S01.E02: So Much For the Afterglow

[Regalbegal]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

At least 2 of us here think so.

Make that 3... Nathan Parsons is so so pretty, but he isn't exactly a world-class emoter.  In comparison, the actor playing Michael I think is doing a great job so far, and I like the fact that he character has some very rough edges.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Regalbegal
clarifying thoughts

[starri]

21 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Michael/Alex is hot. Damn. This feels like a Nifty Archive fic I would have totally been into.

There's something charming about "You look at me and I'm 17 again" that warned my cold, dead heart.

[phoenics]

I hear the folks who can't get over the OGRoswell and it's blocking them from enjoying this show.  Me?  I think of this show as a future fanfiction based solely on the books.  So, with the characters returned to their original origins - Liz especially - and with them aged ten years - I can forgive any character inconsistencies.  I do think if fans haven't read the books and all they have is the OG show, they'll struggle with this one because the other show just evokes nostalgia and the first season was so magical.

The second season and third season went off the rails for me except for a select few episodes and the heart of the show (Liz) got shoved to the side to make way for alien-centered storylines that used the humans as props.  That I don't want to go back to, so I'm happy to see a show try to reinvent the old book material.

Also - I thought the OG show left a LOT on the table from a mythology standpoint.  I'm excited about this show because it's a second chance to do some stuff much better.

As for Liz and Max not communicating - well - that's her sister.  And Max is an alien.  Liz could be laboring under her own prejudices about aliens right now.  Her initial "you're an alien - no big deal" felt hollow and just too fast - so underneath all of that I think she could have been repressing fear and even some alien bigotry she wasn't fully cognizant of.  So I totally get why she would be fearful of Max.  Once she saw Rosa - everything he'd done that was good got buried under her rage and pain.  Her family has been suffering for 10 years over this - so she's probably angry about that too.  

I think in the end, Max will have tried to save Rosa, but it didn't work.  And then it was covered up because one or the other aliens thought Max killed her?  When really it's another alien?  I just cannot bring myself to believe that Max could kill anyone - that would be a bridge too far.

The only issue is that flashback of Rosa pushing Max away.

What I'm curious about is whether this will drag on all season - because I don't really want to see Liz and Max at odds for an entire season - their chemistry is what I need to sustain me through the show.  Having Liz trying to nail Max for murder just feels ... ugh... and eventually this has to lead to Max being targeted by Master Sargent Manes and possibly other aliens.  The only question is, will Liz have come to the truth by then and then feel awful because she exposed Max to that, or will she still be against him?  I'm not sure I can handle her being against him for more than a few episodes.

 

One last thought - in one of the books set in between the first and second season, the podsquad went to Carlsbad Caverns to get away from the stress, and Liz ran into the one of the dudes who shot her.  It triggered a fearful PTSD in Liz and an almost rage-manic PTSD in Max.  I wonder if some inspiration came from that?  Those books borrowed from the show and the original books, so I wonder if this show might have gotten an idea from there to give Max an alien PTSD that disrupts his powers and makes him crazy - or if something else is going on.  I feel like Max repressed everything that happened back then - first so he could try to move on from Liz and then second so he could live with himself after Rosa.  Liz getting shot must have brought all of this back up for him.  He feels responsible for Liz getting shot and for her family and the hate they've faced because of whatever he, Michael and Isabel did.

I still wonder if Michael did something back then - or Max thought he did?  In this episode, Isabel mentions that Michael & Max were closer 10 years ago.

 

1 hour ago, Regalbegal said:

Make that 3... Nathan Parsons is so so pretty, but he isn't exactly a world-class emoter.  In comparison, the actor playing Michael I think is doing a great job so far, and I like the fact that he character has some very rough edges.

 

Hmmmm I think he's been good so far - and that cowboy stance thing he did in the church gave me the vapors.

Max is a hard role to play - largely because Jason Behr made it his own.  In the books, Max was less mysterious and guarded and actually a lot more open, surprisingly.  I find NDP's portrayal to be a bit in between JBMax and BookMax.

Oddly enough - a lot of fans initially thought JB's version of Max to be stiff - until they saw/heard JB in real life and realized he put a very specific spin on Max.

Edited January 24, 2019 by phoenics

[phoenics]

Also - I found out why nail polish remover ( and it's not as interesting as I'd hoped).  It's pretty much what we guessed.

https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/15/roswell-new-mexico-aliens-nail-polish-remover/

[I-Kare]

Oddly, I'm finding my favorite characters (and actors) are: Kyle, Maria and Jenna (Max's partner). Hope we see more of all three. 

I'm with all of you - though - who have said you'd rather they went with all new names. I keep finding myself comparing the old and new characters/actors as well and it keeps me from really sinking into the episodes. 

[phoenics]

22 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Max was dumb to lie and to share memories he can't see.

How do we know Max can't see them?  I thought he knew or could choose what to show - which is why he tried to end the connection, but Liz grabbed his hand back and it slipped through because for Liz - Max is always open.

Even though I understand Liz's PoV, and Max lies, I still feel really badly for Max for what's coming.  

[Kymmi]

After this week, I’m in.  I was hesitant about the show - concept and all.  I watched the original (I’m oooooold) and while it wasn’t my favorite, the minute someone on this board mentioned Tess, I recoiled.  It’s like I hid those memories LOL.

 

Main thoughts

• I watched the OG Roswell, but never read the books.  I’ve also never watched the Vampire Diaries or The Originals, which is where I think some of these actors came from.  
• I really hated the actor playing Max on his earlier shows (mainly General Hospital, but also Bunheads).  He’s improved, it seems (I really HATED him).
• Isobel seems so much older than either Max or Michael.
• Micheal reminds me so much of Alex Winter from “The Lost Boys” movie (see? ooollllddd).  That said, Michael and Alex are so hot.

Episode 2 specific

• When Max broke through the diner doors when Isobel and Michael were threatening Liz?  I swooned. Full on.
• I loooooved Max’s partner - but can’t remember her name.  She had great presence, believable sass (which isn’t easy) and gorgeous.  More of her, please.
• I like that they aren’t setting this up as instant love affair for Max/Liz.  The twist with Rosa and secrets about her death make this more interesting.
• I like Isobel’s husband?boyfriend? more than I like her :-(

[methodwriter85]

5 hours ago, starri said:

There's something charming about "You look at me and I'm 17 again" that warned my cold, dead heart.

Yeah, I know. I feel like everyone has someone in their life like that, whether it was a former love or unrequited crush. You feel so much more at 17 than you do at 30-something. (Well, these characters aren't 30-something yet but they're almost there.) There's always that one person who, if you look at them, just makes you remember that.

I also wanted to kind of joke about how Tyler Blackburn had to play 17 for like 4 years on Pretty Little Liars because that timeline moved slow as shit. LOL.

But yeah, I'm really feeling the Michael/Alex thing. That right there is the kind of angst I love.

Quote

I like that they aren’t setting this up as instant love affair for Max/Liz.  The twist with Rosa and secrets about her death make this more interesting.

Yeah, I liked that, too. It really does help me divorce from the memories of the OG Show that they're taking things in such a different direction. It also really helps to amp up whatever Kyle/Max rivalry they're trying to stir up. Off the bat they're already giving Kyle more of a purpose than he had on the OG show. (And I'm saying that as someone who did generally enjoy Kyle but he didn't really do much, at least not until his friendship with Tess which I did remember really liking.)

Also, dear god, Michael Trevino's cheekbones are a work of art.

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, Kymmi said:

I like Isobel’s husband?boyfriend? more than I like her :-(

Yes. It's almost as if the actress playing Isobel watched interviews with Katherine Heigl (ugh) instead of Heigl as Isabel (good—or at least a decent reading of some fun/sarcastic lines).

Edited January 24, 2019 by shapeshifter

[kj4ever]

50 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes. It's almost as if the actress playing Isobel watched interviews with Katherine Heigl (ugh) instead of Heigl as Isabel (good—or at least a decent reading of some fun/sarcastic lines).

I didn't like Katherine Heigl, but I thought she did an awesome job as Isabel.

I think the actress playing Max's partner would have made a better Isabel.  On a superficial note while the actress playing her is pretty, Isabel is supposed to be a drop dead gorgeous goddess and she just isn't that.  I can't seem to see anything but that big mole on the side of her nose.

[Sakura12]

I think the mistake was to make them seem distant from each other. In the original we saw the bond between Max, Isabel and Michael. If one them said they had to leave they dropped everything and were ready to go. This one seems like they barely talk to each other unless one of them is in trouble. The original from the pilot showed the bond between all the characters, the aliens, Max and Liz, Liz and Maria and even Liz, Alex and Maria. That's what drew me to the show. 

I know they are older and that does lead to people drifting apart. However imo the actors aren't strong enough to show that a bond was there at one point. These people feel like they are all strangers put in a room together.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Sakura12

[shantown]

26 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I think the mistake was to make them seem distant from each other. In the original we saw the bond between Max, Isabel and Michael. If one them said they had to leave they dropped everything and were ready to go. This one seems like they barely talk to each other unless one of them is in trouble. The original from the pilot showed the bond between all the characters, the aliens, Max and Liz, Liz and Maria and even Liz, Alex and Maria. That's what drew me to the show. 

I know they are older and that does lead to people drifting apart. However imo the actors aren't strong enough to show that a bond was there at one point. These people feel like they are all strangers put in a room together.

I'm a sucker for the "found family" trope, so I'm actually okay with them feeling like strangers now because of time and teenage drama and war and whatever else. This is their chance to really set themselves apart from the original in showing how all these deep bonds between everyone are created or rekindled, and I think they're going to do a good job with building up relationships that weren't showcased as much originally - Michael/Alex especially, but we've seen a glimpse of Maria/Alex too, and hopefully more "rare pairs" to come. Alien stuff aside the "feeling like we're all strangers" trope fairly realistic for young adults reconnecting, so I am choosing to have faith that this show will build up believable connections between everyone.

And bring in more of Max's cop partner! 

[peachmangosteen]

On 1/22/2019 at 10:53 PM, shapeshifter said:

But Arturo is my favorite, with Kyle and Michael close runners up.

Who is Arturo?

Listen, this show is bad and stupid. But also listen, I don't give a fuck I love it lol. I just hope it doesn't go the way of Riverdale and go just completely off the rails. 

I wanna like Isobel and Michael but honestly I just can't bring myself there. And it's pretty much solely because of shallow reasons; Isobel's mole is all I see when I look at her and Michael is distractingly unattractive. I feel bad, but it is what it is!

My fav is Maria and of course she gets literally nothing to do. I hope she gets a larger role soon.

I think Liz is actually among the more decent actors on the show. Or at least less stiff then a lot of the others. 

Anyway, this is mostly negative lol, but I really am loving the show. I so love having 'stupid in a fun way' shows to enjoy. 

Edited January 24, 2019 by peachmangosteen

[Sakura12]

21 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Who is Arturo?

Liz's dad.

I'm all for found family between actual strangers. These people have known each other for years. And Michael, Max and Isobel have supposedly stayed in town, why do they feel so distant from each other?

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, Sakura12 said:

Liz's dad.

I'm all for found family between actual strangers. These people have known each other for years. And Michael, Max and Isobel have supposedly stayed in town, why do they feel so distant from each other?

Guilt over rosa’s accident now that liz is back?

[shantown]

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I just hope it doesn't go the way of Riverdale and go just completely off the rails. 

 

This, IMO, is the biggest threat to people sticking with the show. Alien/sci-fi/mysterious crazy is fine, multiple cult/bear mauling/prison fight club/gargoyle king crazy is too much. 

Edited January 24, 2019 by shantown
clarity

[AnimeMania]

My prediction: The two girls killed Rosa (run over by car?) and Rosa pushes Max out of the way to keep him from dying as well. Max's powers going off causes the two girls to crash. Max tries to save Rosa and fails. The Government covers up what really happened, since they believe aliens are involved.

[clyo22]

I never read the books. The original show was one of the first teen drama I watched as a pre-teen. Michael and Maria was one of the first couple I shipped. They were perfect in my almost teenager mind. I identified so much with Maria. Here she seems to be on the path to become the resident cheerleader of everyone else's relationship and Michael is in love with Alex! If it wasn't for my love for the Michael/Maria pairing I could have been ok with Michael/Alex (they do have chemistry) but now I'm just annoyed. 

Max's partner and Isabel look too much alike. I had a hard time to separate them in those two episodes.

I noticed Michael had a burn on the back of his hand. I think he was in the car with Rosa and the two other kids and maybe he tried to save her but couldn't. Maybe he asked Max to do something for them but Max refused and that is the reason they grew appart. And Michael is even more angry now that Max made an exception for Liz.

[Whodunnit]

59 minutes ago, clyo22 said:

I noticed Michael had a burn on the back of his hand.

When he was holding the photo of him and Alex holding guitars, right? Interesting theory. Speaking of which, who took the photo?

[phoenics]

9 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I think the mistake was to make them seem distant from each other. In the original we saw the bond between Max, Isabel and Michael. If one them said they had to leave they dropped everything and were ready to go. This one seems like they barely talk to each other unless one of them is in trouble. The original from the pilot showed the bond between all the characters, the aliens, Max and Liz, Liz and Maria and even Liz, Alex and Maria. That's what drew me to the show. 

I know they are older and that does lead to people drifting apart. However imo the actors aren't strong enough to show that a bond was there at one point. These people feel like they are all strangers put in a room together.

 

I don't think that is a mistake to show that they aren't as close as they used to be.

The problem is not reinforcing - enough - in the writing that they all used to be closer AND that the reason they now aren't all as close goes back to Rosa's death.

Isabel mentioned that Max and Michael WERE closer in high school.  Michael acted up about that - but it's probably true (the picture of all three of them looking happy proves that they were once much closer).  But since whatever happened back then when Rosa died, they've all pretty much drifted apart - it looks like Isabel is the only thing holding Michael and Max together.  But the picture shows that they WERE close back then.  Isabel also mentioned that Michael was the only person Max would listen to back then (when he felt like he was filled up with poison like he does now after saving Liz).  That implies they really were close.  I really believe Rosa's death pushed them all apart.

Liz, Maria and Alex (and Kyle) were all close - the scene with Max on the outside looking in shows that.  

I think the show is driving toward the 6 of them all becoming super close like they used to be - but it's going to be as a result of the alien chaos drawing them together.  First Liz, Maria will bond more closely because of them investigating what happened to Rosa, then maybe Alex will be drawn in (or maybe something with Michael draws him in), and then Michael and Max will come together more (and then fight, and then come together, and then fight, lol).  

I think the point is that they are all kinda fragmented right now - it's the alien chaos caused by Max saving Liz that will eventually gel them.

Rosa's death pushed them apart.  Max saving Liz will ultimately bring them all back together.

 

I too loved the friendships and I'd love to see them all get back to that - but for now I'm okay with them being (understandably) distant.  I want to see the friendships all come back when everyone comes together over the alien chaos.

 

7 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Liz's dad.

I'm all for found family between actual strangers. These people have known each other for years. And Michael, Max and Isobel have supposedly stayed in town, why do they feel so distant from each other?

Isabel alluded to something happening way back when (when Rosa died) that ripped Michael and Max further apart than they'd usually be (since they were always butting heads anyway).

I want to add that in the books - Max saving Liz actually fragmented everyone at first - especially the humans vs the aliens... they had to "connect" to get everyone trusting one another and that's when they all became friends... family.  I think the writers are going for the opposite here - time and Rosa's death fragmented everyone and eventually Max saving Liz will bring everyone back together.

Edited January 24, 2019 by phoenics

[phoenics]

2 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

My prediction: The two girls killed Rosa (run over by car?) and Rosa pushes Max out of the way to keep him from dying as well. Max's powers going off causes the two girls to crash. Max tries to save Rosa and fails. The Government covers up what really happened, since they believe aliens are involved.

This... makes a lot of sense.

I still feel like whatever happened, Max did try to save Rosa (although the handprint over her mouth is so weird to me)... Isabel mentioned that the way Max was acting now (after he saved Liz) happened back then too - and the only person he would talk to then was Michael.

[bettername2come]

22 hours ago, phoenics said:

Also - I found out why nail polish remover ( and it's not as interesting as I'd hoped).  It's pretty much what we guessed.

 

  Hide contents

https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/15/roswell-new-mexico-aliens-nail-polish-remover/

Okay, I've seen like five minutes of the current show while flipping back and forth from This Is Us, but I've seen every episode of the original series along with reading the books and I'm surprised they couldn't get hot sauce. Tobasco, yes, but in the books they had to eat extreme flavors because of their weaker taste buds, so I could still see them getting some of that in.

Part of the five minutes I saw was the thing at the Crashdown with Michael and Isabel. OG Roswell did it better with Isabel scaring Maria, and Michael stealing Liz's diary.

[Whodunnit]

Fun fact: weaker taste buds are called hypogeusia.

Someone mentioned that Alex was probably out because he told Maria about his crush in high school  (but not the crush's name) but I think even if that's true, he's not out to his dad... I just get a vibe that he's intimidated by him?

Then again, maybe he does know because they were caught as teenagers and that's why Alex enlisted?

Edited January 25, 2019 by Whodunnit

[tennisgurl]

I kind of wish the woman playing Max's partner was playing Isabel. She looks more like what I imagine an adult Isabel looking like, and is a lot more engaging so far than the woman playing Isabel. Maybe she just needs to find her space in the role, but she comes across as rather stiff, while the woman playing the partner is a lot more engaging so far, and I think could project the vibe they seem to be going for with Isabel better, and could maybe make her scenes with Max and Michael work better. As of now, she often comes off as more annoyed with Max than concerned for him. 

[AnimeMania]

9 hours ago, clyo22 said:

I noticed Michael had a burn on the back of his hand.

I thought it looked more like one of his fingers was broken or deformed.

[Whodunnit]

There was some discoloration on the back of the hand, I believe.

[insubordination]

The show is a bit dull for me. Not sure if it can sustain itself. Given that it's slow, it gives me too much time to think. 

Are they just gonna leave that knife in the cake?  I want chocolate. Is Izzy some kind of social media bully? Why would a scientist who just found out the existence of aliens wanna leave town for some job?  Do the lyrics make sense if a woman sings Two Princes?  What was the name of that band? I remember they dressed dickily. Wouldn't Max need physicals to join the police force?  Does he mind warp the testers and replace the blood and urine?  Why doesn't that redneck just call ICE for revenge? Oooh  look at Michael's dragon glass thingy. Wasn't there something like that on the old show? - Cadmium X heh!  Why did Kyle bother to explain the old autopsy when he had the real one?  Are they ever gonna definitively ID the Zodiac killer?

 

Then I came here and you gave me dozens of other issues to think about.  Am still curious to see a few more eps, but not desperate to. The dialogue/behaviour is a little bit teen for people 10 years out of HS, especially the aliens. Also, someone mentioned Maria the cheerleader. Agreed. They need to do more with her character.

Edited January 25, 2019 by insubordination

[shapeshifter]

On 1/25/2019 at 12:11 AM, AnimeMania said:

On 1/24/2019 at 2:52 PM, clyo22 said:

I noticed Michael had a burn on the back of his hand.

I thought it looked more like one of his fingers was broken or deformed.

I had thought it was a burn too, but I just rewatched part of this episode and happened to catch that scene.
The camera zooms in on Michael's deformed finger (and possibly burn-scared hand) right after showing an old photograph of him with a guitar--so I guess the damage happened after that--not because people don't go on to play music with damaged hands (some do; some don't) but because of the way it was shown to us in the show. I wonder if Michael's hand injury is related to the accident and/or handprint on Rosa.

[phoenics]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I had thought it was a burn too, but I just rewatched part of this episode and happened to catch that scene.
The camera zooms in on Michael's deformed finger (and possibly burn-scared hand) right after showing an old photograph of him with a guitar--so I guess the damage happened after that--not because people don't go on to play music with damaged hands (some do; some don't) but because of the way it was shown to us in the show. I wonder if Michael's hand injury is related to the accident and/or handprint on Rosa.

It's also interesting that Max didn't heal it.

Also - did Max keep Liz from dying or did she actually die and he really did resurrect her, like Isabel said?  I wonder if that has something to do with him feeling poisoned.

[KittenPokerCheater]

On 1/24/2019 at 6:12 PM, phoenics said:

Isabel alluded to something happening way back when (when Rosa died) that ripped Michael and Max further apart than they'd usually be (since they were always butting heads anyway

I am certain that Michael/Max somehow blame each other for what happened, and potentially think the other one murdered Rosa.  (Ie, Max thinks Michael killed her, which was why he tried to heal Rosa but couldn’t do it). I hope they don’t drag out this mystery forever though; I’d like to see the pod squad get their band back together.

I’m ridiculously fond of Michael, and I think it’s time for network tv to go there when it comes to bisexuality.  But beside the whole “he’s cute” thing, I think the actor is talented.

I’m happy to add this to my dvr- there’s plenty of room since I gave up on Arrow and a couple other shows.

[Myrrhine]

On 1/22/2019 at 9:00 PM, Primal Slayer said:

Wow Isobel/Michael are just douchebags, way to make the girl who just found out about aliens a fan. I thought it was a dream at first. Though not like they are really adding that much depth to Liz learning about aliens, she acts like she's known her entire life. 

 

On 1/22/2019 at 10:10 PM, shapeshifter said:

Plus, Michael and Isobel are adults. Shouldn't they know that scaring her is counterproductive to getting her to keep the secret? 

I agree with both of these. It's pretty cruel, and it doesn't make much sense, strategically. (Oh, and it made me mad when Isabel scolded Max for punching Michael when Michael tossed Max across the room a couple days ago and on a lot less provocation.)

 

On 1/22/2019 at 10:25 PM, phoenics said:

I agree with you that the shared history of them in high school is missing from some interactions - it feels like they're partially trading on that in some ways and then not in others.  I feel like the show is pushing some kind of mythology angle with Max's Alien PTSD (don't know what else to call it) that it overrode what should have been Liz/Max having a very normal "WTF" reaction to Michael/Isabel intimidating/terrorizing Liz.

 

 

On 1/24/2019 at 8:01 AM, Sakura12 said:

I think the mistake was to make them seem distant from each other. In the original we saw the bond between Max, Isabel and Michael. If one them said they had to leave they dropped everything and were ready to go. This one seems like they barely talk to each other unless one of them is in trouble. The original from the pilot showed the bond between all the characters, the aliens, Max and Liz, Liz and Maria and even Liz, Alex and Maria. That's what drew me to the show. 

 

I completely agree! I understand that it was a deliberate decision to have everyone isolated as the story begins and just barely beginning to reconnect. But I am getting more and more annoyed by the sense of a decade long vacuum in the show's timeline and also the lack of connection between so many of the characters.  I'm not positive that it weakens the show, but I am sure that I strongly dislike it. I really miss the strong friendships. As far as I can tell, the only characters who are actually close in the present day are: Liz and her dad, Max and his partner, and I guess arguably Isabel and her husband, although he is barely onscreen, and she is completely lying to him about the most basic facts of her own nature. Sort of Max and Isabel?  And they didn't really make the case that they were that close before. It's been twenty years or whatever, and Isabel never knew that Michael used to sneak out to the ranch to wait for their fellow aliens to come get him? 

There were some aspects of Michael I enjoyed more this ep, but then Isabel asks him if there isn't anyone he really cares about, and he doesn't even give lip service to having her back or Max's? Just his love interest that he hasn't seen in a decade? I suspect we are supposed to think that his claims that they aren't really family are just self defense, but I'm not sure we've been given any reason to think that. 

On 1/25/2019 at 12:08 AM, tennisgurl said:

I kind of wish the woman playing Max's partner was playing Isabel. She looks more like what I imagine an adult Isabel looking like, and is a lot more engaging so far than the woman playing Isabel. Maybe she just needs to find her space in the role, but she comes across as rather stiff, while the woman playing the partner is a lot more engaging so far, and I think could project the vibe they seem to be going for with Isabel better, and could maybe make her scenes with Max and Michael work better. As of now, she often comes off as more annoyed with Max than concerned for him. 

There was a second where I thought she maybe was Isabel, and I do in fact like her more than Isabel also. 

I definitely thought this episode brought a lot more to the table than the first one did, particularly in terms of laying out some interesting avenues for the story to go in the future. I like that both the first and second episodes have had these notes of potential menace from Max and then from Liz near the end. And I am interested to see where they go with Liz studying Max scientifically by using the emotional blackmail of getting to know him and the possibility of friendship or something more, so that she can figure out if he murdered Rosa. Like convincing him to go through his greatest fear and allow her to gather all of this proof of what he really is, proof that could get him *vivisected* if it ever got out, because he hopes that she might come to care about him. That is stone cold.

That said, I look forward to seeing more of scientist Liz. In the original show, they really tried to present that aspect of the character (at least that she thought of herself and the world in terms of science), and since this Liz is actually a biologist, I think I will enjoy more story time given to that aspect of her character. I do feel like we could get to know her character better if there was someone she was truly confiding in; maybe that will be Kyle now that she has told him about suspecting Max? But unless she tells him the whole shebang about Michael and Isabel, she's still lying to everyone she speaks to. 

(And it's a good point that her assumption that Max may have murdered Rosa instead of having attempted to heal her does not make much sense since she presumably does not know about the alien handprint murders of the past. And Max has saved her life AND her dad's. However, I can see why she would be suspicious about Max lying to her. After all, why wouldn't he tell her if he tried to save Rosa but just wasn't able to? [I suspect it was either another alien or there was some alien shenanigans that harmed Rosa in the first place, but I digress.])

I'm not sure what to make of Isabel's conviction that something is wrong with Max and he is acting really strange. Almost none of his behavior seemed off to me. He acted like someone who just did something dangerous (healing Liz) and is being reminded of something from the past that he feels terrible about and is freaking out and not sleeping well.

As for Maria, I want to like her; she seems cool, but I hope she gets more to do. She is currently kind of Guinan on the Enterprise, dispensing drinks, advice, and a listening ear. Interestingly, to me she feels the least like previous iterations of her character. Emotionally stable, calm, stabilizing influence, not super close with Liz, etc.

Edited January 28, 2019 by Myrrhine

[truthaboutluv]

Catching up on the recent episodes. I only schemed comments so not sure if I'm repeating anything or am completely off from others. So far, I have to say that the character I'm enjoying the least is actually Liz. The one thing I hate the most in shows like these, when there is a mystery involved, are the over the top reactionary characters. And Liz comes across that way. Just jumps and reacts to one thing in a heartbeat. It's all zero to sixty with her and I find it annoying.

Yeah sure, the "signs" pointed to Max maybe hurting Rosa but simple logic doesn't make that add up. What motive would he have had? If it's that she figured out who he was and he killed her to hide it, why then would he risk blowing all that by saving Liz's life when he could have just let her die since he's not the one who shot her. The whole thing just didn't make sense. Obviously yes, there's something that happened that he wasn't telling her. But to immediately jump to he's a murderer and after all her, "I'll never tell your secret" immediately blab to her old high school boyfriend and essentially put the guy's life in danger off a suspicion. Like really?

And frankly, so far I'm not buying the soul mate story. I hate to say it but so far this is playing out more like Isobel says in Max being pathetic for Liz and her not feeling the same. He's spent years pining for a girl who frankly doesn't seem like she likely thought much about him in these years. And also, possibly unpopular opinion, I like his partner and like their chemistry. If I'm supposed to be shipping Liz/Max, I gotta tell you, right now, it ain't happening. 

But other than Liz, all the other characters have grown on me and I'm enjoying the show for what is. Michael and Alex are interesting even though those two seem like a ball of dysfunction. But their chemistry is really great. I also continue to have no issues separating this show from the old Roswell because I personally was never that in love with the old Roswell. As I've said, I gave the show one season, more so out of habit in watching and quickly moved on by the next season. Which again from everything I've heard, I didn't miss much. 

Edited February 3, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[RedRachel1982]

On 1/22/2019 at 10:13 PM, ParadoxLost said:

 

Max's biggest problem is that he lied.  If he hadn't, Liz likely would have just asked him what happened.  

As things stand, if he hadn't lied, then the logical conclusion Liz would have reached is that Max tried to stop Rosa from getting into the car and then tried to save her and failed.

With the lie, Liz isn't going to trust any answers and scenarios where Max killed Rosa to protect the secret or Michael/Isobel (supported by their diner antics) killed Rosa and Max is protecting them are going to start getting investigated.

 

I think my biggest issue is how quickly Liz turned on him and told Kyle

[truthaboutluv]

2 hours ago, RedRachel1982 said:

I think my biggest issue is how quickly Liz turned on him and told Kyle

This. We're not talking some secret like the fact that he saw Rosa the night she died. Max's secret literally means the difference between life and death for him and Isobel and Michael. And because of one thing, Liz just goes blabbing to her ex boyfriend the truth about him. I don't buy it's because she trusts Kyle so much because frankly, the way they've presented things so far, it's clear Liz was all too happy to leave town and leave all these people behind her and not look back.

So I sincerely doubt she has some long dying trust and connection still with Kyle. I get her wanting to investigate and figure out what was going on but one episode into the series, after declaring how she would never tell anyone their secret, she casually just tells Kyle. And this is why, like I've said, I'm struggling to buy the idea that Liz and Max are these great soul mates I'm apparently supposed to be shipping and rooting for. 

Edited February 3, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[AudienceofOne]

On 1/23/2019 at 1:08 PM, Scarlett45 said:

 Ummm but aren’t they partners? (As in law enforcement partners) isn’t it a bad idea to get sexually involved with your partner when you’re a cop?

I'm all for being sex positive but this is a serious workplace ethics issue. I hate that he's banging his partner. It's unprofessional.

On 1/23/2019 at 2:15 PM, phoenics said:

Max in the cowboy stance with that cowboy hat (which should be its own character) is damn.  Whew.

If I can stop pretending I didn't watch the whole season before dropping by here, they do this a LOT throughout the season in a way that is a deliberate nod to Lone Cowboy tropes and it's one of the moments where the show rocks. I wish the whole thing could be this subtle and self-aware.

On 1/23/2019 at 11:09 PM, kj4ever said:

I don't buy the whole she was afraid of Max.  I really, really hate when shows make something that in real life would be completely resolved by a conversation and make it into a big deal that causes conflict and problems for the whole season.  I don't buy that Liz would be afraid of Max at this point.  If he wouldn't have saved her life, shown her exactly how he has felt about her for over a decade, and then turned around and saved her Father's life maybe.  Then she goes and outs him to Kyle.  In the original I know Liz told Maria and Alex, but it was because her back was against the wall both times.  This Liz is an ass.

They make such a big deal about Liz being a scientist but what scientist rushes to judgement with such sparse evidence? And not just that but sells Max out to various people without blinking ten seconds after being outraged at the accusation that she wouldn't keep the secret. I do not like her at all, just for this behaviour alone. 

On 1/24/2019 at 1:23 AM, kirkola said:

Liz makes no sense.  What she knows about Max at this point is that he's alien, he loves her, that loves extends to her family, and that he can save people.  The glowy handprint she's only seen twice, once on her shoulder and once on Rosa's autopsy file.  The most logical conclusion is that Max was there and was trying to save Rosa.  And that for whatever reason, he doesn't want to tell Liz that he failed.  So, of course, she jumps to the conclusion that he must of killed her sister.  Even though there's no evidence of this unless Kyle has told her about Project Sheridan (or whatever it's called).  But even then, she only has Kyle's word.

This. Liz is the worst scientist in the universe and I say that having seen the whole season. She's also judgmental and uses people.  Which would be fine but I feel like this is not supposed to be her characterisation, it's just that the writers use her conclusion-jumping to drive conflict when it's not necessary. 

[shapeshifter]

@AudienceofOne, reading your posts I appreciate that you have perfectly summed up this show as:

• New Max = Hottest ET Cowboy Ever
• New Liz = Worst Scientist Ever

😄