S03.E09: Tones of Home

[jewel21]

Quote

Liz and Max continue to search for a way to stop Jones. Michel is worried about Alex and elsewhere, Isobel finds a big piece of the puzzle.

Airdate: 09/20/2021

[Katesgr811]

It would have been nice seeing them pull Max out of the pod and seeing an emotional reunion.

[KittenPokerCheater]

It would have been nice to see Kyle wake up from his coma and seeing an emotional reunion.

[backhometome]

Hmm. Yes. I was thinking the same about Kyle. Not one reunion with a friend just his long lost uncle. 

Why did it look like Alex was working up in the mountains. The green screen outside was bad. I dont get DS location at all.

Michaels shirt outside of DS was so funny to me.

Max and Liz and their fighting is so boring to me.

For a bunch of smart people they sure are stupid to leave their alien codes out in the open for Jones to find them. What happened to all the secret bunkers. 

 

 

[Cristofle]

Oh man, how lame to wake both Kyle and Max up offscreen (and Kyle up away from the rest of the Scooby Gang). Plot over character misfire for sure.

So Heath isn't necessarily BAD if I understand correctly - he just wasn't being honest, which Liz can't entirely fault him for given that she wasn't either, lol. He's trying to save his alien BFF. Also, Liz got real self righteous in this episode for someone who both allowed alien research to get into the hands of a stranger to the gang (Heath) and allowed Heath's information to get into Jones' hands by just leaving his name lying around unattended. I get the impression she STILL doesn't get that Max burning her lab down was ultimately her own fault for violating his autonomy without his permission. Hence, while I applaud Max for not wanting to make the same mistakes he has in the past, I have to ask is he REALLY sure one of those mistakes isn't...this relationship. LOL. But hey, it's Roswell and it's Max and Liz so I guess I have to hope Liz's end of episode correction is the 9393573th of her epiphanies that sticks this time.

I consider Isobel and Max siblings whatever their biological connection is, and I've always been squicked out by siblings sharing sex partners even on daytime soaps, so I don't totally know how I feel about Isobel and Anatsa hooking up, but eh. I do like Anatsa. But I think Kyle remains Isobel's best chance for a full-on love story on the show, as a member of the Scooby Gang (however much he's been forgotten, lol).

Maria and Greg were hot! I LOLed when they originally knocked down the cross during sex, but turns out that also actually had a point.

It seems like the aliens work in triads. So if Dallas is an alien, does he have two other members? Did they die in the crash, or in Caufield?

ETA: I thought about the Heath thing again. If Heath is the one who developed the paralytic Kyle was injected with, and if he broke onto Max's property and stole the research tapes, did he himself inject Kyle with the paralytic? Because that is pretty bad - Kyle didn't do anything to deserve being put into a coma so Heath can save his alien BFF. Kyle had a right to be there - he's Max's friend. Heath did not actually have any right to be on Max's property, lol (not to say Liz and Max had a right to be on Heath's property in this episode, I'm just saying, Heath wasn't doing something understandable by attacking Max's friend on his property in order to steal the research). I'm still unclear on how I'm supposed to see Heath, I guess. I

Edited September 21, 2021 by Cristofle

[Lady Calypso]

2 hours ago, Cristofle said:

ETA: I thought about the Heath thing again. If Heath is the one who developed the paralytic Kyle was injected with, and if he broke onto Max's property and stole the research tapes, did he himself inject Kyle with the paralytic? Because that is pretty bad - Kyle didn't do anything to deserve being put into a coma so Heath can save his alien BFF. Kyle had a right to be there - he's Max's friend. Heath did not actually have any right to be on Max's property, lol (not to say Liz and Max had a right to be on Heath's property in this episode, I'm just saying, Heath wasn't doing something understandable by attacking Max's friend on his property in order to steal the research). I'm still unclear on how I'm supposed to see Heath, I guess. I

Well, with knowing that Heath stole the tapes (I think Liz confirmed that he did, unless it was just speculation), then Heath probably injected Kyle with the paralytic. But the question is definitely why he did. He was trespassing on Max's property. He also could have just knocked him out instead of injecting him. And why would he have had that ready to go in the first place? 

Alex's plot was decent, it was nice to see him get an actual storyline, but...first off, why did it look like he took off for Alaska to do this research? Hello, green screen, you clearly had him up north in the SNOW. And also, I didn't quite understand the whole radio driving people mad because I guess Alex's dad put something in the device to do so? Or something? And, again, Alex/Michael? No romantic chemistry together. You know when I did feel something? When the two were having a phone call and NOT onscreen together. At least they reminded me why I like Tyler Blackburn as an actor. I loved him on Pretty Little Liars but he's been so dull here. This episode at least had him do SOMETHING.

So, Kyle wakes up offscreen and doesn't even get to interact with the Pod Squad. He just interacts with his uncle for two scenes and then disappears completely again. Great, great job, show. And we still don't know if anyone else knows where he is. 

Max also wakes up (um, excuse me, what?), interacts with Liz and goes to break into Heath's home. I guess I'm back to not understanding Max/Jones' thing, because they're in two separate bodies, Jones healed Max's body and body swapped in the process...so, correct me if I'm wrong, but that solved their issues, right? This whole Max/Jones thing got me back to not understanding. Don't they need to just break the psychic connection now? 

Maria/Isobel/Gregory's plot was the best part of the episode. Maria/Gregory? Hot. Isobel/Maria had a great episode together. They looked like they were having fun. Although Isobel gaining a love interest with Max's previous hook-up? A bit weird and they don't seem to acknowledge that Anatsa (that's her name?) slept with Max only a couple of months prior. Again, it feels like they dropped the plot intended from the first three episodes to go in an entirely new direction but realized they still had to utilize those aspects. First with Wyatt being redeemed and then disappearing, then with Heath/Liz in LA, and now with Anatsa hooking up with Max and now hooking up with Isobel.

[Cristofle]

43 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Max also wakes up (um, excuse me, what?), interacts with Liz and goes to break into Heath's home. I guess I'm back to not understanding Max/Jones' thing, because they're in two separate bodies, Jones healed Max's body and body swapped in the process...so, correct me if I'm wrong, but that solved their issues, right? This whole Max/Jones thing got me back to not understanding. Don't they need to just break the psychic connection now? 

According to the entirely too brief dialogue between Michael and Liz in the beginning of the episode, Max is in Jones' body and that body is...I don't know, falling apart? The cells are deteriorating? So they need to switch Jones and Max back to their respective bodies and THEN sever the connection. Jones wants to stay in Max's body and sever the connection, and the Pod Squad wants to swap them and sever the connection. I think.

And yeah, if Heath injected Kyle with a paralytic, I'm going to need some sort of explanation as to why before I decide he's not bad, lol. I don't really care that he lied to Liz, because she was lying to him, or even that he stole her research tbh because she shouldn't have HAD any of her alien research in California so it's all fruit of the poisonous tree in a sense. But breaking into Max's house and nearly killing Kyle is something else, especially nearly killing Kyle. 

[backhometome]

I dont get anything with Maria/Greg. He just seems like a block of wood. 

Anatsa previously hooking up with Max is gross if they are setting up her and Iz. 

I missed seeing Kyle interact with the others. Why do they always contain characters to Eduardo first Alex now Kyle. 

[Cristofle]

Quote

Well, with knowing that Heath stole the tapes (I think Liz confirmed that he did, unless it was just speculation), 

I forgot to say - I think this was confirmed. Heath was quoting from her research tapes verbatim. Max knew because he'd listened to them. There's no way he could have done that if he didn't have the tapes. 

[shapeshifter]

Hopefully they can do a retcon in which Jones (or some other evil character) is the one who paralyzed Kyle.

Michael's "I come in peace" writing on his t-shirt may be the best thing on this show ever. 

[jqdeco]

So I agree with everyone that said we should have seen some sort of reunion for Max and Kyle.  Especially Kyle. Why was the uncle keeping him in a barn only to move him back to DeepSky while in a coma?

Also, Maria-there is a super alien running around that was holding your mind hostage last week.  Your friends are working themselves ragged to body swap Max and Jones and figure out the Lockwood machine.  And what are you doing? Making googly eyes at Alex’s brother and getting busy on the hearth or wherever it was.  I like Maria and the brother (can’t remember his name) but timing was bad.

And seriously Liz?  You leave all your notes and science stuff at the diner?  A diner that all the aliens can unlock with their minds? Seriously?

 

[RachelKM]

I haven't fully sorted my thoughts about last night's episode.  I agree that having Kyle just awake having apparently come out of his coma off screen was a mistake as was isolating him. I mean, did no one wonder where he has been for however many days?  But I'm vastly relieved that he is awake.   

And I continue to love Iz and Maria in scenes together, be intermittently annoyed by Max and Liz in scenes together, and actively repelled by Michael and Alex in scenes together.  Oh, and I'm pleased that Maria got to have sex.  

So, if I understand correctly, the body Jones was in and which Max is now in is degrading at an accelerated rate.  So the goal of the Scoobs is get Max back into his own body which, I assume, does not have that problem.  It sounds as if the reason Max was special is that he was a clone for Jones for whom they has solved the cellular deterioration issue.  Jones wants him and the science behind him to have better cloned meat suits going forward. 

9 hours ago, Cristofle said:

I think Kyle remains Isobel's best chance for a full-on love story on the show, as a member of the Scooby Gang (however much he's been forgotten, lol).

Agreed.  I also just think they have chemistry.  And add me to the group who was squicked out by Iz hooking up with Max's former ONS.

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by RachelKM
typos

[tennisgurl]

Having Kyle and Max both just wake up offscreen is such a lame end to those stories, what a disappointing waste of possible good character moments. You would think after all of the drama with everyone trying to save them there would be some emotional moments with them waking up with their family and friends, but instead it all happens offscreen without any sort of importance and all we get is Kyle with some new long lost relative and Max bickering with Liz. I've waited this long for Kyle to be back and this is all we get?

I am not a fan of Isobel getting with one of Max's old hook ups, its just weird. I am still waiting for Isobel and Kyle to finally get together, it makes so much sense! They have chemistry, Kyle already knows about their secret, they bring out the best in each other, its all right there. Way more than hooking her up with some minor character for a bit. 

Michael's "I come in peace" shirt was really funny. Alex's plot was pretty decent and he and Michael had some good scenes, but they are going to have to do a lot more work to get me into them again after last seasons mess. 

I am glad that Maria is having fun and love that she and Isobel are having so many plots together, but I am with Isobel about time being of the essence here. Its like when everyone was cheering their one victory at the bar at the end of the last episode, its way too early to take a break. Jones is still out there and doing some kind of evil plan, figuring things out to stop the evil alien who wants to kill everyone and possibly take over the world seems pretty damn important. 

Heath returns again, and while I cant be that mad about him lying to Liz, considering how many times Liz lied to him, but I am going to need more details about why he put Kyle in a coma and was breaking into Max's house before i decide if he's a good guy.

[Cristofle]

I was of two minds on the Max and Liz scenes. I enjoyed like...the first chunk and I guess the last 20 seconds, lol. I liked that Max was being honest with her even if it was embarrassing, trying not to fall into the same old patterns. I liked their banter about his mixtape, because if you can't make fun of yourself about that, what is even the point, lol. Also, I liked seeing the marked difference in Nathan's Jones and Max performances. But then Liz got an attitude about the lab again and it went to crap. I feel like this show, despite some improvements with Liz in the past couple episodes, simply cannot fully let go of whatever they were originally planning last season where Liz was the sole or primary wronged party in the lab burning down. And so every time she goes back there, it feels like serious regression. Also, I could gone on forever without realizing that apparently alien DNA was crucial to the research she shared with Heath all along. 

[salaydouk]

So silly question... please tell me how Max came to be in Jones' original body and could be taken out of the pod? 

Because wasn't it two episodes ago(?) when Jones was about to kill Liz, she said something to the effect of, "Max I know you are in there and I need you to fight for me." And Jones replied something to the effect of, "he is not as strong as you think."  We could discuss why would Liz would think he is still in his body somewhere instead of in Jones' after the "heart fix" and that Jones could have just been messing with her. But if he had been messing with her, there is _no_ way for her to have known that and she would have taken Jones' statement as confirmation that Max was still inside his body but suppressed. So why would they take an "empty" body out of the pod once they recovered it? 

OR and It is a bit of a blur but didn't Jones "save" Max at the end of an episode and in the next one - and none since - we were not shown the immediate scenes right after that, no?  So we don't know if both Jones' and Max's bodies were even still awake or if they both passed out.  So basically the "gang" assumed they were still in the correct bodies and jailed Jones' body not knowing Jones had switched bodies.  And didn't they immediately pod the Jones body???  So there is no way for them to have known that Max had transferred there.... no? Or did they now assume?

Just saying....

And yeah Kyle disappearing for an entire episode and then just showing back up alive and well.. so stupid and disappointing. And also the fact that in the episode he was gone, Liz was working with Maria and all in a barn... Where was the last time we saw Kyle... in a barn!  Really?  There are 2 super secret barns with electrical connections in Roswell NM?  

Again just saying...

 

Edited September 22, 2021 by salaydouk

[KittenPokerCheater]

I want to know how Heath knew where Max had buried Liz's tapes.
 

[RachelKM]

1 hour ago, salaydouk said:

So silly question... please tell me how Max came to be in Jones' original body and could be taken out of the pod? 

Because wasn't it two episodes ago(?) when Jones was about to kill Liz, she said something to the effect of, "Max I know you are in there and I need you to fight for me." And Jones replied something to the effect of, "he is not as strong as you think."  We could discuss why would Liz would think he is still in his body somewhere instead of in Jones' after the "heart fix" and that Jones could have just been messing with her. But if he had been messing with her, there is _no_ way for her to have known that and she would have taken Jones' statement as confirmation that Max was still inside his body but suppressed. So why would they take an "empty" body out of the pod once they recovered it? 

Liz, knowing it was Max's body, assumed it was like with Noah and Max was still in there with Jones driving.  Jones didn't directly confirm Max was in there and in retrospect was likely just taunting Liz.  Last episode Jones confirmed it was a swap, something he had been doing for generations of clones to continue living, create a clone and swap consciousnesses with it letting the clone's consciousness* die in his prior body.  

As I noted above, it seems we got more information this episode about why Jones was so interested in Max and why Louise and Noah were trying to hide him. The clones Jones used had a rapid degeneration rate that was apparently solved with Max. Presently, Jones is after the secret to 1) making the swap permanent and 2) the science to make more Max version clones. 

 

* I'm not sure how much consciousness the prior clones even had since it looks like the were mostly kept in pods waiting for Jones to body jump.  Presumably they lived some lives to get to adulthood since the pods prevent aging. 

[Cristofle]

2 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

I want to know how Heath knew where Max had buried Liz's tapes.
 

I wondered this too. I assumed it was someone tracking the SWORD, not the tapes. Also, how did the sword get to the guys Jones killed when he found it? Was Heath working with them? I'm confused, lol.

 

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, salaydouk said:

And yeah Kyle disappearing for an entire episode and then just showing back up alive and well.. so stupid and disappointing. And also the fact that in the episode he was gone, Liz was working with Maria and all in a barn... Where was the last time we saw Kyle... in a barn!  Really?  There are 2 super secret barns with electrical connections in Roswell NM?  

Again just saying...

I'm going with the 2 (or 3?) secret high-tech barns, and then the 2 unconscious main characters (Maria and Kyle) waking up off-camera are unfortunate artifacts of shooting during Covid flare-ups.
If we ever get over this pandemic, I am just hoping the writers and producers etc. won't think this is now okay.

 

On 9/21/2021 at 3:25 PM, RachelKM said:

Oh, and I'm pleased that Maria got to have sex.

Oh, right, she did. I was totally freaking out about all the glass breaking and didn't pay attention to the rest very much.

 

 

[salaydouk]

1 minute ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm going with the 2 (or 3?) secret high-tech barns, and then the 2 unconscious main characters (Maria and Kyle) waking up off-camera are unfortunate artifacts of shooting during Covid flare-ups.
If we ever get over this pandemic, I am just hoping the writers and producers etc. won't think this is now okay.

 

You are probably right about real life messing up with the Kyle show appearances.    And yeah I hope they know it will not be okay post Covid. Because it is getting very very sloppy... 

That said I am still trying to figure out how we went from his uncle putting Kyle in a super secret barn with all that medical tech to him being awake and being treated by a doctor in the Deep Sky facility?   I mean why didn't his uncle take him to Deep Sky to begin with?  Or was written off by his uncle saying he had to figure what was going on first?   

 

[peachmangosteen]

On 9/21/2021 at 9:35 AM, Lady Calypso said:

And, again, Alex/Michael? No romantic chemistry together. You know when I did feel something? When the two were having a phone call and NOT onscreen together.

This so much! When they had their phone call I was like wow this is actually cute and they actually have chem but then they were physically together and nothing. It's very strange. I do still think it's mostly on the Michael actor. I don't know if maybe he's just uncomfortable with the physicality or something.

On 9/21/2021 at 11:28 AM, backhometome said:

I dont get anything with Maria/Greg. He just seems like a block of wood. 

Same. I really want to like them because I want Maria to have something but there's just nothing there imo. Liberty Biberty is cute and a nice presence but love interest for a main character he is not lol.

I am also super squicked out by Isobel hooking up with the woman Max hooked up with. I don't know if they're trying to retcon it and have us forget that Max and her ever hooked up or what. I kinda hope they go that way tbh.

[jewel21]

I'm finding this season really confusing and I have to resort to reading all your posts to help clarify what is going on. Can someone explain to me how Greg knows they're all aliens? The scene where Isobel was using her powers on him kept throwing me off because I was like wtf, he knows?!

[RachelKM]

3 hours ago, jewel21 said:

I'm finding this season really confusing and I have to resort to reading all your posts to help clarify what is going on. Can someone explain to me how Greg knows they're all aliens? The scene where Isobel was using her powers on him kept throwing me off because I was like wtf, he knows?!

Gregory is a Maines.  If I remember correctly, he was also trained by their father in the "Aliens are a threat" school  of thought but sort of bowed out of his father's crazy. He got involved at the end of last season to stop his dad's plot at the carnival. So he was aware of aliens already and I think that event led to his learning who they were. 

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, jewel21 said:

I'm finding this season really confusing and I have to resort to reading all your posts to help clarify what is going on. Can someone explain to me how Greg knows they're all aliens? The scene where Isobel was using her powers on him kept throwing me off because I was like wtf, he knows?!

I did the same thing but then remembered he's Alex's brother.

I feel like this season is confusing because they're having a tendency to skip over scenes they really should be showing but also I think I just don't pay very close attention to things so I confuse myself lol.