S01.E03: Tearin' up My Heart

[tessaray]

Air date: January 29, 2019

Quote

After uncovering some unsettling information about Max, Liz runs a series of tests to see what powers he may possess; Michael and Isobel learn Liz may be getting too close to Max; Liz enlists Maria's help.

[Primal Slayer]

It's about time we see Liz going over everything she's learned about Max. 

I want to like and love Isabel but I'm just not there yet. She and Michael were already horrible last episode and now we get a sequel. Well at least the scene wasnt as horrible as I thought it'd be. I'm glad that Isabel got a decent scene with her husband, the character really needed it. Now we just need to see how she and Max connect because yeah they are "brother and sister" but they've been at odds since the series began. 

Maria should've been put in this role with Liz instead of Kyle. Girl needs something to do.

Max SUCKS at hiding his abilities. I am already so over him/Liz. They havent even been together as a couple yet but they just are to much drama this early into a series same goes for Alex/Michael. 

This show really needs to let their characters breathe and not have every episode be so dramatic. 

[ParadoxLost]

There were parts of this I truly loved.  Worked much better for me than the last two.  I was legit cackling towards the end.

Kyle made me LOL a couple times..."I was looking for Max Evan's file.  We're in a kind of a.... love triangle."

Convenient of Rosa to leave clues all over town; but Liz and Maria going to search them out and hang out was a lot of fun and what I've been missing the last couple episodes.

Rosa confronting Isabel during the mind warp and Liz not being susceptible to instruction to leave because of Max was interesting. 

But the cackling, the cackling started when Liz interrupted Max's make out session and Max escalated  in horror from... oh shit caught making out by Liz... to being accused of sleeping with Rosa...to admitting to writing a dorky love letter (I may have snorted at the Tabasco sauce on his lips line)...to being accused of murder.

But there is something so over the top about Max's declarations of love when in front of Liz that it feels like something is "wrong" with him.  Like he did some weird alien imprint thing with Liz when they were younger and this is some version of a werewolf finding its mate in a romance novel and they are just soulmates with no need for forming any kind of actual relationship.  Its getting off putting.

Also. Liz needs to never be given medical dialogue again because it just about as clunky as the political dialogue.

Edited January 30, 2019 by ParadoxLost

[Sakura12]

I'm no fan of Isobel but I do agree with her about Max being pathetic around Liz. I also don't understand why they aged them up if they are all going to act like teenagers anyway. Also were Rosa and Isobel friends? Maybe they should've kept Rosa alive since she seemed to have more connections with everyone over Liz. Still don't really like that Maria was Rosa's friend. Liz needs her own friends. I suppose Diego the fiance will show up just as Max and Liz start getting together. Because predictable drama is what the show seems to be going for. 

This show really needs to start having their characters interact with each other more, they had them all at the same place yet we have very little interaction unless it was between the ships. Which so far I don't care about any of them.

However from the episode title I now have the NSYNC song stuck in my head. Thanks show.

[phoenics]

Well that tore my heart up.  I still have a weight on my chest from it.  Nathan Parsons really sold that scene with Liz.  And I felt his fear and out of control-ness with his powers at the end.

I'm glad Max clearly didn't kill Rosa.  I don't think he tried to heal her either.  Maria said Rosa snuck out to meet someone - so who was it?  Was it an alien?

I loved the Maria/Liz scenes.  

I wasn't upset when Max went out with Cameron - because I feel like even he needs distance from Liz and whatever is going on inside of him.  Plus with the way Liz is suppressing her feelings for him, I feel bad for Max being the only one out there with his feelings.  That love declaration tore my heart up - you almost feel sorry for Max suffering through an unrequited (it appears, for now) love like that for 10+ years.  It makes sense - he risked everything for Liz - because he loved her.  

I was thinking they might do some kind of "imprint" storyline - but I actually think they may have dropped that (NDP hinted at that in an interview)... I kinda would prefer that they didn't do the imprint thing - because that would mean Max has no choice in this?  Or maybe it's that once he fell in love, that was it?  That seems ... limiting, lol.

Alex broke poor Michael's heart... I felt that.

[I-Kare]

26 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

Now we just need to see how she and Max connect because yeah they are "brother and sister" but they've been at odds since the series began. 

This! It's been weird because it's like Michael and Isobel love Max and would do anything for him (even misguided) but they really haven't shown him show much affection (even misguided) for them at all....at least from what I've seen. And the only connection I'm seeing between Isobel and Michael is through Max. I always complain about pilots having too much exposition but in this case I think they should have established everyone more before the drama started.

Someone help me out, maybe I was distracted but what happened at the very end? Was that Michael or Max that caused the outage and what was he so overcome with angst about?

[ParadoxLost]

3 minutes ago, I-Kare said:

Someone help me out, maybe I was distracted but what happened at the very end? Was that Michael or Max that caused the outage and what was he so overcome with angst about?

Max.  overcome with angst about Liz

[I-Kare]

1 minute ago, ParadoxLost said:

Max.  overcome with angst about Liz

Thank you! No clue why I couldn't tell if it was Michael or Max. But I would have figured out the Liz part if I had the guy figured out. 

[Kareny]

This is what made Original Flavor Roswell work, when it did - melodramatic aliens bringing the big feels. Not the details, not the high school genre, and definitely not the Antar/Kivar/Royal Four crap storylines. Sexy aliens who are emotionally overinvested in their relationships. YES. They're getting that part right. 

I just realized this week that Isabel is played by Christine Baranski's daughter, and now I can't unsee it. 

[tennisgurl]

Kyle was getting on my nerves for awhile, but he was winning me over by the end. He had some funny lines "we`re sort of in a...love triangle..." and he finally made the point that I've been making since day one about Mr. Military Asshole. If the aliens who landed in the 40s wanted to destroy humanity, what the hell have they been doing this whole time? Not making much of a case for urgency when all you can say it "well, this MIGHT be a problem...at some point..." or possibly destroying an innocent persons life. 

They went to the trouble of aging the characters up, so why do they mostly still all act like angsty teenagers? Especially with Isobel and Max's reactions to Liz leaning about their secret. Being all scary and threatening seems like something a scared kid might do, not an adult, especially not the mature adult Isobel is supposed to be. At least, unless they really are evil alien monsters, of course. So were Isobel and Rosa friends as well? This show really does seem like a sequel to a show I never saw at a lot of points. 

I actually did see some chemistry between Alex and Michael, I wonder what their backstory is? Did Alex leave him to join the military? Did Michael push Alex away? How does asshole dad fit into the whole thing?

Nathan Parsons was actually pretty good this week, and he really sold his regret about leaving Rosa while she was drunk and high, and his still carrying a torch for Liz. I know that he and Liz are clearly end game, but the poor guy really HAS been obsessing over his high school crush for a really long time. Thats pretty sad, Max. He also did a good job at the end, with his powers surging everywhere. The part with the note though, was so silly that no actor could make that work. I mean, he really was a dorky love struck high school kid I guess!

So much angst, all of the time! Could we get some non angst to get to know these people a little bit more?

[ParadoxLost]

2 minutes ago, Kareny said:

This is what made Original Flavor Roswell work, when it did - melodramatic aliens bringing the big feels. Not the details, not the high school genre, and definitely not the Antar/Kivar/Royal Four crap storylines. Sexy aliens who are emotionally overinvested in their relationships. YES. They're getting that part right. 

Yes.  But that part was working better for me when I was twenty years younger.  Now I'm starting to lean towards.  Run Liz, run instead of Aww.  They are meant to be together.  Star crossed. Destined to love each other.  Someone drop kick Tess off a cliff.  Lets sub in future Max or Zan if we have to.  I need some variation of this couple to work.  I'm going to write a fanfic,

[KittenPokerCheater]

38 minutes ago, Kareny said:

I just realized this week that Isabel is played by Christine Baranski's daughter, and now I can't unsee it. 

THAT's why her nose was so familiar to me!  I knew I had seen it somewhere on someone else.

Loved the scenes between Liz and Maria.

Although I can imagine how embarrassing.humiliating it might have been to have been faced with your teen love letter, Max's angst was over the top at the end.  I hope they can explain this (to the viewers at least) because it's getting old. Why Liz isn't creeped out by Max's undying love is a little odd to me, but: TV writing blah blah blah.

 I'd like to see more of Michael without Alex- not that they're not smoking together, but I'd like to see more of who he was prior to Alex, and who he was in the ten years since.

Anyway, more Max/Isabel/Michael please.

[phoenics]

1 hour ago, ParadoxLost said:

Max.  overcome with angst about Liz

This - and something is clearly wrong with him.  Apparently these power surges he's feeling are not normal... it appears he's learned control since he was 17 and knocked out the school's power when Liz wiped hot sauce (ha!) from his mouth... but right now he's out of control.

I think he's suffering from some sort of Alien PTSD.  That was my original theory and now that I feel sure he never tried to heal Rosa (and that he clearly didn't kill her), I'm going back to that theory.

[phoenics]

19 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

 

Although I can imagine how embarrassing.humiliating it might have been to have been faced with your teen love letter, Max's angst was over the top at the end.  I hope they can explain this (to the viewers at least) because it's getting old. Why Liz isn't creeped out by Max's undying love is a little odd to me, but: TV writing blah blah blah.

 

Was his angst over the top?  In one episode, Liz recoiled from him like he was a monster, he found out she was making out with Kyle soon after he healed her (which just hammers home that she doesn't - he thinks - feel anything for him).  And then later he has to correct her thought that he was sleeping with her sister, admit the sappy love letter was about her and in order to convince her that he couldn't have killed her sister (Max looked so hurt when she accused him), he had to admit the depth and breadth of his feelings for her.  And admit that he drove away from Rosa when she was high when he could've stopped her.  Even though it's still not his fault, it's Max.  He'd feel responsible and like he let Liz and her family down.

That's a lot.  On top of this is that now he has to worry if Liz's mistrust of him jeopardizes their alien secret.

I'd be a wreck too.  His reaction made sense to me - especially if it's tied to his emotions, which would be all over the place.

[tennisgurl]

I swear, this show is on a mission to get every 90s song I used to have on my Walkman stuck in my head. "Its tearin up my heart when I’m with you..."

Edited January 30, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Jacks-Son]

I haven't seen the episode yet, but I saw the coming attraction and I have a question.  Maybe this was covered in this episode and maybe it wasn't, but I thought only Tess from OG Roswell had the Mind Manipulation skill. In the previews, they made it seem as if Izzy was going to wipe Liz' mind.  Last time I saw OG Roswell. none of the others, including the Dupes, had that talent. So, what's the deal with the Mind Wipe on Liz in the past?  None of the three could have done it, so who did?

[Regalbegal]

I am so glad they didn't drag out Liz confronting Max about her suspicions he killed Rosa.  Ouch, though, that scene was tough to watch.  I haven't been too much of a fan of Nathan Parson's acting thus far, but he really sold Max's heartbreak, and I think he and Jeanine Mason are building some good chemistry.  I am glad they had Isobel validating that his feelings aren't one-sided after her trip into Liz's head, I was starting to feel like there might be something wrong with me rooting for a couple veering so close to stalker territory.

3 hours ago, Kareny said:

This is what made Original Flavor Roswell work, when it did - melodramatic aliens bringing the big feels. Not the details, not the high school genre, and definitely not the Antar/Kivar/Royal Four crap storylines. Sexy aliens who are emotionally overinvested in their relationships. YES. They're getting that part right. 

Agreed, I am willing to overlook a lot of storytelling silliness for good old-fashioned melodrama and UST (and eventually RST!) played out among very pretty people, and that is what is keeping me tuning in here. 

3 hours ago, phoenics said:

Maria said Rosa snuck out to meet someone - so who was it?  Was it an alien?

Were they trying to hint that it was Isobel, and maybe Isobel had something going on with Rosa?  Maybe that is why she is so freaked out about Max and Liz?  

In other news:  Michael and Alex still hot (until they gave me the sads), Maria is great and I want to see more of her, the '90s music references are a hoot, and I am loving Liz's lipstick color. 

[Callaphera]

I hated the original Roswell and this one is just as bad but it's also hilariously messy and melodramatic and I'm 100% in. Except for Max's partner, who I totally expect will be part of the Bad Guy Squad by the end of the first season because of the OMG jealousy about Max and Liz being endgame and her getting her heart broken, but that's okay because I can't stand the "look at me, I'm so sassy and quippy" writing and acting for her. 

The emoting, y'all. Liz likes to narrow her eyes a lot. Michael smolders a lot. Alex looks like he's afraid to get busted by his parents for preferring to drive stick (and yes, I realize that his dad seems to know he plays for the other team or possibly both teams). Isobel's mole emotes for her. Kyle's cheekbones could eat crackers in my bed and I wouldn't kick them out. Maria (and Liz) play the worst stoned girl(s) on the planet. Cameron (is that a first or last name?) was one hair flip away from going full sass and dude, no one would spend that much time on their perfect curly french braid before their shift whether they're a cop or a fry cook. Everything Max does is full on melodramatic. And Isobel's husband whose name I don't remember is a total catch because of the Land Before Time screening. 

It may sound like I don't like it but it cracks me up. But it's way better than Jason Behr's goofy ears and shaggy haircut. 

My totally unspoiled speculation? Some combination of Michael/Isobel's mole/maybe Max went to go scare/mindwipe/chase out of town Rosa because she *gasp* figured out their alien secret but somehow they accidentally led to her death and Max totally tried to do the televangelist laying on of the hands but was too late and that's why Liz got mindwiped and chased out of town. He didn't, of course, try it with any of the other girls, just Rosa, because of his deep seventeen year old love for Liz. 

Edited January 30, 2019 by Callaphera

[methodwriter85]

Quote

Everything Max does is full on melodramatic.

Nathan Dean Parsons has somehow managed to replicate Jason Behr's "kicked sad puppy eyes" routine pretty damn well, if I have to say so myself.

54 minutes ago, Regalbegal said:

Were they trying to hint that it was Isobel, and maybe Isobel had something going on with Rosa?  Maybe that is why she is so freaked out about Max and Liz?  

Yeah, that was how I was reading it, but I was like, "Really? I'm all for representation but making 2 of the 3 aliens bi/gay is a bit much, isn't it? And if Isobel is secretly a lesbian, why is she pretending to be straight in 2018? Hell, for that matter, the Rosa depicted doesn't seem like she would have been closeted about being bisexual or whatever in 2008, especially if she was out of high school by then." Rosa loved 90's music but she didn't actually live in the 1990's.

Quote

And Isobel's husband whose name I don't remember is a total catch because of the Land Before Time screening. 

His name is Jess.

Wait, no, his name is Noah! Yeah, that's it. It's Noah! Totally and completely different from Jesse on the OG show, we promise Hulu! Don't sue us!

No, seriously though, I do like him, which is why I'm hoping that I'm wrong and he's not a beard for a lesbian Isobel because that would suck.

Although Punk Doppleganger Izzy had kind of a lesbian vibe so I wouldn't be surprised if they did go there.

Anyway, it looks like Liz's fiance is named Diego which means he's Latino. That lets out Matt Barr, who I was rooting for. Oh, well.

Edited January 30, 2019 by methodwriter85

[Whodunnit]

Kyle is wrong, you know. It is not a love triangle, it's a love quartet: Liz, Max, Kyle, and--

*dramatic pause, followed by the flutter of a spanish guitar*

--Diego.

[kirkola]

Max was much improved this episode.  His scenes were well done.  Maybe a little melodramatic, but I'm pretty sure that's why we're here.

Isobel's scenes with Noah were excellent as well, though, I was speaking his dialogue before Noah could.  It's a minor quibble, but I wish the writer's were a bit stronger so I didn't know what he was saying before he said it.  On the other hand, Noah had me feeling the lines.  Also, nice use of Land Before Time.  (awww!)

Kyle is still my favorite.  Loved his annoyance at Daddy Manes.  Yep, aliens landed in 1947, 71 years does not mean imminent threat.  And I'm glad they acknowledged it.

The Michael/Alex thing is back to bothering me.  First Ep, they had no chemistry and made no sense.  Second Ep, they finally connected and the chemistry was definitely there.  Third Ep, Daddy Manes says no, so Alex breaks up with Michael?  Seriously?  You're 27-28 years old...and adult.  Act like one. 

I'm still not warming to Liz.  I still can't see the logical leaps that jumps from "I met an alien who has the ability to heal people" to "he must have murdered my sister" based on a glow-y hand print.  The leap ignores the end of last episode where he went out of his way to save her Dad.

Finally, poor Cameron.  One minute she's making out with her partner on an actual date, the next she's left behind while her date professes undying love for her date-us interruptus.  If she doesn't turn evil by the end of the season, I'll be surprised.  She deserves better than Max.

[shapeshifter]

ETA one more thing: 
Any chance that Maria is an alien?

 

11 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

But there is something so over the top about Max's declarations of love when in front of Liz that it feels like something is "wrong" with him.  Like he did some weird alien imprint thing with Liz when they were younger and this is some version of a werewolf finding its mate in a romance novel and they are just soulmates with no need for forming any kind of actual relationship. 

Exactly and well put, but really, it is. . .

11 hours ago, phoenics said:

I kinda would prefer that they didn't do the imprint thing - because that would mean Max has no choice in this?  Or maybe it's that once he fell in love, that was it?  That seems ... limiting

. . . not just limiting, but what is that word for when a person feels that they have no choice about having sex with someone else? Rape? 
Sorry, just had to mention it. Do not need to discuss further.

 

11 hours ago, phoenics said:

Alex broke poor Michael's heart... I felt that.

Yes, I still like whoever plays Michael much better than Brendan Fehr. 
I noticed this week that the guy playing Max tends to mush his words together like Fehr does. 
I don't know about y'all, but for me, a guy's voice is very important, and this Max isn't doing it for me.

 

10 hours ago, Kareny said:

I just realized this week that Isabel is played by Christine Baranski's daughter, and now I can't unsee it. 

OMG, and now I can't forget this factoid. So that's how she got the part, maybe? Max's partner is the better actress, IMO. (Yes, my name is shapeshifter and I am catty.)

 

9 hours ago, phoenics said:

This - and something is clearly wrong with him.  Apparently these power surges he's feeling are not normal... it appears he's learned control since he was 17 and knocked out the school's power when Liz wiped hot sauce (ha!) from his mouth... but right now he's out of control.

I think he's suffering from some sort of Alien PTSD.  That was my original theory and now that I feel sure he never tried to heal Rosa (and that he clearly didn't kill her), I'm going back to that theory.

I thought Max's OTT power surges are a side effect of healing Liz. No?

 

7 hours ago, Callaphera said:

Maria (and Liz) play the worst stoned girl(s) on the planet.

It was good at moments. Maria and Liz playing stoned is like some actors sliding in and out of accents.

Edited January 30, 2019 by shapeshifter

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, phoenics said:

This - and something is clearly wrong with him.  Apparently these power surges he's feeling are not normal... it appears he's learned control since he was 17 and knocked out the school's power when Liz wiped hot sauce (ha!) from his mouth... but right now he's out of control.

I think he's suffering from some sort of Alien PTSD.  That was my original theory and now that I feel sure he never tried to heal Rosa (and that he clearly didn't kill her), I'm going back to that theory.

Perhaps when he uses his powers it affects his brain chemistry and makes it hard to regulate his mood? That energy has to come from somewhere. Perhaps healing Liz took too much out of him- he said he doesn't heal people on the regular. 

 

11 minutes ago, kirkola said:

Finally, poor Cameron.  One minute she's making out with her partner on an actual date, the next she's left behind while her date professes undying love for her date-us interruptus.  If she doesn't turn evil by the end of the season, I'll be surprised.  She deserves better than Max.

I KNOW. Poor Cameron- she seems nice, Max asked HER out on a date and ditched her, she has every right to be pissed off. 

 

My favorite part of the episode was the scene between Isobel and her husband. As nice and loving as he is, I am afraid he is going to die by the end of the season and Isobel would snap. He's also nice to look at. 

[Whimsy]

9 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

I haven't seen the episode yet, but I saw the coming attraction and I have a question.  Maybe this was covered in this episode and maybe it wasn't, but I thought only Tess from OG Roswell had the Mind Manipulation skill. In the previews, they made it seem as if Izzy was going to wipe Liz' mind.  Last time I saw OG Roswell. none of the others, including the Dupes, had that talent. So, what's the deal with the Mind Wipe on Liz in the past?  None of the three could have done it, so who did?

Tess in the OGRoswell was the only one with that power.  They definitely aren't copying the powers exactly from the OG show.  So, Isobel having the mind-wipe instead of just dream walking is fine with me.  Especially if that means no iteration of Tess, even with a different name. 

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Yeah, that was how I was reading it, but I was like, "Really? I'm all for representation but making 2 of the 3 aliens bi/gay is a bit much, isn't it? And if Isobel is secretly a lesbian, why is she pretending to be straight in 2018? Hell, for that matter, the Rosa depicted doesn't seem like she would have been closeted about being bisexual or whatever in 2008, especially if she was out of high school by then." Rosa loved 90's music but she didn't actually live in the 1990's.

His name is Jess.

Wait, no, his name is Noah! Yeah, that's it. It's Noah! Totally and completely different from Jesse on the OG show, we promise Hulu! Don't sue us!

No, seriously though, I do like him, which is why I'm hoping that I'm wrong and he's not a beard for a lesbian Isobel because that would suck.

Although Punk Doppleganger Izzy had kind of a lesbian vibe so I wouldn't be surprised if they did go there.

Anyway, it looks like Liz's fiance is named Diego which means he's Latino. That lets out Matt Barr, who I was rooting for. Oh, well.

 

I watched this late last night and I was really tired, so I missed any context of Rosa and Isobel.  But, even if she had feelings for Rosa, that doesn't mean she doesn't have legitimate feelings for her husband, so therefore isn't necessarily pretending to be straight.  She loves who she loves.  No explanation needed.  I also wouldn't be surprised if maybe the aliens are more fluid. 

The confusing thing is that Alex's dad's name is Jesse Manes.  

 

ETA: I rewatched that scene.  I still don't see context.  Rosa did say that she thought she and Isobel were friends.  And then I think she said "I wish it could always be like this".  Not sure what that meant, but still don't see any romantic connotation.  

[kj4ever]

Okay so if Max has to have sex with Liz to get over his whole unbalanced thing we will know they picked up a couple of bad fanfic writers for the show.

In fact I'm kind of betting on that is exactly what will happened LOL.  

I'm glad it seems that Alex is truly out and it's not being hidden. If they are going to do gay on this show it's refreshing if they make it where the person doesn't feel like they have to hide.

I still can't stand Liz and don't think she has any chemistry with Max at all. I was semi interested in the Rosa story, but after this episode it just seems like Rosa was a big a hole.

[phoenics]

10 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

I haven't seen the episode yet, but I saw the coming attraction and I have a question.  Maybe this was covered in this episode and maybe it wasn't, but I thought only Tess from OG Roswell had the Mind Manipulation skill. In the previews, they made it seem as if Izzy was going to wipe Liz' mind.  Last time I saw OG Roswell. none of the others, including the Dupes, had that talent. So, what's the deal with the Mind Wipe on Liz in the past?  None of the three could have done it, so who did?

 

1 hour ago, Whimsy said:

Tess in the OGRoswell was the only one with that power.  They definitely aren't copying the powers exactly from the OG show.  So, Isobel having the mind-wipe instead of just dream walking is fine with me.  Especially if that means no iteration of Tess, even with a different name. 

 

It's weird - because IIRC, the term "mindwarp" was solely from the 1999 show and this show is not supposed to be based on that, but based on the books (Roswell High) that inspired the 1999 show.  And Michael said "mindwipe" in the pilot episode, but then on last night's episode, he clearly said "mindwarp".

That ... feels an awful lot like they ARE taking cues from the 1999 show.  Unless the actor misspoke?

That being said - Isabel kinda exhibited similar powers in the books - but it was more like "persuasion" which is more of what she tried to do with Liz, than a true "mindwipe/mindwarp".  It's almost vampiric (of course it is - same writers) - like hypnotic suggestion.  It also seems to depend on how "strong" the alien is - the idea that being strong enough to mindwipe/warp is comparable to a vampire who isn't strong because they haven't fed on human blood in a long while.

Since this show is supposed to be based only on the books and not the 1999 show, I can't explain how they've brought "mindwarping" into this.

Also - Nikolas (from the 1999 show) had the ability to mindrape.  I suspect he could also mindwarp/wipe as well.  Tess wasn't the only one with mind-altering powers.

2 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Perhaps when he uses his powers it affects his brain chemistry and makes it hard to regulate his mood? That energy has to come from somewhere. Perhaps healing Liz took too much out of him- he said he doesn't heal people on the regular. 

 

I still think it's because he didn't just heal Liz - he brought her back from the dead.

[shapeshifter]

10 minutes ago, kj4ever said:

Okay so if Max has to have sex with Liz to get over his whole unbalanced thing we will know they picked up a couple of bad fanfic writers for the show.

In fact I'm kind of betting on that is exactly what will happened LOL.  

You're probably right although it didn't occur to me. Ugh, if they go there, because, again, it takes away a person's right to choose whom they have sex with—IMO.

Meanwhile, I am now dwelling on whether the close up of Alex's amputation is foreshadowing that Max will "heal" him. That didn't work out very well on the Invasion series, but here there could be some nuance, given that Alex's father is anti-alien (both terrestrial and non-) and apparently homophobic to some degree as well.
But, wait. @kj4ever, would Max then have to have sex with Alex to prevent Max giving rise to an apocalyptic earthquake? Hmmm. Interesting (to quote OG Maria).

[phoenics]

2 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

You're probably right although it didn't occur to me. Ugh, if they go there, because, again, it takes away a person's right to choose whom they have sex with—IMO.

Meanwhile, I am now dwelling on whether the close up of Alex's amputation is foreshadowing that Max will "heal" him. That didn't work out very well on the Invasion series, but here there could be some nuance, given that Alex's father is anti-alien (both terrestrial and non-) and apparently homophobic to some degree as well.
But, wait. @kj4ever, would Max then have to have sex with Alex to prevent Max giving rise to an apocalyptic earthquake? Hmmm. Interesting (to quote OG Maria).

Remember the healing stones?  That doesn't exist in the books, but the Stones of Midnight do.  And they can heal.  I wonder if Max is kinda out of balance and needs to be healed that way?

Also - when is Max going to register what Liz said?  She revealed that she's seen a handprint on Rosa.  Max knows he didn't do it - so who did?  Unless the show wants us to think Isabel or Michael did it (no way), then that means there is another alien out there.  When is Max gonna realize that and tell Michael and Isabel?  Michael definitely would want to know this - even if whoever it is - is a killer.

[kj4ever]

26 minutes ago, phoenics said:

Remember the healing stones?  That doesn't exist in the books, but the Stones of Midnight do.  And they can heal.  I wonder if Max is kinda out of balance and needs to be healed that way?

Also - when is Max going to register what Liz said?  She revealed that she's seen a handprint on Rosa.  Max knows he didn't do it - so who did?  Unless the show wants us to think Isabel or Michael did it (no way), then that means there is another alien out there.  When is Max gonna realize that and tell Michael and Isabel?  Michael definitely would want to know this - even if whoever it is - is a killer.

 did she actually say that she saw a handprint on Rosa? I thought all she did was ask him if he killed her.

[shapeshifter]

5 minutes ago, kj4ever said:

33 minutes ago, phoenics said:

Also - when is Max going to register what Liz said?  She revealed that she's seen a handprint on Rosa. 

 did she actually say that she saw a handprint on Rosa? I thought all she did was ask him if he killed her.

You're right! I also thought she told Max she saw a handprint on Rosa, but all she said to him was, "I know that you met her the night that she died, and I know that my sister was murdered. By an alien."
Anyway, during this scene I was fanwanking that the handprint got on Rosa when she was "shoving" Max while telling him to stay away from Liz--like maybe he put his hand up to keep her off of him. 
So if a handprint occurs during a healing and a killing, what else can happen to a printed person?

[kj4ever]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

You're probably right although it didn't occur to me. Ugh, if they go there, because, again, it takes away a person's right to choose whom they have sex with—IMO.

Meanwhile, I am now dwelling on whether the close up of Alex's amputation is foreshadowing that Max will "heal" him. That didn't work out very well on the Invasion series, but here there could be some nuance, given that Alex's father is anti-alien (both terrestrial and non-) and apparently homophobic to some degree as well.
But, wait. @kj4ever, would Max then have to have sex with Alex to prevent Max giving rise to an apocalyptic earthquake? Hmmm. Interesting (to quote OG Maria).

It was the first thing I thought of when last episode he said the only time he felt normal was when he was with Liz.

[methodwriter85]

3 hours ago, Whimsy said:

ETA: I rewatched that scene.  I still don't see context.  Rosa did say that she thought she and Isobel were friends.  And then I think she said "I wish it could always be like this".  Not sure what that meant, but still don't see any romantic connotation.  

I think the way Rosa said it seemed like she was eyefucking the shit out of Isobel, but I could be wrong.

[phoenics]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

You're right! I also thought she told Max she saw a handprint on Rosa, but all she said to him was, "I know that you met her the night that she died, and I know that my sister was murdered. By an alien."
Anyway, during this scene I was fanwanking that the handprint got on Rosa when she was "shoving" Max while telling him to stay away from Liz--like maybe he put his hand up to keep her off of him. 
So if a handprint occurs during a healing and a killing, what else can happen to a printed person?

Ohhhh.... so she didn't mention the handprint.  Okay.  But then that means Max needs to ask Liz how she knows this.

What do you mean "what else can happen to a printed person"?

[phoenics]

One other thought - Kyle went to Manes to get the report on Rosa.  It shouldn't take much of an effort for Manes to connect that to Liz - especially if Manes knows that alien power surges can knock out power.  If he can connect that, then he can connect power outages to the Crashdown one, and then to the shooting and then to Liz.

And Liz at this point - learning about Max's powers, etc.. - I could see Manes finding that out and it putting Liz in a considerably bad spot.

I feel like the writers took that one plot point from Book 1 of the Book Series of Sheriff Valenti showing Liz the pictures of the dead people with a handprint on them and they've blown it out and stretched it out over multiple episodes rather than just doing it in the Pilot ep of this new show.

I think eventually this will culminate in Liz being taken in and questioned by Manes - possibly in the worst way possible, giving her an up close and personal view of what would lie in store for Max, Isabel and Michael if she cracked.  She might even be shown additional pics - like handprints on bodies that predate Max/Isabel/Michael coming out of their pods - and realize that 1) Max is entirely innocent and 2) there are other, or at least one other alien.

Also - has Liz thanked Max for saving her life?  It's really bothering me that she hasn't - unless I forgot.  She thanked him before she knew she really was shot and that Max healed her, but she hasn't thanked him since finding out, has she?

[shapeshifter]

35 minutes ago, phoenics said:

What do you mean "what else can happen to a printed person"?

Nothing in particular. It just seems that if silver handprints can heal and kill, they can do lots of things. Now that you mention it, not just to people. Didn't OG Max demonstrate some sort of sculptural thing to Liz? Now I'm imagining Max waving his hands over Michael to make him look like Mr. Manes to maybe have Mr. Manes captured on a surveillance camera doing something illegal.

[miasth]

I think Liz and Max has chemisty, but I was a smidge creeped out by Max's confession of love.  Liz was acting so so afraid of him that I am surprised she did not turn and run for the hills.  Speaking of Liz's fear, I kept expecting Max to notice especially when she snapped at him not to touch her.  I am guessing his feelings has put blinders where she was concerned.

Nathan Parsons sold the pain Max felt when Liz asked him if he killed Rosa. Then his extreme anguish at the end that as odd as his and Isobel's relationship  seem to be, I was hoping she would at least pick up the phone to help him.  Wonder how he will react when he realized Liz told Kyle his secret.

Michael/Alex I also feel have chemistry, but I am already getting tired of the drama.  Alex knows who Michael is clearly so he either needs to accept him or stay away completely.

Did anyone else feel Maria looked a bit shifty eyed during at some points in her conversations with Liz and  about Rosa and her activities. I got the feeling that she was not being completely honest either.

Rosa hid Max's letter so that means she went to the rooftop after Max drove away.  She was high but was apparently lucid enough to decide to hide Max's letter instead of just tossing it away or destroying it.  Plus why would it anger her enough to confront Max and tell him to stay way.  Unless her reaction had something to do with her connection to Isobel.

Edited January 30, 2019 by miasth

[shapeshifter]

9 minutes ago, miasth said:

Rosa hid Max's letter so that means she went to the rooftop after Max drove away.

Now that you mention it: Isn't this a plothole?

[phoenics]

22 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Now that you mention it: Isn't this a plothole?

Not necessarily.  We know an alien killed Rosa.  The accident could have been staged.  She could have died anywhere.

 

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Nothing in particular. It just seems that if silver handprints can heal and kill, they can do lots of things. Now that you mention it, not just to people. Didn't OG Max demonstrate some sort of sculptural thing to Liz? Now I'm imagining Max waving his hands over Michael to make him look like Mr. Manes to maybe have Mr. Manes captured on a surveillance camera doing something illegal.

In the books and in the tv show, the aliens can manipulate any molecular structure.  Max made a silver bracelet of Liz's melt right off her wrist in the books when he was trying to tell her he was an alien (she didn't believe him).  Liz freaked out and ran, lol.  Also in the books, all of the aliens could change their appearance too.  

 

51 minutes ago, miasth said:

I think Liz and Max has chemisty, but I was a smidge creeped out by Max's confession of love.  Liz was acting so so afraid of him that I am surprised she did not turn and run for the hills.  Speaking of Liz's fear, I kept expecting Max to notice especially when she snapped at him not to touch her.  I am guessing his feelings has put blinders where she was concerned.

I thought he did notice her fear when she snapped at him not to touch her.  He looked hurt, imo.  Honestly when he revealed his feelings later on he seemed to be doing it almost against his will - he was defending himself to Liz's accusation about Rosa and trying to prove to her that he could never hurt anyone she loved - because he loved her.

I agree this was a haaaaarrrd scene to watch.  Even though part of the magic of Max/Liz is that he loved her so much that he risked everything to save her - when Max spells it out loud like that and it's clear Liz isn't where he is yet, it's just awkward.  When someone has to play catch up, it's hard.  Liz feels the same way - she's just got all of these walls up.  Ironic.  You'd expect Max to be the one with his guard up - being exposed isn't his thing normally.  But this Liz is jaded.  I get why - Rosa's death hit her really hard.

I just hope the show gets us to a place where Liz recognizes the huge sacrifice Max made to save her.  He's put his entire existence into jeopardy - and his family's too.  And now he's suffering through whatever the power surges and the poison thing are.

[shapeshifter]

25 minutes ago, phoenics said:

1 HOUR AGO, SHAPESHIFTER SAID:

1 HOUR AGO, MIASTH SAID:

Rosa hid Max's letter so that means she went to the rooftop after Max drove away.

Now that you mention it: Isn't this a plothole?

Not necessarily.  We know an alien killed Rosa.  The accident could have been staged.  She could have died anywhere

Ah! So the love letter is a clue! If nothing else, it means Rosa did not immediately go wreck her car after Max left. I guess we need a timeline.

[Jacks-Son]

Is there any connection between this series and the OG Series as far as writers and producers go?  The Producer of this series is named Ken Topolsky (Julie Benz was named Kathleen Topolsky in OG Roswell). Was Mr. Topolsky involved with the original TV series; is that where they got the name of the character?  I know, silly question.  I'm enjoying the series so far and I have to admit that while I had reservations about Lily Cowles' performance as Izzy as opposed to KH's Izzy.  She allayed my fears by turning in a pretty good performance in this episode.  I actually felt bad for her when she realized that Liz really loved Max "Deep Down", and that she, herself, is responsible for her brother's sadness for the past 10 years.  Nice introspection  and I applaud her performance during that breakdown with Noah.

As far as chemistry, I think the actors who play Liz and Max have exhibited plenty of chemistry or at least they have that look of love in their eyes when they see each other.  Michael and Alex, not so much.

Still can't stand Michael "Tyler Lockwood" Trevino, as I wasn't a fan of his acting and character in TVD.

I just thought of another question: IIRC, Izzy found Max when he was in the alley after Liz resurrection through some sort of psychic link between the two (an added perk for a clone); this is another power not used in OG Roswell.  Is this also a new power never seen before?  Izzy, in OG could only connect with Max's emotions in certain situations (The White Room) but she could never determine his location from that link; she could only see the images that he saw (DOD insignia on the Black Site floor) Is this also a book thing?

[Whimsy]

6 minutes ago, Jacks-Son said:

Is there any connection between this series and the OG Series as far as writers and producers go?  The Producer of this series is named Ken Topolsky (Julie Benz was named Kathleen Topolsky in OG Roswell). Was Mr. Topolsky involved with the original TV series; is that where they got the name of the character?  I know, silly question.  

I saw that and wondered the same thing!

[ParadoxLost]

28 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Ah! So the love letter is a clue! If nothing else, it means Rosa did not immediately go wreck her car after Max left. 

Not necessarily.  It depends how Rosa can block Isobel from manipulating Liz.  Was that something coming from Isobel's turmoil about some past deed or relationship with Rosa or was it originating from Liz?

Lets say the Rosa barrier originated from Liz, how do we explain that?

Perhaps the alien handprint wasn't about killing or resurrecting Rosa.  Maybe Liz used to know more than she does now and demanded, in grief, to be able to keep Rosa's memories (like she asked Max after finding out about his powers).  Maybe Max or Michael or Isobel did that for Liz as a consolation because they couldn't save Rosa.  Perhaps that act manifested in Liz developing an alternate Rosa personality; and that "Rosa" personality hid the letter when Liz/her father received Rosa's effects posthumously.  But eventually the "Rosa" personality caused so much trouble that they had no choice but to mindwipe Liz  to remove it and send her away.

We still have a bunch of cryptic statements to explain which if Max is to be believed is not as closely tied to Rosa's death as previously hinted at.

It might also explain why Michael and Isobel went from zero to psychopath in three seconds flat if some variation of this, involving Liz, went horribly wrong once already. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by ParadoxLost

[phoenics]

4 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

Is there any connection between this series and the OG Series as far as writers and producers go?  The Producer of this series is named Ken Topolsky (Julie Benz was named Kathleen Topolsky in OG Roswell). Was Mr. Topolsky involved with the original TV series; is that where they got the name of the character?  I know, silly question.  I'm enjoying the series so far and I have to admit that while I had reservations about Lily Cowles' performance as Izzy as opposed to KH's Izzy.  She allayed my fears by turning in a pretty good performance in this episode.  I actually felt bad for her when she realized that Liz really loved Max "Deep Down", and that she, herself, is responsible for her brother's sadness for the past 10 years.  Nice introspection  and I applaud her performance during that breakdown with Noah.

As far as chemistry, I think the actors who play Liz and Max have exhibited plenty of chemistry or at least they have that look of love in their eyes when they see each other.  Michael and Alex, not so much.

Still can't stand Michael "Tyler Lockwood" Trevino, as I wasn't a fan of his acting and character in TVD.

I just thought of another question: IIRC, Izzy found Max when he was in the alley after Liz resurrection through some sort of psychic link between the two (an added perk for a clone); this is another power not used in OG Roswell.  Is this also a new power never seen before?  Izzy, in OG could only connect with Max's emotions in certain situations (The White Room) but she could never determine his location from that link; she could only see the images that he saw (DOD insignia on the Black Site floor) Is this also a book thing?

Kevin Kelly Brown, who was a producer on OGRoswell, is also a contributing/exec producer on this new show.  Ken Topolsky wasn't connected with the old series - but he was connected to the Dallas reboot (every time I saw his name, I thought of Roswell and Agent Topolsky, lol).

KKB is the only connection from the old show to the new show.

I wish they'd get David Nutter to direct an episode or two.

Also - keep in mind that this show is based on the books - and not on the other show.  Meaning, it's a re-imagining of the books and there is a TON in the books that the old 1999 show didn't do.  Honestly, out of the 10 books series, the 1999 show really only followed the first book and that's it. 

In the books they didn't have telepathy - but they could sense each other's power when used.  So in the books, when Max healed Liz (it took a lot of power) Isabel felt it.  They can also feel each other's emotions across long distances (eventually Max/Liz picked up that same psychic link), so Isabel also felt Max and Michael's terror when he healed Liz and they ran out of the Crashdown.

You can get the books (Roswell High) on Amazon Kindle for $2.99 each if you're interested.  

I do think they are giving us small fan moments that reference the other show.  Like the star constellation shown in this episode - the bottom part of it was the "V" constellation from Antar on the old show, even though on this show, it was just referencing Rosa's star sign constellation.  It was just a nice easter egg.

Edited January 31, 2019 by phoenics

[phoenics]

25 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

Not necessarily.  It depends how Rosa can block Isobel from manipulating Liz.  Was that something coming from Isobel's turmoil about some past deed or relationship with Rosa or was it originating from Liz?

Lets say the Rosa barrier originated from Liz, how do we explain that?

Perhaps the alien handprint wasn't about killing or resurrecting Rosa.  Maybe Liz used to know more than she does now and demanded, in grief, to be able to keep Rosa's memories (like she asked Max after finding out about his powers).  Maybe Max or Michael or Isobel did that for Liz as a consolation because they couldn't save Rosa.  Perhaps that act manifested in Liz developing an alternate Rosa personality; and that "Rosa" personality hid the letter when Liz/her father received Rosa's effects posthumously.  But eventually the "Rosa" personality caused so much trouble that they had no choice but to mindwipe Liz  to remove it and send her away.

We still have a bunch of cryptic statements to explain which if Max is to be believed is not as closely tied to Rosa's death as previously hinted at.

It might also explain why Michael and Isobel went from zero to psychopath in three seconds flat if some variation of this, involving Liz, went horribly wrong once already. 

 

Um - what?  I can't make sense of what you're responding to.

I think Shapeshifter was saying that we know Rosa didn't immediately go wreck her car after Max left because the letter was in the box in her secret hiding place on the roof of the Crashdown.  Max dropped Liz off, wrote the letter in the gazebo (which took time) and then went to put the letter on Liz's car.  Rosa was there - high and drunk - and got all mad and pissy about Max leaving the letter and then shoved Max and told him to stay away from Liz.  Max left.  Rosa died sometime after that.

We know she didn't die immediately after that because she went up to the roof to hide the letter from Max to Liz.  So there is some time gap between those events. And it also opens the possibility of her dying somewhere else and someone staging the accident to cover up her death.

Couple of other thoughts:  Liz says that her mom left 10 years ago.  This coincides with Rosa's death.  Are these things connected?  Could Liz's mom be an alien?  OR - could she have been Project Shepherd and they used an alien they control to kill Rosa and cover up her death?  Or did another alien threaten Liz's mom (maybe because she was a Project Shepherd agent) and so she fled to keep the rest of her family safe?

Edited January 31, 2019 by phoenics

[ParadoxLost]

25 minutes ago, phoenics said:

Um - what?  I can't make sense of what you're responding to.

I think Shapeshifter was saying that we know Rosa didn't immediately go wreck her car after Max left because the letter was in the box in her secret hiding place on the roof of the Crashdown.  Max dropped Liz off, wrote the letter in the gazebo (which took time) and then went to put the letter on Liz's car.  Rosa was there - high and drunk - and got all mad and pissy about Max leaving the letter and then shoved Max and told him to stay away from Liz.  Max left.  Rosa died sometime after that.

We know she didn't die immediately after that because she went up to the roof to hide the letter from Max to Liz.  So there is some time gap between those events. And it also opens the possibility of her dying somewhere else and someone staging the accident to cover up her death.

I am channeling my OGRoswell speculation which is the insanity of someone 20 years younger.  

To quote the Princess Bride...."Let me 'splain.  No, there is too much.  Let me sum up."

Rosa left immediately after shoving Max and died.  An alien handprinted Rosa's memories to Liz.  Liz split into two personalities.  The "Rosa" personality hid the letter from the "Liz" personality after the coroner returned her possessions.  To fix stuff. an alien mind wiped the "Rosa" personality and sent Liz out of town ten years ago.  The "Rosa" personality reemerged when Isobel tried to send Liz away.

And that is how its not a foregone conclusion that Rosa went to the roof to hide the letter before dying.

I'm not doing Occam's razor with this show.  Your explanation and conclusion is perfectly logical; but  tonight I'm indulging my younger self who spun nonsense theories for a couple seasons OG style on ways to launch Tess around the sun backwards to wipe her from existence and restore Alex to life.  Maybe I'll be logical tomorrow.

Edited January 31, 2019 by ParadoxLost

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, phoenics said:

I think Shapeshifter was saying that we know Rosa didn't immediately go wreck her car after Max left because the letter was in the box in her secret hiding place on the roof of the Crashdown.  Max dropped Liz off, wrote the letter in the gazebo (which took time) and then went to put the letter on Liz's car.  Rosa was there - high and drunk - and got all mad and pissy about Max leaving the letter and then shoved Max and told him to stay away from Liz.  Max left.  Rosa died sometime after that.

Yes. 

1 hour ago, ParadoxLost said:

I am channeling my OGRoswell speculation which is the insanity of someone 20 years younger.  

Ah. Now I got it. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by shapeshifter

[phoenics]

3 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

I am channeling my OGRoswell speculation which is the insanity of someone 20 years younger.  

To quote the Princess Bride...."Let me 'splain.  No, there is too much.  Let me sum up."

Rosa left immediately after shoving Max and died.  An alien handprinted Rosa's memories to Liz.  Liz split into two personalities.  The "Rosa" personality hid the letter from the "Liz" personality after the coroner returned her possessions.  To fix stuff. an alien mind wiped the "Rosa" personality and sent Liz out of town ten years ago.  The "Rosa" personality reemerged when Isobel tried to send Liz away.

I'm not doing Occam's razor with this show.  Your explanation and conclusion is perfectly logical; but  tonight I'm indulging my younger self who spun nonsense theories for a couple seasons OG style on ways to launch Tess around the sun backwards to wipe her from existence and restore Alex to life.  Maybe I'll be logical tomorrow.

Oh I got it now!  LOL.  I always love some good speculation, lol.

Isabel did mess with Rosa's mind too, right?  I thought this was mentioned in the pilot.

Also - Isabel has to be connected to this really deeply - because she was so concerned in the pilot about secrets.  Rosa being high and Max not telling anyone to keep her from driving can't be it.  I still don't think he killed her - but now I'm not so sure some sequence of events didn't lead to him trying to revive her.

You know - your theory could explain why Max is now all unhinged and wild - if Liz had a "Rosa personality" locked away in her mind (like Professor Xavier locked Phoenix away in Jean Grey's mind), then when Max brought Liz back from the dead, then maybe he popped the lock on that "Rosa personality" and that's what has him out of balance.  Like it's a malevolent spirit that's disrupted him?

On a tangent - I've been doing some research into Ophiuchus.  It's a sidereal zodiac constellation that is visible from November 29 – December 18 (it mostly overlaps with Sagittarius.  I wonder if that's the constellation they are from?  I keep trying to look at the stars to see if I can make it match the constellation they show us in the Roswell credits logo for the show (there are two shown).  If it matches, I wonder if that's their home star system?  

[Jacks-Son]

Those of you wondering if Liz had the power to resist Izzy's Mind warp/MindWipe, and if so,  where did she get that power.  perhaps Liz' alien powers are manifesting early.  Remember in OG,  Liz developed the power to create blasts of force which she used to bounce Tess off the walls and blew up the liquor hiding place in Liz' boarding school incident. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, phoenics said:

I've been doing some research into Ophiuchus.  It's a sidereal zodiac constellation that is visible from November 29 – December 18 (it mostly overlaps with Sagittarius.  I wonder if that's the constellation they are from?  I keep trying to look at the stars to see if I can make it match the constellation they show us in the Roswell credits logo for the show (there are two shown).  If it matches, I wonder if that's their home star system?  

20 years ago I would have already jumped on this speculation train and been posting jpegs of the constellation, 
but my TV obsession is diluted now, while the Internet has expanded and Google is smarter, so, choose your own.

FWIW, the male figures in a lot of these images remind me of Michael.

[ParadoxLost]

53 minutes ago, phoenics said:

Also - Isabel has to be connected to this really deeply - because she was so concerned in the pilot about secrets.  Rosa being high and Max not telling anyone to keep her from driving can't be it.  I still don't think he killed her - but now I'm not so sure some sequence of events didn't lead to him trying to revive her.

At the basics I tend to think that 

Rosa knew about aliens and that led to her trying to keep Max from admitting his feelings for Liz, to protect her.

The alien handprint points to Isobel-Max-Michael being involved in some way with the circumstances that led to Rosa's death or to the aftermath of it, even if they aren't "guilty".

53 minutes ago, phoenics said:

You know - your theory could explain why Max is now all unhinged and wild - if Liz had a "Rosa personality" locked away in her mind (like Professor Xavier locked Phoenix away in Jean Grey's mind), then when Max brought Liz back from the dead, then maybe he popped the lock on that "Rosa personality" and that's what has him out of balance.  Like it's a malevolent spirit that's disrupted him?

I do actually think that Max saving Liz or giving Liz his memories of her sister could have created a "Rosa" that serves the purpose of protecting Liz from being manipulated by other aliens.  Its basically an unintentional protective measure / result of Max's powers that is projecting a firewall against intrusion in a way Liz's brain feels safest with even if she is unaware of it.  

In terms of Max's unhinged reaction, the simplest explanation is that he's having a more extreme and prolonged version of the side-effect Liz had when he saved her.  Memories and feelings that he can't control.  Both Max and Liz have former/current relationships that indicate that although they couldn't deeply connect they did have relationships.  But at this point, Max acts like a deranged stalker who has freaky alien recall of everything related to Liz and has been nursing that obsession for a decade every time he sees her or hears her name.   I don't think this would have been the case if we'd seen Max for longer before the shooting.

2 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

20 years ago I would have already jumped on this speculation train and been posting jpegs of the constellation, 
but my TV obsession is diluted now, while the Internet has expanded and Google is smarter, so, choose your own.

FWIW, the male figures in a lot of these images remind me of Michael.

Someone screenshot the constellation in the intro to the show and google image it.

I burned through my enthusiasm for TV nostalgia already and don't feel like it.