My thoughts on Secrets and Lies

There's so much I want to say this week, I don't know where to start. So sit comfortably and enjoy a tasty beverage, I might be here for a while!

Ok, let's start with the easy stuff. We hardly saw Jesse at all this week, so I'm putting my theories about him on the back burner for now. I have enough theories to keep me occupied this week anyway ;)

I thought the way Isabel told her parent was very Isabel. As it is very obvious to anyone who's read these little ramblings of mine before, I prefer Max to Isabel (is anyone shocked? :P) but you gotta feel for her, all her parents ever talk about anymore is her brother. Max this, Max that, I hope Max is ok, why doesn't Max call. It wouldn't mind talking about Max all the time (heck, isn't that what I'm doing?) but it's gotta be hard on Isabel. But there's a pretty good chance her announcement will move the spotlight on her for a little while.

Did they paint the Evans kitchen? Were the cupboards always that colour?

Does anybody else find it odd that Max went to Halloween as Adam Ant? Isn't he a bit young to know who he is and want to dress up like him for trick or treating?

I hope they resolve the son storyline soon. Max, I love you, but it sends a knife through my heart (and Liz's too, I'm sure) whenever you say "my son". About this son, why would he try to contact his father at all? What are these visions Max has been having? Are they nightmares, or do they come whenever he's near water? Why would a hour-old baby try to contact his father? "Dad, help, Mom is a witch, save me!" I don't know. It looks like a trap to me. Like "someone" is using some kind of mind power (or dare I say it out loud, a mindwarp?) to send Max images of his son knowing very well that Max will do all he can to come back and rescue the baby, and fall in the very large trap being set up for him in the process. I almost hope I'm wrong. But then it would mean the baby is 100% real and I don't want that either. Still grasping at straws, I guess!

They recast Valenti Sr. I don't know why, but that completely threw me. When they were saying stuff like "he doesn't even know who we are anymore" I was like "Why would he? He's never been on this show before" *lol* He's the second father played by 2 different actors, watch out Mr. Parker!!

Question: Didn't they already deal with how Valenti Sr. lost his job as Sheriff in the Convention? It's the silo murder, when he was accused of killing a drifter (tricked by Hubble into believing he was a shape-shifter, but Hubble killed him). Now we have that dead actress. How many alien-murder cases ended his career? Or do we get a new back story every time they change the actor? Was Max and Isabel's first dad a lawyer too? (ooh, sarcasm, and it's still early!)

And why did Shape-Shifter 2 (SS2) kill the actress? Did she also find out who he was?

How did Max know Joey had been killed by a shape-shifter? He said "Nasedo killed the exact same way". Er... sorry Max, but you're wrong. Nasedo killed by burning the internal organs, true, but he left a "healthy-looking" corpse (if there's such a thing) with a silver handprint, not a pile of ashes. I'm very willing to buy that the two shape-shifters kill in different way. But Max will have to explain to me how he figured that one out.

Also, do all the shape-shifters have to be bald in their basic human form? Is it some kind of genetic thing? Can you tell I have a long commute in the morning where I'm stuck in traffic and therefore way too much time to think? *lol*

So, was it the SS2 as Joey who warned Michael? Or did he just hire an actor to do the job? And why would he do that? He doesn't hire a real hit-man, just someone who plays one on TV. He spent too much time in Hollywood, if you ask me! *lol* And SS2 figured Max would try to get to the ship and told Joey, so that's how he knew to call the cops? Sorry, just thinking out loud. Does any of this make sense to any of you?

Supposedly, a shape-shifter's job is to protect the Royal 4. Good job they're doing. I guess it's pretty safe to assume that SS2 is the one who left the Dupes in the sewers. Why were they sent here at all if they're doing such a bad job? Unless that's what they were actually there to do. Hmm. Ok. And please, no more throwing Max against the wall and/or stairs. I know he'll be fine, but that's just not nice.

Does SS2 have anything to do with Agent Burns of the FBI? Is he Agent Burns of the FBI?

I like how Liz got jealous when she heard Bunny's (was that her name?) voice on Max's cell. "I'm really glad that she's so helpful" *lol* And I love Max's smile when he said that she "definitely" heard he loved Liz. Happy Dreamer giggle. And, Bunny, yes, the girl on the phone knows how lucky she is. And believe me, the guy in front of you is also very aware of how lucky he is! But I can't say I blame her for trying and inviting him up. Loved Max's reaction when she kissed him. Loved Max for not kissing her back.

Jonathan Frakes had absolutely no idea who that kid was. *lol* I guess the suite Max moved him to in the Convention didn't make an impression on him.

Max darling, don't quit your day job. Acting really isn't for you. (I'm absolutely not talking about Jason here. He's a wonderful actor and did a really good job at being bad. *Lol* I love that "Midwestern" naiveté and the smile he gave them when they said the second time was much better (or did I say that already? Anyone here *not* know I love it when Jason smiles?) I bet he really was like that when he first came to Hollywood. Anyone catch him on Entertainment Tonight last night? – end of my weekly gushing over Jason)

Liz would follow Max to the end of the Earth, wouldn't she? Dreamer sigh. People are still saying she took him back way too quickly and that the "old" Liz wouldn't have done so, but I think people don't realize how incredibly hard it must have been for her to be apart from him all last year. Like she said, she knows what it's like to be with him and what it's like to be without him. So she'd rather be with him. And it's not a bad thing. It's not like she turns into a complete idiot when he's not around. It's not like she needs a man (or Max in particular) to survive. She could do it on her own. She'd just rather be with Max.

I liked the Buffy reference. I like it when they make inside jokes that are funny on 2 or 3 different levels and I get them all. Makes me feel smart. :) So that's why I think it would have been funny to see Max drive by the Sherman Oaks exit sign. I don't know L.A. maybe it was completely out of his way, but then Max doesn't know L.A. either so it might have been funny to someone who knows LA to see him so lost.

I like Liz and Kyle's friendship. I just like Kyle being friends with anybody. Heck, I just like Kyle!

And Liz still has those earrings. And apparently will be wearing them again next week. Oh well. For some reason, I think it makes her look like Nelly Furtado and I can't decide whether that's good or bad.

Ok, what's with the hat, Max? In October? In California? He had an excuse for wearing it in the Hybrid Chronicles, digging in the woods in the rain and all, but now? Or it is because they shot it out of sequence and he had to hide his new haircut? (which looks great on Jason, *drool* but I still think Max needs the bangs)

So in L.A. you go to a funeral and you get an agent?

Can someone tell me who my second cousin, twice removed would be? I'm serious. I'm having a hard time figuring it out... is it the child of my dad's cousin? Or the cousin of my cousin? How does that work?

Did Liz calling Jim "Mr." Valenti sound strange to anyone else? I know he's not Sheriff anymore, and she can't really call him Jim, but I thought "Mr. Valenti" sounded strange. But maybe it's just me.

The agent told Max he was going to be "high maintenance". That's the second time he's been told that.

You know, those cases where they keep the films are very heavy. I used to work at a drive-in and someone had to help me move those to my projector. So either Max's case was not full, or Jason is much *much* stronger than I am for picking it up and putting it on the table so effortlessly. Both statements are true, I think! *lol* He's got a portable movie projector in his hand. Being an alien is so cool.

The thing that got me officially freaked out in this episode is when the computer said "You've got mail, Max" *shudder* Get out of L.A. NOW!

Not much Michael, other than to tell Max who Joey was so that he could go to L.A. No Maria either. I knew there was one episode without any Maria. I thought it would bother me more than it did. Maybe no Maria is better than mis-used Maria.

I really, really liked this episode. I can't wait for next week.

Ok, I guess that's it.

Valerie