The gang is hanging out at Crash. Alec is playing pool and taking everyone's money. He offers to play Sketchy, but Sketchy refuses. Alec offers up various handicaps he could offer -- he'll play with his hands tied behind his back, or blindfolded. Max tells Alec, "Nobody likes a show-off." Alec tries to get Max to play. Max refuses. Alec asks around the bar, and finally finds Logan, who agrees to play. Logan asks if he can break, and Alec agrees. Logan does, and makes a few on the break, then proceeds to nearly run the table. Max is all smiles at her man's expertise. Except that if someone asks, she would deny that he's her man. Because it's not like that at all.
Finally, Logan misses a shot, and Alec gets a chance. He makes multiple shots until Logan manages to intimidate him into missing a shot. Hey, I just noticed that Sketchy is wearing a ZZ Top T-shirt. That makes me almost like him. But not quite. Logan makes a difficult shot, and Max comments that it was pretty cool. OC says, "Silly boys playing with their sticks and balls. I may vomit." Hey, is OC supposed to be a man-hating lesbian or what? They write her character with such complexity that it's difficult to tell. As Logan goes to make his last shot, Alec ups the betting ante. Logan takes the bet, and sinks the shot. Max congratulates him by handing him a beer, but as the transaction takes place, they both realize that they nearly touched. Sketchy walks over, screeching, "Dude, you rock!" as Max quickly tells Logan to go wash his hands. Logan does. Alec asks what's going on, and OC reminds him (and the viewers) about the virus. Logan returns from the bathroom and says he's okay. Max is upset that she might have killed him over "a stupid game of pool." Logan jokes that it was "a very satisfying game of pool." Max says she's going home, and takes off on her bike.
An older man locks up a junkyard and then praises his dog, Chopper, for standing guard. Then he walks over and picks up Chopper, who is apparently stuffed or preserved somehow, since he's all stiff. The old man sits inside a building, crushing aluminum cans and lamenting to Chopper how much better the prices for aluminum cans used to be. Then he hears a commotion and gets up to investigate, carrying a rifle and a flashlight. He commands Chopper to stay, which is kind of funny, because, you know, Chopper's dead. It would be even better if he said, "Chopper, sic balls!" The man, of course, gets attacked by some unseen monster and dragged off. The monster sprayed him with goo first, like those dinosaurs that killed Newman in Jurassic Park. ["Hmm. Didn't we just see that onBuffylast week?" -- Sars]
The Dreaming. Joshua paints while Max tries to work out the cure for her virus. Joshua apologizes for painting over her papers. Max can't figure out one of the markings on the paper, and Joshua advises her that it's "a squiggle." Max thinks she has figured it out, so she gathers her things and bails.
In a lab, a scientist tells Max that her calculations aren't right. He asks where the virus came from. Max tells him that "a secret government agency" gave it to her to try to kill Logan. The scientist chuckles and says she doesn't have to tell him if she doesn't want to, intimating that he thinks she's making the whole thing up. Max says that she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. The scientist tells her that while her numbers are off, the theory behind them could be right. He says that he needs a blood sample and twenty thousand dollars to make an antidote based on Max's calculations.
At Jam Pony HQ, OC opines that the money isn't much to pay to get together with Logan. Max claims that she only wants to know that she won't kill him if she touches his hand by accident. OC points out that it would also mean that Max could spend "a long weekend making hot monkey love to the man…by accident." Heh. Max says that she's going to get the money together first and then worry about the rest. OC says, "There's the devil," and indicates Alec. Max walks up to him and asks if he wants to help her liberate a reel from Star Wars Episode 7 from a vault. Alec is amused that Max is asking him to steal something, mentioning that Max showed him the error of his ways. Max says that his take would be twenty grand, and Alec's all, "What time do I pick you up?"
The monster creeps around outside a typical suburban house. Inside, a father gargles in the kitchen, and the mom snarks at him. Their bratty kids complain about dinner, and the mom tells them that they will eat the meatloaf and that is final. The dad continues to gargle and says, "Somebody kill me." Just then, the monster bursts in the window and sprays goo on the dad and then drags him out the window.
Max shows Alec the plans for stealing the film from Fox Studios. Alec asks if this qualifies as stealing from a bad guy, or if she's come up with a new excuse for taking things that don't belong to her. Max makes the excuse that people have a right to see the movie. Alec makes a crack about Rupert Murdoch. Suddenly, the screen goes dark because the show is cancelled. Kidding. Max tells him to trust her, and they'll be in and out in five minutes.
Cut to Max and Alec hiding in the studio. Alec is bitching about being there for an hour, and how he never should have trusted Max. There are only two guards, and Alec wants to take them. Max points out that the guards would trip the alarm, so they need to wait for the shift change. Alec asks if Max wants to know what he's going to do with his share of the money. Max doesn't. Alec asks what she's going to do with hers, and Max responds, "Donate it to charity." Alec suggests that she might get a new motorcycle, a new apartment, or a new boyfriend. Max shoots him a look. Alec adds, "New DNA markers for current boyfriend." Max says that Logan isn't her boyfriend. Alec groans and says he can't believe that he's been "stuck in this closet for over an hour to facilitate [Max] having sex." He adds that he's been reduced to being a pimp. Max says, and I'm not making this up, "It's not even like that." Alec wants to hear that Logan is at least great, that he rocks her world. Max admits that they haven't done it yet. Alec points out that they were together for a year. Max notes that the guards are changing shifts, so it's go time.
Max gives her share of the money to the scientist. He gives her an injection of the antibody. They check Max's blood under a microscope, and there are magic circles around the virus particles, or whatever -- I wasn't a science major, people. Max is happy to see that the antidote is working. The scientist takes another look in the microscope and notices that the virus is mutating and breaking through the magic circles. Max's face falls. The scientist thinks it will take about thirteen or fourteen hours for the virus to return full-strength, and advises her not to expect it to take more than twelve. He assures her that she's virus-free for the fourteen hours.
Max sets her pager to count down twelve hours and then goes to see Logan. Okay, in my world? I would have jumped him the second I walked in the door. Do it once, get it over with, and then do it as many more times as possible before the twelve-hour time limit is up. Max asks, hypothetically, what he would want to do if there were a temporary cure for the virus. Logan asks how long the cure would last, and Max looks at her beeper and answers, "Ten hours and fifty minutes." Logan realizes that this isn't theoretical, and asks if they can touch and nothing will happen. Max smirks, "I don't know about nothing, but you won't die." Logan can't believe it. Max says that they have to think about it, because when it's over, there will be no repeats. Why not? If the theory worked once, why can't it work again? Oh, because Max said so. Logan says that when the time is up, they'd be back where they started. Max doesn't think that ten hours is a very long time. Logan says that it'll have to be long enough. Max is happy to hear him say that. They talk and talk and talk -- just do it already! God! Logan slowly walks over and holds out his hand. Max sloooooowly takes it. They're killing me. Commercials.
When we return, they are still holding hands. Logan goes to kiss her, and Max interrupts. She says that she doesn't want to "blow this on a quickie," and "it should be perfect." Logan replies, "How about a perfect quickie?" Seriously! It's not like they could only do it once in ten hours! Logan's a young guy. Do it now, do it again as soon as possible, and keep on doing it until the timer goes off! God. Max hands Logan a bottle of wine.
At Crash, Alec drinks scotch. He spots Asha at the end of the bar and orders her a drink too. Asha says that she was just leaving, but Alec convinces her to join him. Alec tells her that she'll want to drink when she hears the news about Max and Logan. They both do another shot. Aw. Alec loves Max.
Max and Logan are STILL talking. I refuse to recap anything that's not them having sex, because I'm so mad that they aren't yet.
Alec and Asha drink a toast to Max and Logan. Asha wonders what they are doing right now. She thinks that Logan made Max dinner with wine and everything. Alec wonders sarcastically why they would want to "consummate two years of unbridled passion" when they could have pasta. Asha says that Alec doesn't know anything about love. Alec says he knows more than she thinks, and points out that Asha doesn't want Logan and Max together, because while Max was presumed dead, Asha thought she and Logan would get together. Asha points out that Logan was thinking about Max every second, and he never believed she was dead. When Max returned, Logan was the happiest she'd ever seen him. Alec brings up the virus thing. Asha says that even with the virus, they never gave up on each other, and Asha has to respect that, because that's true love. Oh, gag me. Alec points out that they've never said that they love each other. Max would never say it, and Logan would, but "in an email." Heh. Alec mocks how Max always says that Logan isn't her boyfriend, and it wasn't like that. He's practically writing the recap for me. Alec calls Logan "a repressed WASP" and Max "a broken toy" and predicts that it'll never work out. Asha says that Alec is cynical. Alec says that he believes in going after what you want, because "we're living on borrowed time." Alec says that if he loved someone, he would tell her, and if he wanted someone, he would let her know. Alec concludes, "And Asha? I want you. Come home with me." The ladies of the forum swoon. Asha doesn't answer.
The Dreaming. Joshua paints. He reads the warning label on his paint which tells him to only use the paint in well-ventilated areas. He runs outside and takes a deep breath. While standing there, he catches a scent, and takes off down the street, sniffing along. He comes to a manhole and pries it off, lowering himself inside. He finds some goo hanging from some pipes and says, "Gossamer."
Joshua exits the sewer into an alley. He hides behind his hair, and then spots a bakery nearby. Apparently, the scent has led him there, since Joshua says to himself, "Smell Gossamer." He follows a guy carrying a bakery box. The guy notices and grabs Joshua, but is startled by Joshua's appearance. Gossamer the monster shoots goo at the guy. Joshua fights him off, but gets some goo on himself, commenting, "Pretty wack." Indeed.
Back in Logan's apartment, Max and Logan are slow-dancing. DANCING! And all of their clothes are still on. Ugh. Logan says that there's something that he's been wanting to tell Max for a long time. Max says that she has something too, but wants Logan to go first. As Logan starts to speak, Joshua busts in and asks them to "stop getting busy, please." Like they ever started. Look, it's not that I want those two to have sex. It's just that the show revolves around their so-called relationship, and it's dumb to give them a chance and then blow it. Anyway, Joshua say that he and Max have to go find Gossamer. Max protests, asking if it can wait "nine hours and twenty minutes." Joshua says that it can't wait. They argue about it. Logan snaps off the music and says, "If this thing is hurting people…" Max asks if her life could suck any harder. She should have listened to me and just jumped him right away! Dummy.
Alec and Asha arrive back at Alec's place. Asha says that her feet are killing her as she collapses into a chair. Alec goes to fix them drinks. Within seconds, Asha is asleep (or passed out) on the couch. Alec walks into the room and takes her boots off for her, then covers her with a blanket.
Back at Logan's pad, Max asks Joshua if he's sure that Gossamer is dangerous. Joshua says that he's sure, and that Gossamer is probably in the sewers. Logan asks where Joshua saw Gossamer, and Joshua reveals that it was a bakery in Sector Five. Logan looks on the map and suggests that they do a search between that bakery and The Dreaming. Max thinks it's a lot of ground to cover. Joshua thinks that they can cover a lot of ground together. Max doesn't want Joshua to go, because then she'll worry about him instead of focusing on Gossamer, and points out that it's not safe for Joshua out there. Joshua growls and sits down, grabbing a book. Max says she'll ask Alec for help. Logan says that he'll talk to Matt Sung, his cop buddy. Max points out that they only have just over eight hours left until her antidote wears off. They kiss, like, why not just do it right now? It would only take five minutes, if that, considering that Logan hasn't gotten laid in forever. What? I'm just saying. Max says it feels like she's kissing him goodbye, and reluctantly departs.
Max shows up at Alec's apartment and finds Asha asleep on the couch. She looks disgusted. Alec walks out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. I think people on the forum just fainted, what with the towel, and the muscles, and the steam coming out of the bathroom behind him. Max tells Alec to get dressed.
Max and Alec walk down the street. Alec muses that one of the Gossamers escaped, and tells Max that Manticore used them to track down missing people. Max asks what the Gossamers did when they found the people. Alec says that some were bred for retrieval, and others killed their targets. Max hopes that they are looking for the former. Alec says that they have goo that shoots out of their mouths and stuns their victims. Max says that they should start looking in the sewers. Alec snarks that he hasn't been able to crawl around in the sewers with Max for a few weeks, and it's not like he had anything better to do tonight. He mentions Asha, and then asks Max obliquely if she and Logan did it. Max refuses to answer, and Alec figures out that they didn't. Why does he care so much, huh? Alec's phone rings before they can get into the sewers. It's Logan, and he wants to speak to Max. She tells him that they have eight hours and ten minutes. Logan relays that Sung said there was another victim nearby (the gargling guy with the bratty kids), and he had a cavity filled that day. The guy that Joshua saw grabbed had also just been to the dentist -- the same dentist as Gargling Guy. While Logan talks, Joshua fools around with Logan's crap and basically causes trouble. Max tells Logan that Gossamers are trained to sniff out things, and to leave a message on the voicemail if he gets any more information. They hang up. Joshua asks Logan if Gossamer is going down. Logan says that he's leaving to check out a lead, and reminds Joshua that Max said to stay put. Then Logan bails.
Joshua eats all of the food in Logan's refrigerator. Ha…? That was such a filler scene.
Logan breaks into the office of the dentist who worked on both victims. He comments to himself that he has eight hours to be with "the girl of [his] dreams," and he's at the dentist's office. Logan pulls the victims' files.
Max and Logan walk through the sewers. Max asks if Asha and Alec are an item. Alec says that Asha is a good kid, but nothing happened. He asks if Max wants to double-date.
Gossamer shows up at the dentist's office. Logan calls to leave a voicemail for Max. Logan thinks he knows what Gossamer is after. As Logan is leaving the message, Gossamer busts into the office.
Alec gives Max crap about how gross the sewer is. Max tells him to shut up, and Alec comments that two years of waiting has made her tense. Max spots some fresh goo on a grate and realizes that Gossamer is nearby. She climbs out of a pipe and ends up in the junkyard from the beginning of the episode -- the one with the dude and his stuffed dog. Max suggests that they split up. Alec walks around and calls Gossamer like a dog. Gossamer shows up and, of course, spits goo on Alec's face. Not the face!
Max's phone beeps to indicate that she has a message. She tries to call Logan, and hears his phone ringing nearby. She follows the sound and finds Logan wrapped up in a cobweb-like substance, unconscious. She tries to wake him up, but is interrupted by Gossamer who, of course, spits goo on her. Gee, is there anyone left who knows where they are and might save them? I can hardly wait to find out who it will be.
Cut to Alec, Max, and Logan, all wrapped in cocoons inside a car in the junkyard. They discuss how none of them can get out of their cocoons. Some other guys start yelling. It's Bakery Guy, Gargling Guy, and Junkyard Guy; they're all wrapped in cocoons as well. Alec tells them that Gossamer is a herbivore and only kills for sport. Max advises them to hang tight. Logan says that the dentist was using Keveral (which is also used in bullets and weapons, so I assume it's kind of like Kevlar, but that's probably a registered trademark, so they had to use a similar word) to fill cavities, and he thinks that Gossamer was trained to track it down. Max wonders why it went after Logan, and Logan says that he was holding the Keveral when it slimed him. So why did it slime Max and Alec? Max realizes that Joshua can get them out. Logan reminds Max that they told Joshua not to leave Logan's apartment.
Cut to Joshua snoring on Logan's couch. He wakes up and burps. Then he calls out for Max and Logan.
Max and Logan are upset over how screwed up this is. Max and Alec bicker over whose fault the whole thing is. Max whines about how unlucky her life is, and how she "should have known that one night was just too damn much to ask." Logan asks how much time they have left, and Max says, "Not enough." Logan says that it never would have been enough time. Alec asks if the "virus thing is still hanging around." Logan tells Alec to shut up.
Joshua goes to the dentist's office. Logan isn't there, but plenty of goo is smeared on the walls. Joshua goes through the sewer and sniffs out Logan, Gossamer, Max, and Alec.
Back at the junkyard, Max apologizes to Logan. Just then, Joshua shows up at the junkyard, and Max hears him. She yells out to let him know where they are. Joshua says that he didn't stay put, but Max says that it's okay, because she still might have time to get laid. Well, that's not exactly what she said, but I'm sure it's what she thought. Joshua frees Max, and then goes to work on Alec. Max grabs the Keveral from Logan. Gossamer shows up. Max fights it. She uses the Keveral to lure Gossamer into a van. She shuts one door of the van, and then does a totally unnecessary flip over the van and shuts the other door, trapping Gossamer inside. Then she uses the giant magnet crane junkyard thing to suspend the van in mid-air.
It's getting light out. Max, Alec, Joshua, and Logan finish freeing all of the victims. Alec tells Gargling Guy that there's a logical explanation for what happened. Max approaches Logan. Alec tells everyone to clear out so that Max and Logan can have a moment.
Junkyard Guy is hanging out with Gossamer. I guess he's a retrieval type that was attracted to all the Keveral in the junked cars. Alec lies that Gossamer is a Tasmanian Ant-Eating Aardvark. Alec pretends to be a zookeeper, and lies that Gossamer escaped from one of their facilities. Junkyard Guy wants to keep Gossamer as a pet. Alec tells Junkyard Guy to keep Gossamer locked up at night.
Logan sits in a junked car, looking out at some water. Max gets in to him. Logan asks how much time they have left. Max says that they have two minutes. Logan says that he's thinking about the night they took down Manticore, when he thought he had lost Max, and he came home and sat on his sofa and didn't get up for days. That must have been smelly. Logan says it was like he couldn't move, because it hurt too much to move. And that's how it feels now. Max wishes they hadn't taken a chance. Logan says that they had to, but they can't keep growing through this. Logan talks about the year they wasted being afraid to admit how they felt, and how much he regrets it. Max's beeper goes off, so time is up. Logan kisses Max on the lips. Jessica Alba has no color to her skin whatsoever. Logan gets out of the car and then says, "I love you, Max." Logan walks away, and Max whispers, "I love you, too." Then she cries. But not that much, really, considering.
episode: Max's enemies are looking for her, and they want to expose her Manticore secrets. White wants to kill her. And Max is in the hospital. The preview wasn't really very helpful.