Roswell 2.16: "Heart of Mine"
Written by Jason Katims
Directed by Lawrence Trilling
In which relationships and futures come to mind when Prom season arrives, and Liz finds herself contemplating making a final decision about her “friendship” with Max…
Status Report
With so much left unsaid and undone at the end of “The Hybrid Chronicles”, the previous episode was something of a coda to that mini-arc. This episode effectively begins the final arc of the season, and since the writers were under the impression that it was the end of the series, several plot elements are driven towards a relative conclusion. One can see the writers moving the pieces into place for character development.
This episode was not very popular, if only because it continues the darkest period of the relationship between Max and Liz. If the three seasons are taken as a complete package, at least in terms of that relationship, then this is the middle act, where complications conspire to keep them apart. The effects of “The End of the World” continue to deny Max and Liz what they most desire, and the writers bring back one of the key elements from the end of the first season and the beginning of the second: Tess’ focus on unearthing Max’s memories of Antar and setting him on the course towards their destiny.
The writers, originally under the belief that the second season would end with “How the Other Half Lives”, focused more on the question of free will vs. destiny in terms of the hybrids as individuals. Max eventually discovered that he cannot let his destiny regarding Antar rule his life on Earth, yet he cannot pretend that he’s human. Michael came to grips, more or less, with his human side. Isabel got over the concern that Vilandra’s betrayal would translate into one of her own. And Tess seemed to be learning how to be more human and accept life on Earth.
The humans also seemed to learn lessons by the end of “The Hybrid Chronicles”. Liz seemed to come to terms with the fact that she and Max would continue to be star-crossed loves, which was in keeping with the original concept of a human/alien Romeo and Juliet and the end of the first season. Maria seemed to recognize that she has to accept Michael for who he is. Alex had learned to stand on his own two feet and stop pining for Isabel. Kyle had supposedly recognized his emotional attachment to Tess. Valenti lost his job trying to protect the hybrids, but that also seemed to lead him to Amy, once and for all; he also came to terms with the father figure role he had internalized.
No matter the number of dangling plot threads, the character arcs were more or less established. “Viva Las Vegas” reinforced some of those themes, while also seemingly addressing the long-standing feud between Max and Michael and firmly reminding the audience that Liz was still under the impression that she and Max have no future. It was a mission statement of sorts: the rest of the second season would be devoted to wrapping up the major plot and character threads in the hopes of giving the series a sendoff the fans would enjoy.
This episode is the natural progression from the state of affairs in the previous episode as events transition into the final arc. This is all about the characters and moving them into the right places emotionally for the subsequent episodes to make sense. Rather than delivering more of the same, the writers were dedicated to the notion of providing one last set of twists. Again, since there was no expectation of a third season, nothing was considered entirely sacred; it was all about going out on a high note.
All season long, Max and Liz have been orbiting one another, sending each other signals that confuse more than inspire. They tried being indifferent towards one another, and it didn’t work. They tried being friends, but that only made the temptation worse. As Max pushed away his destiny more and more, Liz had Future Max to persuade her to keep Max at a distance. By the time “The Hybrid Chronicles” came along, the two of them were coming to the conclusion, reflected in “Viva Las Vegas”, that they would love each other forever but always at a distance.
Sean DeLuca, originally brought in to aid in the expression of the tragic relationship between Max and Liz, suddenly becomes the incarnation of possibility in Liz’s world. Like Liz said in an earlier episode: Max will never be able to take her all the places that she wants to go. Sean isn’t likely to be that person either, but he’s not Max, and that’s what Liz is coming to terms with. A relationship with Sean, however fleeting, is a relationship with Not Max.
At the same time, the writers resurrect the offer that Tess made, way back at the beginning of the season, to help Max remember his previous life on Antar. What triggered this interest, long denied, is not entirely clear; some time has passed since “How the Other Half Lives” and “Viva Las Vegas”, so it’s possible that this is part of Max’s response to recognizing that he can’t escape his alien heritage. There’s also the biological imperative thing, which isn’t mentioned but must still hold some influence, however minor at this point.
The impending Prom, as usual, gets everyone thinking about beginnings and endings, relationships and the lack thereof. Isabel comes to the realization that she needs to move on after Grant’s demise, and naturally her thoughts turn to Alex. There’s the tension that is always brewing between Michael and Maria. Kyle, through the boorish behavior of his peers, is presented with the chance to consider his feelings for Tess. And Liz, conflicted and confused, wants to be with Max, even if it’s only pretend, which just serves as a metaphor for her entire relationship with him.
Max doesn’t seem to know where they are heading either. Supposedly they’re friends, but there’s too much under the surface for that to work for very long. It’s almost as if his decision to talk about his memories of Antar are a way to cement the friendship angle; he gets to talk things through with Liz, but also remind her (and himself) that there’s something keeping them apart. It’s no mistake that immediately following that conversation, Sean ends up pointing out to Liz that there are other options, and that she’s just as guilty of not moving on.
Isabel is about as subtle as a brick sometimes, and she has a serious problem with empathy. It’s allowed her to manipulate Alex shamelessly in the past, and one has to wonder about her motivations for approaching Alex now. Part of it is that she’s beginning to realize what he has to offer, especially now that he’s not worshipping the ground she walks on, but she also still thinks of him as convenient. Isabel’s constant displays of self-confidence mask an inner isolation that has kept her from forging the kind of relationships that Max/Liz and Michael/Maria ultimately create.
The writers have Tess and Kyle react to one another with a mixture of confusion and worry, which could be interpreted many different ways, given how the season pans out. Tess certainly seems to be focused on her plan to woo Max and get pregnant; with the extension of the season came a revision of her motivations, and it’s obvious. At the same time, she doesn’t want to ruin the relationship with the Valentis, because she’s genuinely enjoying the sense of family. Kyle’s confusion is more straightforward.
Maria complicates her own relationship because Michael has never been entirely trustworthy. So when he follows up on the previous episode with more Maria-centric behavior, she’s suspicious. But it also serves to place Liz in the state of mind necessary to accept that Max might be moving on with Tess, especially since she remembers how his memories were stimulated (literally) in the first season. Liz can’t help but draw conclusions.
A lot of the episode is about Liz recognizing that she hasn’t been committing to the path that she chose in “The End of the World”, and how it’s a larger symptom of how her life has been on hold since “Destiny”. She keeps leaving the door open for Max, and as long as that’s the case, he’s going to believe that it’s not over. Tess exploits that rift when she can; it’s not at all clear whether or not Max is actually having flashes of memory, or whether Tess is mind-warping Max into believing it. It could be a mixture of both.
Where the characters are in relation to high school has never been entirely clear. The implication of this episode is that most of them are juniors. Kyle is an implied senior, given that he went to the Prom the year before, but he could have gone with someone older based on popularity. Isabel somehow manages to get her credits covered a year earlier than usual, something she only shares with Alex. Again, with the series ending in the minds of the writers, these were minor details; the contradictions only appear when the series is taken as a whole.
While there’s never been much doubt that the cast is damned attractive, the Prom wear really makes it obvious. Kyle cleans up well enough, but Tess is as hot as Kyle’s friends make her out to be. Emilie de Ravin was still growing into her beauty at this point; her current tenure on “Lost” has highlighted how she’s grown even more beautiful with time. Maria looks luminous in her hippie garb, as usual (it’s quite fortunate that she doesn’t have that old hair style!). Max looks a bit older than he should (Jason’s true age shining through), but he makes Kyle look damned bad in comparison. But the award for best Prom dress has to go to Liz; Shiri is a lovely young woman, and when all dressed up, she’s impossible to ignore.
As Liz’s voiceover indicates, this episode is meant to bring everyone together for one last time, in relative harmony, before everything falls apart. By the end of the season, two of the characters would be gone. Adding Jim and Amy to the mix, another would disappear completely. It’s hard to reconcile that this episode is essentially the last appearance of the cast that defined the first season. Even the relationships of the first season are reflected, as if to say that things can never be as they were.
The Prom itself begins to implement those emotional changes. Isabel finds contentment, if nothing else, with Alex; thus she is opening herself up to a real relationship just in time to have her heart ripped out in the next episode. Kyle ends up admitting, more to himself than his fellow jock, that Tess is more of a sister than a love interest. Liz finally tells Max that they need to make a decision, and as things stand, it’s clear that she’s attempting a true break. She has more reason for it, but she’s really asking him to give them both permission to end the cycle of uncertainty and heartache.
Kyle explains his revelation to Tess, and her reactions are hard to understand. Does she think he’s trying to make a move? Possibly, but it’s not clear. Given all the heartbreak and deep emotion, it’s no surprise that Liz lets loose a bit and goes wild on the dance floor. It’s not about celebration; it’s about focusing on something other than the pain. Then Michael walks in, and makes Maria feel terrible and wonderful all at once. Michael looks like her knight in shining armor, appropriately enough, and his dialogue is perfect.
In the end, Liz is not immune to reality. Having spent time with Sean, Liz was warming up to the idea of someone who is Not Max. It’s another thing entirely to realize that her decision means that Max and Tess might actually bond, just as she feared. Theoretically, she had to know it; seeing it happen right in front of her was too real for logic to accept. Having taken the step to push Max away, and knowing the cost, Liz finds herself free, with all the conflicting emotions that come with the territory.
Beyond setting the stage for the final plot arc of the season, this is also the end of a process that has been in play since “The End of the World”; the irony is that Liz is now finding her own reasons for doing what Future Max insisted she do in that earlier episode. Liz started the season with the intention of staying away from Max, but her resolve faltered. Future Max imposed an external pressure on Liz, which then became the catalyst for her constant considerations over the pros and cons of responding to his overtures. This episode shows Liz coming to the conclusion that she can survive without Max, despite loving him.
While at the time this appeared to be a permanent situation, and one that was very unpopular, it actually serves as the basis for her later decision to resume a relationship with Max, once he finds himself in a position to no longer be bound to a particular destiny. Once the external pressure to remain apart disappears, Liz is bolstered by the knowledge that she can survive leaving him. By setting herself free in this episode, she is free to choose Max in the future, without believing that it’s a case of hanging on to the past.
Of course, this episode is less painful in retrospect. When it was seen as the beginning of the end for the series, it was hard to reconcile that the relationship between Max and Liz would falter and die in the end. The fact that the series creator, Jason Katims, was on board with both directions implies that there was no true plan set in stone for the series. But that may not be true. After all, coming into this episode, a reconciliation would have been hard to fathom. It might have been more tidy for Tess and Kyle to form a relationship, thus allowing Max and Liz to be together, but the writers were clearly hoping to end the season (and series) on a more angst-ridden note. When the series was renewed at the last moment, the third season gave the writers a chance to move Max and Liz back into a position where a relationship was logical.
The tone of this episode is bittersweet, and not just because it’s meant to be the end of something developed since the beginning of the series. The cast was under the impression that the process of letting go had begun. The picture of the characters before the Prom was about saying goodbye to the series as it was, because those days could never come again. In this sense, using the Prom as the mechanism was the perfect metaphor; for many coming out of high school, the Prom is the last hurrah before everything changes. For “Roswell”, it was the same.
Memorable Quotes
LIZ: “It’s a weeknight, so I probably shouldn’t, you know, commit a felony…”
MICHAEL: “So you actually remember our planet?”
MAX: “Yes!”
MICHAEL: “What are the chicks like?”
MAX: “Everything seems so ephemeral…you know, uh…”
MICHAEL: “Transient, fleeting, impermanent…I know what ‘ephemeral’ means, Maxwell. It’s my life.”
LIZ: “I do not want to hear any more of your stupid, inane comments. I do not want to hear any more of your little theories on life. And I do not wanna write my frickin’ name in mustard, OK?”
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode is far better than its reputation would leave one to believe. While seeing Liz make a decision to leave Max once and for all is difficult, in the context of the series as a whole, it’s a necessary psychological step towards their eventual long-term future. The other key relationships are all addressed and transformed in this episode, setting the stage for the events that would unfold over the remainder of the season.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
Directed by Lawrence Trilling
In which relationships and futures come to mind when Prom season arrives, and Liz finds herself contemplating making a final decision about her “friendship” with Max…
Status Report
With so much left unsaid and undone at the end of “The Hybrid Chronicles”, the previous episode was something of a coda to that mini-arc. This episode effectively begins the final arc of the season, and since the writers were under the impression that it was the end of the series, several plot elements are driven towards a relative conclusion. One can see the writers moving the pieces into place for character development.
This episode was not very popular, if only because it continues the darkest period of the relationship between Max and Liz. If the three seasons are taken as a complete package, at least in terms of that relationship, then this is the middle act, where complications conspire to keep them apart. The effects of “The End of the World” continue to deny Max and Liz what they most desire, and the writers bring back one of the key elements from the end of the first season and the beginning of the second: Tess’ focus on unearthing Max’s memories of Antar and setting him on the course towards their destiny.
The writers, originally under the belief that the second season would end with “How the Other Half Lives”, focused more on the question of free will vs. destiny in terms of the hybrids as individuals. Max eventually discovered that he cannot let his destiny regarding Antar rule his life on Earth, yet he cannot pretend that he’s human. Michael came to grips, more or less, with his human side. Isabel got over the concern that Vilandra’s betrayal would translate into one of her own. And Tess seemed to be learning how to be more human and accept life on Earth.
The humans also seemed to learn lessons by the end of “The Hybrid Chronicles”. Liz seemed to come to terms with the fact that she and Max would continue to be star-crossed loves, which was in keeping with the original concept of a human/alien Romeo and Juliet and the end of the first season. Maria seemed to recognize that she has to accept Michael for who he is. Alex had learned to stand on his own two feet and stop pining for Isabel. Kyle had supposedly recognized his emotional attachment to Tess. Valenti lost his job trying to protect the hybrids, but that also seemed to lead him to Amy, once and for all; he also came to terms with the father figure role he had internalized.
No matter the number of dangling plot threads, the character arcs were more or less established. “Viva Las Vegas” reinforced some of those themes, while also seemingly addressing the long-standing feud between Max and Michael and firmly reminding the audience that Liz was still under the impression that she and Max have no future. It was a mission statement of sorts: the rest of the second season would be devoted to wrapping up the major plot and character threads in the hopes of giving the series a sendoff the fans would enjoy.
This episode is the natural progression from the state of affairs in the previous episode as events transition into the final arc. This is all about the characters and moving them into the right places emotionally for the subsequent episodes to make sense. Rather than delivering more of the same, the writers were dedicated to the notion of providing one last set of twists. Again, since there was no expectation of a third season, nothing was considered entirely sacred; it was all about going out on a high note.
All season long, Max and Liz have been orbiting one another, sending each other signals that confuse more than inspire. They tried being indifferent towards one another, and it didn’t work. They tried being friends, but that only made the temptation worse. As Max pushed away his destiny more and more, Liz had Future Max to persuade her to keep Max at a distance. By the time “The Hybrid Chronicles” came along, the two of them were coming to the conclusion, reflected in “Viva Las Vegas”, that they would love each other forever but always at a distance.
Sean DeLuca, originally brought in to aid in the expression of the tragic relationship between Max and Liz, suddenly becomes the incarnation of possibility in Liz’s world. Like Liz said in an earlier episode: Max will never be able to take her all the places that she wants to go. Sean isn’t likely to be that person either, but he’s not Max, and that’s what Liz is coming to terms with. A relationship with Sean, however fleeting, is a relationship with Not Max.
At the same time, the writers resurrect the offer that Tess made, way back at the beginning of the season, to help Max remember his previous life on Antar. What triggered this interest, long denied, is not entirely clear; some time has passed since “How the Other Half Lives” and “Viva Las Vegas”, so it’s possible that this is part of Max’s response to recognizing that he can’t escape his alien heritage. There’s also the biological imperative thing, which isn’t mentioned but must still hold some influence, however minor at this point.
The impending Prom, as usual, gets everyone thinking about beginnings and endings, relationships and the lack thereof. Isabel comes to the realization that she needs to move on after Grant’s demise, and naturally her thoughts turn to Alex. There’s the tension that is always brewing between Michael and Maria. Kyle, through the boorish behavior of his peers, is presented with the chance to consider his feelings for Tess. And Liz, conflicted and confused, wants to be with Max, even if it’s only pretend, which just serves as a metaphor for her entire relationship with him.
Max doesn’t seem to know where they are heading either. Supposedly they’re friends, but there’s too much under the surface for that to work for very long. It’s almost as if his decision to talk about his memories of Antar are a way to cement the friendship angle; he gets to talk things through with Liz, but also remind her (and himself) that there’s something keeping them apart. It’s no mistake that immediately following that conversation, Sean ends up pointing out to Liz that there are other options, and that she’s just as guilty of not moving on.
Isabel is about as subtle as a brick sometimes, and she has a serious problem with empathy. It’s allowed her to manipulate Alex shamelessly in the past, and one has to wonder about her motivations for approaching Alex now. Part of it is that she’s beginning to realize what he has to offer, especially now that he’s not worshipping the ground she walks on, but she also still thinks of him as convenient. Isabel’s constant displays of self-confidence mask an inner isolation that has kept her from forging the kind of relationships that Max/Liz and Michael/Maria ultimately create.
The writers have Tess and Kyle react to one another with a mixture of confusion and worry, which could be interpreted many different ways, given how the season pans out. Tess certainly seems to be focused on her plan to woo Max and get pregnant; with the extension of the season came a revision of her motivations, and it’s obvious. At the same time, she doesn’t want to ruin the relationship with the Valentis, because she’s genuinely enjoying the sense of family. Kyle’s confusion is more straightforward.
Maria complicates her own relationship because Michael has never been entirely trustworthy. So when he follows up on the previous episode with more Maria-centric behavior, she’s suspicious. But it also serves to place Liz in the state of mind necessary to accept that Max might be moving on with Tess, especially since she remembers how his memories were stimulated (literally) in the first season. Liz can’t help but draw conclusions.
A lot of the episode is about Liz recognizing that she hasn’t been committing to the path that she chose in “The End of the World”, and how it’s a larger symptom of how her life has been on hold since “Destiny”. She keeps leaving the door open for Max, and as long as that’s the case, he’s going to believe that it’s not over. Tess exploits that rift when she can; it’s not at all clear whether or not Max is actually having flashes of memory, or whether Tess is mind-warping Max into believing it. It could be a mixture of both.
Where the characters are in relation to high school has never been entirely clear. The implication of this episode is that most of them are juniors. Kyle is an implied senior, given that he went to the Prom the year before, but he could have gone with someone older based on popularity. Isabel somehow manages to get her credits covered a year earlier than usual, something she only shares with Alex. Again, with the series ending in the minds of the writers, these were minor details; the contradictions only appear when the series is taken as a whole.
While there’s never been much doubt that the cast is damned attractive, the Prom wear really makes it obvious. Kyle cleans up well enough, but Tess is as hot as Kyle’s friends make her out to be. Emilie de Ravin was still growing into her beauty at this point; her current tenure on “Lost” has highlighted how she’s grown even more beautiful with time. Maria looks luminous in her hippie garb, as usual (it’s quite fortunate that she doesn’t have that old hair style!). Max looks a bit older than he should (Jason’s true age shining through), but he makes Kyle look damned bad in comparison. But the award for best Prom dress has to go to Liz; Shiri is a lovely young woman, and when all dressed up, she’s impossible to ignore.
As Liz’s voiceover indicates, this episode is meant to bring everyone together for one last time, in relative harmony, before everything falls apart. By the end of the season, two of the characters would be gone. Adding Jim and Amy to the mix, another would disappear completely. It’s hard to reconcile that this episode is essentially the last appearance of the cast that defined the first season. Even the relationships of the first season are reflected, as if to say that things can never be as they were.
The Prom itself begins to implement those emotional changes. Isabel finds contentment, if nothing else, with Alex; thus she is opening herself up to a real relationship just in time to have her heart ripped out in the next episode. Kyle ends up admitting, more to himself than his fellow jock, that Tess is more of a sister than a love interest. Liz finally tells Max that they need to make a decision, and as things stand, it’s clear that she’s attempting a true break. She has more reason for it, but she’s really asking him to give them both permission to end the cycle of uncertainty and heartache.
Kyle explains his revelation to Tess, and her reactions are hard to understand. Does she think he’s trying to make a move? Possibly, but it’s not clear. Given all the heartbreak and deep emotion, it’s no surprise that Liz lets loose a bit and goes wild on the dance floor. It’s not about celebration; it’s about focusing on something other than the pain. Then Michael walks in, and makes Maria feel terrible and wonderful all at once. Michael looks like her knight in shining armor, appropriately enough, and his dialogue is perfect.
In the end, Liz is not immune to reality. Having spent time with Sean, Liz was warming up to the idea of someone who is Not Max. It’s another thing entirely to realize that her decision means that Max and Tess might actually bond, just as she feared. Theoretically, she had to know it; seeing it happen right in front of her was too real for logic to accept. Having taken the step to push Max away, and knowing the cost, Liz finds herself free, with all the conflicting emotions that come with the territory.
Beyond setting the stage for the final plot arc of the season, this is also the end of a process that has been in play since “The End of the World”; the irony is that Liz is now finding her own reasons for doing what Future Max insisted she do in that earlier episode. Liz started the season with the intention of staying away from Max, but her resolve faltered. Future Max imposed an external pressure on Liz, which then became the catalyst for her constant considerations over the pros and cons of responding to his overtures. This episode shows Liz coming to the conclusion that she can survive without Max, despite loving him.
While at the time this appeared to be a permanent situation, and one that was very unpopular, it actually serves as the basis for her later decision to resume a relationship with Max, once he finds himself in a position to no longer be bound to a particular destiny. Once the external pressure to remain apart disappears, Liz is bolstered by the knowledge that she can survive leaving him. By setting herself free in this episode, she is free to choose Max in the future, without believing that it’s a case of hanging on to the past.
Of course, this episode is less painful in retrospect. When it was seen as the beginning of the end for the series, it was hard to reconcile that the relationship between Max and Liz would falter and die in the end. The fact that the series creator, Jason Katims, was on board with both directions implies that there was no true plan set in stone for the series. But that may not be true. After all, coming into this episode, a reconciliation would have been hard to fathom. It might have been more tidy for Tess and Kyle to form a relationship, thus allowing Max and Liz to be together, but the writers were clearly hoping to end the season (and series) on a more angst-ridden note. When the series was renewed at the last moment, the third season gave the writers a chance to move Max and Liz back into a position where a relationship was logical.
The tone of this episode is bittersweet, and not just because it’s meant to be the end of something developed since the beginning of the series. The cast was under the impression that the process of letting go had begun. The picture of the characters before the Prom was about saying goodbye to the series as it was, because those days could never come again. In this sense, using the Prom as the mechanism was the perfect metaphor; for many coming out of high school, the Prom is the last hurrah before everything changes. For “Roswell”, it was the same.
Memorable Quotes
LIZ: “It’s a weeknight, so I probably shouldn’t, you know, commit a felony…”
MICHAEL: “So you actually remember our planet?”
MAX: “Yes!”
MICHAEL: “What are the chicks like?”
MAX: “Everything seems so ephemeral…you know, uh…”
MICHAEL: “Transient, fleeting, impermanent…I know what ‘ephemeral’ means, Maxwell. It’s my life.”
LIZ: “I do not want to hear any more of your stupid, inane comments. I do not want to hear any more of your little theories on life. And I do not wanna write my frickin’ name in mustard, OK?”
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode is far better than its reputation would leave one to believe. While seeing Liz make a decision to leave Max once and for all is difficult, in the context of the series as a whole, it’s a necessary psychological step towards their eventual long-term future. The other key relationships are all addressed and transformed in this episode, setting the stage for the events that would unfold over the remainder of the season.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
posted by John Keegan | 17:09
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