| Isabel and the others
gather in a classroom to discuss what to do about Courtney, now that they know she is a
Skin. Tess thinks that since Courtney is a Skin, she must have been working with Whitaker,
and Isabel adds that Courtney probably knows everything about the four of them. At this
moment, the television in the classroom broadcasts a news report about Congresswoman
Vanessa Whitaker’s death in a car accident. They speculate that someone – other
Skins – must be trying to cover up the way she actually died. Isabel concludes that
the Skins created a fake car accident to keep anyone from looking too closely into
Whitaker’s background. They go to
Whitaker’s office, where Liz is fielding phone calls about the congresswoman’s
death. They find an envelope with at return address for something called the Universal
Friendship League in Copper Summit, Arizona, and Isabel comments that the name
couldn’t sound any creepier. When Max opens the envelope, he finds it’s from a
T. Greer, Senior Coordinator for the Vilandra Project. Isabel is startled upon hearing the
name "Vilandra," but says nothing. Isabel, Max, Tess, and Liz decide to go to
Copper Summit to check out the situation for themselves. As they drive along, Isabel has
flashbacks of the things Whitaker told her about Vilandra, and of herself killing
Whitaker.
Meanwhile, back in Roswell, Michael and Maria break
into Courtney’s house, and are shocked to find a shrine of sorts to Michael.
Back to the road trip, the four arrive in Copper
Summit, and Isabel and Max go check out the Universal Friendship League Center. They meet
T. Greer, who is openly rude to them, until Isabel blurts out, "What’s the
Vilandra Project?" He pretends not to know, then Max tells him that they were friends
of Congresswoman Whitaker, and they would like to pay their respects to the family. Greer
tells Max and Isabel where the family can be found, and they drive to the house of the
Whitakers.
The very strange "Mrs. Whitaker" invites
them in to stay with them when Liz claims she has some of the congresswoman’s
effects. Liz tells Mrs. Whitaker that the congresswoman was special to them, and Isabel
adds, "Like a mother." Just then, a boy of about 14 appears at the door and
stares at Isabel. Isabel looks up and they lock eyes. Mrs. Whitaker introduces him as
"Nicholas."
Back in Roswell, Michael and Maria confront
Courtney, who tells them that she is not stalking Michael because she wants to hurt him,
but because she admires him. She is a renegade Skin who thinks Michael is the salvation of
their home planet.
Returning again to the Whitaker house, Isabel is
unpacking in her assigned room, when Nicholas appears at her door. He tells Isabel that he
had been planning to visit his sister in Washington. Isabel asks him if he spent a lot of
time with his sister while growing up, and Nicholas replies that his sister would always
make time for him. He goes on to say that she would tell him "stories about this
planet in another galaxy, and how there was this war going on. Like a revolution."
Isabel ventures to ask, "Did she ever mention Vilandra?" Nicholas wants to know
where she heard that name, and Isabel says that Vanessa told her stories as well. Just
then, Tess appears, scaring Nicholas off. Tess tells Isabel that she’s found out that
Vanessa Whitaker was adopted, and Isabel concludes that the rest of the family might be
human. Tess also adds that the Universal Friendship League is handling all of the
arrangements for Whitaker's funeral, so no one has seen the body.
Again in Roswell, Courtney is telling Michael and
Maria about the Harvest. It seems the Skins actually use Husks, "a life form
technology that we can genetically manipulate to resemble human bodies." Husks don't
age, but they also can’t tolerate Earth’s atmosphere -- they peel after about
fifty years, which is why the Harvest is about to take place. |
