My thoughts on Samuel Rising
All hail the Christmas Nazi!! *lol* This has got to be my favourite side of Isabel's personality for sure.
Before I get into the episode, I want to comment on something I read. You know how Brendan said that when Roswell ends he wants Michael to die? Well, Jason just said the same thing about Max. What is wrong with these guys? Character death is NOT good! Is it because they want some closure or they just want to make sure they won't get asked to do a reunion movie? *lol* I'm not mad or anything (I realize that on paper, it could sound like I am) I actually find it rather amusing. I would just like to know why they want them to die. Death is not good!!
The Crashdown Christmas tree has little alien heads as ornaments. Liz has little disco balls in her tree. I want some! Anything would help *my* tree. It's about the most pathetic Christmas tree I've ever seen. The Christmas Nazi would be ashamed!
I loved Isabel's earrings. *lol*
"I used to be miserable during the holidays too, until I found my true calling." "What, making other people miserable?" Go Michael! Poor Jesse doesn't have a clue what he got himself into, does he? :)
What happened to the great tradition of the Valenti men eating Christmas dinner at the Crashdown and then watching some football? Jesse could have joined them for some mellowing time, a concept totally alien to Isabel this time of year. Or any other time, come to think of it.
We need more Kyle. Is there a way to have more Kyle without taking away any of Max's screentime? (Valerie thinks long and hard) I have a very simple and effective solution, let's put them in the same scenes! More "Blind Date", please!
Samuel looks uncannily like my cousin Raphael. My, my.
So Max's son stopped sending him signals about a month ago. I wish we'd get to see these so-called messages. Or any other flashes for that matter. When's the last time anyone got a flash from anyone? I'm thinking Maria in Departure. How come Jesse never gets any flashes from Isabel? I mean, they're married now, doesn't she ever let her guard down? And with Max and Liz being so close these days, how about a little sign of Future Max? Has she even told him? (Did you know she did tell him in the original script for "Departure"? I can't get my hands on it, though. Arghh!)
I'm kinda glad the kid wasn't channelling Max's son. It helps greatly with my denial of his very existence! :)
I know Christmas episodes (for any shows) are usually stand-alone eppys (so they can play them every year, I guess!) but I was hoping we'd get to see Mr. Evans this week. I want to know where he's going with this investigation. I hate having to wait again!!
There was no "Let's state the obvious so the newbies can catch up" this week. I guess someone finally told the writers that there aren't any newbies that need catching up. Sigh.
I liked how the director always zoomed on Isabel whenever she was being the Christmas Nazi. "There are no small assignments – ZOOOOM! Only small volunteers". *lol*
Max cancelling the first ice-skating date would have been worse had I not seen the adorable Dreamer pics last month.
That little girl in the red jacket who says to Liz and Maria that "elves suck" is one of the kids Max healed last Christmas. Cool! Since it doesn't seem we'll have an update on Sydney Davis anytime soon, I guess it's good they're letting us know the kids are alright.
Max playing basketball with Samuel was the cutest thing. Max will be a great dad when he and *Liz* start having kids!
Was that Dido playing in the Max and Liz scene at the Crashdown when Liz points out the spaceship mural?
I still love that Kyle goes to Isabel (and vice-versa) when something is bothering him. And I have to agree about Jim's lady-friend, major creep factor! It was great when Jim said "there's a small age difference" and Kyle said "Is there?" He's got the best comic timing :)
Another great line, "Out for a public display? I mean, walk?" But what was up with Jim's hair in that scene? It was fine before and after, but right then it looked like someone used a bowl to cut it.
So what is Michael's favourite hockey team then? I want to know!!! If it's like Metallica, it's probably Brendan's favourite as well. So as a guess I'd say Vancouver, since Winnipeg doesn't have a team anymore. Or it could be totally random, like Tampa Bay. And yes, I'm babbling. I have to do it at least once per post, minimum ;)
I swear, the shot of Samuel's house with the Christmas lights was used in the episode last year. I'm pretty sure it was Brody's house (but it could be the ghost's).
So Max is doing his Christmas thing of sneaking into kids' rooms to heal them. While this is all very good and very noble, I have a few problems with it, the more obvious one being: it was last year's plot. That scene looked exactly like the one in the hospital last year, minus the blue scrubs. Do you think you could come up with something different next year, Mr. Katims? If there's a next year, that is.
Max had been kinda selfish all episode long, using the kid to get to his son (Liz was right you know, Max) and then he felt guilty about it and tried to deal with it in his Max way, by trying to heal the kid. You can't heal everyone, Max. We've already established last year that you were not God. "Maybe I was trying to heal the wrong person" seems to be the key to Max's behaviour in this episode. I feel a fic coming on. *grin*
But then, when you think about it, the kid was kind of using Max also. It's like he knew what would get Max to help him, so he used that. Can't say I blame him though. His family deserved the Christmas miracle. It's a good thing, what Max and Isabel did.
So Michael *asked* to be Santa? Who would have thought Michael would be the one to cling? *lol* The fate of M&M seemed so final last episode, but I guess I should have known better, this being, after all, Michael and Maria. And I guess that's all I have to say about that.
The Valentis seriously need a storyline. I'm just saying. And yes, Carrie, *where* was Amy DeLuca? Sigh.
And a nice Dreamer moment to close the episode. Happy sigh. So Max didn't make the snow? Ah, TV snow is always so... reliable, isn't it? You can always expect it to fall at the exact right moment. *grin*
Max can't skate. Ok. I don't know, I'm usually very good at suspending my disbelief, but I don't believe for one second that Jason "former-captain-of-the-broomball-team" Behr can't ice-skate. (I know broomball is not actually on skates, but it's on ice, and I would bet this guy can in-line skate. So therefore he should be able to ice-skate). Liz can skate, why can't Max? All that being said, it was awfully cute, and the fact that he couldn't skate just added to it. "You, Liz, are my family" is this year's "I believe in you" and "You're my dreamgirl, Liz". We seriously need more of those.
[as I was about to post this, I paid a little visit to the Jason
board (ok.. ok.. I admit, I keep it open all day
Since none of you go to the spoiler boards...LOL
OK the nite they filmed the skating my friends in Covina were all
there and were telling me how in between takes JB was skating around
like a demon and obviously loves skating. He kept going over to the
bench and horsing around with Shiri coaxing her to get up and skate
around. They were really cute hamming it up in between enjoying each
others company.
They said then that Max brushed snow from Liz face during filming and
kisses but we musta got the quick kiss I want the out takes
- end of Fraz's post -
So I guess I was right and he can skate :) ]
That's it for me today.
Valerie