Rosa makes her reappearance with some sage advice the whole Pod Squad should take. If the last episode was about having faith in your loved ones, this week was all about being true to yourself.
The Powers That Be structured this episode to be one giant teachable moment. The closer our characters were to their true selves, the more successful they were. Unfortunately, the same held true for the Dark Triad.
As much as Liz and Max love each other, they need to figure out who they are and what they want as individuals before they can make a life together work. This is why, after an unexpectedly mature discussion, they spent most of the episode apart.
Max is so married to his image as the protector that he believes getting rid of his powers was his only option. After all, if Tezca’s goal is to use Max’s powers, then removing the powers removes the threat. However, his sense of hopelessness began when he hurt Liz. It was his inability to control his powers that scared him into seeking Bonnie out.
You can’t get further from your true self than by excising a part of you. And his choice not to discuss it with Liz first is further proof he at least subconsciously knew it was a poor decision. And what did he have to show for it? Liz took a breather in New York City, and he lasted all of two seconds when he faced off against Tezca.
Max’s protective instincts don’t just affect Liz. Michael hid the map of Oasis because he wanted time to think. Not the lecture Max was sure to give. Hell, that he gave. It’s not that Max was wrong. Michael can’t go gallivanting off to Oasis without having a serious heart-to-heart with Alex. But one, Michael was aware of that pre-lecture, and two, “Hello there, Mr. Pot.”
Liz isn’t doing much better. Her quest to be the perfect girlfriend, teacher, sister, and “insert here________” has left her feeling like a failure. Running away from her problems has never helped Liz, and it doesn’t help this time either. You'd think spending time with her sister would be a relief. However, seeing Rosa thriving made everything so much worse. Liz may have spent more time on Earth than Rosa, but she still envies her older sister. Luckily, Big Sisters can sometimes provide words of wisdom. Not only does Rosa remind Liz that she’ll be fine if she follows her heart (i.e. fringy science) she’ll be fine, but she also points her in a new scientific direction.
Speaking of Alex, is he really calling out to Maria? Or is Mama DeLuca just informing her that Alex is in trouble? Either way, at least we know the cosmic quicksand didn’t kill him. Although the fact Alex left behind the necklace Michael gave him does not bode well.
Isobel is a little more complicated. I know she had reasons, but coming back to Roswell allowed her to avoid dealing with her relationship with Kyle. It’s also made her a wee bit paranoid as she admits to Dallas. She’ll have to come to terms with her feelings for Kyle before she has any chance at (romantic) happiness with anyone. But that’s for another episode.
However, we are not all one thing, and Isobel is more than just a ball of romantic or platonic feelings for Kyle. She was confident in her psychic abilities and, therefore, had no problems helping Dallas navigate his mindscape. She was also confident in her abilities as a fighter, right up to the point she realized she knew Tezca from Oasis. That momentary lapse almost cost her life, but overprotective brothers come in handy every once in a while.
One could make the argument that Dallas doesn’t fit the pattern. He begins the episode full of doubts and yet makes constant progress towards his goals. And once he seems to have come to a decision, he's defeated by Clyde. Yet Dallas’ doubts are less about who he is than whether he’s capable of what comes next. And while it’s true that he lost the Bible at a crucial moment, I suspect it got him where he needed to be.
If Clyde is to be believed, Tezca has lost her way. It’s her divergence from the path of Ophiuchus that is causing her repeated failures. What we do know is she is currently locked up in an alien-proof cage. Since she's not big on sharing her feelings, it remains to be seen whether Clyde is right, or she’s lost faith.
Clyde is the perfect example of my little pet theory. He is a true believer who will sacrifice anything in the service of Ophiuchus. This, combined with his manipulation skills, makes him more dangerous than Tezca could hope to be. She’s a battle-ax while he is a scalpel. He used Michael’s dreams of Oasis and assumptions about a ship to push him, Izzy, and Max into a confrontation with Tezca.
And did ya notice his plans succeeded where Tezca’s failed? At some point, in the not-too-distant future (there are only four episodes left) I believe Clyde is going to have a crisis of faith or at least have to confront something his belief in Ophiuchus can’t account for. We’ll see what happens to his success rate then.
We may not have reached the “Dark Night of the Soul” portion of the season, but the Bad Guys are definitely closing in. And until the Pod Squad steps into their legacy, as Izzy says, things are going to get worse before they get better.
4 out of 5 Senora Sliceys
Parting Thoughts:
This week’s episode owes its title to Sleater-Kinney’s 1997 release.
David Siqueiros was a real person and his murals are extraordinary.
I found it funny that Maria asks for a sign and then hides out at the Crashdown when she gets a boatload of them.
They are not shy about dropping religious metaphors into Dallas’ storyline, are they?
Do you think the map where no roads go is a reference to what was under the cosmic quicksand or something else?
Quotes:
Max: “Which means she’s hurt. It’s the perfect time to strike.”
Michael: “With what? Harsh language?”
Liz: “My usual problem-solver is merlot with a Morissette chaser.”
Dallas: “Since when do we need the full spa package for a mindscape?”
Roy: “Remember, what you put on a chessboard can become a chess piece.”
Isobel: “Well, let there be light.”
Clyde: “I think it’s time to explain the quandary Tezca left us to decipher. And bring about the alighting once and for all.”
Max: “And Alex is cool with a decades-long nonstop flight across the galaxy?”
Michael: “Obviously, there are discussions to be had.”
Isobel: “OK, damn. You just went all ‘Ten Commandments’ on that pond.”
Michael: “What’s with all the chitchat? The spaceship is not going to just find itself.”
Michael: “Kinda felt like, in order to ponder the possibilities, I had to keep anyone from weighing in on the harsh realities.”
Max: “By anyone, you mean me, don’t you?”
Michael: “If the dream killer shoes fit...”
Clyde: “Streams of hope shine through the darkness on this planet.”
Dallas: “This isn’t over.”
Theo: “It’s good to see you, son.”
Shari loves sci-fi, fantasy, the supernatural, and anything with a cape.
"We’ll see what happens to his success rate then."
ReplyDeleteHell yeah. Little punk-ass with his rock solid convictions. I hope he sees his world crashing down
I've never had a problem with bad special effects either way but I was impressed with how decent the parting water looked to me. Especially after the poor hand-fire effects on Michael. I guess they went with water... good call.