Departure Cut Scenes
transcribed from original script by Joan Pickering

After the teaser (where Max inserts the rod into the Granilith to start it up) they cut to a commercial; when they return, the following scene was cut:

EXT. VALENTI HOUSE - DAY

Start on a hand tapping in a distinct rhythm. Pull back to reveal this is Amy who taps on her coffee cup as Valenti works on an old trailer. He looks at Amy, vaguely annoyed.

VALENTI: You're doing it again. The tapping.

AMY: I am not.

Amy stops tapping.

VALENTI: Sure you're not nervous about something?

AMY: No.

The Jeep pulls up. Max and Tess jump out. Michael and Isabel wait.

MAX: Sheriff, I need to talk to you.

Amy stands there for a moment then, getting it -

AMY: I'll go get a refill.

She exits. Max looks at Tess.

MAX: I'll talk to him. Go rest.

Tess exits into the house. Max takes a beat then just launches into it.

MAX: (cont'd) Tess is pregnant. With my child.

VALENTI: What?!

MAX: Sheriff -

VALENTI: You've gotta be kidding. Tess is living here under my roof. She is a seventeen year old -

MAX: (cutting him off) He's dying. Our son is dying. The fetus can't survive on Earth. We found a way to go home. You know, home. We're leaving tomorrow morning.

Valenti just takes this in for a minute.

VALENTI: Max, slow down a second.

MAX: There's someone out there. An alien. She killed Alex.

VALENTI: She killed Alex? I thought -

MAX: There's no time to explain now. (beat) Sheriff, I can't express to you how much you've helped us. Now I need you to do one more thing for me. I have to find her. Alex' murderer. And I need you to take care of Tess until I get back. She's…weak.

VALENTI: Yeah… Of course.

MAX: Thank you.

They walk into the house:

INT. TESS' ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Max enters. Tess looks terrified, sits on a chair.

MAX: You should lie down.

TESS: I think I'm losing my powers. I couldn't flip the CD on from across the room. I do it every day of my life without a second thought. What's happening to me?

MAX: It will be okay.

TESS: Max. I've been thinking… what if you didn't go.

MAX: I'll be back before dawn.

TESS: No, I mean, home.

MAX: What are you talking about?

Tess grows thoughtful.

TESS: Nothing, just Leanna's out there and…

MAX: I'll find Leanna. Don't worry.

TESS: (sadly) Right.

He's about to leave, remembers this is essentially his wife now. He moves to her and kisses her good-bye. On Tess - having a flash (we don't need to see this, just the white flashes and sound effects). She looks at Max, distraught.

TESS: (cont'd) I don't believe it.

MAX: What?

TESS: After all this. After all that's happened between us. You're still thinking about Liz.

Max shakes his head, no, but of course she's right. He also can't stop to have this conversation.

MAX: I have to go.

Max picks up Tess' cellphone.

MAX: (cont'd) I'll take this. Call me if anything happens. Anything at all.

He exits, hold on Tess, looking in the direction he just excited.

EXT. VALENTI HOUSE - DAY (MOMENTS LATER)

Isabel and Michael wait in the Jeep. Max comes out of the door, breaks into a run, jumps in and hits the gas. The Jeep screeches out.

INT. JEEP - SAME

Michael, Isabel and Max.

MICHAEL: Has anyone considered the fact that we're not going back to Pleasantville? Our world is at war.

MAX: We'll be okay.

ISABEL: Max, what does this all mean?

Max turns, faces her. Michael listens.

ISABEL (cont'd) What will we look like? What will our lives be like? Will we be able to taste food? Will we have feelings - joy, sadness, hope… Will we feel anything?

On Michael, silently wondering the same thing.

MAX: Isabel, I know you're scared. I'm scared too. But we belong there. (then) We always knew this day would come.

There's another beat, then:

ISABEL: What will we tell Mom and Dad?

MAX: (beat) I don't know.

On Max, the thought of this pains him.

****

Next is the scene where Michael and Max go to the Crashdown to talk to Maria and Liz. Max has already left with Liz and Michael has told Maria that he has to see her tonight. The next exchange did not air:

MARIA: I can't. I took an incomplete in History and if I don't finish my term paper tonight Mr. Forentino is going to -

MICHAEL: I have to see you tonight. Forget History.

Michael's resolve is frightening. Maria just nods, her concern growing.

****

Back upstairs with Max and Liz. Everything was the same until Liz said she was going to see it through to the end. She [Leanna] killed Alex.

MAX: No. I won't put you in danger.

LIZ: Haven't we done enough fighting lately? I'm coming.

Max looks at her. Finally, nods. She goes to her desk and picks up a number. As she dials.

MAX: Who are you calling?

LIZ: Leanna was living in Las Cruces under the name of Jennifer Coleman. Her roommate told me she went home to visit her mother. Maybe the roommate has her parents' number and address.

Someone picks up the phone.

VOICE ON PHONE: Hello?

LIZ: Hi. Is this Bonnie?

VOICE ON PHONE: Bonnie isn't here.

LIZ: Who's this?

VOICE ON PHONE: Jennifer. Who's this?

Liz clicks off the phone.

LIZ: Found her.

They look at each other, about to begin their dark mission.

****

This next scene takes place BEFORE Max and Liz arrive at the dorm in the script, but when we saw it, it was placed AFTER the dorm scene. Also, there were parts cut out:

INT. JEEP - NIGHT

Max and Liz drive on a wide open road. Max stares straight ahead, silent, the weight of the world on his shoulders. Insert of the speedometer, the needle is red-lining.

LIZ: You're going too fast.

MAX: I don't want to waste any time.

Another beat then…

LIZ: You haven't said a word to me. Max, what's going on?

Max' cellphone rings, he hesitates then finally picks it up.

MAX: Hello?--(whispers) Yeah, are you okay? -- Uh-huh. Good. - Listen, I can't talk now. I'll be back as soon as I can. - Yeah, me too.

He hangs up. The awkwardness is now huger. Max pulls over.

MAX: Liz…there's something I need to tell you. It's about me and Tess.

LIZ: You're together now, I know.

MAX: It's more than that. Our relationship has…we spent the night together.

LIZ: Oh.

She tries to hide the hurt and betrayal she feels at this. But before the full weight can even sink in…

MAX: Liz…Tess is pregnant.

LIZ: She's…

Liz can't even get the word out. Max faces her, pained, knowing there's nothing he can say to ease the shock. With the gulf between them wider than ever.

**** The next part is a small exchange that was left out of the dorm scene. Max has just said he can contain the fire with his powers long enough for everyone to get out of the building.

LIZ: What if someone sees you use your powers?

MAX: They won't

LIZ: Max, this isn't like you. This isn't planned out.

The rest was pretty much as aired except for the way they described Liz getting Leanna out of the room:

Liz races down the hall, approaches Leanna's door and -

INT. DORM ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Leanna tending to her wound, turns at the sound of a loud rap on the door.

INT. CRAWLSPACE - CONTINUOUS

Max hearing the same rap on the door, pulls his hand away from the wiring. Max looks through the vent and sees Leanna answer the door. It's Liz.

LEANNA: Who are you?

LIZ: Get out!

She pulls Leanna out of frame into:

INT. DORM HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Liz and Leanna roll onto the floor. In the scuffle, Liz grabs Leanna's bloodstained tissue which has fallen out of her hand. As they come up for air, Leanna looks at Liz, angered.

LEANNA: Are you crazy!?

Liz gets up and looks and sees that nothing has exploded in Leanna's dorm room.

LIZ: False alarm. I'm really sorry.

The rest of the scene was the same as aired.

**** Next is the cemetery scene. They cut the introduction when Isabel arrived and Alex first appeared.

EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT

Close on Alex' tombstone. A fading bouquet of flowers sits before it. It is lifted out of frame and replaced with a new, beautiful bouquet. Pull back to reveal, Isabel. She sits next to Alex' stone. There's a beat, then we hear:

ALEX: (voice-over) What a waste of time.

She turns and sees Alex.

ALEX: (cont'd) If I had to leave Earth in twelve hours the last thing I'd do is visit some dead guy in a graveyard.

ISABEL: How can I leave now? I haven't even lived.

The rest of the scene was as aired.

**** Next is the scene where Liz and Max exam Leanna's blood cells under the microscope. The scene took place at the Las Cruces Biology Lab, per the script, but since they changed the order of the jeep scene, we assumed it was the high school. There are a few minor differences with the dialogue and a few cut exchanges, scattered throughout the scene so I'll just type it all, rather than trying to pick out the differences.

INT. U. OF LAS CRUCES - BIOLOGY LABORATORY - NIGHT

Liz takes a slide of Leanna's blood and inserts it into a microscope.

LIZ: If I were an alien and I were having trouble threading a needle, I probably would've just used my powers to do it. And I probably wouldn't need a needle to begin with. I'd probably just zap my blouse the way Isabel does.

Liz looks into the microscope. INSERT SHOT: Human blood cells.

LIZ: (Cont'd) These are human blood cells. Take a look.

Max looks into the microscope. Looks up -

MAX: If Leanna was innocent. Who killed Alex?

LIZ: I don't know.

MAX: Damn. Liz, we have to know. You must have some idea who it could have been.

LIZ: Whoever did it was setting up an innocent girl. We have to start over. We have to start from the beginning. Find her or him before she kills anyone else.

Max looks away from her. He can't face her. We see his face, the pain he has over this. Then, finally:

MAX: Liz, I can't do that. I don't have time.

LIZ: What are you talking about?

MAX: Tess' child. Our child.

LIZ: That's your personal life.

MAX: He can't survive here. He's dying. (beat) We're leaving.

LIZ: Leaving? Where?

MAX: We're going back.

Liz looks at Max, figuring out what he means. Then she points her index finger in the air and looks at him questioningly. Max just nods.

LIZ: How?

MAX: The translation you found. It told us how to use the Granilith to get home. The alien crystal Michael found is a key.

Liz takes this all in. All of it. Then some more of it. She tries to maintain her composure.

LIZ: (simply, covering her emotion) So when are you…When is this happening?

MAX: Tomorrow. Just after dawn.

LIZ: Max, you can't leave before this is resolved.

MAX: Liz, the way the Granilith works -

LIZ: I don't want to hear about how the damn -

MAX: I know you don't.

LIZ: You cannot leave us with a killer our there. You can't!

MAX: I don't have a choice.

LIZ: Not anymore. You had a choice! And then you got Tess pregnant.

MAX: I know you're upset.

LIZ: Upset!?

MAX: More than upset.

LIZ: I trusted you. I gave you everything. Since we met. I jumped off bridges. I broke laws. I risked getting shot. (beat) I trusted you. And then you go off and…and…and…and…with Tess. I saved myself for you.

MAX: You saved yourself?

LIZ: Yes!

MAX: But you slept with Kyle.

Liz is stopped in her tracks. She is suddenly silent. Tortured. Max looks at her, gleaning something isn't right here. How could she simply forget that she lost her virginity? Liz, however, does not want to discuss it.

LIZ: Take me home.

MAX: Liz?

LIZ: Just take me home.

She puts a period on it.

****

This scene with Michael and Maria aired pretty much as scripted, with a few minor differences, but since it's my favorite, I'm typing the whole thing! ;-)

INT./EXT. MICHAEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Maria, a bit trepidatious, not knowing what to expect, knocks on the door. The door opens revealing a cleaned up Michael. Hair combed, shirt tucked in, close shave. The works. Maria looks past Michael…

MARIA: Michael…

She walks inside to see the apartment. Candles are lit all over the place. She is moved, awed, and somehow worried. Why? She looks over to the kitchen where food is cooking.

MICHAEL: I know you like Italian, so…

Maria just nods. She walks to the table, adorned with tablecloth and flowers, and set for two. She lifts one of the plates, it has a big picture of Scooby Doo.

MICHAEL: I know Scooby's your favorite.

MARIA: Michael what's this all about?

MICHAEL: Sit down. Let's eat.

MARIA: No. Michael. What's this all about?

Michael just looks at her for a beat, then:

MICHAEL: Sit down. Please.

Maria sits down on the couch. He sits down next to her. There's a long beat. Michael considers what he's about to say, then:

MICHAEL: (cont'd) There's a lot about you, Maria. There's a lot about you. (beat) But I think what means the most to me is that you're open. You know. I look into your eyes and I see you. What you're thinking. Feeling. How much I mean to you sometimes. How much I piss you off sometimes. But the thing is I can always see you.

MARIA: I see you too.

MICHAEL: No. You don't. You don't see me. That's what I wanted to talk to you about tonight. (beat, then) Maria, you know, that whole thing when Max and Liz would kiss, and Liz would get those flashes. And when we kissed you didn't. I know how much that hurt you.

MARIA: That's okay, Michael, that doesn't matter to me anymore.

MICHAEL: The reason why you didn't get those flashes is that I didn't let you get them. I didn't let you see me. I've never let anyone see me. Because there are things inside of me I don't want people to see. Things I'm not so proud of. But I've thought about it, and I want you to see me tonight.

Michael reaches out his hands.

MARIA: Michael, you don't have to do this.

MICHAEL: I want to. (then) Take my hands.

Maria looks at him, reaches out and places both hands in his. After a moment we favor Maria's face as she sees, FLASH, FLASH -

A SERIES OF IMAGES:

--YOUNG MICHAEL, naked, alone in the desert, walking…[existing footage?]

--YOUNG MICHAEL cowering as Hank, his foster father comes after him with a belt. [to be shot]

--YOUNG MICHAEL running through the trailer park at night, his ripped T-shirt revealing fresh bruises on his back. [to be shot]

--YOUNG MICHAEL holding hands with Young Max and Young Isabel in the desert. [existing footage]

--MICHAEL watching Max and Isabel with their family through the window [existing footage]

--MICHAEL breaking down in front of Maria [Independence Day]

--Maria through Michael's eyes, floating in air, a goddess…

BACK TO SCENE

They look at each other. Maria's eyes fill with tears.

MARIA: Michael…

MICHAEL: There's something I need to…

She takes her finger and puts it over his lips, shushing him. Then she moves to him and kisses him. A deep, soulful burning kiss. They fall down on the couch, holding each other, kissing, stroking, both never wanting to let go. Clothes start to get unbuttoned, pulled off…Too late to stop now.

****

There were just a couple of differences in the scene where Kyle brings Tess flowers. According to the script, when he sat on the bed, he started the rhythmic tapping again. Then at the end of the scene, after she mind warps him, they left out her last words. Here's how they describe the mind warp and the exchange that followed:

Tess grabs Kyle. When he turns they are eye to eye, inches apart. Tess in her weakened state breathes deep, and closes her eyes - mindwarping Kyle. It's not easy for her. She is losing her powers. Kyle looks at Tess.

TESS: (cont'd) What were you just saying?

KYLE: Just that I'm going to really miss you.

TESS: I'm sorry I'm leaving. (she hugs him) I'm so sorry for everything.

Tess truly, deeply feels these words. As we see Kyle tapping his fingers silently against her shoulder in that familiar rhythm…

****

Next is the scene where Max asks Liz if she slept with Kyle:

EXT. CRASHDOWN CAFE - NIGHT

Max and Liz sit out front in the Jeep. They face forward. No matter what divisions there are between them now, they are both faced with having to say good-bye to each other and it's making them both think about what they still feel for each other. Max removes the Pendant from his pocket. (The Pendant from their planet they found in season one.)

MAX: I always thought when we graduated I'd give you my ring. It looks like I won't graduate so... This is something from...where I'll be.

LIZ: (quiet, sad) I don't need anything to remember you, Max. I need something to forget you.

MAX: Please

She takes the pendant. Holds it in her hands, looks at it.

LIZ: (quiet, sad) I can't believe that this is what I have of you. I can't believe it. After everything.

Max looks at her, he just has to know:

MAX: Liz, you never slept with Kyle, did you?

There's a long, long pause. If she's not going to tell him now, then when. She begins to tell him the story, she speaks simply, without anger.

LIZ: You came to me, Max. You came back from the future.

MAX: What are you talking about?

LIZ: You showed up from fourteen years in the future to tell me the survival of the world depended on you and Tess getting together. That I had gotten in the way.

Max takes this in...

LIZ: (cont'd) In this other life. This life that will never happen. We got married. We eloped to Vegas when we were nineteen.

MAX: That vision I had of us married in Vegas--

LIZ: Was real. Yeah. Anyway, I had to find a way to get you to stop loving me, Max.

Max looks at her, destroyed.

LIZ: (cont'd) And it was impossible. You were like this stubborn mule. Finally, I arranged for you to see me and Kyle together. It was the only way I could think to get you to move forward with Tess. (beat) I guess it worked.

MAX: Oh my God...Liz...

But there's nothing else for him to say...

MAX: I wish...I wish this all could have been different. I wish that so much.

Max looks in her eyes, she looks at him. Something comes through in this look. The love that got all this started to begin with. Max just moves in and kisses her. They kiss, deeply, soulfully and we

FLASH FLASH -- Images of Max and Liz. The gamut of emotions they have been through. He heals her. He points his finger "north". Their first kiss. Jumping off the bridge and running for their lives. He sees her with Kyle. Dancing in Vegas.

They break apart. Look at each other.

LIZ: I guess this is good-bye.

A silence fills the Jeep. She knows she has to get out of there.

LIZ: Just tell me one thing. Do you love her?

There's a long beat, then:

MAX: Not like I love you.

Her eyes well up. There's nothing left to say. She gets out of the Jeep and he watches her as she disappears into Crashdown. When she's gone, he breaks down.

**** Back at Michael's apartment, there were quite a few exchanges between them that were cut, so I'm typing the whole scene.

INT. MICHAEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Michael and Maria lay naked in the sheets on his mattress bed in the afterglow.

MARIA: I think we just took a giant step forward in human-alien relations.

Michael smiles, but there's something else on his mind.

MARIA: (cont'd) I love you, Michael.

Michael hears this, she couldn't be making this worse.

MICHAEL: Yeah. Me too.

She takes his hand, intertwining all their fingers. Michael doesn't know how to say this so…

MICHAEL: (cont'd) Maria. I have to leave.

MARIA: What?

MICHAEL: Something's come up.

MARIA: Michael, let me explain something to you about how we humans deal with sex. The man stays and pretends to like to cuddle. It's like standard.

MICHAEL: No. I mean, I'm leaving. Max, Isabel, Tess and I are going home. We have to.

Maria starts to understand. On her face we see the hurt… and the smile covering the hurt…

MARIA: Yeah, I know… Like eventually, right?

Michael closes his eyes, summons his strength…

MICHAEL: We're leaving in a few hours. We have to. I have no choice. (beat) Maria, I didn't mean for this to happen but I'm glad it did. You know, to have the memory to take with me.

Maria takes this in. Nods. Tears stream down. She sits up, pulling the sheet around her like a little girl would.

MARIA: (through tears, not accusatory, simply) So for future reference. Another earth custom, not that it's relevant to you anymore. If you're leaving forever, you might want to mention that before a girl loses her virginity to you.

MICHAEL: Maria, I can't argue with you know. I can't. I don't want to leave you, I don't But this is something we both knew would happen. I have to go. I don't have a choice. It's my home.

They lay there for a long beat. Tears streaming down Maria's face…

MARIA: How long do we have.

MICHAEL: About an hour.

And they fall into each other's arms, holding each other.

**** The scene in Isabel's bedroom, where she's sobbing uncontrollably, is the same up until Max tells her "Your my home." Then there's a beat and he adds:

MAX: So I would say I really wouldn't want to go anywhere without you. (beat) But, Isabel, this is a decision you have to make yourself.

Isabel nods and breaks into an ironic simile.

MAX: (cont'd) What?

ISABEL: The one time I want you to boss me around you suddenly give me the choice.

****

There are a few differences in the scene with Liz and Sean. He was drinking an OJ and reading a comic book before Liz knocks on the door. And supposedly buttons were to be unbuttoned while making out on his bed.

****

The scene where Max and Isabel tape their good-byes to their parents is the same except for this exchange at the beginning.

MAX: Mom. Dad. I know you think that we died in a car accident.

ISABEL: But we didn't. We're alive. We've just gone to another place. Back to where we came from.

Then Max goes on to say "We know that on some level you knew this.", etc.

**** In the scene where they say goodbye to Valenti, it was NOT in the script for him to hug Isabel and Tess. I'm glad they added that.

**** In the scene in Maria's bedroom, Liz was supposed to be curled up on her floor, not on her bed. The rest aired as scripted until Liz sees Amy drumming her fingers and flashes to Kyle and Alex. In the script, she grabs the T-shirt Amy is holding and realizes it's the George W T-shirt she was selling at the UFO Center when Brody held them hostage and Tess mind warped Amy. She has the exchange with Maria about it being Tess and that they have to go to Kyle and as they are running out the door Amy calls out…

AMY: Hold on you two. Where the hell do you think you're going?

MARIA: Need the Jetta, Ma!

AMY: No!

**** There was an entire scene in the Jetta, on the way to Kyle's, that was not aired.

INT. JETTA - DAY

Maria drives. Liz shotgun.

LIZ: Faster.

MARIA: Liz. For the last time. A Jetta, is a Jetta, is a Jetta. Now fill me in. What the hell just happened to my mother?

LIZ: (to Maria, whisper) She started to remember everything that happened in the UFO Center the day Brody freaked out.

MARIA: Tess mindwarped her so she'd forget.

LIZ: The mindwarp must have been breaking down. That tapping must be some sort of side effect that happens when the mindwarp wears off.

MARIA: Oh my God, that's the same thing Kyle was doing in the Crashdown before.

LIZ: And Alex was doing it the day he was killed.

MARIA: Are you saying Tess had something to do with Alex's death?

LIZ: Maybe.

The Jetta slams to a stop onto the sidewalk of the Valenti house. Liz and Maria run out.

**** Minor difference when the Royal Four open the wall to the pod chamber; they didn't show that when the wall closed again, the silver hand print disappeared.

**** The only differences in the scene where Kyle remembers what happened to Alex is a brief exchange between Kyle and Liz (below) and that after breaking the glass he was supposed to touch the mirror (the trigger).

KYLE: So what are we doing in here?

LIZ: Trying to find the trigger. The trigger for Maria's mom was the T-shirt. When she saw the T-shirt it made her remember everything that happened that day in the UFO Center. For Alex it must have been the Thai food. It made him think of Las Cruces.

KYLE: I thought we already found Alex' killer.

LIZ: I did too. But we didn't. Kyle, please. If Tess mindwarped you it was for a reason. It could tell us everything.

KYLE: So, I'm supposed to look around the room and…what?

LIZ: I don't know. See if you have an unusual response to anything.

The rest aired pretty much as scripted.

**** There was an entire scene not aired of the Pod Squad in the Granilith Chamber discussing what they would miss about Earth.

INT. GRANILITH CHAMBER - DAY

The alien clock ticks down. The final dozen or so dots. Michael, Isabel, Max and Tess sit around the Granilith. Michael and Isabel stare at the clock transfixed. Max holds Tess in his arms. Max has one eye on the clock as well. Tess lays, stone-faced. There's a long silence, then:

MICHAEL: Cheeseburgers. (beat) I'll really miss cheeseburgers.

Max' eyes look at Michael. Tess continues to stare up, not participating in this. Then…

ISABEL: Jumping off the tire swing into Hanson Dam in summer.

MAX: Kids.

They look…Max has been listening to all of this.

MAX: (cont'd) Kids you don't even know, smiling at you. Those incredible smiles. Those eyes.

ISABEL: Mom.

MAX: And Dad.

ISABEL: That golden retriever puppy the Harrison's just got.

MICHAEL: Maria.

They are all silent. On Max, thinking about Liz.

ISABEL: Alex…

On Tess, her face barley able to contain her emotion.

TESS: I'm sorry.

They all look at her. Then, covering:

TESS: (cont'd) For everything all of you are going to miss.

The colors of the granilith change. It seems to kick into another gear. Michael looks at his watch.

MICHAEL: Seven minutes.

They all look at each other.

**** The next scene is Liz, Maria and Kyle arriving, then cutting back to the granilith chamber where Michael says "I can't go". There reactions were slightly different:

Max just looks at him. They all do. On Isabel, how this is affecting her…

MAX: (surmising) Maria…

Michael's response about home being on Earth and all that followed was the same until they cut back outside. It was similar but a little different than aired:

EXT. VASQUEZ ROCKS - DAY

Liz finally stops yelling at the wall. She collapses on the ground defeated and suddenly…

MARIA: Liz…

The door begins to open. They stand there and watch as Michael is revealed. The moment of, Maria seeing Michael there. Michael seeing all of them there. Liz runs in. Kyle follows.

LIZ: Max!

MARIA: (to Michael) Tess killed Alex.

MICHAEL: What?!

MARIA: We know it! We know it, Michael.

Michael turns, bolts back toward the chamber…

INT. GRANILITH CHAMBER - SAME

Max holds his hand up to the Granilith. His body begins to liquefy, dissolving into the Granilith…when he hears a desperate, sore throated, cry:

LIZ: (off stage) Maaaaaaaaaax!

Max turns. At the entry to the Granilith Chamber

LIZ: (cont'd) Stop!

Max lowers his hand, rejecting himself from the Granilith. He falls out onto the floor.

Liz runs to Max on the ground.

LIZ: (cont'd) It was Tess. Tess killed Alex.

Michael runs in and holds his hand up to Tess as if to kill her. Max jumps in front of Tess, so he is between her and Michael.

MAX: She has my son.

Now everyone has gathered. Michael puts down his hand. Max standing next to Tess, looks to Maria, Liz and Kyle.

LIZ: She mindwarped Alex and sent him to Las Cruces to de-code the book. He broke out of the mindwarp and she killed him.

The rest was the same as aired until Max told them all to leave and he and Tess were alone:

TESS: You know what amazes me Max? You believe her. Without question. Why is that, Max? How can she mean so much to you…and I mean so much…so much less…?

Max holds her eyes for a beat.

MAX: Did you kill Alex?

The rest was the same until:

TESS: See that? Look how fast you jump to her defense. Why couldn't you ever feel that for me? I'm your wife, Max! I'm carrying your child.

MAX: (beat, realizing) That's what this is all about, isn't it? Our child. This was all some kind of plan to get pregnant and go home, wasn't it? Home to what, Tess? To Kivar? To our enemies?

The rest was the same until:

TESS: If you kill me, you'll kill our son. (beat) I tried to stop you from coming with me, Max.

There's a long beat. The last few dots on the clock are ticking away. Max must decide what to do.

MAX: Go. (beat) It's the only way for my son to survive.

Tess looks at him, his resolve. Nods.

TESS: I do love you, Max. I always have.

Max moves to her, places his hand on her stomach, as if to say good-bye to his child.

TESS: Maybe now you'll have what you've always wanted. To be human.

MAX: I said go. (beat) But this isn't over, Tess. Not by a long shot.

A guitar begins to strum… Tess lifts her hand to the Granilith "door" her body seems to momentarily liquefy as she passes through the portal. She appears before Max within the Granilith chamber (as we saw Future Max in End of the World.) Max takes a last look at her. The final dot clicks off the clock. The Granilith begins to shake. From within the Granilith Tess mouths: "I love you." As the lyric kicks in, Max runs toward the door and out through:

INT. POD CHAMBER - DAY

The rest is the same until they all run down hill. Max leads them to safety behind the face of a rock. When they settle, Max is near Liz. The song builds.

MAX: You saved our lives. All of our lives.

She doesn't say anything…

MAX: I've been really wrong about a lot. I was really right about one thing. To get you into my life. To be around you. To love you.

Liz stands there for a long beat… then looks at Max. Max moves out to hold her. She lets him. The beginning of reconciliation.

On Maria and Michael.

MARIA: You opened the door. You came out. Why?

Michael looks at her, his look says everything.

MARIA: (cont'd) You stayed for me.

The rest was the same as aired.

AND THAT'S ALL FOLKS!