shape-shifters Nasedo and Kal are biologically compelled to follow Max's orders. (Check out how Nasedo reacts to Max's virtual order in "Skin and Bones" and contrast it to Kal's behavior in "Control" for confirmation.) "Control" also continues to sketch in Max's previous life as an alien King - and, as has been implied before, it wasn't pretty. Beyond this, we get some developments with Liz finally starting to get fed up with Max, and Mrs. Evans attempting to reach out to him.

So, I rather wish this episode, at least, had focused almost exclusively on the Max storyline (which is the far more interesting aspect of "Control"), and left of the Isabel stuff for later.


3.6: "To Have and To Hold" GRADE: C+
w: Ronald D. Moore; d: Fred K. Keller

Despite being about my least favorite season #3 subject (strong hint: think Isabel/Jesse!), this episode actually is better than I remember it, and works better that it has any right to. Here, in the name of family harmony, Jesse asks Max to be his 'Best Man', and Max and Michael promptly set about to "investigate" whether Jesse is 'legit' or some kind of FBI alien hunter or something. The resulting trainwreck is predictable, though getting there is more entertaining than I might have guessed. Meanwhile, Max convinces the 'rents, Phillip & Diane Evans, to bury the hatchet with Isabel and show up at the wedding so they won't permanently sever their ties to their daughter. As this is going on, bridesmaids Liz and Maria have to try and calm down Isabel who's starting to freak out from visions of Kivar. Overall, while not one of Roswell's 'better' episodes, "To Have & To Hold" is still a pretty watchable affair.


3.7: "Interruptus" GRADE: B-
w: David Simkins; d: Bruce Seth Green

The return of Kivar, in the guise of a possessed human (Spence Decker), subjects us to too much of the Isaebl/Jesse nonsense, but at least finally wraps up the 'Vilandra' mess (but does it track with season #2? - not really, from what I can see!).

This episode actually sports a more interesting secondary storyline, as Liz starts to realize that Phillip Evans (Garrett M. Brown) is on a crusade to get to the truth about Max/Liz/Tess, and is in the process of 'drafting' her Dad (John Doe) into the crusade. (Phillip even tries to get Jim Valenti to role over on the gang!)

While Liz (with the help of Maria and Kyle) tracks those developments down, Isabel & Jesse honeymoon in La Jolla, CA (La Jolla?! Who honeymoons in La Jolla?!?!), soon shadowed by Max and Michael who discover from Kyle and Liz that Isabel believes Kivar is on Earth. The rest of the episode concerns Isabel trying to juggle Jesse with the increasingly visible Kivar - And Kivar appears to be making progress in 'turning' Isabel back into "Vilandra".

While entertaining overall, in hindsight this episode doesn't make any sense, once you realize that "Vilandra" was never "evil" afterall (and I'm not even clear whether she ever really loved Kivar in the first place, or whether that too was an Antarian act). In the end, I think this 'Vilandra' mess never made sense in the season and a half we were subjected to it, and I'm glad this episode marks the end of that soggy saga...


3.8: "Behind the Music" GRADE: B
w: Russell Friend & Garrett Lerner;
d: Jonathan Frakes

The first unambiguously "good" episode of season #3, I like this episode a lot - unfortunately, it just took too long for season #3 to get to this point.

The two main thrusts of this episode involve Maria realizing that she has "lost herself" in all of the alien drama of the preceding two and a half years, and Max trying to preempt Phillip Evans from finding out the truth about what Max is really up to.

The catalyst to Maria's revelation is the coming to town of a guy she met at 'band camp' [giggle!] when she was 13 - a fellow named Billy Darden (Clayne Crawford), who is now a musician himself. Michael is not surprisingly jealous, and as Billy extends his stay in Roswell, it's increasingly apparent that Michael has reason to worry. For not only is Billy apparently interested in Maria, he also serves to reawaken her interest in music, something Maria abandoned after Alex's death. The result is that Maria realizes that she needs to separate herself from the alien madness for a while and find herself again.

Meanwhile, Max tries everything in the book to throw Phillip Evans off his suspicions, but Max only severs to arouse Phillip's suspicions further (thanks to the P.I. Phillip has hired). The key for Phillip is tracking down Max's jeep (the same jeep that the gang trashed back in "Departure" when they thought they were leaving for Antar with Tess). It's this storyline that was the most promising development of season #3, as it served to reawaken the same sort of tensions Jim Valenti provided to Roswell back in season #1. Ultimately, it falls to Isabel to throw Phillip off the trail. But, as we discover at the end of this episode, this gambit backfires, as Phillip adds Isabel's name to the list of "conspirators".

So, a lot happens in this episode, and most of it is good solid character development.


3.9: "Samuel Rising" GRADE: B+
w: Jason Katims; d: Patrick Norris

A noble, if futile, attempt to come up with a Christmas episode as good as season #2's "A Roswell Christmas Carol", "Samuel Rising" is nonetheless the best episode of season #3 so far (and probably the best overall). This time rather than Max trying to heal children stricken with cancer, Max instead becomes an obsessed with an autistic child named Samuel Turner (Gavin Fink) who Max believes is in contact with Max's/Tess' son on Antar. In no time flat, Max has wormed his way into the complicated lives of Samuel, his protective mother (the always welcome Colleen Flynn) and her estranged, overwhelmed husband (Sean O'Brien, reminding everyone that he was very good previously in the TV drama Homefront). The results of Max ingratiating himself with the Turner family is at first intriguing, then disastrous, and finally heartwarming.

Meanwhile, the "Christmas Nazi" (aka. Isabel) is at it again, conning Maria and Liz into being "Elves" to Michael's "Santa", and generally bewildering the much more laid-back Jesse.

There's good character-work all around in "Samuel Rising" from Max's interactions with the Turners, to Liz's growing frustration with Max's futile focus on finding his son, to Maria's growing frustration with wanting to separate herself from Michael, to Kyle's bewilderment at Jim's dating a girl not much older than himself, to Jesse's attempts at being understanding with the "Christmas Nazi". While coming up short of the near-flawless "A Roswell Christmas Carol", "Samuel Rising" is still a worthy episode in its own right. It's also the second episode in a row indicating that, after a near-disastrous start, season #3 of Roswell was starting to turn around for the better.


3.10: "A Tale of Two Parties" GRADE: B
w: Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz;
d: Allan Kroeker

The first episode written by original "Roswell High"-novels scribe Metz (and her writing partner Laura Burns), "A Tale of Two Parties" is a worthy, if unexceptional, addition to the Roswell saga. Like "Samuel Rising", ATo2P is another single 'throw-away' episode, this one dedicated to the happenings on New Year's Eve.

In ATo2P, there are three main storylines: Maria along with Max and Michael trying to find the mythical "Enigma" New Year's Eve party/rave, Liz being forced by her Dad to host the Crashdown's annual New Year's Eve party (band: Jim Valenti & The Kit-Shickers!) for the town's more elderly inhabitants (including Bess Covendall (Eve Brent) seen earlier in "Secrets & Lies"), and Isabel's attempts to do something on New Year Eve's with Kyle when Jesse gets stuck in the airport in Chicago.

Beyond these broad outlines, the episode is more about how the characters develop than what happens - Liz begins to appreciate her Dad (thanks to a conversation with Bess) while her Dad, Jeff (John Doe), finally loosens up on Liz's relationship with Max (thanks to a conversation with Jim); Michael finally realizes that he needs to let Maria go; Kyle starts to have feelings for Isabel; and Max learns to loosen up a little.

The very best scene in this episode is the very last, where all of the gang (including the now returned Jesse) sit down on New Year's morning at the Crashdown to rehash the previous evenings events (mostly Max's and Maria's successful attempts to track down the "Engima" rave) while Jeff Parker takes their breakfast orders - this may be the first ensemble scene like this in all of season #3, and season #3 could have used a lot more of them.


3.11: "I Married an Alien" GRADE: C+
w: Ronald D. Moore; d: Patrick Norris

The first 15 minutes of this episode are a near train-wreck. The pacing is just 'off', the acting is flat, and the "humor" segments of the 'show-within-a-show' don't work and basically aren't funny.

Luckily, once the show 'settled down', the last 45 minutes are much better than the first 15, sporting a semi-interesting storyline, with even the 'show-within-a-show' segments starting to work... So, based on the first 15 minutes, this episode need some more passes through the wordprocessor.

Bottom line - first 15 minutes: C-, last 45 minutes: B-: overall score: C+


3.12: "Ch-Ch-Changes" GRADE: B-
w: Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts;
d: Paul Shapiro

Season #3 sets up the series' last major storyarc, as Liz's "resurrections" at Max's hands finally comes back to bite her. Meanwhile, Maria finally gets her big break, and her big chance to leave Michael and the alien "craziness" behind.

The problem with this episode is that it tends to affect the characters in ways that are unpleasant to watch: Liz becomes frantic when her new "powers" spin out of control, resulting in her lashing out at Max (and confiding in Kyle, and these scenes are the episode's better segments); Jim sort of gets his hopes dashed as the "A&R Lady" passes him by for Maria; and Maria's ego swells as she finally gets a chance to do something with her interest in music (but may be forced to "sell out" to do that).

While I like this episode, and significant things happen in it, ultimately I don't like the Liz developments ("superhero" shows generally go off-track when they start making even the "normal human" characters into superheroes - see: Buffy), and resent the fact that they are essentially a plot device to drive Max and Liz apart once again.


3.13: "Panacea" GRADE: B
w: Russell Friend & Garrett Lerner;
d: Rodney Charters

The key episode, where season #3's final and ultimate storyarc kicks into gear, and season #3 finally comes alive. While Liz decamps to Boarding School to get some "space" from Max and the 'alien problem', this episode mostly gets back to MedChem, where Michael begins to suspect that more is going on there than meets the eye.

Indeed, it isn't long before Michael discovers an intruder at MedChem who escapes, but not before shooting and killing Michael's friend and fellow guard, Monk (Martin Starr, formerly of TV's Freaks & Geeks). The company's and its CEO's, Meris Wheeler (Morgan Fairchild), rather cursory response to Monk's murder leads Michael to bring Jim Valenti in (undercover) to investigate the goings-on MedChem. (And how welcome it is to have Jim back in the law-enforcement/investigative saddle!) Jim and Michael soon discover that MedChem has a secret room with all of the series' previous alien 'paraphernalia' (including Liz's bloody Crashdown uniform from the pilot!), which draws Max and Isabel into these proceedings.

Before this episode ends, Jim is shot (and healed), Isabel is shot (and seriously wounded), Jesse is starting to figure out that something is up with Isabel and co., and Meris' aging & dying husband, Clayton Wheeler (Jack Donner), is reborn as... Max(?!), while Max himself... dies?!?!!

Meanwhile, in New York City to record her demo, Maria runs into Bill Darden (Clayne Crawford). But he is more and more put off by the compromises Maria's being forced to make by aggressive A&R lady Dominique D'Archer (Meredith Scott Lynn), and it's not long before Maria must make a decision between a "career" in the music world, and her integrity.

Finally, Liz settles into life at Boarding School, including living with her mischievous roommate Eileen Burrows (Ashley Johnson), and things seems to be getting better for her, until the end of the episode when Liz sense Max's "death".

All in all, this is a good episode. While it doesn't rise to the level of the best of season #1, or even season #2, a lot still happens in this episode, and it's where season #3 finally and definitely perks up.


3.14: "Chant Down Babylon" GRADE: B
w: Ronald D. Moore; d: Lawrence Trilling

A virtual "Part 2", "Chant Down Babylon" is a direct continuation of the events in "Panacea".

While "Clayton"/"Max" beings to become used to his new condition, Meris (Morgan Fairchild) becomes increasingly concerned about "Clayton's" obsession with Liz Parker, going so far as to fly out to her Boarding School out East to end "Max's" ties to her once and for all. Meanwhile, Maria, who after her NYC debacle goes to visit Liz at school during Spring Break, tries to help Liz determine what's happened back in Roswell. And, the remaining players in Roswell, hold vigil over Isabel who clings to life after the shooting. While Jesse demands answers, he also produces a shady, unlicensed doctor (Paul Fitzgerald) to treat her.

While maybe not quite as good as "Panacea", "Chant Down Babylon" is paced almost as fast, as has almost as many developments, and so holds onto the 'B' rating. Besides, the ending is what a lot of fans had been waiting for, which carries this episode just a little bit further than it otherwise would.


3.15: "Who Died and Made You King?" GRADE: B-
w: Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts;
d: Peter B. Ellis

A "Michael Out of Control" episode, "Who Died and Made You King?" returns to pure alien Skiffy/mythos territory, as Max's "death" transfers the "Royal Seal" to Second-in-Command Michael, with near disastrous results when Michael becomes power-mad with the new authority.

The catalyst for these events are Jesse's sessions with a shrink (Harry Groener) about the Isabel mess - Jesse has been sharing his feelings about their "secrets" using the cover story with the shrink of having "married into the mob" - Jesse is hoping these sessions will help him decide whether he wants to separate from the duplicitous and secretive Isabel. Meanwhile, Phillip Evans, still on his quest for the truth about Max and the gang, snoops around to find out why Liz is back from boarding school (angering Jeff Parker in the process).

Ultimately, the Jesse mess brings the FBI Alien Squad back into Roswell, and Michael completely loses it. While a weakened Max must stop the uncontrollable Michael (who's scaring even Maria), Jesse is irrecoverably drawn into the 'alien club'.

While not as good as the preceding 2-3 episodes, and suffering from Michael at his most unsympathetic, WD&MYK? is a pretty good episode just the same. And, surprisingly, the best bit in this episode actually involves the revelations around Jesse (especially at the episode's end). Go figure...


3.16: "Crash" GRADE: B-
w: David Simkins; d: Patrick Norris

"Crash" begins with Michael clearing his head in the desert, and seeing what apparently is a collision between a U.F.O. and a U.S. Air Force fighter jet. Before being driven off by the approaching authorities, Michael determines that the pilot survived the crash. So imagine Michael's surprise when a later announcement by the military tells a different story - that the pilot died in a single-aircraft plane crash. It's not long before Michael convinces the pilot's daughter (who's also serving in the military) that the authorities are lying, and her father (Larry Poindexter) is alive. Michael then teams up with the pilot's daughter, Connie (Samantha Shelton), to try to find out what really happened, eventually drawing Max in as well, when it looks like all of their lives are in danger.

Meanwhile, Maria is still steamed at Michael for the events of WD&MYK?, but he ain't apologizing. And while Jesse is out of town with Phillip Evans (who's furiously pumping Jesse for info on Isabel and Max), back in Roswell Diane Evans goes to work on getting info out of Isabel, and makes a shocking discovery!

Once again, while not as good as "Panacea" and "Chant Down Babylon", "Crash" is a pretty decent thriller, and is key in setting up the events that lead to the final episodes of Roswell.


3.17: "Four Aliens and a Baby" GRADE: B
w: Russell Friend & Garrett Lerner;
d: William Sadler

William Sadler's debut behind the camera is a real barn-burner in the suspense department! The problem with this episode is on the writing end - UPN truncated Roswell's original season order of 22 episodes down to 18, and it's in this episode most of all where it shows - the result is that the proceedings in "Four Aliens and a Baby" have a very cursory and rushed feel to them. Indeed, I'm convinced that Emilie de Ravin's guest appearance was probably planned (originally) as a two-parter, and the events of "Four Aliens and a Baby" would really have benefited from being spread out over two (or more episodes), rather than getting the short one episode treatment they get here.

A pseudo two-parter itself (carrying on from "Crash"), "Four Aliens and a Baby" reveals the identity of the alien's craft pilot from the proceeding episode - it's none other than 'evil Tess'(tm)! who has returned with Max's spawn (whom Tess has thoughtfully named Zan, after Daddy's alien identity) in tow.

After wasting the military/scientist types hovering around the crashed spaceship, Tess hightails it to Roswell (and the gang) for safety, with the Feds hot on her trail. There are two results of this, 1) Tess gets an earful from every single person she encounters after she arrives, and 2) Tess' escape threatens to expose the Alien Quartet and their human accomplices to the Feds once and for all.

Indeed, in the 'timing is everything department', while all this is going on, Phillip and Diane Evans choose this exact time to confront Isabel & Jesse with the videotape evidence they clandestinely took of Isabel in "Crash".

All this comes to a head nicely, and Sadler does a near-outstanding job in pulling all this together. But, as I alluded to at the beginning of this review, the problem is this episode doesn't give us enough time to delve into all of these issues (especially the Tess parts) in a satisfactory (to me, anyway!) manner.

So, while the ending seems to wrap most of these issues up, I really wanted more exploration of these events.

P.S. As with Topolski in "Tess, Lies & Videotape"), no matter what happens at the end of this episode, I will never believe that Tess is really dead! Viva Tess!! ;)


3.18: "Graduation" GRADE: B+
w: Jason Katims & Ronald D. Moore;
d: Allison Liddy-Brown

Roswell ends with a series finale which, if not answering every question, at least ends on a happy, upbeat, satisfying note. This is a series finale that was clearly designed to be a gift to all the fans who had stuck around since season #1, and it amply succeeds on this score. In retrospect, it is just too bad the rest of the last third of season #3 was so rushed...

"Graduation" begins with Liz apparently developing a new "power" - the power of "foresight"/prophecy. Indeed, Lis starts to see flashes of the future, starting with a customer at the Crashdown - a customer whose life she and Max end up saving, thanks to Liz's visions.

Meanwhile, the Evans parents' tape of Isabel using her powers is found in the wreckage of the military base that Tess destroyed at the end of "Four Aliens and a Baby", and the remnants of the FBI's 'Alien Hunter' Squad soon is set upon it. Elsewhere, Maria drags Michael to Madame Vivian (Liz Holzman, last seen in the episode "The End of the World") to find out if she has a future with Michael, but Madame Vivian's answer isn't to her liking. Finally, Jesse gets a big job offer in Boston, but Isabel's "complications" may prevent him from taking it, while Kyle tries to plan for his future but is rebuffed.

After saving the Crashdown customer, Liz gets a far more disturbing vision - a vision of her and the three aliens' assassination at an event with a Sci-Fi author as speaker. The gang decide to leave town to prevent their deaths, starting with Michael who leaves town almost immediately upon hearing the news, leaving poor Maria flat-footed. But, at their High School Graduation ceremony, when the rest of the gang figures out the "event" where the assassination attempt is to take place is their very Graduation! quick action is called for. Max plans a diversion (by taking the podium from the Sci-Fi author), so that the others can escape. And just as Max is about to be killed himself, Michael barges into the Graduation on a motorcycle, and evacuates Max to safety.

With the original "six" (Liz, Max, Michael, Maria, Isabel and Kyle) hitting the road to escape the Feds, Isabel tells Jesse to take the job (alone). Meanwhile, Jim Valenti shows up at the end, once again a Deputy in the Roswell Police force, to see them off. The last scene is Jeff Parker reading Liz's Diary (which she has mailed to him from the road), telling Jeff about Liz & Max's unassuming wedding at a roadside chapel, with the other four members of the gang in attendce. THE END.

As I said, this finale does as much as it possibly can by tying up all of the show's loose ends (e.g. Liz & Max get married, Michael & Maria reconcile, Isabel gives Jesse his life back, Kyle permanently joins the gang, Sheriff Valenti gets his job back, both the Evans and Parker parents (but not poor Amy Deluca!) are told the truth, etc.), while still (theoretically) leaving things open for a follow-up (movie?) to the series' events.

Ultimately, there's very little I can quibble about with this series finale, and I like it very much.


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