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Roswell

A Tale of Two Parties

Season 3, Episode 10, Aired Jan 01, 2002

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In an attempt to find Roswell's legendary New Year's Rave, Max and Maria join forces. Meanwhile, Liz connects with her father. Michael gets drunk and has intensely heightened senses. Also, with Jesse stuck in airport for New Year's, Isabel decides to help Kyle find the perfect date for New Year's.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Eve Brent

Jane Cavandall
GUEST STAR
Frieda Jane

Bitsy
GUEST STAR
Adam Frost

Jock #1

Jason Behr

'Max' Maxwell Evans
Shiri Appleby

'Liz' Elizabeth Parker Evans
Katherine Heigl

Isabel Amanda Evans Ramirez
Majandra Delfino

Maria DeLuca
Brendan Fehr

Michael Guerin
Nick Wechsler

Kyle Valenti

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Fan Episode Reviews (3)

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A tale of two parties is Roswell's New Year episode.

9.0

"Superb"

By Vyce3, Apr 17, 2011

It's a surprisingly good episode considering there is pretty much nothing alien related in it. Except for Michael's alien reaction to alcohol.

The episodes starts off pretty messed up. Jesse enters his house and sees Kyle on the couch sleeping with Isabel. Michael and Liz seems to have spent the night together and Max and Maria prepares for what will be the best moment of their life.

The Alias-flashbacks, the episode shows how all of this happened and that it's not what it seems.

There is this secret party in town, Enigma, where you have to look for clues to find its exact location. This whole episode is very interesting and entertaining. I especially liked the moments where different character laugh at Max because he's looking for a party, and well... he isn't much of a party-guy. They call him at some moment the ''party beast''.

There is a big revelation in this episode. Kyles falls in love with Iz! Congrats to the writer for having thought of this one AFTER marrying Isabel to Jesse.moreless
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At least it seems that way at the beginning - it's like our whole world is suddenly upside down.

9.0

"Superb"

By qstevie, Apr 17, 2011

It's a clever opening, because it suggests that we're in a different universe here, where suddenly Isabel's with Kyle, Liz is with Michael and Max is with Maria. Everything is a little bit off kilter.

Now this is a great intriguing way to open an episode, because you have to know how it got to this place. We go back in time and realise eventually that the world is still as it should be, but events have conspired to put the couples in different places.

Michael's reaction to alcohol is wonderful and his insistence that Maria go to find Enigma without him is very sweet. Max's sudden turn into party animal is also kinda funny. Isabel's desire to watch a cheesy cartoon movie is also out of character for her, prolonging the would-be Christmas Nazi's love of all things holiday.

A clever episode. It doesn't really push the story along that much, though it does provide insights - into Kyle's feelings for Isabel for instance.

Fun.moreless
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An insanely funny episode and incredibly well-written to boot.

10

"Perfect"

By Rain47, Dec 09, 2006

The great thing about this episode is that it takes a step back from the insanity of the angsty plot and says "Crazy time, whoo!" Max is determined to prove he knows how to party, Maria's determined to find a good party, and Michael's trying to be a good boyfriend while, at the same time, not being a boyfriend. Liz is patching up her relationship with her father, Kyle's trying to strive for normality, Jim's gone off the deep end and Isabel just want's to watch "Rudolph's Shiny New Year."

It was one of the few times when the show did touching stuff without also going sappy. Liz realized that there might be more to life than Max, which was absolutely relieving. But rather than having a heart-felt moment wherein Liz is truly sorry for being so upset with her father, the sappiness is understated and the realization comes by way of an old lady talking about phone sex in a funny (if creepy) manner. Max, meanwhile, is realizing what a stick in the mud he is and wants to be the fun guy for once, the guy other people hold on their shoulders at a kegger (guess Max just always gets to be king, eh?).

Kyle and Isabel's dynamic was very refreshing. Throughout the whole show, Kyle's felt bogged down by the alien thing, and here he is finally getting a hot normal girl and thinking about an alien the whole time. Kyle's character development was wonderful, as was Liz's, Max's and Michael's.

But in the end, come on. The best part about this episode was totally the laugh-out-loud antics that somehow left Liz in a bathrobe in her bedroom with Michael.

Side note-- why on Earth were Michael and Liz concerned that Maria and Max might find out he "slept in her bed?" They're the ones who dumped him in Liz's bed for the night, aren't they? Was that supposed to be some sort of hint that something happened, and that's why she looked at her father for a second before finishing his statement with "slept in my bed? Only if you don't tell Max." That was the one part that got confusing for me. It seemed out of place, or at the very least like I was missing something.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (4)
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- TRIVIA: Featured music in this episode - -Totally Yours by John Doe -I've Been Lookin' for a Heartache Like You by William Sadler and The Kit Shickers -You Wanted Someone To Play With originally recorded by Frankie Laine; artist unknown -All The Days by FM Static -On The On And Up by Beston -Twilight by Blueberry -Auld Lang Syne -East of Eden by 60 Cycle Hum -Get This Party Started by Toby Mac -Wear Me Down Wide Awake Bored by Treble Charger -Baby Cool Your Jets by Jet Set Satellite -The Life by Mystic -Stand by Monet -Underdog by Turin Brakes -A Dream for Us by The Appleseed Cast -Music Becomes Vibration by The Witch Hazel Sound -Smile Fading Fast by Boo Radleys -Staying Alive by POD
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- When the frat boys are cheering Max and carrying him around, just before they put him down Maria is shown behind him at the wall, waiting to talk to him. When the shot changes and the frat boys are walking away Maria again walks up to him.
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- TRIVIA: Much like Max in the episode "Blind Date" Michael's powers go crazy when he drinks. This time his senses are magnified to a greater degree.
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- TRIVIA: This is the only episode written by Melinda Metz, who wrote the original Roswell books series that the show is based on.
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QUOTES (8)
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- Isabel: Is this a confidence issue? Because women can detect insecurity a mile away, Kyle. Kyle: And you detected? Isabel: No. I'm married. My radar's been dismantled.
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- Kyle (to Jesse): Morality has no place on New Year's eve. I saw an opportunity, and I took it.
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- Maria: You should have seen him standing there all brave and noble. It was enough to make you fall in love with him all over again.
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- Isabel: It can't be that hard, Kyle. I mean, you used to date girls. Kyle: Look, it's been a long time, all right? I used to be a fun guy. I used to have fun, but then the alien invasion happened, and I sorta... my social life started to suck.
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- Kyle: Don't cramp my style. Isabel: You have style?
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- Kyle (praying to Buddha): Thank you. Now that my immortal soul has been cleansed... on to more terrestrial concerns. It's been a dry couple years. Kyle needs a woman. Kyle needs her badly. Kyle needs her tonight.
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- Isabel: Kyle Valenti, it is your lucky night... Rudolph's Shiny New Year! No? Kyle: No, I can't. I'm going out. Isabel: On New Year's Eve? Kyle: Yeah, imagine that. I'm going to that Enigma thing. Isabel: You know where it is? Kyle: No, but I'm going to find it. Isabel: Or, you can save yourself the trouble and buddy up here with Rudolph and his shiny New Year. And, ooh, I brought Goobers. Kyle: Tempting, but no.
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- Frat Guys (cheering on Max to help them with the keg): Townie, townie, townie!
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NOTES (0)
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Title: A Tale of Two Parties
  This is a reference to the Charles Dickens book "A Tale of Two Cities".
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