S04.E01: Steal My Sunshine

[jewel21]

With the threat of Jones behind them, in a peaceful Roswell we find Liz is busy teaching while Max lends an assist to his ex-partner on a string of recent bank robberies. Our couples are happy and thriving but a sudden storm, leaves everyone on edge about what is to come.

Airdate: 06/06/2022

[AnimeMania]

[KittenPokerCheater]

THE CAST IS TOO BIG.  Tthey need to cull the cast back to the original (pod + Liz, Maria, Kyle and Alex).  Everyone else is just extraneous (and probably expensive).

I think I'm only watching for Kyle and his cheekbones now. 

[shapeshifter]

3 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

I think I'm only watching for Kyle and his cheekbones now. 

I can't argue with "Kyle and his cheekbones," heh, but probably also because he has the most expressive face on the show.

I thought it was a strong season opener. Way better than that of The Orville.

But Max is now running around with Liz's abuela's Chekhovian ring in his pocket. 😕

[backhometome]

Its true that Kyle is the best. I didnt care for him in Season 1 but now he is one of my faves. I need him and Isobel to be endgame.

Anyone else think they are setting up Maria/Dallas? They seem to spark more than Gregory/Maria. 

Michael is annoying me with this angst already. Dude get it together. 

[tennisgurl]

I am going to need these newer characters to start wearing name tags, we just have too many characters in too many subplots. Hopefully they can pare down the cast a bit, or at least keep everyone together and not have every character in their own little thing.

Michael is just the king of angst, of course just giving his boyfriend a key to his place or whatever is the cause of endless hair pulling and sulking, although at least he seems to be finally just getting on with things. The guy is absolutely exhausting, is Alex really sure he wants to committ to this one step forward two steps back dance? 

Kyle continues to be the best, I hope he manages to get out of the lab more, he deserves to be happy. Hopefully he's going to be happy with Isobel, who he is clearly into. Come on, they have so much chemistry, just make it happen!

The lights over the desert looked pretty.

[RachelKM]

I enjoyed the episode overall.  I think it did a good job setting the table for the season.  But I spent much of the episode either sad for Kyle (please let him and Isobel get together before the end of this season) and wanting to bind and gag Michael and throw him in a cabinet.  

I'm sure there are still devoted Malex fans.  But even they must be tired of Alex being ever patient with Michael's endless BS and self manufactured angst. 

[Cristofle]

I just got a chance to watch since I've been at a conference.

Agreed that the cast is too big. I'm sorry, I know they weren't aware they were getting canceled, but Anatsa is a waste of time and I'm still not chill with the fact that she slept with Isobel's brother first. Sibling sharing is gross 100% of the time. I'm not really sure Cam is needed - Max could have mostly been alone in those scenes and come to the same conclusion. And if they appear to be going the way of Dallas and Maria, just don't bring Gregory back. 

Michael is absolutely exhausting. I don't know how Alex puts up with it. 

Max and Liz were somewhat better, I suppose, but her balking on the proposal seemed kind of manufactured so he could do it later in the season. Just let adults be adults. Come on now. 

Part of me is interested in a new triad bringing about the "Ulighting" and part of me is like "Oh no, three MORE characters." LOL. This show has never figured out how to just focus on their core characters. 

[shapeshifter]

40 minutes ago, Cristofle said:

I just got a chance to watch since I've been at a conference.

Agreed that the cast is too big. I'm sorry, I know they weren't aware they were getting canceled, but Anatsa is a waste of time and I'm still not chill with the fact that she slept with Isobel's brother first. Sibling sharing is gross 100% of the time. I'm not really sure Cam is needed - Max could have mostly been alone in those scenes and come to the same conclusion. And if they appear to be going the way of Dallas and Maria, just don't bring Gregory back. 

Michael is absolutely exhausting. I don't know how Alex puts up with it. 

Max and Liz were somewhat better, I suppose, but her balking on the proposal seemed kind of manufactured so he could do it later in the season. Just let adults be adults. Come on now. 

Part of me is interested in a new triad bringing about the "Ulighting" and part of me is like "Oh no, three MORE characters." LOL. This show has never figured out how to just focus on their core characters. 

Perfect analysis, @Cristofle!
I considered giving your post the new Fire emoji, but didn't want anyone thinking I thought it was somehow like a dumpster fire (LOL) and I really like the new applause reaction.  
I wish more shows made me want to applaud!
This one, sadly, not so much.

[Cristofle]

Also, I guess something is going on with Liz's student. Another person I don't care about. LOL. I think if there were no Cam, no Anatsa, no Liz's student, no prospect of Gregory coming back if he's not needed, then I'd be more open to the three new aliens causing a ruckus. Also, I wanted Shiri instead of just a reference to her. 

Why isn't Liz working in the lab? Other than "wanting to be a girl from Roswell"? Can't she do that from the lab where she can actually work on her desired alien research in an alien-approved setting? Her Team Liz shirts were cute, but again, is this necessary? This show has always been 13 episodes a season only - they don't need the exposition they spend so much time on.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Cristofle said:

Why isn't Liz working in the lab? Other than "wanting to be a girl from Roswell"? Can't she do that from the lab where she can actually work on her desired alien research in an alien-approved setting? Her Team Liz shirts were cute, but again, is this necessary? This show has always been 13 episodes a season only - they don't need the exposition they spend so much time on.

I’m going to briefly play the Devil’s (and writers’) advocate, and guess the Team Liz shirts are symbolic of the role Liz’s students will play this season.   
Also, Liz’s just "wanting to be a girl from Roswell" mirrors Max’s aversion to using his powers for crime solving (shades of Bewitched!), but it looks like Max and Liz’s hopes of living Earth-oriented lives have just been blown out of the water, earth, sky, and everything else, so, yeah I guess that serves to emphasize that Max & Liz are unwilling participants in the Alien Invasion of Purple-lit Potential People Eaters?

So, likely Liz will be back at the lab analyzing purple alien 👾 glowing goo soon.
</done making excuses for the plot points in the season opener>


 

20 hours ago, RachelKM said:

I spent much of the episode either sad for Kyle (please let him and Isobel get together before the end of this season)

Didn’t Kyle look just as wistful when Liz kissed his cheek as he did when Isobel shared with him her relationship with Anasta?

Do the various writers for all these characters talk to each other?

Edited June 8, 2022 by shapeshifter

[RachelKM]

On 6/8/2022 at 7:56 AM, shapeshifter said:

Didn’t Kyle look just as wistful when Liz kissed his cheek as he did when Isobel shared with him her relationship with Anasta?

I didn't think so.  I think he looked like someone sharing affection with an old friend with Liz.  To me Kyle hasn't looked like he was still interested in Liz since at least season two. I think learning they share a sister altered their dynamic significantly and now they view one another more as family than people who used to date.

Kyle looked more than wistful when Isobel brought up Anasta. He looked like he had been knocked off a cloud into mud. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by RachelKM

[Cristofle]

Yes, I thought it was fairly obvious that Kyle hasn't come around often because he doesn't know what to do with his feelings for Isobel because she's in a relationship. I did not get that vibe from his scene with Liz at all. 

What I WOULD have liked, if Liz was going to be somewhat resistant to going back to a lab, was it to be rooted in how she behaved at the end of S2/beginning of S3 - her clear violation of scientific ethics, not caring about consent from people she loves, etc. But Liz has not been great at acknowledging how profoundly she screwed up, one scene with Max aside that she later more or less took back, so it just seems like a fairly silly and contrived reason.

Other random thoughts:

-Is Max interim sheriff because there's literally no one left? LOL. Because otherwise, given what Jones pulled while posing as Max, this seems like an unlikely promotion.

-Honestly, I don't think Anatsa would have thought much of "happy hatch day" and the little alien peppers Liz put on the drinks. They live in Roswell. It's probably a common theme. I guess we could just say Isobel was massively overreacting. 

[shapeshifter]

2 minutes ago, Cristofle said:

What I WOULD have liked, if Liz was going to be somewhat resistant to going back to a lab, was it to be rooted in how she behaved at the end of S2/beginning of S3 - her clear violation of scientific ethics, not caring about consent from people she loves, etc. But Liz has not been great at acknowledging how profoundly she screwed up, one scene with Max aside that she later more or less took back, so it just seems like a fairly silly and contrived reason.

They could still give her a line about that, but I doubt it, given how long it's been in real time for viewers since that happened. They'd probably have to do a several minute long "previously on RNM" to remind everyone who forgot, and inform viewers just tuning in for the first time. 
Lost did an entire pre-season episode like that, but they had the audience size to warrant it.

6 minutes ago, Cristofle said:

-Honestly, I don't think Anatsa would have thought much of "happy hatch day" and the little alien peppers Liz put on the drinks. They live in Roswell. It's probably a common theme. I guess we could just say Isobel was massively overreacting. 

Thank you. 💐 
 The direction on that was not effective.

[Quickbeam]

I’m a Michael fan but for God’s sake shave that creepy facial hair. That mustache is just….no.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

I’m a Michael fan but for God’s sake shave that creepy facial hair. That mustache is just….no.

I liked Michael's facial hair; it didn't hide Vlamis' nice face.