Roswell
"Skin and Bones"

Airdate: October 2, 2000

Max relates to a kindly, if a bit clueless, counselor the entire first season... er... I mean what it is that has him acting all secretive and moody and worrying his parents. But instead of really unloading all of his problems, he merely agrees that he's suffering from normal teen angst.

Back at the Crashdown, everyone, except Michael and Liz, watch as the shapeshifter Nintendo... er... I mean Nasedo -- posing as FBI agent Piece -- testifies before Congress, making the special unit that the real one worked with sound like a bunch of taxpayer-money-wasting paranoids, much to the chagrin of Roswell's own Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker. While that comes as a relief to the group, Max and Maria still take the time to moon pathetically over the absence of their recently less-than-enthusiastic cohorts in smooching and groping.

Dreadlocks would be an improvement.

While it may seem like all the kids have to worry about is who will be their next parking-partner, a geologist discovers the bones of the real Pierce -- whom Michael killed last season protecting Valenti. Although the Sheriff attempts to veer the investigation away from the real culprits (that would be him and Roswell's alien contingent), Deputy Barney Fife... er... I mean Deputy Hanson... Oh hell, I'll just call him Barney. Anyway, Barney keeps butting in and getting the job done right, leading to Michael being arrested for murder. It's up to Max and Tess, with the help of their super powers to thwart Congresswoman Whitaker's plan on getting undeniable proof of the existence of aliens on Earth.

Over the course of the episode, both Michael and then Najera... no wait, that's my name... er... I mean Nasedo... both sense someone or something watching them and find an expanse of shed skin in the shape of a human hand and arm. Then, just when everyone thinks they can breathe a sigh of relief, Max finds a dying Nabisco... er... I mean Nasedo... who informs him that the "Skins" are among them. These bad aliens look to be a nasty lot and the threat that had been hanging over The Royal Four has now turned up the heat.

As promised, Roswell has shifted most of the focus away from the romantic angst angle that left most of the staff of this magazine rolling their eyes and changing the channel. While there's still a bit of the teen drama left in the old girl what with Max and Maria having to join poor, frustrated Alex in worshipping from afar, there seems to be a more definite trend towards a story based series rather than a character one. In other words, stuff actually happens. Why in this episode alone the lack of Liz for the first 20 minutes meant that the mooning time was cut by at least a third!

But don't despair that you might get confused with all this new-fangled action as the dynamics of the show are still the same. Even the presence of a fourth teen alien, Tess, isn't much of a threat to the romantic lives of the show's intrepid heroes as her character fairly screams "red shirt." Okay, so technically she's been on too many episodes already to fully qualify as a "red shirt," but it's obvious that her days are numbered. Otherwise they'd have to hire another human guy just to set her up with. Then again... What has the Sheriff's son been doing lately?

Random Comments

Is it just me or did Jason Behr's neck get longer? At least he's been working out.
Majandra Delfino has let her hair grow! Wow. She looks really good. Compared to last year.
Sheriff Valenti needs to open a can of whup-ass on Barney Fife, or whatever the name of his new deputy is.
I got five dollars that says that Courtney chick's gonna turn out to be a "Skin."
A guy turning down sex? Yeah, he must be an alien.
Michael shouldn't be so quick to brush off Maria. Especially considering that his new Sweathog look isn't likely to get him anyone else on this planet or any other one.
What's Brendan Fehr gonna do to his hair next season? Get it cornrowed? Mohawk? Dreadlocks? Somebody buy this boy a gift certificate for Fantastic Sam's. Please?

-- Linda M. Najera

Roswell airs Monday nights at 9pm EST on The WB.

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