‘Roswell, New Mexico’ 2×02 Review: ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space’

Roswell, New Mexico is one of those rare shows that doesn’t deliver underwhelming episodes of television. Even for episodes that could be deemed on the lighter side of things, every hour of this show makes the most of its 40-plus minutes.

Following the brilliance that was the season 2 premiere, which left me in tears and begging for more, Roswell, New Mexico delivered with another amazing episode that seemed to capture so many different emotions among these characters.

As the search for Operation Save Max continues (seriously, how much longer do we have to wait?), Rosa dealt with her new life after death, Isobel was terrified of the lentil within and Michael and Maria bonded — and then some.

Side Note: Seriously, petition to start every Roswell, New Mexico episode with a ’90s song. Because “Wonderwall” is my jam, as is most ’90s music, and this show is rooted in it.

Let’s break down the second episode of Roswell, New Mexico‘s already-thrilling second season:

Operation Save Max

As we saw in last week’s season premiere, our cast of characters have been struggling with the repercussions of Max’s death. They think they’ve found a way to save Max — to bring him back from the brink of death.

The only thing is, unknown to them, Max is trying to prevent that very thing.

The obvious question is why? Is it more of a “put me out of my misery” kind of thing? Which is what he insinuated with Rosa. Or is it something else entirely?

Max keeps coming to Rosa trying to convince her to prevent them from saving him. He’s obviously going through hell and back wherever he is. But, in the end, Rosa refuses to help him. After all, it’s because of him that she doesn’t have a life anymore, so she tells herself.

So she wants to make him suffer. Just like her family suffered then, just like she’s suffering now. So Max remains stuck in limbo, and I sit here wondering when the hell Max is coming back to us. Because I don’t know how much longer I can wait here. It’s killing me.

At this point, it’s not a matter of if they’re going to save Max, rather when we’re finally going to get Max back and in the flesh. But something tells me it won’t be without its consequences. After all, easy is boring.

The Ghost Of Rosa

Given that, presumably, no one has actually died and then been resurrected with a new chance at life, Rosa is in a unique situation here. So as Rosa wanders around the town she called home for 19 years, it seems as if nothing but everything has changed.

Rosa is a stranger walking through her home, which is alarming enough on its own. Then to learn that the town hates her, that’s enough to send anyone spiraling. And it nearly does.

For Rosa, she’s left wondering if she’s to blame for the hate directed her family’s way. Is she responsible for the hate in Wyatt’s heart? Was the world better off with her dead?

Then she learns what really happened. How she was the patsy. Made to believe that she was the murderer in all of this. Knowing the vitriol that came her family’s way. Knowing the hate that, even after 10 years, comes in waves her way. Knowing that there’s no way in hell she can start over, here, in the place she calls home.

Suddenly, Rosa is left to wonder why it’s fair that when Max died, he was the hero. But when she died, she was the villain. How is that fair? What makes him so worthy? After all, he was part of the plan to place the blame on Rosa, considering she was dead anyway. Who wouldn’t believe that a drug addict got behind the wheel of a car, drunk, and killed herself and two other girls?

Rosa is totally justified in her anger. Her legacy, whatever was left of it, was tarnished in an instant. While Rosa had done plenty of questionable things. in her life, she didn’t do this. She wasn’t a murderer.

So any hope of starting a new life in Roswell, however impossible that may be given she “died” 11 years ago, was unjustly taken from her.

But here’s the thing, while I understand Rosa’s anger towards Max and how her death was a conspiracy, I can’t help but wonder why Rosa doesn’t choose to feel grateful for a second chance at life?

Again, presuming no one has died and come back to life, Rosa is the only person that has a chance like this. Why is she wasting it on the past? Why is she letting hate back into her heart? If anything, Rosa should’ve learned from the past as a reason why she can’t go back down that road.

If Rosa were to fall into the same trap she did as a teenager, what was the point? What was the point of Max sacrificing himself for Rosa?

Michael and Maria

Look, I’ll be the first one to tell you that Michael and Alex are OTP goals. Which is why it’s so weird that I’m also loving Michael and Maria. Maybe it’s because of nostalgia. Maybe it’s because of their sizzling interactions. Maybe it’s because Michael Vlamis has chemistry with literally everyone on this show!

But, perhaps, different loves are right at a certain time. Not to say Michael and Maria are or aren’t endgame. But there’s no denying that, at least right now, they’re right for each other. They need each other. With everything they’re going through.

Both have a shared pain that relates to the loss of their mothers — Maria, whose mom has been missing for two weeks and might not make it home; Michael, the mother he never knew and would never get a chance to know.

It’s easy to see why Michael and Maria can find some kind of comfort in these difficult times. They understand each other. They understand the pain. But it’s more than that.

There’s also no denying that there’s a connection between them that’s been there since last season. It was more of an attraction last season. But that’s morphed into genuine feelings. While Michael’s feelings are obvious — he flat out tells her “I like it when you’re happy and laughing” — Maria keeps her heart more guarded. But, judging by her actions, you can see that she genuinely cares. And she’s not someone who typically does.

Maria doesn’t need a hero. She doesn’t need a man to sweep her off her feet or protect her from the demons that haunt her. She’s strong enough to take on the darkness herself. But that doesn’t mean that she should have to go through it alone.

However strong Maria tries to appear on the outside, especially with her mother missing, Michael can see right through it. After learning that Maria has been sleeping at the Wild Pony, Michael decides to up and move his trailer to the Wild Pony’s parking lot. To look out for her. Even though, as he knows, she doesn’t need it. But it’s a way for Michael to let Maria know he’s there for her.

Maria doesn’t need a hero. But, lucky for her, Michael isn’t exactly a hero.

Isobel Sets Herself Free

There’s nothing more terrifying than keeping your fear to yourself. In this case, for Isobel, that fear is the unborn child growing inside of her. Aka, the lentil.

Isobel isn’t someone that gives into fear. She’s the one that’s typically striking fear into others. So you could certainly say that she’s in foreign territory right now.

After learning that she was pregnant with Noah’s child, fear instantly gripped her. The fear that she’s always carried in the back of her mind, even before she learned that Noah was a psychotic, killer alien.

The fear that having a child — especially with Noah, a crazy alien — has taken hold of Isobel like no fear ever has. And it’s easy for others around her to chalk it up to Noah’s death or Max’s death. But only Isobel knows the truth.

For all the time Isobel rolled her eyes and laughed at Maria’s Warrior Women training, it ended up serving Isobel well. She learned that

Only she can set herself free.

And how can she set herself free? By ridding herself of the thing growing inside of her. Which is why she decides to take a drop of the toxic alien serum — that nearly killed her last season — hoping it’ll do the same to the unborn child.

But something tells me it won’t be as easy as that.

Roswell, New Mexico airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.