Jasper1975

I disagree as she was the main character, along with Max. It was just a television show and therefore drama was going to ensue. Season Two was brutal for them. But still despite what fans might think, it was very drama focused. A lot that went down during Season Two was behind the scenes driven as well...

But as much as we might have issues with what went down. I don't think there was ever a feeling that Katims might not care for Liz.

She was the vehicle where the journey started. It was her story as much as the others. Of course the show struggled, and behind the scenes, people were vocal about getting more to do. And that put a burden on the show.

But being television, what happened was perceived as drama and part of the journey. If they didn't like Liz. She wouldn't have gotten her happy ending with Max.

Sure so much of what happened story wise would have been better to have been done earlier. But Liz always was a strong character. She always rose through the pain, and difficulty.

In fact I think they showed Max was more emotionally weaker than Liz. Max is the one who gotten knifed in stomach storywise in Season Two. People were alienated from Max, he lost a lot of fans with his behaviour and actions.

Even though I can spin them as realistic for two teenagers on television.

But Liz actions in Season Two was perceived as the greater good, going along with Future Max to sacrifice her happiness with Max. And then to find who killed her childhood friend. While no one can say Max's actions were anything more than a weakness...

So I do think they liked Liz. She always looked better than Max in many of the obstacles that kept Max and Liz apart.

Amaranto

Maybe they showed Max was more emotionally weaker than Liz, but I feel like it was Liz who's lost most in this story, they threw all that **** on her, but she really had the opportunity to deal with it and move on ? the same thing happened with Max/Liz, imo.

Jasper1975

I think it was because she was the voice of the show. Started it with her voice narration in the beginning, or her diary. Given the situation they were in. Max's heritage, being a alien. She being a human. So much was unknown. Of course if Max went into saving her during the shootout knowing who he was, and was fine it. But the shooting opened a Pandora's box. No one knew what they were opening by saving Liz. A lot of it based on Max's pining for her, and his compassionate soul.

Yes a lot of thrown at her. But she was strong enough to handle it. By the end, they needed to go through all she and they went through.

The Max and Liz of Season 1 was wonderfully naïve. Neither knew the path they were walking down. It allowed for a lot that neither was prepared for. Being teenagers didn't make it any better. Mistakes were made, ill formed judgements made.

Given so much is complicated, and dangerous with them. It wasn't just a simple issue. It was about life and death most days.

saorievans

Great points, guys

azure angel

Sometimes I really think it was a miracle they got their happy ending because they treated her in the worst way in the last two seasons, & had to be the opposite especially on s3, after the debacle of s2.

saorievans

I only saw the gif, and that's how I imagine Mr. and Mrs. Evans

Jasper1975

I don't know. I think the biggest issue for Season 2 was that for a big part of it Liz was ignored. Others took the forefront. Especially during the Laurie Depree mystery. It sorta twisted around when Sean came in, and they decided to kill off Alex and it set up a major storyline that set off a chain reaction. Although I guess you could say it started with End of the World.

Whatever we might see about what happened with Max and Liz, especially in Season Two. And much of it was behind the scenes driven. But still all of Liz's obstacles, and choices were seen for the greater good. She looked better than even Max did. Except that she hurt Max for no good reason and he had a right to be upset due to the End of the World shenanigans. She made a sacrifice, but how she did it with "fake sleeping with Kyle" hurt him. But later on, with Alex's death.

Neither looked good. Liz slipped into a obsession that nearly cost her Maria and others, but she had a mission that was positive. She was trying to solve her childhood friend death. How she behaved was questionable. But Max on the other hand didn't have the same motivation. His motivation was grief, but still it looks bad when you're acting like a jerk to your sister (blackmailing her not to go away to college, with false drug evidence) and friends. Including Liz. And falling into a clutches, and sleeping with someone else when you know you're in love with someone else.

I can see why it affected him. And I not nearly as down at him anymore. Because I can see the burden he was under. And some of it was on Liz for causing some of the pain. But still the average viewer. Max looked bad.

Liz looked better because she made the grand sacrifice in End of the World. And was trying to solve a death. Prove it wasn't suicide. She had a worthy mission. Even if how she acted wasn't always so pretty or rosey.

Neither looked good. But still Liz looked better. Even in Season Three. Max had moments where he didn't look the greatest. And Liz was faced with challenges that were understandable.

SO no I don't think the treated Liz badly. Sometimes she was ignored. But then television, sometimes stories go to the backburner for a little while and other stories are focused on.

Roswell 10/2/00

Yes it is sad how writers can treat characters badly. However we did get some great Dreamer moments and you have to go through the bad to get the good stuff along the way.

Amaranto

I hated that she was ignored, but worst thing was when they focused on her just bc the MT storyline.

Jasper1975

I don't think they focused on her to service the Max and Tess storyline. I see that she was focused on as it served the larger Max and Liz storyline. Good and bad, it allowed them for them to be tested. Actually Tess is the one who served the larger storyline. She was a temptation. She was a genuine threat. Not a momentarily lapse in judgement that Courtney was to Michael to interfere in his reunion with Maria.

Given who she was. It was needed to get to their happy ending. To be able to prove that they were strong enough to weather whatever they might face.

Was it extreme. Yes. Was it unnecessary to have Max sleep with Tess. Doublely YES. But as I have said before, it was more of a consequence of Liz's actions as it was Max's consequences for being weak.

Liz changed the timelines, and she found it all backfired on them in more ways than one.

I don't know why they wrote in the pregnancy when they were just going to send her off. But then it was a consequence to Max's actions. And for what Liz started in End of the World.

The fact any reunion couldn't be rosey, and without complication. They couldn't run back to each other and be blissfully happy. They would have to deal with the fallout for months after until finally they learned to overcome.

saorievans

The baby plot killed the show

azure angel

Yup, I could have lived with the sex thing, but a baby? That was too much and beyond.

Jasper1975

I can only think is that they planned to do something with it, the baby storyline but the very close call they had and were fighting to save the show. So despite introducing the story. They rushed to send Tess off. Emilie has said she didn't know she was leaving or Tess was the killer until she read the finale...

They figured it would be better to send her off. And have the baby be out there as a abstract to cause issues with Max and Liz's reunion before they finally overcame.

Still how they thought doing a baby story with Tess and Max would go over with fans, I don't know... I know the popular sentiment is that shows shouldn't write to cater to shippers or fans...

But come on, that was a major fiasco. It was going upset fans. Especially after weeks of Max acting like a jerk. Or Liz on her obsession track.

We really don't know what they were planning. But they figured if they could get saved, then the show might have some free room to roam without Tess around on the UPN.

But it alienated fans. You really had to be a hardcore dreamer to continue on...

If they had wanted to analyze the fallout of a baby on the group. Should of have done it with Maria and Michael. Or Liz and Max. A human alien hybid baby would have been much more dramatic...

That is the one time I question where they were headed... And why they did. Except that teenage pregnancies are a popular storyline form. It just they did it with the wrong characters...

azure angel

"It just they did it with the wrong characters" that's an understatement. I think even the others writers told Katims that it was counterproductive to go there, but he was obviously obsessed with the idea, that's why I think the did not give a damn for Liz and ultimately Max/Liz.

Jasper1975

I don't know. Katims only wrote a handful of the episodes during the season. In the last stretch, he only wrote Heart of Mine and Departure. Others were responsible for the others. Sure he probably had to say YES or NO to whatever was going to go down. Greenlight a episode... But he wasn't totally responsible.

But the very notion of the storyline should have been seen as a no go for everyone. Given the show was not a hit by any means. It was hanging on because of the fans...

But then sometimes they think drama like sex with other people is drama. And especially if consequences come from that like a baby. Especially if you have a star crossed couple like Max and Liz.

We will never know what was the original plan for the last arc of the season if they didn't write out Alex and change the show completely around to write the death mystery in. I do think we would have seen more of a triangle between Max, Liz and Sean given Max and Liz had started to make progress in Vegas.

She might have let slip about Future Max. But behind the scenes drama took over...