Liz and Max have a major disagreement prompting her to turn to Rosa for guidance. Maria struggles to connect to her mother's spirit.
Liz knows Max kissed Bonnie the moment it happened. When she confronts him about his selfish decision, he wants to ease her concerns because there was nothing romantic about it. That proves how he isn't on the same wavelength as everyone else. That was never going to be why Liz was upset with him. That's not even the proper context through which this should even be seen. It's simply falling into the typical conventions. It's the learned behavior that he simply repeats. He took this action to remove his powers. In doing so, he hopefully eliminated the threat from Tezca. She is only interested in him because of his abilities. She has fought to unlock his true potential. He was afraid of what he could do and the people who got hurt along the way. That's the truth of why he did this. He didn't consult Liz at all. She too has had her own identity crisis. She is more than capable of making her own mistakes. That's especially true in the context of seeing someone else completely thriving. She can at least own up to her failings. Max has never really shown that ability. He also reverts back to the trope of needing to protect everyone he cares about. He worries Michael can't think objectively about this mission because he's blinded by his quest to return to Oasis. He hasn't even told Alex about that potential years-long mission. Of course, that would require someone to actually care about what has happened to Alex. It's only in the final minute that Maria realizes she's being haunted by Alex and not her mother. That's a more rewarding twist because Alex has a deeper emotional connection to these characters. Yes, Mimi has that distinction to a certain extent. The show has simply struggled telling stories with her. She represented the danger awaiting Maria should her health continue to deteriorate due to using her powers. She was cured but can no longer receive visions. She has had to find a new way to search the world for answers. Even the most empathetic and powerful people in this world still struggle to unlock the mysteries of their lives. Isobel receives a clue that suggests she had a life on Oasis before the crash. She believed she was just like Max and Michael. They have no memories of Oasis. As such, they lived in the pods until they emerged in Roswell. That's not true. It wasn't Dallas' experience. He has searched through the past looking for answers from his father. Every memory unlocked only triggers a new mystery that needs to be solved. Again, it's annoying and very repetitive. That's nothing new for this show. After four seasons, it's still incredibly tiring and boring. It makes it impossible to believe these characters have evolved after all their journeys together.
This episode marks the first appearance of Rosa this season. Her time away was meant to highlight how she could thrive in New York City as an artist. Her life wasn't destined to keep her in Roswell. So many characters seem bound to this place. They can't leave no matter how hard they may want to. Meanwhile, others are trapped by circumstances. Rosa was imprisoned there for years. When she finally had her freedom once more, she was haunted by the triggers of the past. She could start over anew. That potential could only happen if she left. Liz is grateful to see her sister thriving. Her mind is always focusing on the problems back in the lab. She needs to find a solution. She can't let two aliens walk around without their powers. Max and Michael are essentially useless when it comes to fighting Tezca. They are dispatched quickly. It's up to Isobel to fight their new enemy. She prevails. But again, it's all done with the hint of more mysteries to come. No one can ever come across as living a fully realized life because there is so much they don't know. They are incapable of being happy because of these barriers. That's tragic. It's always a self-perpetuating cycle. These characters can never be happy. They strive for that ideal. They may even obtain it for a few precious moments. Something inevitably happens that makes them question if the happiness they had was anything more than illusion. Isobel can't focus on how she feels about Kyle because she has to help her fellow aliens with their problems. Michael and Alex can't lean on each other during these turbulent times because they've faced separate alien dangers. Alex is feared dead. That's the assumption Maria makes given how strange these messages have been. She thought it was her mother. That was wrong. It alerts someone to Alex having long been in danger. That may only delay Liz's ability to arm Max and Michael with their powers once more. She had a breakthrough based on Rosa's artistic inspiration. Rosa's art has grown so much. She doesn't have everything in her life figured out. Liz still admires her. She needs a pep talk from her sister. It's mostly to assure Liz that she belongs in the lab exploring this fringe science. She is the only one who can make sense of it. That's what she needs to be doing. Yes, it's important for her to invest in her personal life as well. Her work can't come at the expense of her loved ones. She needs to foster those bonds too. It's just pure chaos. And then, Clyde acts with absolute certainty because he has never aspired for happiness. That's a trivial pursuit that others can chase. It's a distraction. It's easy to understand that argument even though Clyde barely exists as a one-note character at this point. Plus, the consequences of his actions aren't as lethal as they seem with the quicksand that consumes Bonnie and Dallas.
