ROSWELL: WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN - "Who Am I?" - TEASER - 06/09/04

TEASER

For a reminder of previous episodes see: previously on Roswell and Roswell: What Might Have Been.


  1 INT. CRASHDOWN - MAIN DINING AREA - NIGHT

It's after-hours and the place is empty except for Liz and Max doing their homework in a booth, and Michael and Alex in another. Michael is working on a sketch pad and Alex is making comments, but we do not hear their conversation nor see what Michael is drawing.

LIZ (VO)
Who would have thought we would spend so much time discussing a low-life like Hank? But when you're trying to discover who you are, where you're from, and why you're here, everything that happens to you, and the people in your life, must be studied as a possible clue. Right now, however, all we have are more questions. What happened in the alley? Was it good? Bad? Should we be worried? Does it have anything to do with Max, Isabel, and Michael? Does it have nothing to do with them? Just because it's odd, it doesn't necessarily mean it's Czechoslovakian. And just because we never found another exit or secret passageway, it doesn't mean there wasn't one. Hank's disappearance from that alley could still be totally normal. So why do we keep speculating otherwise?

The camera switches focus from an overall view to Max and Liz. Liz looks up from her text book to see Max staring into space. She studies his pensive look with suspicion.

LIZ
So, Max, how do you think Bohr's theory on the structure of the atom applies to the lesson in Chapter 25?

MAX
(startled)
Huh!? Oh ...
(sheepish grin)
Well, what can I say, Bohr's theories on chemistry haven't been able to capture my attention ... unlike other forms of chemistry.

He leans toward her and they kiss across the table.

LIZ
(smiling)
Ummm, nice ... and nice try! You may be able to fool others into believing your lack of interest in the sciences, but I know your little secrets.
(more seriously)
You like chemistry almost as much as I do. I think what's distracting you from it is our little puzzle--what happened to Hank in the alley.

MAX
(nodding)
I've been wondering what Larry's involvement in all this is.

LIZ
Yeah, that was weird. Why would Larry care if Hank was missing, unless, you know, it was alien-related? And was Hank really missing before? And why did Hank suddenly show up out of the blue and then just as suddenly disappear into ...

MAX
(smiling)
Thin air? You're not backing Maria's alien abduction theory, are you? That the flash of light was from a spaceship that "beamed" him up? I think it would hold more water if the other guy had run screaming from the alley instead of calmly walking out.

LIZ
(smiling)
Maria's changed her mind. She said that no beings intelligent enough to cross space would want Hank.

MAX
(laughing)
Not very scientific.

LIZ
(teasing)
Unlike the "scientific" shapeshifting possibilities we discussed earlier this week.

MAX
(slightly chagrined)
I know. We probably never would have even considered that "Hank" shapeshifted into another person if Hubble hadn't accused me of being a shapeshifter, and he's hardly a reliable source of information.

LIZ
Did you ever explore that? To see if maybe you could shapeshift?

MAX
Yes, right after I learned about it from Hubble.

  2 FLASHBACK - INT. MAX EVANS'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Michael, Max, and Isabel are all sitting on the floor. They all have their eyes closed and appear to be concentrating very hard on something, almost as if they are meditating. Isabel is the first to open her eyes and speak, and Max and Michael open their eyes when she does speak.

ISABEL
This is boring.

MICHAEL
And a waste of time.

MAX
How can exploring a new power be a waste of time?

MICHAEL
Because we don't know how to do it or even if it's possible. We only have Hubble's say so on that, and he was crazy.

Michael gets up and heads for the window. As he's climbing out he turns back to Max.

MICHAEL (cont'd)
You're better at this power stuff than we are anyway. Why don't you let us know if you figure something out.

Michael exits by the window.

FLASHBACK TO PRESENT

LIZ
And did you keep trying?

MAX
Yeah, but I never got anywhere.
(shrugs)
Maybe I just don't know how, or maybe it's just not possible.

Liz puts her hand over his reassuringly. The camera pulls back to show Maria coming out from the back room into the main dining area. She walks past Alex and Michael, glancing at what they are doing as she passes. She rolls her eyes then slumps into the booth occupied by Max and Liz, sitting next to Liz.

MARIA
(with a nod toward the other booth)
It's West Roswell's newest couple.

MAX
(smiling, eyebrows raised)
What?

MARIA
Haven't you noticed? Those two have been inseparable for over a week! Ever since Alex told us about Hank in the alley and Michael tried to sketch the other guy based on Alex's description.

  3 FLASHBACK - INT. MICHAEL GUERIN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Alex is describing something to Michael, who is attempting to draw Alex's description. Max, Liz, Isabel and Maria watch.

ALEX
No, the eyes were closer together ... the chin was stronger--

Michael tears the sheet off the pad and crumbles it in frustration. He throws the wadded paper as he speaks; it joins several others on the living room floor.

MICHAEL
I can't do this! I don't know how to draw people.

FLASHBACK TO PRESENT

LIZ
And since then they've both become obsessed with drawing the man Alex saw. It consumes every free moment they have ...

MARIA
... and some not so free ... like here at work and in classes. Driving everyone else crazy in the process.

MAX
Right. Especially Mr. Cohen.

  4 FLASHBACK - INT. WEST ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL ART CLASS - DAY

Mr. Cohen is addressing the class, who are at their easels. Michael is among them.

COHEN
(to class)
Today we are going to work on cubism.
(smiling at Michael)
This will be right up your alley, Michael, with its fractured, angular shapes--

MICHAEL
(interrupting)
Actually, I was hoping you could help me with drawing portraits.

Mr. Cohen stares at Michael for a moment.

COHEN
Are you just naturally contrary or do you have to work at it?

Dissolve to Michael working on faces with Mr. Cohen's help.

FLASHBACK TO PRESENT

MARIA
(turning serious)
Do you think this obsession with getting the sketch right is Michael's way of dealing with seeing Hank again? That must have been hard. Has he said anything to you?

MAX
(shaking his head)
No, but you know Michael, he doesn't like to talk about his feelings.

Liz and Maria nod knowingly.

LIZ
(looking towards Alex and Michael)
I'm glad he's at least had something to occupy his mind and that Alex has been there to help him. Sometimes just having someone around--

She's interrupted by an exuberant outburst from the other booth.

ALEX
That's him! It's perfect!
(he high fives Michael)
Score!

Michael is very pleased. Max, Liz and Maria come over to the booth to see what the commotion is about. They peer over Alex's shoulder at the drawing pad and the camera focuses on the drawing--a very good likeness of the Hispanic man from Independence Day and Sexual Healing. The camera switches angles to get Max's and Liz's astonished expressions as they speak, simultaneously.

LIZ MAX
(looking at Max) (looking at Liz)
Max!? Him!?

Cut to commercial.

END OF TEASER

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Original contents copyright (C) 2004 by Roswell: What Might Have Been