The Morning After (Roswell)

Infobox Television episode


Title=The Morning After
Series=Roswell
Season=1
Episode=2
Airdate=October 13, 1999
Production=1ADA01
Writer=Jason Katims
Director=David Nutter
Guests=Julie Benz
Jason Peck
Michael Horse
Michael O'Neill
Richard Schiff

Episode list=List of Roswell episodes
Prev="Pilot"
Next="Monsters"

The Morning After is the second episode of the American science fiction television series Roswell. It aired on October 13, 1999. [cite web|url=http://news.tigerdirect.com/1999/10/13/roswell-the-morning-after/|title=Roswell: The Morning After|date=1999-10-13|publisher=TigerDirect News|language=English|accessdate=2008-06-19]

Plot Synopsis

Liz and Maria come to their new friends' aid after Sheriff Valenti and Ms. Topolsky show an unusual interest in Max, Isabel, and Michael.

ummary

A substitute teacher named Ms. Topolsky shows an interest in Michael. Michael has been obsessed with the revelation of another possible alien after hearing about the photo Liz was shown by Sheriff Valenti. FBI personnel show up at the Roswell police station and take away all UFO-related files and materials in the sheriff's possession, though Valenti was able to secret away a mysterious key. As Max and Liz search for the truth about Topolsky, Michael tries to find ways into the police station. Finally, it is revealed that Topolsky is in fact the new guidance counselor and is concerned about Michael possibly failing out of high school. Michael, on the other hand, was able to enter the sheriffs office and find the mysterious key. He has a startling vision of a geodesic dome. He and Max flee the station before Valenti even knows the key is missing.

Expanded overview

The episode begins (and ends) much like Pilot with a voice-over by Liz describing her anxiousness about seeing Max again. As she wonders if he too is a jumble of thoughts, we see Max is very much asleep before his friend Michael wakes him. Max and Michael discuss the picture Sheriff Valenti has and how it may be the "key to [their] existence." When Max mentions how they will never see it, since it is under Valenti's watch, Michael just stares at him without answering. The next day, we see Michael is scoping out the window entrance to the police station, which is barred from the outside. He leaves just after Sheriff Valenti turns the corner. Meanwhile, Liz and Maria discuss the aliens while on shift at the Crashdown. They term the aliens Czechoslovakians (Maria's comment) for safety's sake, and are overheard by their other best friend, Alex. The girls lie to him about who is "Czechoslovakian", leaving him somewhat bewildered.

The following day in geometry class, a substitute teacher named Ms. Topolsky asks questions about Michael's absence from the room. After the class, Liz asks Max if it was weird she was asking so many questions, to which Max just brushes it off. Elsewhere, Sheriff Valenti encounters an FBI agent who is sitting in the lobby of his police station observing people coming and going. When Agent Hart tries to reassure Sheriff Valenti, the Sheriff requests that he leave his station since the FBI had no jurisdiction there. Maria and Liz discuss the possibility that Topolsky is a spy, an "alien hunter", and that such a person is something they have to consider now. Maria wants to tell Alex, to get someone else's perspective, but Liz vehemently wishes not to tell anyone else, opting not to endanger any more people. Liz is cornered after lunch by Kyle Valenti who wishes to discuss what happened to her at the Crash Festival when they said they were going to meet. Before Kyle can finish his thoughts, though, Liz sees Topolsky coming out of the Student Registration office and leaves Kyle in mid-sentence. As she rounds a corner, she knocks into Topolsky, who drops the files she has in her hands. As Liz is helping her collect her spilled data, she notices that one of the files is Michael's.Liz approaches Michael at his trailer park home and informs him of what she witnessed. Michael is noticeably on edge, but thanks Liz for giving him a heads up. Sheriff Valenti has an adamant conversation that evening with someone in the FBI, demanding an explanation as to Agent Hart's presence in his station that morning. The other line hangs up, much to the sheriff's chagrin. He then takes a key from within the file he had shown Liz previously of the man with the silver hand print and stows it secretively in his coffee canister. He stores the canister in his drawer and leaves the station. Watching, Michael enters the station in attempt to get into the sheriffs office through a concocted plan of selling candy for charity. Deputy Hanson, however, steers him out of the station. When Michael reveals his botched plan to Max and Isabel, they are very concerned. Michael tells them of a possible plan to break into the station, but Max, heavily influenced by Isabel's stern looks, shoots the idea down.

The next day in geometry, Ms. Topolsky makes a serious error, rousing the suspicions of Liz further. She confronts Max about it, saying she may be a government spy, but Max lets it all slide. Things must go on the same as before the incident at the Cafe, Max says. Max sees the principal introducing Ms. Topolsky to Sheriff Valenti in the school office not long after their talk. FBI agents show up at Valenti's office to procure all files pertaining to UFOs, aliens, the supernatural, etc. Valenti takes his coffee canister, which still holds the key secretly, and leaves the office. Michael is surveying the station with binoculars when he sees Valenti leave and the FBI men removing files.

Back in school, Max and Liz meet in the infamous eraser room. This is the first time the eraser room is used by the characters of the show to discuss their on going problems throughout the run of the series. Liz at first thinks that Max called he there for a romantic rendezvous, but Max shows her a vent that just happens to look in on Ms. Topolsky's office. From their vantage point, they overhear her tell another man that she wants to start with Michael Guerin. This alarms Max and Liz, who go to the Crashdown Cafe. While Liz goes inside, Michael comes up to Max and tells him about the people moving the files from Valenti's office. Liz convinces Maria to take her shift at the Crashdown so that she and Max can spy on Topolsky when she arrives at Michael's home. Before she can leave, though, Alex confronts his two friends, who lie again to him, saying they are discussing cramps, to which Alex leaves them be. Michael tries to get Max to help him get into the sheriff station, but then agrees to head to Isabel at hers and Max's home. As Max and Liz drive off, Kyle Valenti sees the two and tails them to the trailer park.

Max and Liz watch as Topolsky talks with Hank Guerin, Michael's foster father. Max and Liz are then interrupted by a jealous Kyle. Speaking in heightened tones, Topolsky looks over at the raucous and makes eye contact with Liz. A little later on, Michael breaks through into the police station while Isabel informs Max about Michael going AWOL. They arrive to the station where Isabel tries to occupy the sheriff and his deputy. This fails when, after finding the key in the canister, Michael has a jarring vision and makes a loud noise, calling the attention of the sheriff and his deputy. Max and Michael are able to retreat out the window before the sheriff enters by jumping down into a garbage bin. Later, as the three each hold the key, none are able to induce a vision out of it, much to Michaels dismay.

The episode ends with Ms. Topolsky revealing to Liz that she is the new guidance counselor and that Michael is in serious trouble of failing out of school. Liz is visibly relieved, though she makes eye contact with Kyle and knows that things between them won't be the same again.

Powers used

*Michael busts the lock using his hand on the barred window to get into the police station. Isabel mentions he doesn't know how to control his powers just beforehand.
*When Michael touches the key from the coffee container, he has a sporadic vision of a geodesic dome.
*Max is able to repair the lock on the barred window to its original configuration (even though he had not seen the lock unscathed beforehand).

Production

*This marks first episode with the title sequence and theme song, "Here With Me", by singer Dido.
*In the original and subsequent airings of the show on the WB, the song "Honestly, OK" by Dido plays at the end of the episode when Liz is talking about secrets. The song does not appear on the DVD release, presumably due to licensing costs.
*This is the first time that the aliens are referred to as "Czechoslovakians". It is coined by Maria.
*This episode is the first appearance/mention of the eraser room. The room is meant as a make out spot for Roswell High students, but quickly becomes a safe haven for the characters to discuss ongoing problems they face throughout the series.
*Max and Isabel's dad is played by Michael O'Neill in just this one episode. He is played by another actor in the rest of the series.

References

External links

* [http://www.tv.com/roswell/the-morning-after/episode/33722/summary.html The Morning After at tv.com]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0690298/ The Morning After at imdb.com]