ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

PLOT

February 2002. Lincoln County, New Mexico. Two miles from the crash site. Something is beeping in the desert.

It's February 20th. I'm Liz Parker, and lately I've been having these feelings, like I'm changing...inside, and part of me doesn't want to change. Part of me always wants to be my mom's little girl. But the thing is, these feelings are strong...dangerous, undeniable. It's like I have no choice. It's like...chemical.

In the Crashdown, Liz fantasises about Max meeting her in the W. Roswell High girls' locker room. Maria brings her back to her senses and then Max arrives, asking whether or not they're still friends. Liz replies that they are - just friends. As she starts to leave, Max grabs her and they start making out; Liz sees images of something flying through space.

Later, she asks Maria if she sees things when she's kissing Michael, and tells her how she saw stars when she kissed Max.

At school, Maria discusses it with Alex and notes that if they actually "do it" Liz will probably explode. Alex replies that maybe she'll explode if they don't do it.

Elsewhere, Max asks Michael whether anything similar has happened to Maria, and Michael says that Max hasn't experienced anything that he hasn't experienced.

Max and Liz flirt with one another in astronomy class. Max touches Liz's hand and she gets a flood of images of something travelling through space. Liz starts to moan, attracting attention from the rest of the class until the teacher snaps her out of it and gives the pair detention.

Maria finds Michael in the bleachers and they discuss Liz's flashes. Both think it's unlikely that the pair have discovered some new sensationn. Despite this, the pair make out and Maria says that she saw something shooting through space while Michael claims to have seen her as a little girl trying to tie her red sneakers.

Max and Liz meet up in the Eraser Room. Max sees an image of a young Liz trying on make-up and dressing up, while she gets an image of the saucer flying towards Earth and crashing into the desert. The pair make too much noise, causing someone to investigate.

Max and Liz wait outside the principal's office. Inside, Nancy Parker asks what an Eraser Room is, and when the principal explains, Diane Evans assumes that the pair were cleaning erasers when they created the disturbance. The principal tells them that the pair were making out.

Liz then tells her and Max's moms that they shouldn't be there, to which the principal tells them they should have been less noisy. Nancy says that she's heard enough, while Liz claims that it's just a mix-ups. The principal adds that the pair cut two classes, although Diane is convinced tht Max wouldn't have done this unless there was a good reason. However, Max is at a loss to explain.

Liz tells her mom that it's no big deal, and that it's not like she's never kissed a boy before. Nancy tells her that it wasn't the kissing, but the volume and says that they'll talk about it later, telling her daughter to come straight home from school. However, Liz tells her that she's got detention.

Liz runs into Alex and tells him that the most incredible thing is happening to her. Alex then spots Isabel eating pizza by herself and brings up the Max-Liz thing, offering himself as a human subject available for experimentation in case kissing provokes certain insight. Isabel tells him that it's not going to happen, but offers him some pizza instead.

At detention, Liz is looking at a poster of the Whirlwind Galaxy while waiting for Mr. Seligman to show up. When he does, he's pleased that she's taking a renewed interest in science, and asks what's inspired it. Max walks in and Liz explains that, "the universe is beautiful." He hands them their detention assignments before leaving. Liz then explains what she saw was real, and that she thinks she saw the crash.

Liz is working at her desk when her mom comes in and brings up the subject of MAx. Liz is uncomfortable and doesn't want to talk about it. Taking a deep breath, Nancy tells her, "don't ever have sex. Don't ever leave this house. Don't ever stop being my baby girl." Liz tells her that she's not having sex with Max and Nancy replies that once she does, everything changes and that she wants Liz to know that she doesn't ever have to lie to her about any of this.

At Michael's apartment, Isabel is putting away some groceries while Max talks to her and Michael about what happened with Liz. Isabel is sceptical of Max's theory, as well as being grossed out by the state of Michael's fridge. Max says that since he sees things from inside Liz's head, maybe she sees things stored deep inside his. He refuses to say what he sees from Liz, and he doesn't want to embarrass her by asking whether they're real. Michael tells him that he has to find out and that in the meantime, he's pursuing his own avenues.

Michael is making out with Maria when she confesses that she's not sure whether or not she's actually had a vision, admitting that she faked it because she wanted them to be close. Michael starts to leave and then admits that he lied about her red sneakers as well.

In the locker room, Maria tells Liz what happened, claiming that she faked it because of Michael's ego. Maria notices something and tells Liz to look in the mirror before the coach tells them to hurry up. Maria leaves, while Liz goes to check it out.

Max walks in and claims that he wanted to know if something was real. He looks around and focuses on a shower head, telling Liz that he wanted to know if something he saw was really from her or just his imagination. Liz is really embarrassed that he saw her fantasy, but Max thinks it's really incredible because he didn't just see what she saw, he felt it as well, and he never thought anyone could feel that way about him. They hide from the coach in one of the shower cubicles, where Max sees Liz has a glowing hickey. He touches it and sees military personnel rushing towards something that's beeping.

At Michael's apartment, Michael and Isabel are discussing the imges. Michael suggests that this might have been planned all along - that they find out who they really are by connecting with humans.

Max comes in and tells them that Liz is on her way over. Michael doesn't see a problem in what Max and Liz are planning, but Max is worried that he's just using someone he cares about.

Liz arrives just as Isabel and Michael are preparing to leave. She thinks that everyone's just cheering Max on, like at a football game, but he assures her that they just want them to find out where it all leads. Liz tells him that she wants to discover that as well.

She shows Max a rash that has appeared on her shoulder, which he causes to disappear. He moves his hand down her arm and a glowing light follows his hands. After she gets him to take off his shirt, Liz tries to repeat this without success.

Max tells her that he can't ask her to do anything that might hurt her. Liz tells him that he knows things about her that he shouldn't, but she can't stop. They start making out again, and Liz sees soldiers running towards a beeping object being buried near a radio tower. Maria interrupts them by arriving unexpectedly.

Maria drives Liz home and points out that things seemed to be getting serious. Liz tells her that she has her mother for these lectures. Maria says she's worried about Liz, because this isn't like her. It's dangerous and they don't know what could happen. She asks whether Liz can tell that Max isn't just using her, but Liz tells her that it feels right.

Liz tries to sneak in undetected, but her mom is waiting for her. Nancy asks her daughter where she's been, but Liz tells her to stop trying to control her. Nancy says that she's just trying to keep her daughter safe and asks Liz when she's tried to contorl her. Liz replies that she hasn't had to because she does everything her mom wants. Nancy tells Liz that she's burning up, but Liz tells her it's her body and that she doesn't have to tell her every single thing about it before running into the bathroom.

Maria finds Michael lying on the hood of his car outside the Crashdown. She tells him that she found Max and Liz at his apartment, and that she's just driven Liz home. "Great," says Michael, "I don't have to miss the hockey game."

Liz is on the roof outside her bedroom sketching something when Max climbs up. She tells him that she saw something being buried and Max recognises her sketch as an old radio tower by Highway 42, a couple of miles from the crash site. He wants to go there with Michael, but Liz says if they're going to do it, it's got to be tonight.

They arrive at the radio tower and discuss their next move. Liz says that they could start digging, or look for the next clue (which would be more "efficient"). Max spreads a blanket on the ground and the pair start kissing. They hear th beeping sound from Liz's vision and start digging. As they hit something, a bright blue light shoots into the sky. Max unearths a glowing rock with the alien symbol from the cave painting inscribed on it.

Early the next morning, Nasedo passes the radio tower and sees Max and Liz asleep. Meanwhile, Nancy Parker finds that her daughter is missing.

Isabel walks up to Alex's house, informs him that Max and Liz are missing and tells him to kiss her in case she gets a flash of their location. Alex kisses her, but she feels "nothing relevant to the current crisis." As she leaves, Alex calls that he's available for further experiments. Smiling to herself, Isabel carries on walking.

Nasedo tells Max and Liz that they're on private property and that they should get home. Max picks up the alien rock and they leave.

Maria goes to Michael's apartment and tells him that what she said about faking the flashes was unfair. She fakes thing with everybody all the time, but he was the first person she admitted it to. He confesses that he didn't make up the story about the red sneakers after all.

Inside the Crashdown, Max and Liz's parents are discussing the situation. Nancy thinks they should stop the pair from seeing each other for a time, while Jeff thinks they should give them a chance to explain themselves.

Outside, Max and Liz are kissing in the jeep, but neither gets a flash. Liz wonders whether it was simply about the alien rock, because someone could end up feeling used. Max replies that she's not the only one who should worry about feeling used. Besides, seeing herself fly through space doesn't compare to other things she could be doing. They hold hands and enter the Crashdown.

CAST

Michael Chieffo makes his first guest appearance as Mr. Seligman. Amongst his many TV credits is the part of John Wade in "The X Files" episode 'Oubliette.'

Channing Carson returns to play the part of the young Liz (her previous appearance was in the pilot).

CONTINUITY

Liz and Max refer to the events of 'Blind Date' in the back of the Crashdown. The pair haven't "done it", although Liz wants to go further (when he and Isabel leave the pair alone in his apartment, Michael helpfully cues up a Chaka Khan CD to put them in the mood).

As a seven-year-old, Maria had a pair of red sneakers with a Kermit patch and blue laces. She had a Dalmatian dog which died right after her father left.

Alex and Isabel kiss in order to try to help her locate Max and Liz. She picks up "nothing relevant to the current crisis" but appears to quite enjoy it (or maybe she enjoys Alex's reaction and willingness to be "experimented" on, although I don't think she's that much of an ice maiden).

Liz once watched Kyle barf after a beer blast.

NOTES

According to Michael, Max has one of the top three seduction lines of all time: "it's going to help me find my home planet."

Isabel pours Tabasco sauce over a pizza. Doesn't anyone notice that she, Max and Michael appear to be addicted to the stuff?

COMMENTS

'Sexual Healing' is a bit of a mixed bag.

On the downside, several major plot elements aren't explained. Why is Liz the only one getting the visions? Michael suggests only Liz is getting the visions. Michael suggests that maybe it was supposed to happen like this ("the more we connect, the more we find out"), but there's real indication what's going on. Nasedo's appearance on the tower might indicate that he's behind it somehow, but then again he might not be.

Liz's reaction in class seemed rather over-the-top. Given the reasons they were put on detention, it seems rather unbelieveable that she and Max were allowed to serve it alone together.

These unexplained points are unfortunate as they give the impression that the main focus of the episode is a pair of teens making out.

On the contrary, there's a lot to enjoy about 'Sexual Healing'.

Although Max and Liz getting ready to jump each other seems rather rushed, there are several sweet moments, especially the locker room scene where Max admits that the vision could've been his imagination.

Isabel is great in this episode - setting up Michael's kitchen, her kiss with Alex and her reaction when Liz arrives at Michael's apartment to see Max (on the subject of this, Maria's reaction - "I was looking for Michael...something tells me he isn't here" - when she stumbles upon Max and Liz making out is priceless).

Michael seems a lot more relaxed now that he's living on his own. How he's paying for his apartment isn't mentioned, but he reaction to Isabel setting up his kitchen is great, as is his admission to Maria over her red sneakers.

'Sexual Healing' isn't the greatest "Roswell" episode, but even when the series isn't firing on all cylinders it can still pull off an enjoyable hour of television (well, forty-ish minutes if you exclude the ads!) Back to the top

SEXUAL HEALING

Written by JAN OXENBERG

Directed by DAVID SEMEL

STARRING
SHIRI APPLEBY
Liz Parker

JASON BEHR
Max Evans

KATHERINE HEIGL
Isabel Evans

MAJANDRA DELFINO
Maria DeLuca

BRENDAN FEHR
Michael Guerin

COLIN HANKS
Alex Whitman

NICK WECHSLER
Kyle Valenti

and WILLIAM SADLER
Sheriff Jim Valenti

GUEST STARRING
JOHN DOE
Jeff Parker

GARRETT M BROWN
Phillip Evans

MARY ELLEN TRAINOR
Diane Evans

JO ANDERSON
Nancy Parker

DAN MARTIN
Principal

MICHAEL CHIEFFO
Biology Teacher

CO-STARRING
ROSIE TARAVELLA
Gym Teacher

FERNANDO NEGRETTE
Hispanic Man

TARA BOGER
Girl #1

CHANNING CARSON
Young Liz

UK/US TRANSMISSION DATES
The WB - 1 March 2000

Sky One - 27 April 2000
ratings: 0.27million
channel position:46th

BBC Two - 4 January 2001
ratings: 2.23 million / 9.85% share
channel position: 28th

EPISODE RATING: 7/10

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