MONSTERS

PLOT

Maria is driving down the road, singing along to Christina Aguilera's Genie in a Bottle when she spots Isabel, whose car has broken down and is being towed away.  Maria stops and, seeing the spaceship on the back of the tow truck, asks if she's "going home" before offering her a lift.

Isabel reluctantly accepts but once inside the car is sniffy about its air conditioning and stereo.  She uses her powers to boost both, causing Maria to swerve momentarily.  Isabel then notices the alien on Maria's key-ring.  Maria explains that her mother made it and Isabel notes that her "mother does stupid things too."

Maria asks if she knows than Isabel and Max are different.  "You mean horrible disgusting creatures from outer space who sneak into your room at night and perform excruciating experiments?" asks Isabel.  Maria stares at her, then looking back at the road she slams on the brakes before crashing into the back of the car in front.  "Oh my god," they gasp when they realise that the car they've hit is Valenti's.

Ms Topolsky is talking to the class about what the future will bring them.  Maria leans across to Liz and points to various classmates and notes, "Tasty Freeze, Denny's, Gas World, Prison."

Listening to Topolsky I suddenly realised that it wasn't my future I was worried about at all.  My future was filled with all kinds of promise, if I could just get through my present.

Topolsky continues and tells the class that over the next few days they'll be called into her office for some interviews which will indicate where their strengths lie.  As she's new, the interviews will also give her a chance to find out who everyone is.

Outside class, Maria and Liz are talking about the accident.  Maria assures Liz that she can handle it, but admits that Isabel creeps her out.  Liz tells her that she will speak to Max about it but that the important thing is to stay in control.

Topolsky individually interviews the students, including Kyle, Alex, Isabel, Maria, Liz and Max, asking them what their dream job is and what job they expect to have in ten years.  She then shows them a picture and asks which character is most like them and what they're doing.

Max suggests that he's "probably the one behind the tree."  Topolsky tells him that she's been there too and that it was really risky to change, but that is worth it.  Max asks what she did and she tells him that she started a conversation with a guy she liked.  Once Max has gone, she notes that he "has secrets."

Max waits for Liz who is talking to a group of friends.  They have an awkward conversation.  He says he just wanted to say "hi" and briefly mentions the tree thing but tells her to forget it.

Liz mentions the Isabel/Maria thing.  Max admits that she makes people nervous and Liz says that they don't want things to get out of control.  She adds that he seemed to have something to say to her, but he tells her that he didn't.

Isabel is eating lunch with Max and Michael and criticising Maria.  Max asks if she can at least make an effort, but Isabel tells him that the way to deal with it is to keep Maria on her toes.

Michael produces the key he stole from Valenti's office.  He says that the government cleaned out Valenti's station and since he kept the key from them it must be important, possibly from the corpse in 1959.  Isabel tells him that he's clutching at straws.

Isabel looks up and notices Maria, and says that she'll crack in one more day.  Max tells her to find something in common with her, "order some fries.  Just start a conversation."  Isabel tells him that Maria is irrational and Michael notes, "she's kinda weird."

In her office, Topolsky talks to Liz, noting that she wants to be a scientist and that she seems very sure of herself.  Liz tells her that she likes to be in control, that you've got to have a plan and that she doesn't believe in taking life as it comes.  "Sometimes you don't have a choice," Topolsky replies.

At the back of the Crashdown, Liz runs through her colour coded system to deal with the shifts.  Afterwards, Maria doesn't want to go out front because Isabel's there.  Liz tells her that she's got to control herself, but Maria can't because she lives in constant fear of Isabel.

Isabel orders some fries but then Valenti walks in.  He orders a coke.  "Anything else I tell can you today , Sheriff?" Maria asks before hurriedly correcting herself.  He tells her he needs her insurance details.  Isabel watches as he leans forward and tells Maria, "I'm here to protect you.  From anything.  Do you understand?"  Liz, who has also been watching, interrupts and tells Maria it's time for her to do the can inventory.

Later at the Crashdown, Max enters as Maria's just finishing with a mother and her son who are off to the UFO Center over the road.  Maria assures Max that she's okay but he tells her that she shortchanged the woman by $10 and since Maria can't leave the cafe offers to return the money.

In the UFO Center, Max tags onto the back of the tour and listens while the tour guide hams it up for the tourists.  "What about 1959?" he asks, but doesn't admit that he was the one who asked the questions.  After he's returned the money, the guide asks Max what he knows about 1959.  "Is there something to know?" he replies.  The guide tells him to come back tomorrow.

That night, Max is in his bedroom, looking up at the stars.  He asks Isabel if she wonders whether there's someone out there somewhere, waiting for them to come home.  "Every day," she tells him.  He tells her that he's not sure that being cautious is the right thing to do because they're not getting anyway, but can't be sure whether it's the key or Liz making him think like this.

Isabel tells him that she's going to find out exactly what they're up against and that's she's going to visit Maria in her dreams.

Maria dreams that she and Liz are in the Crashdown.  "Some people are just pigs," Liz tells her as she clears a table.  Maria agrees then screams when she sees Max and Isabel with green hair and alien features but Liz tells her they look perfectly normal.  Maria starts crying and then sees Isabel who tells her that she thought she'd visit her dreams.  Isabel then notices that Maria's dream has Michael sat at a table wearing a tuxedo.  "When he's dressed like that, it makes me feel much less afraid," explains Maria.  Michael then turns into a monster and Maria starts screaming for Valenti, who's sat impassively in the Crashdown.  She tells Isabel that they are "horrible, disgusting creatures from outer space," before waking up and falling out of bed.

Topolsky interviews Max, telling him that sometimes adopted kids go through tough times at his age.  Max says that he doesn't usually think too far ahead so she asks him what he wanted to be when he was five.  He doesn't answer, so she continues with the suggestion that he doesn't remember anything before he was adopted.

After school, Max visits the UFO Center.  The tour guide reveals that he's got an archive of material on UFO sightings.  It isn't open to the public but he offers Max a job helping out at the Center.

At the Crashdown, Maria is clearing up when Isabel remarks "some people are just pigs," which throws Maria, much to Isabel's amusement.  Valenti then shows up, asking how Maria's neck is after she was hit at the Crash Festival.  He tells her to drop by his office for a talk.

In class, Max and Liz accidentally brush hands.  Max then knocks some books on the floor and the pair bend down beneath the desk to pick them up.  Liz assures him that Maria is totally trustworthy and that there's nothing to worry about.

Topolsky reveals the results of everyone's computer profile, including law enforcement for Kyle and psychology for Alex.  Isabel, who wanted to be a supermodel, is handed her profile and declares that she never trusted computers.

At the Crashdown, Liz runs through what Maria's going to tell Valenti.  Maria thinks that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he found out and that she's not sure whether or not they need protection from Max, Isabel and Michael.

While Isabel and Maria pick up their care, Max and Michael quiz Liz on Maria's state of mind.  Liz admits that she's not sure how Maria will react.  Max tells her that it was only natural that told Maria.  Liz asks what he meant by the tree remark the other day.  He tells her that it was just some advice someone gave her.  When Liz asks if he took it he says, "I think I just did."

Valenti questions Maria.  He suspects that someone's controlling her.  Maria repeats the same answers Liz gave her earlier, which are completely unrelated to Valenti's questions.  Valenti presses her on what happened at the Crash Festival, who Isabel is and tells her about his father.  His obsession with aliens lost him his families and tells her they wouldn't want to see any more families destroyed.  Tears stream down Maria's face.  She tells him that Isabel is a "special girl" because of where she comes from.  Valenti pushes her.  Maria tells him, "a very nice family.  And like you said sheriff, we wouldn't want to destroy any other families in this town, would we?"

Afterwards, Maria meets up with Isabel.  She admits that she was scared, but then she realised what it must be like to be Isabel.

The future was always so clear to me.  A straight path towards my goal.  I just never counted on there being any intersections.  I guess that's what makes life more interesting.  Keeping yourself open, letting new people in, changing your mind.

Back at school, the five meet up.  Michael walks off alone, Max puts his arm around Isabel and they walk off and then Liz and Maria walk off.  Liz puts her arm around her friend as they leave.

CAST

Steve Hytner who plays Max's boss, Milton Ross, was Dr Denny Murphy in The X Files: Ice.

CONTINUITY

During the students' sessions with Topolsky we learn of their dream jobs:

Kyle - left field for the Houston Astros.  He expects to be doing this in ten years time and isn't impressed when his career profile suggests law enforcement.

Isabel - supermodel ("you work with what you given").  She tells Topolsky she usually gets what she wants.  She never really played well with others, puts family first, craves stability and security and leans towards care giving fields.

Liz - molecular biologist.  Her "dream, dream, dream job" is head of molecular biology research at Harvard.  She confidently tells Topolsky that in ten years time she will be a molecular biologist.

Maria tells her "like I have any skills."  When asked about ten years time she replies, "oh, we could all be dead in ten years."

Alex's suggested career is a psychologist.

Valenti's father lost his family over his belief in aliens.

NOTES

Yolanda Lloyd Delgado and Ebonie Smith return as Ms. Hardy and Genoveve respectively.

COMMENTS

Another top episode.

Topolsky's interviews allow for a couple of students to provide some humorous moments while we get a few insights into most of the regulars.  Apart from the non-regulars, we get a disinterested Maria, a questioning Alex, self-confident Liz, unsure Max and would-be supermodel Isabel.

Elsewhere, Max tries to take Topolsky's advice but struggles to hold a conversation with Liz, except when they're discussing Maria's interview with Valenti.

Maria finally comes to some sort of decision with her feelings about the aliens (Isabel in particular) and her dream is not only funny but provides an insight into how she sees Michael.  He might agree with Max and Isabel that she's weird but it also looks like he sees something about her.  She also just about holds up with Valenti and now has a more understanding relationship with Isabel as she realises how things must be for Izzy.

Plus there's more sweet moments between Max and Liz, and continuing mystery about Topolsky - don't any of the characters think it's weird that a guidance counsellor posed as a substitute teacher?

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