#Anatsa instead of Kyle

[dr-lizortecho]

daily reminder that Max Evans was the speaker at one Kyle Manuel Valenti’s funeral, that he was the one who prepared something to say about how much Kyle meant to all of them, at a funeral that had his mother and sister and friends from childhood, instead of any of these long lasting deep and loving relationships being prioritized by the show writers they elected for his archnemesis the man he claims to “not much like” and not only this, but Max stands up in front of his friends and family and can’t even say his farewell, his hands are shaking and he can’t keep his composure, he leaves saying “he can’t” sniffling and tearing up as he walks away

[drsantosgf]

i love how isobel and anatsa's relationship is handled in conjunction with kyle's feelings for isobel and isobel's Big Alien Secret. it would have been so easy to frame their relationship as a fling especially when kyle asks her "you don't want to be alone with your own girlfriend?" you could have played into the idea that isobel can't love her because of the secret or that their love is shallow because anatsa will never be in their inner circle but instead isobel says "of course i do" like isobel's struggle is that she loves anatsa too much and doesn't know how to open herself up for fear of rejection and for fear of opening anatsa up to being hurt. they're aren't a token wlw relationships, meant to just reaffirm isobel's bisexuality, their relationship is fundamentally important to isobel's character development, it makes her feel loved and safe and stable and strong. RAHHH i love them

[gra-sonas]

The CW's Roswell, New Mexico's Isobel -- portrayed by Lily Cowles -- is experiencing a bit of a rough patch. After summoning up the strength and courage to reveal that she's an alien from another planet living on Earth to her girlfriend, Anatsa, they broke up before she could drop the bombshell.

In addition, after Cam goes missing, Isobel stumbles across her unconscious body in the middle of the desert, except Cam now has two blue-colored eyes. It's all too much for Isobel to absorb, and in tonight's episode, "You Get What You Give," she takes off to Mexico to relax and reunite with a surprised Kyle. But the vacation turns into more than sand and sun when they uncover a secret about their families that goes back generations. Cowles recently spoke with CBR about Isobel's crumbling romance, unexpected connections between the Evans and Valenti families, steamy encounters, and the series finale.

CBR: In the last episode, Isobel discovers an unconscious, blue-eyed Cam in the middle of the desert. Where do things pick up tonight in "You Get What You Give?"

Lily Cowles: Oh my gosh, I know. She finds Cameron in a terrible position. It was so horrible filming that scene. I hated that scene, to find your friend naked and alone in the desert. It's like, ''What happened?'' It's very shocking. And, then, the realization that Cam has these blue eyes. What is going on? But Isobel brings Cam to safety and gets her in the hands of Liz and Max, who are figuring out what's going on with this. Meanwhile, Isobel just had this terrible break-up and she's feeling very blue and down about it. So, like any smart woman, she decides to take herself on a vacation, and she heads down to Mexico and bumps into Kyle while she is there.

We kind of gloss over this in the episode, but his family owns a Tequila distillery. I think Isobel is particularly excited about this. While she's there, Isobel actually thinks she's going to be taking a little vacation. But it turns out there are mysteries awaiting both of them. Kyle and Isobel are about to unfold some interesting new facts that are going to change the shape of how the investigation goes from there.

Isobel was this close to coming clean to her girlfriend, Anatsa, about her alien bloodline… Except they broke up, instead. How hard is that hitting Isobel?

It's so hard for Isobel. This has been the struggle of her life, is being honest with people. Isobel has some pretty deep-seated trust issues. It's really hard for her to open up. When you have a secret that big, you don't know how it's going to be taken. Her friends are like, ''Just be honest. Just tell them your truth.'' But Isobel's truth is so deeply frightening. It's not that Isobel could be rejected by Anatsa. It's also in telling Anatsa, an investigative journalist, this truth, she might end up using that against her. Talk about a story.

So, it's not just about protecting herself. Isobel has a long-standing history of wanting to protect her family and her brothers. She really struggled with putting them in a position where they would be vulnerable. But what does this mean for her personal relationship? She's caught between a rock and a hard place. Either she's potentially betraying her family, potentially endangering her family, or she's lying in a big way to the person she's intimate with. Neither of those are good options.

Isobel feels, in this moment, she wants to tell Anatsa. She's spent the last few episodes building herself up for it, getting the courage to do it. Isobel finally gets to that moment and Anatsa, justifiably, goes ''I can't take this roller-coaster ride with you.'' Isobel is a lot. She is definitely a roller coaster. It's heartbreaking for Isobel. I think it's heartbreaking to have gotten yourself to a point when you open yourself like that, when you are ready to be so open and vulnerable with somebody, and they tell you ''I don't want you.'' And it's not even based on what Isobel is telling Anatsa, ''Because you are an alien, I don't want you.'' That hurts. That hits her hard,

This trip to Mexico ends up being more than just a vacation. What can you tease about what they uncover in that house and how it impacts their upcoming battle with other invaders?

They find some history about the Valenti family. Something that is really beautiful is we get a little insight into the way the Valenti family has been involved, for many generations, in this fight. One little tidbit is that Kyle's family has been protecting Isobel's family for generations and generations. I think that adds to the sense of closeness that the two of them have. Isobel has had this feeling that Kyle has always been on their side, fighting for them and protecting them. She's had this loyalty towards him because of that. To learn that extends through generations of bloodlines is really meaningful and beautiful. That's one thing. We are also going to meet some new characters. We are going to get some new information on what that legacy entails.

Speaking of closeness, Kyle has always burned this torch for Isobel. There's plenty of flirting going on in this episode. How much of that is the booze talking and how much of that is being on the rebound?

That's the question. Isobel has just gotten out of this intense relationship. You get a little booze in you and being around an attractive person… Maybe it feels nice to think, ''Do you believe in life after love?'' For Isobel, her relationship with Kyle extends so far beyond this night. There's a moment earlier in the season, when they are at the wine tasting, and Anatsa confronts Isobel. ''Do you have a thing with Kyle?'' And she's like, ''What?''

But I think for people on the outside, it's clear that there is something going on between these two. Isobel, to an extent, has shut it off and almost has blinders about it. To a certain extent, she values him so much. She has a suspicion that she's bad at relationships. I think she has this fear, in her heart, that maybe she's like a broken person. I don't think she would be willing to risk losing Kyle, as someone she loves and trusts so much, by getting involved with him. I think that's what has been going on for her. But they have a lot of chemistry. It's like a boiling pot with a lid on it. It's a slow boil and it's only a matter of time before something erupts there.

Michael and Max's alien powers are in a state of flux. How much should Isobel be worried about her own extraterrestrial abilities?

Isobel has been smart enough not to go around sticking her fingers in holes and getting herself into trouble like Max and Michael. She's been very judicious about keeping herself safe. She's kind of the smartest of all three of them, wouldn't you say? Isobel has done a good job of making sure that she's not putting herself at too much risk. Both Max and Michael are risk-takers.

What else can you tease about what's in store for Isobel for the rest of the season?

Isobel is about to learn things about her past that are going to blow her mind. She's going to have to re-examine certain truths that she held. This is going to offer her the opportunity to really get in touch with her authentic self, who she is, and what her role is in all of this. She has been training to be this warrior, kind of taking after her mother in this way. When she is learning more about the history of her planet and where she comes from and what her family line is, all of this is going to give Isobel the opportunity to learn more about herself.

Sadly, this is Roswell's final season. How happy are you with where Isobel ends up?

I am so happy with Isobel's journey. The writers have done an incredible job of creating this arc that ends in a really satisfying way. We get to see all of our characters having a certain kind of resolution. I think the fans are going to be satisfied and happy. It's been a beautiful journey. I am emotional about thinking of it ending.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Roswell, New Mexico: Two Sparrows in a Hurricane (4x12)

The blue filter is defeated! Huzzah! This was a really good episode.

Cons:

I feel like I have a decent list of little nitpicks, things I didn't love, but the overall pacing of the episode worked so much in its favor that I don't weigh these negatives very heavily against the overall successes... but let's go over them really quickly.

Tezca's death was the biggest negative for me in this episode. It was played up in a super dramatic fashion and I feel really bad but it just did absolutely nothing for me. Isobel and Tezca didn't get the time to really develop much of a relationship; her redemption felt half-baked to me. I think part of what made it less impactful was that she didn't really do anything in the pocket dimension, so what was the point of her sacrifice? In the end, it was Michael creating the fuel, Max able to hold off the storm, and Dallas using his water powers, that got the portal back open when Clyde closed it. So Tezca just came along in time to... die? I also wish, considering that's the last of Tezca, that she could have explained why she shoved Alex in the quicksand to begin with. Was it really just to get him out of the way? Or did she know that Michael would end up following him, and that since he has Jones's DNA, he'd thus destroy the pocket world, and that's what she wanted? I don't know, I'm super unclear on this, and I also don't really care, which isn't the best sign.

Eduardo's daughter appearing again felt like a waste of time, I'm sorry to say. A lot of watching this last season has been seeing things I wish they could have trimmed away to tighten the story, and this character is definitely one of those things.

While I'm really happy about the Isobel and Kyle development, I do want to say that their scene highlights once again the bonkers ridiculousness of this season's timeline... when Isobel said "it's been a long time coming" all I could think was... she and Anatsa broke up like five days ago or something. Lol.

I'm totally on board for the Dallas/Maria potential, although I do wish Maria would mention my boy Gregory Manes. And it did kind of annoy me that Maria considers herself closer to Dallas than to anyone else on the other side. Not just Alex, her childhood best friend, or Michael, a man she was in love with just a couple years ago and still considers a close friend, but Isobel too... all three of them are people she has longer and more complex relationships with. I wish the episode had complicated this a bit. Instead of "who are you closest to" make it more ambiguous, like Maria needed to reach out to the person who's been her recent touchstone, the person helping her the most with her powers and her current journey. Then, it would make sense that it would be Dallas! This is probably a nitpick, though. It's fine. Dallas/Maria is fine.

Seeing a banner that said "Malex" on it, and hearing Dallas actually say the word out loud... gave me so much psychic damage. Can we not, y'all? Please spare me. So glad Michael shut that shit down, Malex deserves a better and less fourth-wall-breaking wedding!

Pros:

So as I said, the above section looks long, but the overall pacing and strength of this episode means that my qualms were way, way, outweighed by the positives.

To start with, I was incredibly moved by Liz's arc in this episode! She realizes that her actions might have lasting consequences, and that she might have to reckon with brain damage when her intellect is something she prizes so deeply. I think that works so well as a conflict for Liz to face, something where she can't be at fault for becoming addicted to the alien mist, of course, but she still needs to reckon with the choices she's made that have led her on this path.

And we had so much good theming about individual accomplishment vs. working together. Liz is distraught over her failing memory, but she has Rosa and Kyle by her side. I loved the detail about Rosa locking up the mist. Liz says that this means her sister knew she was weak and would fail, but Rosa says no, it's okay to need help. In the end, Liz gets help from Michael, from Maria, from Kyle, from all sorts, in order to create the fuel that opens the portal. Liz is capable of great things, but she needs the love of those around her!

I could be annoyed at all the flip-flopping and unnecessary drama in Max and Liz's relationship this season, but ultimately I'm just happy to watch them be happy and cute together... I loved Max getting his powers back, and Liz's concern for him as he went into the pocket dimension after his brother and their friends. Echo has such good energy together when they're not failing at basic communication, so it was nice to see a bit of that here in the penultimate episode of the show.

Kyle and Isobel's awkward interrupted conversation, and then their kiss just before Isobel marches into danger, were both really cute. Cuter still were Liz and Max's reactions, where Liz drops her mouth open in astonished delight, and Max cringes away from the sight of his sister making out with Kyle Valenti. I loved it so much, and I'm happy these two get to exit the show with some measure of happiness, hopefully with the finale next week solidifying that they're going to give their relationship a real chance.

Maria played a more utilitarian role in this one, there wasn't a ton of time for her to have character moments, but I did like how this episode was really an all-hands-on-deck situation. She gets the info that Liz needs in order to open the portal from their end, and she also helps with the bait and switch, keeping the real console away from Shivani and thus having it in place and ready when Michael and the others are ready to use it.

So, aside from the accursed blue filter, what did I think of our last episode spent in the pocket dimension? Well... this was some premium Malex content, y'all, what can I say? Alex wants to marry Michael before he dies, and Dallas is there to help make that happen... but Michael backs out, saying that his vow is to make sure Alex doesn't die at all. This is more or less exactly what I was hoping would happen. I like how the bulk of the episode is Alex despairing, because he really does feel that his own life is forfeit, and Michael gently and at times insistently cajoling him to keep going.

The scenes at the Crashdown (or I suppose it was the Atomic Café back then) were particularly moving. One of my favorite line deliveries from Vlamis ever is when he says that being in this world is like being in a microwave for Alex. He says it with such gentle tenderness, his hand cradling the side of Alex's face and neck. Later, we get the moment where Alex encourages Michael to go on without him, and Michael's reaction was another real highlight for me. I feel like usually in similar situations the person who is being asked to leave someone behind will react with emphatic indignance, like "No! Never!" But this was a lot softer. Michael basically just gives him an indulgent head-tilt and is like "don't be ridiculous." Which I loved so, so much. Also, the line "my heart is about to explode"... like, Michael is keeping his cool, seemingly keeping it together for Alex's sake, but everything is on the line for him here. If he loses Alex, it will destroy him, and Michael makes that very clear. Alex seems more or less resigned to the fact that Michael won't abandon him. He wants Michael and the others to escape, he think his life is already lost, and yet he knows there's no arguing with Michael on this one.

One of the through lines in the Michael and Alex scenes is that Alex tells Michael to stop thinking with his heart, and making emotion-based decisions that aren't based in reality. At the wedding, Alex is basically like: "I'm a dead man walking, here, and it's literally my dying wish to marry you, please don't be delusional about our chances." And then later, he tries to get Michael to see that sometimes the best way to cope with reality is to meet it head-on, instead of living in the fantasy of how things might have been different. And what I love so much about this, is that Alex is... wrong. It all comes to a head in the excellent final scene between them in the episode, when Michael, the one who has been carrying the torch for the both of them, finally loses his hope, and Alex tells him he was right to keep fighting, and to not give up now.

I love everything about this, what it says about how the two of them work as partners, the ways in which they hold each other in check and also push each other to be better. The not-so-subtle truth of the matter is that Alex chastising Michael to stop being so emotional is a patently empty and false criticism, since Alex is the one who has given in to his despair. And yet of course you can't blame him, Michael can't blame him, he'll just keep going, holding him, doing everything in his power to bring him back home. Excellent performances from Vlamis and Blackburn as always... I'm going to be thinking about the way Michael's voice breaks when he says he wanted to build a home with Alex for a long, long time..... let them build that home, Roswell! We're so close!

Some cute moments I want to mention before I finish this up: Michael and Alex flirting about Michael's horticultural interests, and taking long showers together... I was giggling so much at the fact that Bonnie and Dallas have just had to put up with all their couple-y energy together. I've had an agenda for a long time that was "let Alex and Michael be a couple around other people", because we don't get to see much of that at all, and finally, this episode hit the spot! In a similar vein, Isobel coming in and holding Alex's hands, saying it's so good to see him... theirs is a friendship that I firmly believe in, even though it's happened entirely offscreen. I just got so many warm and fuzzies to see a little hint of it here. I also loved the sibling feels of Max and Isobel holding hands and going into the quicksand in order to rescue Michael, Dallas, Alex, and Bonnie. We got an Isobel and Michael hug, too!

I can't believe next week is the finale, I am already getting a little emotional about it although it also doesn't feel quite real? Six months ago I was just starting this show for the first time, and since then I've written well over 100,000 words of fanfiction about it, along with tracking my general thoughts per episode on season four... it's been a wild ride, everyone.

8.5/10

[salmonthestoryteller]

Okay, now for my complaints about RNM season 3 (C’mon, you knew they were coming!) Warnings for statements that could be considered Anti-Maria and Anti-Wyatt. I personally view it as being against the writing of certain plots, not necessarily the characters themselves, but forewarning for potential discourse. 

I said it last season, and earlier on in this season, but I’ll say it again:  Please stop making every side character a love interest or romantic foil.  It truly lowers my interest in a character, and it can ruin a character - especially if the character lacks any sort of relevance to the main plots or interactions with the other characters.   Both Steph and Forrest are examples of this. Honestly, I don’t think anything would have made Steph interesting, but the fact that she basically only existed to give Kyle a non-Liz romance and ended up keeping him disconnected from the main plots for a long stretch of season 2 because she was so non-plot relevant?  Yeah, not a good look.  Forrest, on the flip side, was a complete waste of what would have otherwise been a fascinating character.  He first revealed useful information about the history of the Long Farm that ended up connected with the Pod Squad’s parents.  He also had a lot of potential with his connection to both the Longs and Deep Sky to be a complex and interesting side character.  But then he was demoted to romantic foil.  He became nothing so much as Alex’s temporary love interest, there for the sole purpose of preventing Malex from getting together “too soon”, with what turned into an unnecessary and unexplained connection to Deep Sky that could have been provided completely by Eduardo in season 3.  They didn’t even bother to bring him back for Wyatt’s badly written and unnecessary redemption plotline despite them being cousins and Forrest previously claiming he supposedly hung out with him and Kate in their childhood.

I felt the same disinterest in Heath in early season 3 as I felt for Steph in season 2.  He seemed like nothing so much as a knock-off version of Kyle whose romance with Liz really didn’t serve any purpose aside from being a romantic foil to Echo.  Honestly, not a single of the plot relevant parts of Heath and Liz in early s3 would have changed by having Heath be just a good friend and colleague rather than a love interest.  Until the reveal of his friendship with Dallas, I was honestly annoyed by the reappearance of Heath into the plot.  I held so little interest in his character until then.

Which brings me to Anatsa.  Who is suffering from a really frustrating whiplash of this same issue.  I really don’t understand the writing choice to basically introduce a character they were planning on having in a romance with Isobel by having her have a one night stand with Max.  Honestly, if they wanted Isobel with an old fling of Max’s, Jenna Cameron already existed.  (And already knows about the aliens, Project Shepherd, and Deep Sky.)  At first I thought Anatsa was going to be another Echo foil, so I was pleasantly surprised when, instead, her one night stand with Max remained a one night stand, and instead her character focus seemed to shift to being plot relevant.  Yay!  And then, instead of having her continue to be involved with researching the mysteries in Roswell and become a potential danger/ally to the group, she’s turned into a love interest.  Sure, we’re told she’s researching for a story, which is why her and Isobel break into Dallas’s office, but suddenly she just… what?  Stops researching it?  Never shows up anywhere else or interacts with other characters except in relation to Isobel and her romance for the rest of the season?  Anatsa being in that scene is used solely for the purpose of furthering Isobel and her romance rather than her actual involvement in a plot being used to allow their romance to further.

And I can literally use Kybel as an example of the parallel.  Because they gave us so much of Kyle and Isobel this season.  Think of the scene between them while they work to save Dallas,  Pretty plot relevant, right?  Yet the moments between them exist inside this plot, rather than the moment being manufactured to further their romance.  Kyle continues to interact with other characters, continues his own involvement in the plot.  By comparison, Anatsa is left cooling her heels and only showing up to romance Isobel, twice specifically so Kyle and her don’t share a moment.  Which makes her trend towards romantic foil even more than love interest.  It’s really only the early parts of season 2 that prevent her from falling completely into that category. And that’s not good.

I feel like a traitor to my own sexuality, but I’m not feeling much interest in Isobel and Anatsa as a couple.  First, after everything that happened with Noah, and between Echo and Malex and even Miluca, Isobel is really going to get serious with someone she’s lying to?  Who she’s unwilling to share their secrets with?  I don’t see it.  Secondly, we didn’t even get any kind of on-screen build up of sexual and romantic tension between her and Isobel, we basically get a “tell, don’t show” with Maria suddenly shoving Isobel at Anatsa and claiming they had a moment.  Not a fan of the lack of on-screen preface.  It makes the whole thing feel very contrived rather than natural.  Thirdly, I don't see them putting Kyle into another love triangle where he loses out in the end.  Which means Isobel and Anatsa aren’t even going to be in a serious relationship? They’re, what, only together to be a romantic foil for Kybel? I’m so confused by these choices.  Like Forrest before her, Anatsa could be so much more than a romantic foil, but the writers don’t seem interested in taking advantage of that.  I have been dying for some w/w on RNM, and disappointed doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel about what they’ve given me.

To be honest, I already wrote a post about my struggles with the handling of Maria’s character.  (Which involved my belief that she, too, was demoted from side character to romantic foil.)  It doesn’t help that I heavily disliked season 2 Miluca.  I liked Season 1 Miluca.  Couldn’t stand season 2 Miluca.  So putting Maria directly into another romance seemed an odd choice for me.  And, to be honest, I felt like what they did to Gregory this season was very similar to what they did to Maria last season.  He went from a side character who was relevant to the plot, to being a love interest.  At least he escaped the romantic foil, since he did interact with other characters a handful of times and isn’t interfering with another potential romance.  But there was no reason for him to not be more involved with the plot this season - especially in regards to Alex’s arc.  We only got one conversation between the brothers in season 3.  We got no scenes between them after Alex got involved with Deep Sky. I would have loved to see an interaction between him and Eduardo given his protectiveness towards Alex.  He would have had words for Eduardo.  (I like Eduardo, don’t get me wrong, but I definitely feel like Gregory would be suspicious of him.)  And, honestly, as much as Jesse Manes deserved to die, I really would have liked more about Gregory’s struggles with killing his own father.  Hell, given Michael’s breakdown about the same subject, we could have had an excellent interaction between Michael and Gregory on it.  The lack of touching on that subject is a disservice to his character. 

I feel like I could like Delmanes  (That’s their ship name, right?), but a few things are in my way.  One part is, as I said, Gregory, not getting more involved with the plot and lacking solo interactions with other characters.  Hell, why wasn’t it him interacting with Max thanking him for looking out for Maria rather than Michael?  Why wasn’t he more involved with Maria’s quest for having more visions? Jenna was Max’s season one love interest and Echos’s romantic foil, but still managed to have solo scenes with Jesse Manes, Alex and Kyle, and even Liz and Isobel.  While it is true that Cameron is a character from Roswell High and her season one plot is directly taken from the novels (With the exception of her being romantically linked to Michael in the books rather than Max), if they could manage all that with her in season one, I don’t understand the lack of the same courtesy for Gregory in season 3. I would have also felt so much better and interested in Delmanes if even one scene between them was used to delve into Gregory’s backstory and struggles. Not just Maria’s. Balance is important, and the writers never seem to balance Maria’s romantic relationships well.  So instead of using pretty much any of Gregory’s scenes to further his character, his scenes were almost all used specifically to move his “relationship” with Maria forward.  And, yes there’s a reason for those quotes.  I really wish they’d simply started the season with them already in a relationship, rather than having them get together during the season because - and I’m going to say it:

They do realize people that age date, right?

Like us older people, we still go to dinners, and movies, and art museums.  We don’t just have a drink at a bar and hop into bed together and call it a relationship?  They do know older people can properly date, right?  Cuz I’m honestly getting a “older people don’t go on dates” vibe.  I know they do know that, seeing as Echo got a date last season, and Liz got one with Heath this season, and Michael mentions to Isobel how he and Alex are going on their first real date in the season finale.  But almost every relationship in the show just seems to skip that part.  Miluca, Delmanes, Isobel and Anatsa (what’s their shipname, btw?)  Technically even Malex and Echo skipped that part and didn’t go on dates until after getting together.  (I mean, I guess we can count Echo’s desert trip at 17, but then they didn’t go on another date until Max had amnesia.)  And, honestly?  I’m starting to get pretty salty about that approach to older relationships.  Sex is great, but so is actually taking time to get to know the other person first.  To see if they’re worth putting yourself out there for.  Healthy relationships, people.  They really aren’t unsexy if you write them right.

Another thing I’m going to just say - the idea that Maria is the heart of the RNM Found Family is utter bullshit. It’s the writers trying desperately to sell an idea they haven’t bothered to put the effort into.  You know what the “heart of a group” does?  They're the ones others in the group rely on when they need help. They’re the ones who help protect and prop up their friends when they flounder. Who respect others capabilities and would never speak ill of them behind their backs.  To their faces, maybe, but never behind their backs.  Maria has not been that character since Season One ended.  Period.  

Do you know who is the heart of the RNM Found Family?  Kyle Valenti.

Kyle is the one Liz first tells about the aliens. Who moves past his previous romantic feelings towards Liz to form a friendship with her and even checks in on her even after she leaves Roswell.

Kyle is the one who in season one apologizes to Alex for his past actions and forms a friendship that allows him to encourage him and support him in the following seasons.

Kyle is the one who helps save Isobel in season one despite his mixed feelings towards what happened with the murders and who continues to be a good friend to her and encourage her as the show progresses.

Kyle is the one who manages to move past his old rivalry with Max enough to work to save his life, to work with him to uncover what’s happening in season 2, and continues to look out for his health in season 3 - even when Max doesn’t want him to.

Kyle is the one who, despite a continued antagonistic relationship with Michael, shows respect for his skills regardless. From trusting the alien pacemaker he made to seeking him out for help in regards to the radio.

Kyle is the one who looks out for Maria’s health. Who is willing to go so far as risk his career to help her with her quest to have more visions. Despite being against her doing so as her doctor - he still supports her choice.

Kyle is the one who is shown to be there for Rosa multiple times the last couple seasons. Including when she was initially spiraling during season 2.  And coming to her aid after she drugs Wyatt.

No amount of lip service for Maria can compete with the sheer number of scenes where Kyle is shown to care for and support the other characters. So, yeah, no, Maria is not and never can be the heart of this version of Roswell.  That is and always will be Kyle.

This isn’t even about my own struggles with Maria’s characterization. They simply have not put in the effort for that claim. Her interactions with Max have been almost non-existent since season one. Her interactions with both Kyle and Michael have almost all been about them supporting her.  After their scene together with Arizona, Maria did not support Michael’s character once until finding him stabbed at the end of season 3 - including their entire romantic relationship! The scenes between Kyle and Maria were scarce and equally slanted towards him supplying support for her rather than her for him.  In season one, Maria and Alex’s interactions were evenly about checking in on each other’s well being, but since the start of season 2, Maria has done absolutely nothing to support Alex.  Even her relationship with Liz suffered - with the writers not bothering to even write a full scene for their reconciliation in season 2 after their fight!  Rosa and her were fleeced in season 2 - we never even got to see her give Rosa the necklace!  The only real relationship of Maria’s that is developed properly on screen with a show of equal support of each other is her and Isobel!  Don’t get me wrong, their scenes are excellent. But you can’t skip over every other relationship Maria has on screen and then try to sell us on this idea she has become irreplaceable in importance to the group.  Especially in the same season she complained to Isobel of feeling left out!  You can’t have it both ways!

Sigh. I don’t think I’ll ever love Maria’s character again like I did in season one. But, hey, the writers managed to make me hate Max a lot less this season, so anything is possible.

I have written no less than two posts (One. Two.) about my dislike of Wyatt’s amnesia plot.  If they were dead set on doing this plot, however, they needed to do it correctly - and they didn’t. At all.  How Wyatt is written?  Hoo boy. 

Look, hard facts. As someone who has literally taken management seminars on this sort of thing. People can be completely unaware of their own prejudices.  They will make statements or form opinions that they have no idea are based on prejudice. Until someone smacks them across the face with it.  And that is people raised in, as much as I hate the use of the word, “normal” environments. Who weren’t subjected to racist beliefs from a young age. Before they were even old enough to form their own opinions.

And, yes, people can overcome these types of upbringings. They can go out in the world and realize their family beliefs are wrong.  They can do better.  But it takes time and effort. And they will find themselves messing up and making mistakes.  Thinking or even saying the wrong things.

Wyatt is not written like that. At all. He is written as some pure innocent character completely without prejudice. As if he’s unaware and horrified by its very existence.  That’s… wrong.  It’s insulting even.  Wyatt, even if he was a friend of Rosa’s in the past who had been working to escape his family’s beliefs, would be fully aware of prejudice. Of the terrible things his family and others like them do. He would still mess up and probably say the wrong thing and need someone to call him on it.

In my opinion, this plot should never have been bothered with at all, not for Wyatt. To me his previous actions were too far down a road of violence that speaks of something psychological being wrong with him. People can become assholes.  Even prejudice assholes. But that isn’t the same as being violent.  That definitely isn’t the same as being an unrepentant murderer.  And the way they have written this plot has taken it from bad to absolute worst case scenario.

So, yeah, my biggest complaint about season 3 is Wyatt. And how absolutely wrong it was to write this arc at all. Let alone the way it has been written. 

And, seriously, seriously, if they do not give me a Flint Manes redemption arc after making me put up with this Wyatt Long bullshit, I will never stop complaining about it.

[bitch-ass-aliens]

anatsa and isobel are definitely cute but with that being said i couldn't help but catch some moments of kyle who seemed to be kind of pining for isobel in this one so i'm like??? when is it gonna pay off? is it gonna pay off? i wish this could be the kind of show that i could feel at least a bit hopeful in this resulting in a poly triad but i think not so i'm definitely waiting to see how this turns out

My personal read isn't so much Kyle already pining so much as realizing he maybe has come to care for Isobel more than he has previously realized. Like the pacing of this season is ridiculous, but canonically, until like three weeks ago Kyle was in a relationship with another woman—a woman he actually rejected Isobel for last season.

However, he clearly thought about it in 2x06, so we know there's been sexual attraction for a while there, and since his breakup and everything else that has happened over the last few weeks, Isobel has 100% been the one person who has consistently been there for him in his lonelier/more hopeless moments this season.

So charting the course of this episode, I kind of interpret Kyle's behavior through the lens of someone who has had this source of emotional support recently, who when that person was threatened, had an immediate and strong reaction to protect them, and isn't quite sure what that means yet in the aftermath. So he hedges when Isobel asks him about it. And then in the bar (which I know some people read as maybe Kyle being a bit jealous), my interpretation is that he had kind of expected Isobel to join him the way she did at the drive-in, but instead she's busy. And Kyle's back to being by himself and lonely—which is a big part of his arc this season. Since the premiere he's been drifting, not sure of his place or where he really belongs (and pardon me laying on the angst here but watching Dallas, Isobel, and Michael find a bit of that in this episode probably didn't help).

So for me, the bar scene wasn't so much about them as a unit or item, but a continuation of this season long arc for Kyle's character in particular. One that I hope has a happy ending because the dude deserves omg. However, I do think they are planting seeds for developing the two of them in the future; I just don't think Kyle has had that oh moment yet. Might be coming before the end of the season, might come next season, idk.

In the meantime, I am very much enjoying Anasobel, and yeah, as much as I would love to see more poly rep on TV, I'm definitely not in any way expecting it from this show. And besides, they wouldn't be my preferred trio for that anyway for numerous reasons.

Thanks for the ask!

[cosmicclownboy]

The weirdest thing about Isobel's romance this season is I genuinely thought it was going to be with Kyle. The signs were there for me.

The connection and the vulnerability we were shown it on screen with Kyle. Isobel was open and honest in a way she couldn't be with Noah with you guessed it... Kyle.

And the thing with Anatsa/Isobel is instead of being shown a connection we are told via exposition dialogue. And she can't be open or honest because Anatsa is a reporter. Legit the only thing we know about Anatsa is she's a reporter so it just feels kind of hollow. Unlike Echo or Malex there isn't that defining moment on screen when Isobel realises she likes her. With Max it's him as a kid. With Michael it's the near kiss. Isobel doesn't have that.

We're getting the giggly awkwardness that Max and Michael were with their soulmates but because it's all off screen it's so weird to see Isobel like this. We know next to nothing about Anatsa either.

Less then a week and a half ago Anatsa was having sex with her brother.

And it's the same with Greg/Maria and Rosa/Wyatt come on.

DON'T TELL ME SHOW ME!!

[facelessfrey]

Roswell New Mexico - Season 4, Episode 5 

- There was...a lot going on in that episode and yet still not enough answers??

- I feel like Max could have gotten a little more out of Tesca in that mind scape. Mainly, I would still like to know what exactly the Alighting is. I mean I guess we found out that Ophiuchus is a...movement?? Sure. I guess. So that means Noah was part of this movement then? 

- And then we’ve got alien trees on Earth and the glowy rock thing is just....a projection map? If that’s all it does, that’s extremely underwhelming and I can’t fathom why in the hell they went through all that trouble to get those stones. Especially since he just gave it to Michael. 

- And then there was all that stuff that happened in Mexico?? Side note, every time they show that one wide shot of the town I just crack up because it’s clearly like a single stock photo they put up on the screen and I can’t. Anyway, so...Eduardo, the maybe secret Uncle, has a secret daughter that’s part of a long line of Valentis protecting alien secrets and artifacts?!?!?! Is that what I was supposed to get from all that? That was just a lot of random information that seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere. And that’s the form that Tesca has been using? So we don’t know what she actually looks like??? Is she like Nasado from the original series and doesn’t have a body or at least not a human looking one? Or did something happen to hers somehow??

- Also...Ali Meyers is somehow related to the Valentis???? Is that why Shivani knows about aliens? But shouldn’t she then know more? I’m so confused. 

- Oh and Maria and Dallas have a tree connection? Are they gonna end up secretly related too so they can’t date? There’s just A LOT going on and I can not keep track of it all anymore. 

- Like I’m glad everything is still revolving around the same plot and everyone is still essentially working together but it’s getting messy and I feel like they need to start slotting more pieces into place because it feels like they’re dragging their heals a little bit. 

- But uhh...confusing plot stuff aside...

- The best thing this episode was probably Kybel. Did it happen too immediately after the Anatsa break up? Maybe? I just....I can’t get over how much better it would have been if they just let Isobel be the one to sleep with Anatsa in the first episode of last season instead of Max (which is still the weirdest thing) and then just have them date all last season and then break up at the end or in like the first episode this season or something because she gets a new job and Isobel realizes what she said in this episode that she helped her learn to love again but she wasn’t her person. That was a good lesson and a great purpose for Anatsa to serve. But they didn’t need to waste all that time last season and then shoehorn it into the beginning of this season just to break them up for Kybel. If they’d just given Isobel and Anatsa a whole season together for their relationship to breathe a little, it wouldn’t have all felt so pointless. We could have appreciated her and the lesson Isobel learned a whole lot more. 

- That said, I adore Isobel and Kyle and their flirting and dance was great and the kiss was cut too quickly. But I’m very happy for them. 

- Max and Liz...are becoming a bit of a train wreck but perhaps the lessons they learned in this episode will force them to acknowledge the facts?? They are an alien and a scientist that constantly have alien issues to deal with and they’re never going to be just a couple from Roswell. So they need to find a realistic balance that doesn’t fundamentally change who they are. I mean it seems like that’s perhaps where they’re headed but I hope they tell it well. Also...did Liz just abandon her GED class or is she still teaching? Or did the test happen? Was that just some filler plot for the first two episodes or will any of that be at all relevant at a later date? 

- I don’t like that Cam is leaving again. I like having her around. She balances Max out and makes him slightly more likable. 

- I had another moment like in season 2 when Alex walked into the diner and had a scene with Isobel and Liz and I was like “is this allowed?” when Liz and Maria sat down with a bottle of wine for a catch up like actual real friends do? I mean...wow! Floored! Haha. I shouldn’t have to be this surprised in season 4 that they’re actually showing a real friendship scene between Liz and Maria, especially one where neither of them are in mortal peril. So uhh...yeah...with Cam leaving, more of Liz and Maria actually being friends would be great. It was a nice scene. 

- Dallas continues to be a nice support for Maria and her for him. I do like their dynamic a lot. Still concerned they might end up related. I really don’t know where they’re going with the two of them especially considering Maria has never mentioned Greg again after the first episode of this season. So...?? 

- I also still like the fact that they continually show us Michael and Dallas being friends and being there for each other. For a show that regularly forgets that friendship needs to be shown to be believable, they have done a surprisingly decent job with the two of them. 

- But speaking of Michael....FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CAN HE KNOW THAT ALEX IS MISSING???!?!? I know I’m biased here but like...it’s been three episodes now. He couldn’t get a hold of him when Mimi died. Is he not concerned??? And plot wise, can we please have SOME kind of hint of what Tesca and co are doing with him? Because this is a bit ridiculous. I can accept him not being on screen because he was unavailable for filming but the fact that no one even knows he’s missing/hurt/taken etc after three episodes is just bad story management. I used Motherland Fort Salem as an example earlier but like the episode after Raelle was sucked underground we didn’t see her but everyone knows she’s missing and they’re actively trying to do things to get her back. Scylla’s trying so hard and breaking down over it because she’s struggling. That’s the kind of stuff I would like to be seeing from Michael. Not him just having little chats with Bonnie and fricken Clyde. I’m bored. 

- Speaking of Bonnie and Clyde and Tesca and Jones and Oasis....I just hate all of these very earth names. Like I get why Max, Michael, Isobel and Dallas have human/Earth names because they were adopted and grew up here and I get why their parents came up with Earth names for ease of integrating. But every time I hear Bonnie or Clyde call each other by those names I just cringe because it sounds so ridiculous. JUST GIVE THEM ALIEN NAMES! I kind of hoped Tesca was actually an alien name but then they revealed this week that it wasn’t. I don’t get it. And Oasis is ridiculous too. At least come up with an alien sounding word and say it roughly translates to the English word Oasis or something but just pretending everyone calls it Oasis is so dumb. It just kind of drives me crazy and feels super lazy. 

- As for the ending with Michael being sick because apparently, according to the promo, Bonnie poisoned him with her kiss somehow???? Umm...okay? I guess at least that makes the kiss more worthwhile because it wasn’t just a random naive way for Michael to be like “I love Alex!” but honestly all of this stuff is just really confusing and all over the place. 

- I finally got my more cohesive plot and character interactions but they’re somehow still disappointing me with it all. I really was with them for the first three episodes but the last two have been really kind of frustrating in a lot of ways even if there are things I do like. 

- Also...so they’re trying to what? Turn Max into Jones so they can take him off back to Oasis to save their planet? I guess??? Sure....

- I just kind of need them to both slow down a bit but also be more direct so we can get to the point,

- Sigh....look! I’m back to ranting and using some ALL CAPS! And many question marks. 

[dr-lizortecho]

thanks to @rnmbingo for throwing together such a fun event every year <3 I had wanted to fill out the entire board but alas life happens, but I did however find a lot of wonderful fic to enjoy for the last month

F/F ship: Rivalry Series by @haloud (General Audiences, 1.6k, Isobel Evans/Anatsa Mufaro)

A Hockey AU, where Isobel and Anatsa are on rival teams. It captures the characters competitive nature’s perfectly while showing Isobel’s more awkward side.

Include a gif/image/emoji: in a little while by @jule1122 (Teen, 1.2k, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes)

An AU in which Michael and Alex are happily together, and Michael gets to reflect on what their relationship means to him (there’s a bit of angst but also a dog!!!)

A work you’ve commented on before: With These Hands by @impalachick (Explicit, 1.6k, Max Evans/Liz Ortecho/Kyle Valenti)

Au, post 3x05, what’s more to say then the three way handprint connection is still intact and Max starts a train of orgasms??? It’s a really amazing concept that’s executed perfectly, all three characters allowing themselves to indulge in fantasies of each other

PODFIC: [podfic] Stay With Me by shmaylor (Teen, 0-10 minutes, Maria DeLuca/Liz Ortecho)

an AU where Maria chases after Liz when she leaves for her road trip post graduation (post Rosa), and she asks her not to leave (warnings: slight Max slander but like- *whispers* he deserves it)

Mature or Explicit work: a gentleman’s guide to getting pegged by your girl by georgiehensley (Explicit, 1.1k, Max Evans/Liz Ortecho)

really well structured smut, where Max agrees to try pegging (WARNING: a real trigger this time, so there’s a line in here that assumes a point of view on the act of pegging that’s derogatory towards the concept of penetration, and has undercurrents of misandry)

A WIP: Surreal Estate by @beautifulcheat (Teen, 13.3k, Rosa Ortecho/Isobel Evans/Anatsa Mufaro)

AU, haunted houses (sorry stigmatized properties)! The vibes are spectacular, and the characters are beautifully conveyed in this setting. Not to mention there’s mystery and intrigue.

AU (Alternate Universe) Work: Love The Very Blood of You by soldierwitch (Teen, 13.3k, Max Evans/Liz Ortecho)

an AU where Max was adopted separate of his siblings, and instead of becoming a Deputy to help him sleep at night he becomes a priest, in walks Liz Ortecho an agnostic scientist who changes his world (warning: it’s a wee bit blasphemous, but as a person who subscribes to the religion in discussion it’s not actually upsetting, like I’m very personally picky about religious themes, idk if that makes sense)

“This Work Made Me___”: Charity Case With Benefits by @maeglinthebold (Mature, 1.5k, Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin/Alex Manes)

delightfully fun, there’s only one bed and they’re all just so perfect, every single beat is timed to perfection creating a fun and heart warming scene

Author’s First RNM Work: The Powers of Flowers by incandescentchampagneproblems (Teen, 2.3k, Max Evans/Liz Ortecho)

a cute little au with a flower shop, and Liz being dead certain the last thing she’ll be doing is getting caught in a rom com (but the jokes on her cause she’s in a rom com)

A Poly Work (3+ People): The Consequences of Being a Tease by tv_obsessions (Explicit, 1.7k, Maria DeLuca/Max Evans/Liz Ortecho)

pure smut, in which Max and Maria enter a friendly competition to see who can make their girl feel good (in other words Liz Ortecho deserves all the orgasms) and like Max calls Maria ma’am

“I Loved ‘Quote from Work’”: I Z Z Y by @ajna-eye-cogitations (General Audiences, 0.3k, no pairings)

this fic was amazing as always (this is an author rec too guys <3) literally every single word was beautifully constructed, and like the fire and snake symbolism, truly captured Iz’s spirit in this fic

Free Space (Any Time of Comment): [fanvid] The Way - Max/Liz by @impalachick (roughly a minute each, Max Evans/Liz Ortecho)

Beautiful! Their 3x09 road trip to the music Max canonically selected for their highschool trip

Rare Pair of New To You Ship: I like my girls just like I like my honey by milzilla (Teen, 1k, Jenna Cameron/Maria DeLuca)

Fake dating! One bed! Must I go on? They’re also going to a fancy event, and the emotions are captured so wonderfully

Fanart: Every Night I Save You by @viaomens (Max Evans/Liz Ortecho)

A stunning Echo edit, that makes me wanna cry, it’s beautiful in the way visuals are but also conceptually and emotionally

“I Loved the Scene Where__”: Vision of Love by anonymous (General Audiences, 2.8k, Maria DeLuca/Liz Ortecho)

AU, Maria and Liz have a chance meeting after Liz gets an amazing job offer, their connection is flawless and the imagery is gorgeous

>50K FIC: The Truth is Right Here by @ladynox @beautifulcheat (Mature, 377.8k, Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin/Alex Manes)

flawless, perfection, the reason I ship malexa, the world is so great, the characters so well translated (and fleshed out in beautiful ways canon could only have dreamed of). A must read IMO, joining a short list of fic I’d rec to someone unaware of the source material

Be The First to Comment on a Work: This Smile is a Loaded Gun by Limestone_and_Hemlock (Teen, 0.6k, Liz Ortecho/Isobel Evans)

AU, they’re assassins in a Charlie’s Angels esque scenario, and the tension is gorgeous (there’s also an edit)

Gen or Teen Work: what an imbecile! what an ultramoron! by @maeglinthebold (Teen, 0.3k, Max Evans/Liz Ortecho/Kyle Valenti)

hilarious! Also, just so many good little pieces of who the three of them are and how they naturally come together

Comment on a Work with <10 kudos: it’s the best thing that I’ll ever do by @thesquidkid (General Audiences, 1.1k, Isobel Evans/Anatsa Mufaro)

the seamlessness of it! It’s an anatsobel wedding full of so many feelings and history, completely incapsulating why I adore them as a ship

<1000 Word FIC: Kiss of Hope by creatureofhobbit (General Audiences, 0.4K, no pairings)

a simultaneously heartbreaking as heartwarming look at Max and Bonnie’s views of their abilities

A Comment That is 1000+ Characters: State of Love and Trust by @wunderlass (Mature, 18.1k, Max Evans/Liz Ortecho)

Canon Divergent 2x05, in which Max’s Darkness is a little more difficult to shake, it’s sexy and heartbreaking, and there’s Jones parallels galore

3+ Chapters of a Multichapter Work: Heart of Lightning: A Roswellian Tale by @suzteel (Teen, 20k, Max Evans/Liz Ortecho)

Knight Liz! King Max! Sorcerers and Seers, it’s all perfection, and the way it weaves canon flawlessly into the setting is stunning

[lovecolibri]

Things that Spark Joy-3x10

WHAT. AN. EPISODE! There was so much in this that sparked joy, I don’t even know where to begin! This was the first time in a long time I felt like I was watching the show I fell in love with. Everything was SO GOOD and lived up to the potential the rest of the season had, but couldn't quite deliver on because it was too busy sacrificing things on the alter to m*ria. That’s been part of my frustration all season because the potential for a really, really good season was there, but there wasn’t enough time to show us all the things they should have because the episodes and characters were stopping everything to else to prop up m*ria, to the detriment of everything else. But this episode gave us a glimpse of what the show could be like without her and it was glorious. The plot was tight, the characters were focused in the right places and on people in a way that made sense, we got to see the important moments instead of hearing about them after the fact, and we even got some answers to questions I didn’t think we’d ever find out about! As always, the “salt” post is here, but for now lets dive in to the good stuff!

Starting with baby Heath and Dallas was a great choice, as was giving us the flashback of them as grownups because it really cemented that lifelong friendship and made me care about them. I’m already 100% more invested in Heath after this episode than I was after all his previous appearances. I was totally prepared for Evil!Heath, but I’m actually loving this turn of events because yeah, evil guy playing Liz could have been good, but good guy using Liz and working with an evil man because he’s trying to save his friend? So compelling. It’s harder for our heroes to fight someone who is only trying to save his friend. I’m so invested in this story now!

And Dallas. OMG, Dallas. I already love him SO MUCH. He’s gorgeous and witty and sweet and also so alone and needs a family and I want him to stay forever. Getting to see him meet and have that moment with his dad was great and we got some important plot information out of the whole thing as well. His scenes with Michael were SO good, and I totally called that they wouldn’t get on at first, but because of their similar childhoods they would eventually bond and it was so great seeing it play out on screen. Michael being willing to open up to Dallas because he knows he has support in Isobel and Alex if he’s struggling shows such growth for him and I’m loving it. We also got to see him with Isobel again which was fun. and her trying to ease into the alien reveal and then saying “screw it” and making that cute smiley face was just SO Isobel. And does he have water powers?! Because I would like to see that. AND we got Dallas with Kyle which was unexpected and adds another layer to the story because I feel like we are going to get a point where Dallas is close to making that choice and has to get talked down. But also, Kyle is NOT a receptacle for everyone’s secrets just because he’s a doctor! This is a blatant abuse of “doctor/patient confidentiality”. Let the man rest. 

We also got to hear telepathic Isobel and Michael which was fun and I don’t think we’ve gotten that before. Lily and Vlamis have a great dynamic and it was good to get to see more of that, plus we got them with Jeanine as well which is super fun. I definitely need more scenes with those three! Their banter was fun, and Isobel getting knocked back off that bench was comedy gold.

Speaking of Lily and her having chemistry with everyone, despite my issues with the whole Max thing, I think Anatsa and Isobel were cute and the archery scene was delightful. (Sidebar, when is Sibongile going to be in some kind medieval/fantasy movie as a warrior because I would watch TF out of her being an absolute badass.)

BUT, alas for Anatsa, the Kybel content this episode was *chef’s kiss*. The hug and delight on both of their faces when Isobel shows up? The way Kyle closes his eyes and nuzzles in a bit when she doesn’t pull away right away? Kyle getting riled up on Isobel’s behalf and burning the files rather than turning them over to the sheriff?! “You have ICE powers now?!”, telling her he was sorry for making her doubt herself? “I didn’t want you to fail and because of that we both did”, his sad little face when he sees her going over to Anatsa?! I am HERE for the slowburn Kybel *grabby hands*

Speaking of Kyle Valenti, my beloved, let’s talk about him being a BAMF and again risking himself and his job to keep the alien secret safe. AND he got attacked by Jones and recognized Heath from his attack. Kyle is the best of all of them and I love him so much, but dear god let the man rest aND NO, WRITERS, BEING IN A COMA WHERE NONE OF HIS FRIENDS TALK ABOUT OR TRY TO SAVE HIM DOESN’T COUNT. anyway. Kyle blatantly breaking the vials Heath needed and setting the files on Isobel and Max on fire that the sheriff wanted to see have the same energy and I just think Kyle deserves to be kissed on the mouth for being so dedicated. 

Liz. Ortecho. It was so good seeing her take charge this episode!  We got to see her with Michael and Iz which is always fun, but we also got more of her with Max, breaking and entering again (she barely has to duck to get under his arm! 🥺🥺🥺), AND an interrupted kiss, we got her emotional scene with Heath trying to talk him around to their side, and then an actual kiss BUT IT WAS JONES!! The scene with her and Jones and Heath and the sheriff was great. I just love Jeanine so much and she was given so much to work with in this episode. And she’s now got her hands in the Jones thing, the Heath thing that connects to the Dallas thing (excited to see those things connecting soon!), and the Dallas thing connects to the Lockhart Machine which connects to the formula she’s looking for and oooooooh, it is all coming together! Liz being the lead means she should be tied to all the threads in some way and it’s nice to see that finally starting to take place.

The sheriff tasing Max and handcuffing him to a railing actually made me laugh, like, she’s a little confused but she’s got the spirit!

We finally got an answer on HOW Heath knew to find those tapes out in the desert behind Max’s house! The timeline on Kyle’s attack is still wonky and also means Eduardo walked over an unconscious m*ria’s body to drag Kyle to safety which is hilarious to me, but that one piece of the puzzle on why any of them were even there was what bothered me the most so it was nice to see that have an explanation finally. 

I really want to like Max, and he’s always at his best when he’s making heart eyes at Science!Liz, or helping her break into places with mild reluctance, but we all know he would follow her anywhere. So this episode delivered some good, soft Echo content as well, and it included Max telling Liz to take her time because he knows where he stands and isn’t wavering. It’s nice to see Echo working their way back to each other and being cute together.

MALEX STANS, HOW WE DOING?! NGL I am feeling VERY vindicated right now in writing that over the top fluffy Malex fic because apparently it was spot fucking on. Every single thing about them is so delightful! I love how soft they are, which we all knew they SHOULD be, but it was definitely a concern that the writers would not understand this. But we are getting soft, heart eyes, nerdy boyfriends, who are so much in love it’s visible from The Oasis and I LOVE it so much! We are getting to see parallels to other arguments they’ve had to show how they have grown and are able communicate and it’s beautiful to watch. As much as I might have complained about them stalling the build up and throwing it all into one episode, this domestic Malex is exactly what I imagined for them after they got together so I have no complaints. Give me ALL of the soft, supportive boyfriends! I don’t even know that I can put into words everything that Soft!Malex makes me feel but I am fully on board and absolutely adoring what we are seeing for them. Hopefully this Malex energy continues and we can see them standing back to back, taking things on together and supporting each other!

[winged-fool]

I really should be sleeping but here we are. First I’m going to be salty. Was Maria and simp manes really necessary to this episode? Did we really need to waste time on those two boning? Jesus Christ. They can give us those Mari-less episodes anytime now. That said. I’m now going to flail over everything else. Like I knew about halfway through the episode either Heath or Dallas had to be an alien because Dallas’ introduction didn’t feel like a one off and there was a synopsis released naming Dallas. But man they still did that reveal well. And god damnit Liz, for someone so smart she can be real dumb and I love that. I love Jones, he’s so good at being bad. I still don’t like Max and am now Lizobel trash but the stuff between Isobel and Anatsa was cute. I could have really used more Kyle & Eduardo or Malex scenes instead of any of the delmanes googlie eyes and unnecessarily long sex scene. Because god damn the Valenti stuff was interesting as hell and they just glossed the fuck over it. And the stars of the show. Malex. My babies. I do not currently posses words to describe how much I love them. But Michael talking to his true Dad Walt about Alex and getting relationship advice gives me butterflies. And Eduardo giving off the absolute most unimpressed future father-in-law vibes is my jam. And MICHAEL, MICHAEL FUCKING GUERIN SHOWING UP AT DEEP SKY IN A I COME IN PEACE T-SHIRT! And him holding Alex and telling him he has him. I am not okay. I’m not okay. Michael calling Alex honey. I’m a god damn puddle and I need to go to bed. God damnit. If they hadn’t ruined this episode by getting delmanes all over it I think this would have been my favorite episode yet. 🍤🍤🍤

Hello my friend! Your analysis is 100% spot on!! Maria and Gregory Simp Manes are honestly so freaking annoying. I cannot believe they shoved all those annoying lovey dovey scenes on us, then that awful love scene, and then topped it off with the most cringey dialogue afterwards. It was awful and I'm just so glad Alanna is gone. Do Danny next...

I was actually really shocked by the Heath twist but I did see the Dallas one coming! It was really interesting though especially if there's a third one - with the whole triad thing going on.

Everything about malex was honestly sooo good!! I loved it so much, even though we were robbed of their public date and the Sanders and Michael conversation haha but ugh Michael grabbing Alex was incredible and then the way Alex leaned into his embrace. Absolute perfect 😭

[jackoshadows]

Maria was amazing this episode. From her concern for Kyle, staying by his side, her humorous little quips, her little mission with Rosa to take down Jordan. I like her burgeoning relationship with Greg, her and Michael working together to protect Kyle, her being integrated into the main plots. Maria Deluca finally getting to interact with others and have a story after two seasons.

Maria and Rosa working together was great as well. Not enjoying the BLM plot and Max’s ‘not all cops’ nonsense,  but I did like that it was Rosa, Maria, Anatsa, Manny and Vinny who took down the white supremacists and Jordan. Hope that’s an end to this plot.

I still don’t understand why these masked attackers are allowed free reign. They clearly attacked and beat up Maria at the Wild Pony. Cannot Max investigate all this and arrest these people? He seems to be an ineffectual cop this season.

Kyle continues to be great and I am loving the growing friendship between him and Michael. From Michael man-sitting Kyle and helping save him to Kyle’s words about helping those around them having an affect on Michael, making him grow and change. It’s clear that Kyle’s own desire to help people and him telling Michael to do something instead of licking his wounds pushes Michael to move past his old regrets/remorse/guilt. Him trying to make amends some way with Rosa, knowing it’s not enough, but still doing it, is a good first step. Rosa not completely absolving him, but allowing that he too has a second chance like she did was great. Scenes like this are why the whole ‘Amnesia Wyatt’ plot simply don’t work, especially with someone like Rosa - who does rightly hold the pod squad accountable for what they did. I like that characters like Kyle and Rosa are all a part of Michael’s growth this season.

Kyle and Max was another fun relationship, and the Kyle/Max/Liz relationship through the handprint tether sounds interesting. Is that going to be a permanent thing or did healing Max, make that go away. And of course there’s more to what Jones did - maybe a switch between clones. Glad that Liz is finally back in Roswell - those Max/Liz scenes seem a little rushed, maybe because it’s Jones and not Max.

All in all, not as good as the previous episode, but still a lot of fun character interactions and alien plot. Kyle continues to be the MVP of the show and Maria gets to save the day and put Jordan in prison where he belongs.

[gra-sonas]

Kybel or Antsa\Iz?

I'm in a real dilemma over this tbh.

As a queer woman who CRAVES sapphic content on screen (which is still so very rare), I wish I'd be rooting hard for Anatsa and Isobel. And I feel like I could've done that, had the show put in any effort to actually develop the pairing on screen.

But so far, they haven't.

They introduced Anatsa as a one-night-stand-interest for Max, which... awkward??? (not shaming Anatsa btw, she has exceptional taste in tall aliens, there was just no reason to make her sleep with Max imo, she could've easily bonded with him over a shared interest in writing, and she could've still been surprised/irritated about the fact that he's a cop, IDK, just an odd choice imo), and for the first half of the season she was only part of his storyline every now and then until she and Isobel randomly sat together at the Pony bar (Maria mentioned seeing them “canoodling” in a later episode, which we didn’t get to see tho, so we have no idea what actually happened between them. SHOW, DON’T JUST TELL, FFS 🙄).

I assume that was supposed to mark the beginning of "their" story, but I think Anatsa wasn't even in the next 2-3 episodes after that, so, who knows??? 🤷‍♀️

IDK, it's certainly not due to a lack of chemistry between Lily and Sibongile, and I think Anatsa has the potential to be an interesting character - if the writing would put in the effort to make her one.

Randomly throwing her at Isobel would maybe still work, if Isobel hadn't also shared numerous meaningful and emotional scenes with Kyle this season (in 3x10 even back to back with an A/I scene), showing how close they are, how comfortable they are with each other, and how much chemistry they have.

In 3x10 we’ve also seen Kyle being visibly affected by Isobel approaching Anatsa at the pool table, imo that implies that he's definitely interested in Isobel “like that”. And Isobel is always sunshine personified in every scene with Kyle. I mean, did you see her face when they met in 3x10, her calling him "Dr. Abs" and asking for a hug??? They hugged so tight, Lily must’ve felt Trevino’s abs through 5 layers of clothes.

The show is failing Anatsa/Isobel HARD imo. They didn’t get any development, they haven’t even been allowed to kiss yet, and on the other hand the show’s paired Isobel with Kyle in so many scenes, I’m struggling to truly feel much for A/I.

Again, I see the potential in A/I, but the show’s currently “pitting” the queer wlw pairing in three random and underdeveloped moments against the m/f pairing with numerous shared scenes, and a long-standing history on the show, and that’s very disappointing. :(

Ahead of S3 I was really excited about the idea of Isobel being paired up with Sibongile’s character (we didn’t know whether it would happen, we didn’t even have a character name at the time, neither did we know anything else about the character - fast forward 10 episodes into S3, we've only learned her first name, that she’s a reporter from Chicago, can sing, is good at archery, and that she has a knack for adding bourbon to her coffee - how are we supposed to be invested in a character we know so little about???). I was even upset when it was all about Max in the first half of the season and it seemed like she wouldn’t be the one who’d be paired with Isobel. And now?

I really just want Kybel to happen tbh. Bc they have the emotional connection, I care about both characters deeply, and I see the 🔥🔥🔥 chemistry in every moment they are in a scene together.

You can’t just throw two queer characters at each other, do shit about writing a proper story for them, and then pretend like it’s great queer rep, or awesome writing for an LGBTQIA+ pairing. It’s not.

I mean, can you imagine if they’d done this properly and given A/I a meaningful storyline with emotional impact? Maybe even let two apparently bi/pan women have a convo about being bi/pan in the queer community? They could’ve done some really cool things with the pairing, address issues/stereotypes especially bi/pan women are often dealing with.

Instead we got some random not-even-trying scenes where basically nothing happened, we barely even know Anatsa yet, while Kybel light a fire in every scene they share.

I’m so over stupid fucking triangles (and this show handles them so, so badly), and I hate that I can’t really root for A/I bc I’m emotionally invested in Kybel (the show’s doing everything right with them, but if A/I is what’s happening, it kinda sucks that Kybel get all these meaningful scenes). *sigh*

[pastelwitchling]

Unpopular Oppinion - Even though I adore IzzyKyle, I’m still a bit salty we didn’t get Izzy/Greg. One scene and I was gone for them.

I really liked them, I admit. If only we’d gotten Isobel and Greg that Kyle was jealous of instead of Isobel and Anatsa. At least belmanes had chemistry and made sense 🤭

[salmonthestoryteller]

RNM Season 4 Episodes 5-6

Okay, so here are my thoughts on the last two episodes of Roswell New Mexico - spoilers and plot speculation ahead.

Okay… so we aren’t bringing Jones back (at least not in the flesh.)  Will admit, kinda thought that might be the plan.  I am going to double down on my Collective Consciousness Theory. I’m guessing Ophiuchus is the RNM version of the Collective Consciousness, but with a few tweaks.  Still guessing Michael’s console is the Collective Consciousness console, not the spaceship console.  But, I think it’s a temporary housing, and that ultimately the end goal is for all of these consciouses to go into a person.  Ophiuchus, aka Max.  So, mind-controlled Max soon?  Maybe?

Max and Michael’s conversation was golden. “I regret every time I don’t let him in.”  Just pull at our heartstrings why don’t you!  Also, Max, maybe listen to your best friend - he’s giving you great relationship advice here.

Cam remains a voice of reason.  I appreciate her scenes with both Liz and Max.  Though I do feel a bit like the writers are forgetting Cam only knew Max for 2 years. (She told Jesse Manes in season 1 that Valenti hadn’t warmed up to her in the two years she’d been there.)  She also stated in season one that Max wasn’t the type to run headfirst into a situation until Liz returned to town.  Which both had to do with Max’s feelings for Liz, and how much he was holding himself in check out of fear and guilt following the murders.  My point is, though, that Cam shouldn’t be quite as much of an expert on Max as she is being, since he was already showing signs of being different than the Max she knew then - let alone now.  While some of it can definitely be contributed to distance from the situation making her see it more clearly than Liz, I do feel like some of it should have maybe been more of a conversation between Isobel and Liz about Max instead.

Honestly, though, that’s fairly minor.  I still adore Cam.  And I hope this isn’t the last we see of her in the season.  (She hasn’t gotten to hook up with Dallas yet!  C’mon, you owe us a Cam and Dallas hook up!)

I actually was a fan of Clyde and Michael finding a connection to each other, and Clyde deciding that maybe it’s okay for Bonnie to have music.  (I absolutely was not the only one humming Part of Your World cuz of Bonnie’s cave, right?) I really hope we’re aiming for Clyde turning to the good side.  It definitely seemed like, despite Bonnie’s concerns, Michael was the one getting to both of them rather than vice versa - considering Clyde gave her the guitar after his and Michael’s most recent conversations and clearly was back to eating Earth food with Bonnie since she brought him a breakfast burrito the next episode.  (Go Mikey!  You can do it!)

Dallas having a few memories of living in the past does make some sense.  We know a bunch of aliens escaped the night of the crash and were eventually captured and sent to Caulfield - Dallas’s father included.  But there was still time for them to be running around Roswell before he was captured.  I like the continued mix of biomechanics they give the aliens.  First the pods, then the fruit of the tree being fuel.  It seems like there was a whole escape plan - Michael’s mother was building the ship; Dallas’s father planted the tree that would create their fuel.  But where is the ship then?

I appreciate Isobel admitting Anatsa wasn’t “her person”.  While I’m still not overall thrilled that they gave us a w/w ship I could have liked if they hadn’t decided in advance to not make it last, I do like the call back to those words.  “My person” has been an Isobel thing since S1.  And I am definitely vibrating with the desire to have her say, “Kyle Valenti, you are my person.”

Okay, if you’re interested in my complaints about episode 6, go here.

Clyde is retrieving something… I kinda wonder if that “something” is Alex…

Of course, they have to draw out Kybel.  Okay, I don’t hate the scenes.  It’s obvious from the writing they will get together.  Unlike Echo, or previous season Malex, Kyle and Isobel did what they personally do best - communicate.  Kyle knows all about Isobel’s fears when it comes to relationships, and Isobel knows that Kyle doesn’t deserve to be strung along if she can’t commit herself fully to him.  I’m sure it will be a beautiful scene when it happens.  But, c’mon.  This is the epitome of a slow burn, if you think about it.  Isobel and Kyle���s connection has slowly been building since season one when he took care of her when she injected herself.  That was the first time they started sharing stories and finding common ground.  It’s four seasons, and multiple romances for both later.  Is drawing it out further really necessary at this point? Especially given I feel like we’re heading towards Echo break-up 3.0?  Let my fav girl be happy, already.

Okay, I do like the plot of Michael getting sick and his stolen powers, admittedly.  Though I do wonder if the writers bothered to look up what they claimed Michael had before throwing a bunch of illnesses down on paper.  As someone who has had strep throat, Michael does way too much talking to have strep throat.  The last time I had it, I couldn’t even squeak.  I puffed air and no sound emerged.  Minor illness details aside, Liz rubbing his arm to comfort him cuz she is worried about her science bro was sweet.  And she also shot her boyfriend a glare for picking on Mikey while he was down.  Kudos to Liz.  Having multiple illnesses at the same time is no joke.  I do feel like losing his powers is painful but good plot for Michael - so long as he gets them back.  Being an alien is very, very important to Michael and having his powers taken away, making him vulnerable to illness, essentially changing who is he like this - that hurts him on such a deep level.  His “You erased me” to Bonnie was spot on and such a gut punch line.

Side note, if they were gonna have everyone find out Bonnie kissed Michael, couldn’t that have happened when Bonnie was present?  So she could mention he pushed her away cuz he’s “totally in love with his boyfriend” in front of everyone?  I would have loved to see the others be all “aw” and/or tease him about having blurted that out.

Max, meanwhile, says he’ll keep Michael’s promise to protect Bonnie, and then proceeds to be a total jerk to her.  Max, you suck.  However, this isn’t actually surprising behavior for Max.  He’s been kind of “My way or the highway” since s1.  I thought he did a bit better last season, but it’s still not out of character behavior for him to say, yes I’ll help - and then proceed to do things his way instead of the way he was asked to.  He’s also wanted to be rid of his powers and be just a “guy from Roswell” pretty much most of his life.  Definitely since the Drifter murder.  Which, okay, yes, trauma.  But is in the middle of an alien showdown the smartest time to decide to pursue that?  I know he thinks getting rid of his powers means he can’t be used by Tezca, but that doesn’t save anyone else from her machinations?  This is why Max is among my least favorite characters.  Despite deeply caring for others and wanting to protect them, he never listens to anyone else’s input on the how of it all.  What is an acceptable form for that to take.  Gr, Max…

Small detail, but how would Bonnie know the name Noah Bracken?  Knowing Noah, yes - but it should be under a different name.  Not the one he used in Roswell.  Not thrilled with the “Noah was always evil” plot.  Was very pro, “Being stuck in isolation and sensory deprivation made Noah off his rocker.”  It’s honestly a proven fact that prolonged periods of both have a negative impact on the psyche.  All that aside, I hope we do get even more info on Noah.  (Max, why is that picture still on your phone, btw?)

I honestly like all the side stories.  I like Eduardo and Sonya.  I like Shivani, and the hoops she’s jumping through to save her daughter.  I am very curious about where Allie is - since I am wondering if she is working for Tezca?  But I’m a sucker for side characters.  Honestly helps me enjoy a series if I get invested in their stories since I’m rarely invested in the journey of some of the main characters.  (*cough*Max*cough*Maria*cough*)  I like a good ghost plot, but I still would rather have had Mimi alive, for the record.  And Rosa when??  We need Rosa to come and sass absolutely everyone right about now.

The final question I do have is about the initial ship that crashed.  Noah said in s1 that they were refugees fleeing the civil war.  That a stowaway crashed the ship.  The presence of Jones seemed to confirm that.  But now, not only has Noah turned out to work for Jones - Tezca, Bonnie, and Clyde were on board.  Okay, so… why was the literal dictator and all these people who work for him on this ship alongside people running from the war and the leaders of the rebellion?  Was it two ships?  Was there a battle going down?  I’m now very confused about the original ship and crash.

[sunflowerdigs]

So, I did a little sarcastic-y review from the salt mines for RNM 3x09. Warnings for excessive sodium content, Maribel mourning, a desire to recycle cardboard, and, of course, Malex opinions. Without further ado:

- Every time Michael smiles I forget for like 5 whole seconds how much I hate that Malex keeps me shackled to this show. Too cute that he brought Alex lunch (and probably hoped he could sneak a glimpse of him) and they're going on their first date (omg omg omg).❤❤❤❤❤

- Kyle should yell at people more. Starting with his garbage friends who left him in a barn without proper triage or jello cups while he was in a coma (why didn't they just keep him at DS if he's having appointments there anyway? Nevermind... ). Alas, he's starting his understandable rage tour with Uncle Edgelord, who, naturally, makes a dramatic statement and tries to leave. I am so glad Kyle called him on that.

- Delmanes would be cute if Greg didn't have the personality of cardboard. They've created a character who is actually only here to remind us of how special and amazing Maria is. Turns out that's not super interesting. And it's so painfully obvious that it's a pair-your-spares situation. I really wish they'd just give her Kyle, he has the patience of a saint. Anyway, Isobel's pigtails are cute af (rip my Isobel/Maria/Kyle heart - I would have taken Isobel interrupting Delmanes and Heather's post with pigtails today as signs if not for genetics).

- Anatsa and Isobel's development seems to have taken place completely off-screen, like everything else gay on this show, so I'm guessing it's gonna stick. Honestly...I guess this is controversial but Isobel and Maria have really good chemistry and a history. I know their bond is supposed to read "sibling" but it doesn't for me. And rather than waste time watching them flirt with these one-note (ah, Greg chimes in right on time with a convenient line any rando could have delivered) LIs, I'd much rather see them get closer. The whole related thing has thrown a wrench into it for me. That said, it's nice to watch a woman be encouraged to go after another woman. 🎉

- Alex the sci-fi/fantasy nerd figuring out immediately that the hallucination is his own subconscious is 100% legit. Much like Kyle not letting his uncle pull a classic tall-dark-and-broody exit, I appreciate Alex's 4th-wall break moment.

- Not Max and Liz proving that discussions about s2 drama can occur on Roswell New Mexico?! What? Must be a straight thing. Lucky them.

- Isobel is actually acting a lot like Sherlock Holmes when he's on a case, from the wardrobe to the focus, and it's hot. Also, totally believable that Isobel would be able to pull up that pod from under the ice because we know she's been training even if it didn't happen onscreen. Because she told us. Just a suggestion.

- I love the idea of Jim Valenti as a double-agent, but I don't see how Eduardo thought he could keep Kyle safe by never knowing him. It feels like there's a lot more here Eduardo isn't saying.

- It wasn't a sister-fight that Maria and Isobel had, but whatever (no one got physically shoved or brought up a horrifying memory from 100000 years ago to shove in someone's face in public - doesn't count).

- Also, why would you waste a glass by throwing it into the fireplace? Wouldn't it just explode back in your face? Man, the show is trying so hard with Maria and Greg, I want to give them some kind of romance-novel award for effort (but not success).

- Not Liz and Max showing us that it's possible to move forward by discussing your past mistakes like adults instead of pretending they didn't happen!? What? Must be a straight thing. Lucky them.

- Draw a line on the bottle? No way, Valenti, he obviously wants you to chuck that whole thing straight into the fire in a fit of passion to prove that his words had an emotional impact.

- Also, Kyle wins the prize for this episode for that speech to Uncle Edgelord. Everyone go home. When do I get a Kyle and Alex spin-off where they travel the world, defying sci-fi tropes and seducing beautiful men and women?

- Not Liz and Max talking loudly about aliens while breaking and entering! This one is actually very believable, I take it back.

- It was idiotic of Liz to trust Heath. And Echo keep having this same fight because MAX IS RIGHT BUT THE SHOW WON'T LET HIM BE. Which is so obnoxious. I would forgive Liz for almost any sin (like, idk, getting a better romantic storyline because she's straight) because she's gorgeous and smart and tough and I wanna go live with her and her mad scientist energy on a deserted island somewhere. But she's being real dumb rn.

- I love the t-shirt and if Vlambase doesn't sell one I will. But he couldn't have held up a radio and blasted some Barry White? I feel like that would have cleared everyone but Alex put of the building real fast. Also, what is time on Roswell NM? Was Alex just setting the alarm every so often for kicks? Does Eduardo really not check in on staff who are working with dangerous technology for days on end? Also, why is this entire plot happening over a single goddamn episode instead of two or more so that we can really feel Alex wasting away under the machine's influence? The reason this twist is at all surprising is also the entire plot's undoing - Alex's demeanor wasn't exactly one of a man obsessed (or an addict, tbh) in his last scene.

- Anyway, back to Rizzoli and Isles. I definitely am always super excited to hear the details of my sister's sex life. All the time. That is totally a sister thing except where it's really not. Do any of these writers actually have a sister? I feel like they must because the Michael/Max/Isobel sibling chemistry is always bang on but Maribel is just...flirty lady city. Oh, and look, the beard just showed up with coffee to cockblock - it really is R&I!

- Back to Alex's plot line, which, much like Isobel's coffee, is Express To-Go. He's become haggard and worn in the time it's taken Michael's mom to find a cute sweater in the void. Seriously, we wasted like 3 whole episodes where Alex was presumably sitting in DS twiddling his thumbs and now he's being worn down by the machine in a single episode? Why didn't this plot start back in episode 3 or 4? Like...look, I don't come on here to be an asshole. But I just really hope they're taking note of what worked this season and what didn't because HOLY PACING FIASCO BATMAN. Just because you're giving us Malex doesn't mean everything else can just be hot garbage (not the acting, Taylor's doing his best to sell this). Also, when did Alex put his leg back on? I have so many questions but they aren't the good kind, so Michael better ride in soon and save this mess.

- Regarding what Nora is saying, it's fine, it makes sense but the zero build up makes it completely ineffective. Alex is afraid he doesn't love enough - it would have been nice to see that over several episodes instead of just being told in a burst of sudden exposition but, you know. Nice straight things we can't have, I guess.

- If Michael and Alex want their relationship to "purr" they could, idk, talk through their past misunderstandings like people in relationships do. Or the show could keep throwing exposition bombs at them, idek.

- Are those empty toilet paper rolls inside the machine? I knew the CW was budget but come on...

- And we finally get the Heath connection and it's to our brand new trope-y character, Wise Old Black Man Dallas. It's surprising but only because the 4th alien didn't exist before this episode. So, good job.

Overall, not the worst episode of RNM ever. I only wondered why I watch this show maybe 3 times this episode. And Michael's enthusiasm for Alex was adorable.