#anti Liz Ortecho

[dayscrazed]

FRIENDS AU - "The One That Could Have Been" -Chapter 6 posted!

Maria vents to Liz about her dissatisfying night with Alex and Michael. Max makes a risky move when his future with Liz is uncertain. Isobel commiserates with Maria about Noah and Alex and then she and Kyle have a moment.

[powderseal]

The thing about Alex being completely resigned to his inevitable death by radiation poisoning when he knows an alien with magic powers who can literally bring back the dead and a mad scientist who does crazy unethical alien experiments to cure terminal diseases is that he’s still right, neither of those people give enough of a shit to actually save him 🙄

[pastelwitchling]

Okay, guys. My thoughts on 4x09.

Michael worrying about Alex was pretty cute, and I skipped everything else because I don’t care.

There. That’s it.

I hate that this had to be the episode that Trevino directed, I wish he could’ve gotten an episode that I would’ve genuinely been interested in, but watching Michael sit at the fireside with a beer while Alex is trapped somewhere and everyone obsesses over getting Liz out of a problem she put herself in and seems not to have to face consequences for either is just not the feel I was looking for, you know?

Actually, now that I’m here, I’m just going to say something that the rest of tumblr will find controversial because that’s just how tumblr is. Liz Ortecho drags the show down. The way I don’t care at all about her relationships, her science, her anything. I love Jeanine Mason, I think she’s a goddess, but my gods, Liz is one of the the most boring, selfish, entitled characters I’ve ever seen. Whenever the show focuses on her, it stops being about aliens and more about how awesome she is. I’m sick of being told how kind and selfless she is when so many of her own actions are driven by greed. She has her heroic moments, granted, but they’re always followed with the same mistakes motivated by her own desire for glory or scientific breakthroughs.

I’m sick of hearing that the reason she betrayed Max, Isobel, and Michael was for the science. I don’t care. I’m also sick of how she never, ever faces consequences for her actions. She had Kyle confront her once in season 3, and mamma mia, here we go again. She risked the pod squad, she exposed them, she put all their plans on saving Alex and the others on halt because she got herself in trouble by her own decisions, and no one’s mad at her. It’s insane, it’s unfair, and honestly, I wish the show had been about Rosa instead. She annoyed the hell out of me at the beginning of season 2, but I really warmed up to her at the end of it, and now I love her. Know why? Because she actually has an arc, she grows up, she doesn’t keep making the same dumb, selfish decisions. Maria, Liz--honestly, with these kinds of female representation we have leading the show (because let’s be serious here, Roswell New Mexico has become the Liz and Maria show), no wonder the CW’s losing so much money and doing so badly right now.

[stillcosmic]

at least it seems like “follow you down” follows two plots - michael’s search for alex in alien hell and liz being the fucking worst

[ladymajavader]

I'm sorry but the way some people in this fandom have insisted on romanticizing Liz and M*ria's friendship with Alex and their treatment of him in general has been annoying since s1. You had folks both argue that M*ria had every right to go after Michael because she's been lonely and Alex hasn't been around for a decade and they are no longer close but also they were such good friends there was no need for an apology either. Which is it, people? You can't have it both ways. And the whole Liz had no idea how Kyle treated Alex was always an excuse that had very little basis in reality, not to mention that her not knowing her boyfriend and her closest don't get along would make her an even worse friend. Liz explicitly said she knew Kyle didn't treat others well but he treated her well. She did the absolute least on prom night when Kyle's actions were impossible to ignore and proceeded to spend the rest of the night being romanced by Max. We have literally never seen either of these "friends" even mildly inconvenience themselves to make Alex a priority and the way they're constantly held up as examples of selflessness on the show is ridiculous.

remember how in s1 Alex was allowed to call out Liz being a bad friend but only on behalf of M*ria? Well she's been exactly as bad a friend ever since, especially to Alex, but we can't talk about it anymore. And we all know M*ria has no faults so couldn't possibly be a bad friend. It's actually another point on my "rnm writers' room believes in gender essentialism and that women are just naturally pure and better than men" bingo card, how their friendships are written. Women are the gay man's "best friends" simply because they just are, even though what we've seen is Alex making all the effort, consistently helping them out and literally sticking his neck out for them and the one time Alex's goals and feelings came in direct conflict with M*ria's, her and Liz both decided Alex's feelings were less important (I tried to give Liz the benefit of the doubt before, that she meant "you can't help what you feel" as in "but you can decide how you act", but no. she proceeded to encourage Michael to "admit how he feels about Maria" the very next episode, when, as the theoretical friend of both ends of the love triangle, the least she could do is butt out of it). And after that - the relationships are unchanged! With the women not having to put in any effort. Heck, Alex narrowly avoids having to apologize to M*ria in 2x05. Because see, just having those awesome women consider Alex a friend is enough of an honor. When he gets kidnapped they condescend to ask "Mikey, where's Alex?" and proceed to do more important things while leaving Alex in danger.

I get the longing for depictions of friendships, especially with characters that had so much potential for great dynamics (see @meneatyoghurt's galaxy-brain take here), but what we got on screen is a toxic trash fire instead.

[equal-melody]

I am sorry, am I hallucinating, Liz said she was going to the “hole” to find their friends. Did my livestream skip that scene?

It was working rather well as we were forced to watch Liz verbally abuse her sister, Shavini’s scenes, Tezca’s history and clueless Max scenes.

It must have skipped at the Liz caring about Alex, Bonnie and Dallas’ still missing scenes.

I mean, all hands on deck to rescue Liz from her own dreams though right..?

[booker-le-livre]

Am I the only one who likes Max, but only when he’s not with Liz?

[siriuslockwood-archived]

Hello yes, can’t wait for Kyle Valenti to be minding his own business trying to get some with the admittedly annoying girl he likes, while Liz swoops in and makes him do favours for her  because whenever she needs him to do something, he suddenly becomes ‘family’.

[michaeltrevino]

r.i.p. liz ortecho

[ladymajavader]

and can we also talk about how she thinks Michael’s most significant relationship a.k.a. “partner in crime” is Sanders? no shade to Walt, lovely to see him as always and their quasi-parental relationship is super important, but really Liz? no connection between the row of Missing posters and Michael? no dreamscape parallels of Mikey can’t find and save his lover so he’s gonna help Liz rescue hers, that just never occured to you? mmmkay

Anyone wanna talk about how Liz thinks of Michael as a lackey who would do anything for her after she JUST withheld information about Alex from her last episode

[dayscrazed]

Continuation of Friends AU:

Liz is a comforting presence to Max as he experiences financial troubles and suggests a collaboration with Michael. Maria complains to Liz about the distance in her marriage. Meanwhile, Michael invites Alex for a night out. What happens at Planet 7 sheds light on Michael and Alex's respective odd behavior

[female-overlord-3]

I want to add to this post because it is another big thing that others have mentioned too: does Echo even like each other and why? Like sure you can love someone but do you also like them you know as a person? 4x09 sorta did a good job of telling us this because it was pretty clear Echo don't actually like each other (yes I was petty and cackled at the negative back and forth that validates this). Again this isn't me being entirely negative just critical about what we've been given.

Even back in episode 4/5 Liz was just fine with whatever decision Max was making because he's going to make them anyway and that's just how he is... but that's not entirely healthy or shows actual trust just like resigned acceptance. Trust would be knowing that the decision includes the other person instead of some false idea of protecting or handling the issue alone. Time and time again we've seen they really don't trust each other and that's sad. They're supposed to be the main couple and I want the main couple to be untied!

And the thing about if a couple like and love each other: We already know Malex do! We've known since they were teens and actually got together (another telling difference) even after all the drama and them having opposite opinions on certain subjects, they have continued to vouch for each other. It's kinda why Malex works. From the start they've wanted to be together, to build a home together and felt that there was something there (they literally have a word for it) and have learned to trust each other AND work together.

Bottom line: Echo still don't trust each other even after everything when they should've been well passed this because aside from their own decade long longing, we've been shown that they don't even like each other.

[pastelwitchling]

This was easily the best episode in the entire season. It’s amazing how good the show gets when it focuses on the aliens and the couples with actual chemistry. I’ll get more into that though in my thoughts on 4x12.

I skipped all the scenes with Liz and Maria. The show comes to such a halt when it’s focusing on them instead of malex or the pod squad. Sorry, but that’s how I feel. The one time I did cheer out loud at a Maria scene was the bait and switch. Well done, I must say.

I actually got emotional at Tezca’s death scene, I thought that was done really well. I loved seeing Max and Isobel fight, it’s so awesome. Honestly, I feel like this show should’ve gone the Supernatural route, and just had it focus on Max and Isobel’s relationship. (Well, if we’re fantasizing, I wish it had focused on malex, but you know what I mean.)

And speaking of Max, who was a total badass this episode, thank you for letting him be the alien he is, but they’re really trying to hammer in how meaningful his relationship with Liz is, and all I could think was, Seriously? Those moments in the end when Tezca told him to just think of seeing Liz again, I’m just here thinking that that wouldn’t be nearly enough motivation. They really do hardly seem to even like each other, and something kind of big occurred to me this season, and don’t bite my head off, but echo doesn’t really have much chemistry.

I mean, holy cannoli, look at the chemistry between Tyler and Vlamis. The kind that even though they spent so much of the show separated, you still felt their relationship. Or what about kybel even? Whose scenes I did also skip though. They weren’t even together for most of the show, but when there were hints of it, everyone was excited because they had so much chemistry. I honestly think Max and Cam had more chemistry, and I don’t even want them to date! I think I’ve figured out why. It’s the same issue I have with so many other stories, too.

A couple stops having any potential for chemistry when the entirety of their relationship is just one person praising the other for their genius and how amazing they are, while that person gets crapped on for really no good reason. There’s a huge power imbalance, and it’s telling me about a character’s personality instead of showing it to me. Worse, it’s telling me and then showing me the exact opposite. I don’t think echo has any chemistry because there’s no give and take with their relationship. Liz is perfect, everything is Max’s fault, rinse, repeat.

Well, this episode showed how amazing Max and Isobel working together was, and I honestly couldn’t have cared less about what was going on with Liz. I’m glad Rosa was there though, seeing her made me smile.

I’m also glad that Tyler, Michael, and I can all agree that using the ship name in the show is stupid. I don’t have any strong feelings about it in particular, I just thought it was weird. Also, just to be bitter for a second, it seemed like an attempt on the writers’ part to connect to the fanbase and show how important malex is to them, which makes sense given their usual brilliant ideas on showing how important malex is. Praising season 2 for being about malex, calling an episode ‘one for the malex fans’ when Alex isn’t even in it, never showing Michael missing Alex or anyone acknowledging how his absence affects Michael, and now the ship name on a banner. Yeah. That fits.

Anyway. The escape scene from the storm was so cool, I loved the way Isobel and Max specifically stayed with Alex and cared about him. My heart’s going to burst, I’m going to die, I loved it.

I cannot begin to say how (pardon my language) fucking awesome Alex and malex were this episode. Alex saved everyone, we all agree, yes? If he hadn’t been his Air Force captain self, and told Michael to pull it together and think, Michael wouldn’t have thought of the one thing that saved them. Alex was the hero, surprise surprise, and anyone who says otherwise is blatantly ignoring the facts. This feels like season 3, to be honest, where Alex’s behind the scenes work on the Lockhart Machine once again saved the day, but this time everyone has to acknowledge it.

I almost didn’t post my thoughts, I thought I wouldn’t know where to start or what to really say. I do want to give a heads up for next week. I don’t know if I will post my thoughts, but I will push myself to do it as best I can. Still, they might come a little late, but I’m sure you can understand that. Okay. Back to writing my malex teen au.

Till next time.

[ladymajavader]

Sometimes I think this show went off the rails in the pilot when Liz's decade-long ghosting of M*ria was handwaved with one joke about Instagram stalking and the rest of the show proceeded to have them do whatever they wanted with no substantial consequences as the only characters with legit grievances™️ you always have to feel for. Instead, somehow everything became Alex's fault, and he wound up doing all the work for the three of them while getting absolutely nothing in return. Add Max's bullshit always taking precedence over Michael's feelings and 4 seasons later I can't wait for the show to go off the air. For all the "RNM was a better show with Carina as showrunner", it really wasn't. It's just that the perpetual cycle of toxic positivity you so percetly put didn't quite get on everyone's nerves yet. The effort these writers put in to have zero plot coherence in any given season AND zero character continuity for almost anyone is astounding.

Nonnie, you got me good with this ask. The longer I thought on it the more I agree, that there was some crack in the foundations of the show, a fundamental disconnect between what it told us it is and what it proceeded to be. It was supposed to be Liz's story. It was meant to explore themes of alien-ness as a metaphor on immigration and after one confrontation with ICE it's not an issue anymore. It purported to be a paragon of social justice awareness and gave us one awful monologue about abortion and somehow even worse racist "redemption" plot/the militia storyline that also solved racism in Roswell forever. It should've been a found family story, and the synopses and interviews still tell us "this group of friends always comes together to help each other in times of need!" and on screen it's everyone fawning over Max/Maria/Liz and forgetting the existence of Kibble and Alan. They drop the ball on everything, constantly and consistently and, as @lovecolibri puts it, set up emotional and story beats wide as a broad side of a barn and then completely miss hitting them every. damn. time. What the writers can be reliably expected to do include only things like making everything All Alex's Fault, even his own kidnapping, sticking M*ria on a pedestal and twisting Liz's character from one Jeanine was so excited to play and I to watch into this girlboss mad scientist accidental caricature.

I don't believe the show was better with Carina; as @ashesandhalefire said, back then this show did cool things by accident and truly awful things on purpose, and in the last two season I believe the awful things are mostly due to incompetence. It's just that during her reign the incompetence was covered up by panache, sheer unfounded confidence and loud shouting on twitter and now it is laid bare in all of its ridiculousness and ugly biases at the heart of the show that proclaimed itself as a paragon of progressive tv.

[cakebeam]

My thoughts on ep.5

• So, is everyone on this show going to get a handprint before Malex’s get theirs, if they ever do at this point? And now the handprint is used to not just share memories but also suck the life force out of someone? Ohhhhh kayyyyy...

• Why is Maria the one spending the entire episode with Kyle and borderline flirting with him when her supposed love interest is Greg (🤮), who was also in the episode? 

• Oh and, Miluca has more scenes together this season than Malex so far. And not a “Miluca declared dead” in sight from Michael while his I love you still hangs in the air. Wow.

• Why did Max have to be the one to sleep with the reporter, Anatsa? She has great chemistry with Isobel and though I do love Kybel, I’m getting pretty over there barely being any gay content on this show. Speaking of which-

• No mention of Malex whatsoever. No mention of Alex (I think someone brought up calling him and that was it), again. We are 5 episodes into this 13 episode season and Chris’s words of treating Malex equally as Echo this season is now just a straight up lie fam. 

• Rosa’s unbelievable bullsh*t line of finally going after the people who have been antagonizing her family for a decade- GIRL IT’S BEEN WYATT THE WHOLE TIME. Everyone else was just his cronies. The show trying to erase Wyatt being an evil white supremacist and the primary abuser of the Ortecho family from that narrative and retconning it to be Jordan, a character we’ve never seen before this season, is still f*cked up.

When are Arturo and Liz going to finally find out about Wyatt and remind Rosa that he’s a complete monster? Does she even get that he literally BEAT Arturo? And SHOT Liz? She should not be talking to this guy, let alone being his friend. What the f*ck?!

• When is it time for Maria to finally not be in an episode? I need a serious break from this character. She’s literally more involved with the group than Liz, who is the main character. I did NOT sign up for the Maria Deluca show. This show is already bad and she is just making it so much worse this season with no one calling her out. 

• I’ve already forgotten about Heath. Can he just not exist anymore? Thanks.

Extras:

• Isobel’s snake clothing all season- is this going to relate to something at some point or is it just for kicks? Ophiuchus?

• I could barely hear the pod squad and Jones talk over Liz’s loud moaning. Girl give it a break, we know you’re dying, I’m trying to hear everyone else.

• Rosa and Michael talk- Good sh*t 👌👌👌

• Kyle spreading vapo rub on Liz’s cleavage. Um... why? And then they call each other family? This is really f*cking weird messaging.

• So the aura’s are based on emotions and not the general aura of someone? That’s kind of disappointing but useful I guess. 

[eveningspirit]

Oh, right. I liked Valenti calling Liz up on her bullshit.

I didn’t like her take -- that the important other side of that coin was not moral wrongdoing, but... Max. Yes, she wronged Max, but the gist of it was that she did a morally reprehensible shit in the process. If he agreed with her and if he wasn’t angry at her, that wouldn’t make it right in my universe.