S02.E05: I'll Stand By You

[peachmangosteen]

3 minutes ago, Bloga said:

...but that seems to be the problem of most actors nowadays, they can´t enunciate for s&%t.

Right! It drives me mad. I can never hear what anyone is saying lol.

[CabotCove]

 

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It's too little too late for Maria.  No matter what story they give her, it's too late.  She's already been marginalised, set up for failure, and hated.

I can only hope that Heather gets out sooner rather than later, she deserves so much more than this show.

 

Well now I dont believe thats entirely true, yeah Maria is getting a lot of heat from certain fans because of ships, let them fume, Im always more concerned on what the show is doing. I think people are being a little too harsh on Carina, we asked Maria be in the know on all the secrets, and she delivered. Carina does defend Heather/Maria on SM, and calls out misogynoir, ....most showrunners dont care to rock the boat and say anything. We know Maria has some things coming up with the ongoing Mimi case, the season aint over yet to judge. I feel there has been some improvement in her presence/screen time, but like I say, season not over yet to really judge. Maria Deluca and Roswell franchise are pretty enduring/known IPs, its gets her name out, its not a bad place to be for Heather IMO. For a while, at least. She had a pretty cool role in Hellcats (CW ) and was amazing in it, but that show only lasted a season, got cancelled. MD is possibly her biggest and breakout role to date. 

 

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I hope someone calls her out on her treatment of Maria, and the fact that Michael's being pushed to take over Liz as the lead,

Really, Liz is the lead?, I always see this show as being about the 3 aliens first and for most. Sure romance is a big plot in the show, but I would think the show could survive without Max/Liz romance, but wouldnt if the alien mythology/lore is taken away. Like Im not saying Liz is not a major force in the show, but If Jeanine was to leave for some reason, I think the show would go on. Alex, Maria, Kyle etc, could fill the human role and human-alien romance. 

 To me, the 3 pod "siblings" is the lifeblood of this show, the central relationship.  Same feeling with the OG Roswell. So yeah, in retrospect it probably wasnt a good idea for new Roswell to cast  all 3 aliens as white. I dont really see Carina as being overemphasized on Michael, to me he has the right emphasis, this is his alien story with Max and Isobel. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by CabotCove

[Bloga]

12 minutes ago, CabotCove said:

 

Well now I dont believe thats entirely true, yeah Maria is getting a lot of heat from certain fans because of ships, but Im more concerned on what the show is doing. I think people are being a little too harsh on Carina, 

 

Really, Liz is the lead?, I always see this show as being about the 3 aliens first and for most. Sure romance is a big plot in the show, but I would think the show could survive without Max/Liz romance, but wouldnt if the alien mythology/lore is taken away. Like Im not saying Liz is not a major force in the show, but If Jeanine was to leave for some reason, I think the show would go on. Alex, Maria,Kyle etc, wcould fill the human role and romance. 

 To me, the 3 pod "siblings" is the lifeblood of this show, the central relationship.  Same feeling with the OG Roswell. So yeah, in retrospect it probably wasnt a good idea for new Roswell to cast  all 3 aliens as white. I dont really see Carina as being overemphasized on Michael, to me he has the right emphasis, this is his alien story with Max and Isobel. 

 

        Liz is the lead yes...number 1 on the call sheet, all that jazz...problem is, the narrative has been deterred and focus has been shifted to Michael, and him being an alien, that makes it by extension an alien show, when the initial intention was to make a show as grounded and anchored in human experience as possible, the sci-fi elements are front and center, but at the heart of the story are deeply human emotions and topics (i.e. alien possession and how it relates to consent in a human context, an alien pregnancy and how it relates to women´s choice, aliens from outerspace vs undocumented people) So yes, the Pod Squad is a major element, but we as an audience are supposed to experience the story from a human perspective, and that´s where Liz comes into play...but I guess the show has failed miserable (purposedly or not) at keeping the focus on Liz, so much so that I guess Liz is expendable now? 

      I like Michael´s story arc, it´s fleshed out and when it comes to his origin, it´s quite detailed, even more so than Max´s and Isobel´s. But when the showrunner makes such a big deal about making a show about a Latina woman, and then you see the shift, it´s bothersome. I don´t think calling the showrunner out on her bias and inconsistencies is being too harsh, to be honest, people are being vicious about Maria, which, granted, Carina is not responsible for people saying what they are saying, but she set the tone and you don´t need to be a writer to know things were going to pan out re: Maria and the Michael&Alex shippers.

[Cristofle]

It does kind of bother me that Max - due to being dead, lol- and Isobel, due to her nearly fatal abortion, have been entirely isolated from learning the truth about their mother. This should have been revealed when they were both around to react to the story of their mom, you know, getting shot in the chest. And even though I'm pretty sure Louise got out of that barn, at the moment, she is presumed to have died in there. This doesn't only impact Michael, and his feelings aren't the only ones that matter. 

[Bloga]

23 minutes ago, Cristofle said:

It does kind of bother me that Max - due to being dead, lol- and Isobel, due to her nearly fatal abortion, have been entirely isolated from learning the truth about their mother. This should have been revealed when they were both around to react to the story of their mom, you know, getting shot in the chest. And even though I'm pretty sure Louise got out of that barn, at the moment, she is presumed to have died in there. This doesn't only impact Michael, and his feelings aren't the only ones that matter. 

               Yes, Isobel doesn´t know anything, yes she´s got a lot going on but she´s been around, Michael´s known since last season, they could have  had a scene where they talk about it, for all intents and purposes Isobel knows nothing about Caulfield, and that also happened last season, that makes no sense to me...she should know by now.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Bloga

[Cristofle]

1 minute ago, Bloga said:

               Yes, Isobel doesn´t know anything, yes she´s got a lot going on but she´s being around, Michael´s known since last season, they could have  had a scene where they talk about it, for all intents and purposes Isobel knows nothing about Caulfield, and that also happened last season, that makes no sense to me...she should know by now.

I'm pretty sure Carina doesn't care how Max and Isobel feel about their biological parents, which is just...irritating. Max only had a minute to react to the whole thing of Michael's mother being blown up and then he died, but if Carina had been thinking that Max and Isobel also have a right to react to that, Isobel would have been looped in at some point and Max would have been allowed to wonder if HIS parents were also locked up and died in that explosion. Max has been written as being wary to fully let his mother in while he was growing up, possibly because he missed his biological mother and home, which is similar to OG Show Max, and OG Show Isabel longed to be in contact with her biological mother. Max and Isobel aren't irrelevant in the story of what happened to their mother because they got adopted. It would matter to them that their mother nearly died trying to keep them safe. 

[CabotCove]

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Liz is the lead yes...number 1 on the call sheet, all that jazz...problem is, the narrative has been deterred and focus has been shifted to Michael, and him being an alien, that makes it by extension an alien show, when the initial intention was to make a show as grounded and anchored in human experience as possible, the sci-fi elements are front and center, but at the heart of the story are deeply human emotions and topics (i.e. alien possession and how it relates to consent in a human context, an alien pregnancy and how it relates to women´s choice, aliens from outerspace vs undocumented people) 

Well if Liz/Jeanine is really  #1 on call sheet, so was Elena/Nina Dobrev on The Vampire Diaries, and they did manage to do some final seasons without her. I just dont see nor believe that the narrative has deffered to Michael as you say. To me, Liz gets the screentime and focus of a lead, as one of the leads. I dont see how Michael get anymore focus than Max and Isobel, how are they no complains for those two??. The narrative focuses majorly on those two too, they drive the plot along with him.Yeah these two episodes seem to focus on Michael discovering his mom's past but the season has been majorly focused on bringing Max back so far. And Isobel has had her plots with Arturo, Rosa, Noah fallout etc. 

 

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So yes, the Pod Squad is a major element, but we as an audience are supposed to experience the story from a human perspective, and that´s where Liz comes into play...but I guess the show has failed miserable (purposedly or not) at keeping the focus on Liz, so much so that I guess Liz is expendable now? 

Well we can still experience the story from a human perspective even with just the aliens. After all they do look human, they live human lives, are played by human actors, written by human writers.  I dont necessarily need Liz for that. Buffy the vampire slayer told a very human story, with a supernatural slayer as the focus of that human existence. And Like i say, Liz isnt even the only human major character in RNM. She is not the only source of the "truly human" story, with Alex, Maria, Kyle etc there. No lol, they havent failed at majorly focusing on Liz NOR do I think of her as expandable, I just see RNM/OG Roswell as an ENSEMBLE CAST show, with multiple leads that all.

I get Liz as the audience surrogate/entry point character to this world but I can see RNM continuing if ever Liz character was to be gone, because its a role than can be replaced by another character or be worked around to not be needed as much. In my eyes. Hopefully that doesnt happen, because I do love this Liz and Jeanine Mason in this role. 

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I'm pretty sure Carina doesn't care how Max and Isobel feel about their biological parents, which is just...irritating. 

Or the show hasnt gotten to that YET, they probably  feel that Michael knowing about Nora is priority because he is an orphan kid. Michael's urgency is different from Isobel and Max, because he never had that family.  Isobel and Max have their earth parents, their earth/adoptive mother has had a presence on the show. We met her. JMO on this. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by CabotCove

[Bloga]

3 minutes ago, Cristofle said:

I'm pretty sure Carina doesn't care how Max and Isobel feel about their biological parents, which is just...irritating. Max only had a minute to react to the whole thing of Michael's mother being blown up and then he died, but if Carina had been thinking that Max and Isobel also have a right to react to that, Isobel would have been looped in at some point and Max would have been allowed to wonder if HIS parents were also locked up and died in that explosion. Max has been written as being wary to fully let his mother in while he was growing up, possibly because he missed his biological mother and home, which is similar to OG Show Max, and OG Show Isabel longed to be in contact with her biological mother. Max and Isobel aren't irrelevant in the story of what happened to their mother because they got adopted. It would matter to them that their mother nearly died trying to keep them safe. 

 

8 minutes ago, Cristofle said:

I'm pretty sure Carina doesn't care how Max and Isobel feel about their biological parents, which is just...irritating. Max only had a minute to react to the whole thing of Michael's mother being blown up and then he died, but if Carina had been thinking that Max and Isobel also have a right to react to that, Isobel would have been looped in at some point and Max would have been allowed to wonder if HIS parents were also locked up and died in that explosion. Max has been written as being wary to fully let his mother in while he was growing up, possibly because he missed his biological mother and home, which is similar to OG Show Max, and OG Show Isabel longed to be in contact with her biological mother. Max and Isobel aren't irrelevant in the story of what happened to their mother because they got adopted. It would matter to them that their mother nearly died trying to keep them safe. 

       I thought it was Isobel the one who didn´t really bond with her adopted mother, Max seemed to be a bit closer to her, or at least more open to let her be a mother, maybe I´m misremembering. But i agree, just because they were adopted by good people and were cared for doens´t mean they don´t have questions, or deserve to know. Max wasn´t around, but Isobel was, and I think she would be more open than Max to know about their origin, as Max was the one setting rules for them to follow as to not bring attention to them.

[CabotCove]

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 Michael´s known since last season, they could have  had a scene where they talk about it, for all intents and purposes Isobel knows nothing about Caulfield, and that also happened last season, that makes no sense to me...she should know by now.

Thats I agree, Isobel and Max should know about Caulified, Nora, all the alien/their family's history that been investigated and discovered. To me its Alex, who is getting getting overemphasis from Carina and overstepping other characters' roles, he is inserted in all these investigations, with alien business, with Mimi etc, that he really has not much business to know or be involved. They seem to like to involve this character in so many plots and too much screentime, in this misguided ploy to strengthen malex "cosmic connection"🙄👎. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by CabotCove

[phoenics]

19 hours ago, Chick2Chic said:

I would love to join the live stream for this very reason but I already know I wouldn't be diplomatic about it. Like not even a little bit. IA that Carina definitely needs to be called out on her Michael thirst (both actor & character), her pushing out WOC Liz as the lead of the show to endlessly gush from various orifices over Michael, her inability to be objective about stories, and her continuing misogynoir marginalization of Maria.

I think we should all join the livestream and ask the SAME question about what she plans to do to RESTORE the narrative importance of the Maria character that she destroyed by giving her canon importance to Alex, Rosa and Kyle.

 

[phoenics]

2 hours ago, CabotCove said:

I think people are being a little too harsh on Carina, we asked Maria be in the know on all the secrets, and she delivered. Carina does defend Heather/Maria on SM, and calls out misogynoir,

Carina is the reason for the misogynoir.

She completely stripped Maria of her canon storylines - not just one, multiple.  Maria isn't a 3rd tier character - she's always been pretty much 1.5ish tier in the Roswell stories and the minute she became black, she got erased and Carina elevated a gay white man (who claims to be PoC but seems to have zero cultural connections to the minority groups he claims and visibly presents as white) over her.

Then when called on it, Carina lashes out and weaponizes Tyler's "PoC heritage" against people who are angry about Maria being swapped out.  As if PoC are interchangeable to her.  That's just racist AF.

In fact, her protestations and attempts to push Alex as a character of color, etc.. to clean up the misogynoir mess she made are making an even bigger and uglier mess because she refuses to admit she screwed up.

NOTHING short of restoring Maria to her narrative importance will fix this.  NOTHING.

2 hours ago, CabotCove said:

Really, Liz is the lead?

Yes - she's number one in the credits and Carina keeps saying in interviews that this is a story about Liz and she's the lead, blah blah blah - so Max's death is all about Liz, etc... but Carina can't help pushing Michael Vlamis constantly... 

2 hours ago, CabotCove said:

If Jeanine was to leave for some reason, I think the show would go on.

No it really couldn't.  Roswell CANNOT exist without Max and Liz.  If it had to rely on Michael and Alex the ratings would be near zero.  I know folks think it the Malex shippers are holding it up - but they are barely even on twitter like they were in the beginning - the excitement over that died a long time ago and without OG fans holding this show up due to their nostalgia for the (better) original, this show would fall apart.

OR - it would divert even more from being Roswell than it already has.  It's already missing so many Roswellian elements and mimicing the storytelling style of The Vampire Diaries that we should just call it The Vampire Diaries, but Aliens.

2 hours ago, CabotCove said:

To me, the 3 pod "siblings" is the lifeblood of this show, the central relationship.  Same feeling with the OG Roswell.

I disagree.  The first season, the aliens and humans were treated equally and the storytelling was better as a result.  We experienced alienness through the eyes of the humans around them and it humanized the aliens as a result.  In S2, the story shifted dramatically and centered the aliens and we lost the heart of the show.  This show has already made that shift and it is to its detriment.  When the human characters become props for the alien stories, the show falls apart.  That's what happened in S2 and the ratings prove it.  They tried to go back to more human stories in S3 and dropped the sci-fi, but they never understood that it wasn't the sci-fi that was the problem, it was dropping the humanness and heart from the story.  The network demanded more male viewers going from S1 to S2 and so that's what screwed the show - it started pushing busty aliens and shirtless aliens and forgetting the human characters were whole people.  Ratings dipped until they centered the story back on Liz at the back half of the season after Alex was murdered by Tess.  They tried to center the aliens AGAIN in S3 (Max and Isobel) and the ratings went into the floor.  Not even trotting Liz back out in the back half to lead could save it by then.

This show messed up deleting Maria and Liz's friendship and removing M/M as a core relationship.  What Carina missed replacing Maria with Alex and Rosa is that the Maria/Liz friendship and their relationship with Max/Michael created a core for the show to revolve around.  This show's core is a mess - that's why thirsty actors like Michael Vlamis can take over so easily - Carina is just going where she thinks she can garner media attention instead of focusing on writing a story with heart.

 

54 minutes ago, CabotCove said:

Thats I agree, Isobel and Max should know about Caulified, Nora, all the alien/their family's history that been investigated and discovered. To me its Alex, who is getting getting overemphasis from Carina and overstepping other characters' roles, he is inserted in all these investigations, with alien business, with Mimi etc, that he really has not much business to know or be involved. They seem to like to involve this character in so many plots and too much screentime, in this misguided ploy to strengthen malex "cosmic connection"🙄👎. 

Well this I agree with.

[phoenics]

1 hour ago, Cristofle said:

It does kind of bother me that Max - due to being dead, lol- and Isobel, due to her nearly fatal abortion, have been entirely isolated from learning the truth about their mother. This should have been revealed when they were both around to react to the story of their mom, you know, getting shot in the chest. And even though I'm pretty sure Louise got out of that barn, at the moment, she is presumed to have died in there. This doesn't only impact Michael, and his feelings aren't the only ones that matter. 

This is also because of the lack of urgency - in the books and the OG show, the urgency of running from Valenti and then the FBI bonded them all in a way so that these kinds of things wouldn't happen.

And even then - no way Michael would be finding out about this stuff and NOT sharing with Max and Isobel - instead it's just Alex?  Even in 285 on the OG show when Michael/Maria went out doing the investigating, Max/Isobel/Liz followed (followed by Kyle), which made it another bonding story for ALL of them, not just Michael/Alex.

Carina is SO obsessed with her favorite ship that she's reoriented the whole show around them - look at their screentime compared to Max/Liz?

And then their storylines don't even connect. Alex doesn't share with the group - he knows all this stuff and still doesn't share.  With anyone.  Not even his so called close friend Liz.

This would never happen if it was Maria/Liz and their friendship was restored.

Jesus - does Carina have any friends at all?  I hate how she's destroyed my favorite characters with this imposter show.

It doesn't feel like we will ever get everyone together on this.  Maria gets more screentime, but ONLY with Alex.  WTF.

Edited April 18, 2020 by phoenics

[Cristofle]

2 hours ago, CabotCove said:

Or the show hasnt gotten to that YET, they probably  feel that Michael knowing about Nora is priority because he is an orphan kid. Michael's urgency is different from Isobel and Max, because he never had that family.  Isobel and Max have their earth parents, their earth/adoptive mother has had a presence on the show. We met her. JMO on this. 

I would like to believe this, but honestly, I have a really hard time imagining that they would go over this story again given how many characters are on this show. There isn't enough time; they can't retread completely over what they've already shown. I'm sure Max and Isobel will find out at some point, but I doubt much attention will be paid to it. They're not the ones who get to find this out as we see the flashbacks and express feelings about it in real time. I'd be really surprised if they got anywhere on the same level of reaction. 

Also, it would be nice to learn ANYTHING about their adopted father if the attention is going to be on their adoptive parents. 

2 hours ago, Bloga said:

 I thought it was Isobel the one who didn´t really bond with her adopted mother, Max seemed to be a bit closer to her, or at least more open to let her be a mother, maybe I´m misremembering.

On this show? Hard to say re: Isobel. She seems close to her mother in the interactions they had around Noah's funeral, and she asked Max to call their mother when she got sick. Mrs. Evans told Max in 1x08 that she felt shut out by both of them when they were growing up, that she felt like they didn't need her and didn't "let her be a mother." Max breaking down and crying on her lap at the end was pretty clearly a novel experience for both of them. On the OG show, Isabel was definitely closer to their mother. Diane expressed more than once, but especially in Toy House, that Isabel immediately felt at home with them but Max cried and didn't want to be there because he wanted to go home, and that she felt he hadn't completely opened up to her in the years since. Isabel was also the one that was desperate to tell Diane the truth, and Max was having none of it.

[CabotCove]

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I think we should all join the livestream and ask the SAME question about what she plans to do to RESTORE the narrative importance of the Maria character that she destroyed by giving her canon importance to Alex, Rosa and Kyle.

I see Rosa as more of a season feature, like a guest star, a plot tool for the season. I dont think she is staying for long, at least I hope not. The way she was brought back to life after 10 years, there has to be a catch sooner or later... right? Maybe she will die again or something. With her current situation, I just dont see how she can live a normal life in Roswell, even if she remains alive, it would make sense to start afresh somewhere. I like Amber Midthunder and think she is doing a good job in the role, I just dont think Rosa is needed long term in RNM, so I hope she will be gone in season 3.  So Maria's role as Liz's best female friend and confidante, should be safe. I really hope. Sister or not, there is always a place for a good BFF too. And Maria should obviously have more roles and purpose than that.

As for her love story with Michael and Alex possibly taking that role, who knows, they are doing a love triangle for now. Some say Maria is just a spoiler for M/A but if thats the case they are doing it all wrong, Michael/Maria and Maria are written to be a strong contender for Michael's love story imo. They have had some big moments, him choosing her more than once, moving his home for her, protecting and defending her numerous times. Its being written as  Maria, as one of the few people/humans Michael cares about, [like Alex too] .  It would be extremely bad writing to just pretend later on, it all meant nothing. Maria is not just some guest star they can discard later on, she is a regular character for the show and a major canon character in the Roswell story . She is not going anywhere. I know its not ideal she shares her role as Michael's love interest with Alex, but they did put her in Michael's life, and him in hers. Their lives should be orbiting around each other for a long time to come, in the show. 

If not then I will be done with the show, not because Im such a big shipper but because I dont like being played with. I dislike when writers betray their own canon and show a disrespect to the audience by doing that. Taking a long time to set up something and setting it up so much, only to just yank it all away  like it was nothing.  Its a waste of time and a betrayal. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by CabotCove

[phoenics]

59 minutes ago, CabotCove said:

Maria is not just some guest star they can discard later on, she is a regular character for the show and a major canon character in the Roswell story .

The issue is she's being written as exactly that - a guest star.  Her importance has been given away to other characters.

I will never watch another show Carina touches.  She's a chip off the old racist Julie Plec block.

I'm mad I was proven right.

[CabotCove]

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And even then - no way Michael would be finding out about this stuff and NOT sharing with Max and Isobel - instead it's just Alex?  Even in 285 on the OG show when Michael/Maria went out doing the investigating, Max/Isobel/Liz followed (followed by Kyle), which made it another bonding story for ALL of them, not just Michael/Alex.

And then their storylines don't even connect. Alex doesn't share with the group - he knows all this stuff and still doesn't share.  With anyone.  Not even his so called close friend Liz.

 

That I agree, there has been some weird writing choices, just to give Michael/Alex scenes alone. Max has been  "dead" but Isobel seems so clueless and removed from all this alien stuff that is being discovered, no one is updating her. 

Maria should have confronted Isobel [and Michael] about the Mimi situation by now, demanding to know what happened to her mother. She been talking about aliens, and they are aliens, they need to give her some answers. Hope something like this happen in 2x06. 

[UNOSEZ]

15 minutes ago, CabotCove said:

That I agree, there has been some weird writing choices, just to give Michael/Alex scenes alone. Max has been  "dead" but Isobel seems so clueless and removed from all this alien stuff that is being discovered, no one is updating her. 

Maria should have confronted Isobel [and Michael] about the Mimi situation by now, demanding to know what happened to her mother. She been talking about aliens, and they are aliens, they need to give her some answers. Hope something like this happen in 2x06. 

I'm fuming with the sidelining of Maria.. But I am willing to wait until the end of this next epi... Because after she found out she wasnt in the next epi... The one after that teased her starting to ask questions with " the only" person she could talk to... But it was mainly about reviving Max... So with that huge piece of business outta the way... The next big thing is Maria getting some answers.. Now I believe that the alien folks should be front and center for this... But Looks like Isobel and Max ( so also Liz) got some resurrection stuff to deal with... I think they'll write that she's still too raw to deal with Michael... So that leaves Alex as her guy to dig into the mystery.. And whatever tidbits are found should be shared with all 3 of the pod kids.. Not just Mike... 

[shapeshifter]

22 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

22 hours ago, Bloga said:

...but that seems to be the problem of most actors nowadays, they can´t enunciate for s&%t.

Right! It drives me mad. I can never hear what anyone is saying lol.

Brendan Fehr's (OG Michael) enunciation bugged me so much that I still remember it. I am very picky about that.

About the Maria role seen here: I recall wishing on the OG show that Alex had a bigger role, but NOT at the expense of Maria.   

[peachmangosteen]

 

20 hours ago, CabotCove said:

So Maria's role as Liz's best female friend and confidante, should be safe. I really hope. Sister or not, there is always a place for a good BFF too. And Maria should obviously have more roles and purpose than that.

I just don't think Carina gives a shit about Maria. Now, she might end up finally giving her the role she should have simply because of fan response or maybe even other writers influence but I could just as easily see her continuing to sideline her because, again, I just don't think she cares about her. I could also see HH leaving the show eventually if she feels like she has nothing to do and/or she finds a better gig or something.

[Cristofle]

On 4/18/2020 at 4:40 PM, shapeshifter said:

Brendan Fehr's (OG Michael) enunciation bugged me so much that I still remember it. I am very picky about that.

About the Maria role seen here: I recall wishing on the OG show that Alex had a bigger role, but NOT at the expense of Maria.   

OMG, Brandon's enunciation WAS weird, you are the first person I have seen also express that thought, lol. It was very distracting at first. 

This Alex is just a totally different character. And I like him, but I don't want him to swallow Maria's POV. If he was going to take this slot, Carina should have taken care to find Maria her own, not something tacked on at some point in the vague future while Rosa swallowed another one of her spots. Maria continues to have a quality of being bubbly and sweet, which no other character has. Definitely not Alex or Rosa. That she doesn't interact as much with the other main characters as OG Maria did is noticeable in that lack of bubbly and sweet.