There's a fourth alien! Max and Liz kissed! Maria and Michael got hot and heavy in the desert!

Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 9 had a lot of big twists that should help advance the plot of this freshman drama, but I can't say I'm excited about any of them.

We'll start with that kiss between Max and Liz. I love a good callback, and having Shiri Appleby direct this episode was poignant given that the ninth episode of the original series was the first time OG Max and OG Liz locked lips.

However, the chemistry between Max and Liz has been fizzling out for weeks now. Maybe it's the constant back forth between both characters.

It's difficult to get on board with a relationship when it's perfectly obvious one party is way more invested in it than the other. I'm not saying Liz should be more into Max at this stage in the narrative, but that kiss felt thrown in there for fan service.

Liz has had her reasons for wanting to keep Max at arm's length. He helped cover up the fact that his sister, Isobel, was the one who murdered her sister all those years ago.

Michael: You know I don't need your charity.
Max: It's not charity. It's an exchange. My car's acting up again.
Michael: You need a new engine.
Max: What I need is a ride.

Permalink: It's not charity.

That's a relationship shattering development, and given that we only learned about it a handful of episodes ago, it was jarring that Liz was at the point in which she felt ready to lock lips with Max.

The execution of Roswell, New Mexico is somewhat frustrating. On the one hand, it's great to have a central romance. On the other, it's difficult to follow when the characters are at odds every other scene.

The only positive here is that Liz and Max managed to play nice with each other during "Songs About Texas." It was evident the way the episode was going that they would be getting closer.

It just felt too soon for them to get to this stage when you consider all of the things that have been holding them back. Had there been more baby steps and the kiss occurred a few episodes down the line on the Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 finale, I would have been able to get on board with it.

Max is much more into Liz than she's into him, and that's concerning. Max has loved Liz since the moment he laid eyes on her, and it's difficult to watch him confess his love to her on an episodic basis if there's a chance this is all going to end in tears.

There was some semblance of progression for them when Liz revealed that she did not think Isobel was the alien serial killer that was on the loose in the town. I half expected Liz to show up with a lethal injection to euthanize Isobel for good.

For now, she still believes that there's hope for Isobel aka the woman who has already killed three people (that we know of!).

It's all starting to get a little messy here because I find it hard to believe Liz would want to bring Isobel back from her slumber this soon if there's the possibility she is more dangerous than first thought.

The faith healer's claim that a woman died around twenty-one years ago after saying that she could leave because "he's here now" was somewhat intriguing.

17 TV Singles We Would Like To Date

Start Gallery

That was around the time the trio of aliens emerged from their slumber from the pods. For some reason, I didn't expect there to be a fourth alien because Carina McKenzie, the showrunner, previously shut down fans who asked whether Tess was in this iteration of the series.

Michael: A faith healer?
Max: Hmm.
Michael: Max, Isobel's organs are failing. Thoughts and prayers won't save her.
Max: I've been looking for information about this symbol for weeks. I came up with nada, and then today, a reverse image search found this. Traveling show stops outside of McLean tomorrow and this woman, Arizona, claims to have the power to heal in her right hand.
Michael: You think this crack's one of us?
Max: I don't know, but I think she's the first person that might know something. You said this symbol might be a beacon. Let's heed the call.

Permalink: I don't know, but I think she's the first person that might know something. You said this...

While it makes me wonder whether we've seen this other alien in the flesh, I think it's possible that the mysterious arrival could be in relation to Michael or Max. It would be a bit out there to throw another one of the aliens under the bus, but if Isobel has a crazy side, then there's a good chance the other two could, too.

The hookup between Michael and Maria was not surprising. The two have had chemistry ever since they started appearing in scenes together. It was only a matter of time before they did something about it.

Maria was embarrassed about anyone finding out, but a part of me believes that she would like to get closer to Michael, whether that's in a relationship or a friends with benefits type of thing.

It's also possible that it was a heat of the moment thing. Maria was trying desperately to find a way to bring her mother back from the brink, and Arizona didn't exactly live up to the hype.

19 Women on TV That Deserve Our Appreciation

Start Gallery

Many fans of Malex will be mad about the hookup, but it's not like they were exclusive. I liked that Alex agreed, eventually, that he and Michael don't know much about each other.

How are they supposed to build a relationship if they only have sex, argue, and then return to sex again?

There's likely a love triangle brewing here, so I should reserve more judgment until we know how things are going to be at the end of the season.

The team-up of Kyle, Alex, and Cameron was surprisingly fun. Cameron has a way with words, and it was perfect how she persisted in letting the men know that she was just as up for the challenge as they were.

The issue for Cameron here is that Manes is probably watching her every move, or at the very least, have someone doing so. He's a resourceful individual, and he could cause some serious harm to her sister.

You don't dial "M" for murder in Roswell, New Mexico; you dial "M" for Manes. Now that we know Kyle's father was likely killed by an alien, it's going to make things especially crazy as we approach the conclusion of the season.

It can't be a coincidence that both the father and Rosa are on the list of doctored coroner reports, right?

Then there was Noah. He's the moral compass of the show at this stage, and he was on a mission to prove Max had something to do with Isobel's mysterious disappearance.

Making his way into the cave to lay eyes on the three pods was a gutsy move, but his decision to call off the search for Isobel was predictable.

Noah has long wondered about the big secret between the trio of aliens, and now he has his answer thanks to the three pods in the cave.

The biggest surprise is that he didn't confront Max. That's probably coming up on Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 10, you guys.

"Songs About Texas" felt off to me. Many of the puzzle pieces fell into place a little too conveniently for my liking, and I preferred the less contrived way of storytelling from the earlier episodes.

What about you, Roswell, New Mexico Fanatics?

Hit the comments below.

The series continues Tuesdays at 9/8c.